A LONDON SUPER-COMMUTER

A gentleman from London contacted us looking for a bike he could use for his daily commute. He wanted a machine which would require a minimum of maintenance, and which would be comfortable, practical, and speedy, whether the weather was fine or whether the weather was rain, sleet, and snow.
So he suggested that we make him a single speed using our slim-line SC frame, with drop handlebars, mudguards, and a rack. We were delighted to oblige, and a couple of months later Forsyth’s Nua was born:

It’s been a pleasure to work on this bike, so essentially simple yet with such a high-quality finish.

In the brakes department, we have Tektro calipers activated by Crane Creek levers. Powerful, lightweight, and easy to adjust.

This is the first time we’ve used Continental Grand Prix 4-Season tyres in their new 32mm width. Ideal for the often adverse weather conditions in London.

The combination of a Brooks saddle and a Thomson seatpost is fast becoming a standard in our custom builds. Excellent quality, functionality, and great looks.

We’ve used a Ritchey Neoclassic handlebar with Brooks Cambium natural cotton tape, in rust colour to match the saddle.

Mr. Forsyth also wanted to be able to have a bit of fun in fixie mode every now and again, so we installed a second sprocket on the hand-built back wheel. He has only to flip the wheel to change between drive modes. Accordingly, we’ve used MKS pedals with toe clips and discreet nylon straps.

The rear rack is a titanium Tubus Airy. Light and strong, it perfectly compliments our exquisitely welded Nua Ti-CLASSIC titanium frame.

After trying out his bike for the first time, Mr. Forsyth wrote to say:

“It’s arrived Roberto and it looks lovely and beautifully simple and elegant. I cycled to work this morning in the rain with a smile on my face. It’s a lovely, superbly engineered and thought through bike.
Thanks for producing such a lovely bike for me”

We’re pretty happy with that 🙂

That’s all for now. Next up, a post about a bike bound for the antipodes. If you’d like to receive regular newsletters with updates about our latest custom builds and ideas for your dream bike, sign up here.
Safe and happy cycling!

TOM’S NUA

Tom got in touch with us to ask us to make him a special bike. One which would be with him for the rest of his life. A bike he could enjoy on a daily basis, but which he could also use at weekends and on family holidays. This was the result:

Tom wanted as clean and simple a look as possible, so we used our complete Nua titanium set: seat post, stem, and handlebar, in addition, of course, to our Ti-CORE frame and titanium fork.

We decided to install a Shimano Alfine 8 IGH, ideal for the terrain Tom plans to use his bike on.

Among Tom’s priorities was an integrated lighting system. He wanted something discreet and maintenance free, so we went – once again – with the Supernova E3 system, minimalist and always reliable.
We were feeling creative, so this time we installed the tail light directly on the mudguard, using a special little bracket we made for the occasion.

To power these lights we decided to use the new Alfine hub dynamo, much smaller and lighter than its predecessor. To complete the trinity, we installed an Alfine crankset as well.

Tom’s Nua will primarily be ridden on city streets, but will occasionally be required to tackle a dirt track or a forest path alongside a river, for example. With this in mind, we chose Compass Barlow Pass 38-622 tyres, one of the best options out there for this kind of hybrid use. The super-supple casing makes them a delight to ride on any surface.

And their tan walls go beautifully with the honey brown leather of the Brooks saddle and grips. The saddle has a copper frame, the sight of which led us first to swoon with copper love, and then to install a gorgeous (and lovely sounding) copper bell by the Japanese firm Crane, and also to paint the covers of the hydraulic disc brake levers to match.

This bike has taken time to build, but it’s been worth it! We hope that Tom will enjoy his Nua for many years to come, as he rides it along the streets and woodland ways of his native Austria.

If you’d like to receive regular newsletters with updates about our latest custom builds and ideas for your dream bike, sign up here.
Safe and happy cycling.

THE DOPPIO

In this post, we look at the fruits of a very happy collaboration with Kappstein GmbH & Co.

Kappstein is a German manufacturer of precision components for bicycles. With their latest development, the Doppio system, they’ve achieved the not inconsiderable feat of fitting a 2-speed gearbox into a bottom bracket. The first gear (which is direct) gives way to a second “overdrive” gear, whereby a planetary gear unit with six micro cogs alters the pedaling ratio.

The guys at Kappstein asked us to build a stylish urban bike for them as a means to present this new product to the press, and this is the result:

The Doppio system has a widely spaced gearing ratio, offering a low first gear for strong acceleration out of intersections, and a high second gear capable of reaching dizzying speeds. So we set to work accordingly, and designed a sporty bike which would be up to the challenge.

Our new Nua CF carbon fork seemed like the perfect choice to go with our Nua Ti-CORE titanium frame, which continues to demonstrate its extreme versatility with each new set-up we use it for.

Super-strong Shimano hydraulic disc brakes were indispensable for stopping a rocket like this.

The Crank Brothers Cobalt wheels are robust, but with a sporty look which complements the rest of the bike.

Thomson make superb quality stems and seatposts which have become standard for the best custom builds.

A saddle and grips by Ergon complete this sporty yet eminently elegant and functional machine.

The entire transmission system is picked out in fiery red, from the minimalist shifter on the handlebar, to the Doppio itself (which we painted for the occasion), the Gates carbon belt drive, and even the gear cable.

To sum up: a bike which is lightweight, sporty, and extremely fun, yet maintains the elegance and functionality which characterise all our set-ups. A perfect mix of heart and head, passion and rationality.

If you’d like to receive regular newsletters with updates about our latest custom builds and ideas for your dream bike, sign up here.
Safe and happy cycling.

THE NUA B612

In 1909 (so the story goes), a Turkish astronomer discovered the asteroid B612, the home of the Little Prince. In 2015, another Turkish gentleman, Cenk, discovered Nua Bikes and promptly ordered a Nua SC with a few modifications. The result was this:

We started with our urban model, the Nua SC, based on our beautiful and comfortable Nua Ti-CLASSIC titanium frame.

This model is an ode to simplicity and elegance.

Cenk’s first special request was our complete package of Ti-Line titanium components: handlebar, stem, and seatpost.

His second special request was… very special: “I want a fixed gear and a single-speed coaster in one,” he said. “Not a problem,” we said.

Something which is easy to do and quite normal to see with a chain transmission suddenly isn’t quite so obvious when a belt transmission is involved. But at Nua, we have a solution for everything, and what’s more this particular problem was one we’d already come across and solved. So we put in a Shimano XT hub set up for a disc brake, but replaced the disc with a second sprocket. Cenk can swap between fixie and freewheel by simply flipping the wheel:

Of course, to properly enjoy a fixie you need pedals with straps, so we installed some pretty MKS Sylvan pedals, with Brooks England leather straps.

Dark brown leather is always a great combination with titanium.

To sum up: an elegant, lightweight joy of a bike on which to ride the streets of Istanbul in style.

If you’d like to receive regular newsletters with updates about our latest custom builds and ideas for your dream bike, sign up here.
Safe and happy cycling.

A NUA IN NEW YORK

Introducing Nik’s Nua. This bike has a special place in our hearts, as it’s the first Nua ever to be ridden on the streets of New York.

Nik wanted to replace his old fixie with a commuter bike better suited to the difficult climate of his city. A titanium frame and fork, belt drive transmission, disc brakes, and mudguards seemed like the perfect combination for a bike which would be out every day in all weathers. So we got to work on his behalf, with this result:

Nik is a member of the 5th Floor cycling collective, and his well-trained legs can easily cope with a higher gear ratio, so we installed a Gates Carbon Drive CDX belt with a 60 tooth front sprocket and a 22 tooth rear sprocket. (R=2,73).

Our Nua Ti-CORE frame is, among other things, extremely versatile. Although this bike has been set up as a single speed, Nik will be able to adapt it to his future needs. He can even install a 14 speed Rohloff IGH if he so desires, since the sliding dropouts and internal cable routing are designed to accommodate a wide range of possible configurations.

Disc brakes definitely have the advantage in wet climates. Once again we’ve gone with Magura hydraulics, with 160mm rotors for progressive braking.

We hand built a pair of wheels with Shimano XT hubs, Ryde rims, and Sapim D-light spokes. The result is a great quality piece of kit: robust, yet lightweight.

For the points of contact between bike and body, Nik opted for pieces from Brooks’ Cambium range, which are water-resistant and maintenance-free: a C15 saddle and Slender grips, both in a nice rust colour which matches the brown leather of the top tube protector.

Nik has a lot of plans for this bike, taking full advantage of the flexibility which the Nua Ti-CORE frame affords. As he says, he already imagines “converting it from a commuter into a trail rig for midweek trail rides in Cunningham Park or taking it to the Wednesday night cross-training practice”.
We’re looking forward very much to seeing the future incarnations of our first Nua in New York.

That’s all for now. If you’d like to receive regular newsletters with updates about our latest custom builds and ideas for your dream bike, sign up here.
Safe and happy cycling.

MICHAEL’S NUA

Some people know exactly what their ideal bike would be like. They have the knowledge and experience to know what they need, and they’re not about to let a high street brand impose the latest fashion or trend on them.
Michael is one of those people, and right from the start, he knew the bike he wanted. He already had a titanium bike in his collection, so he knew his ideal bike would have a titanium frame, and our Nua Ti-CLASSIC seemed to him to be an excellent choice.
He needed a bike that was both beautiful and practical, designed to go fast in any weather and over any terrain. It’s been an enriching experience working with him to achieve this result:

A beautiful hybrid: the offspring of a cyclocross and a road bike; adapted for commuting; modern, but with classical touches…..In a nutshell, a bike built according to Michael’s unique vision, a far cry from any factory-produced model. That’s the magic of a custom build.

This was to be Michael’s everyday bike, so it needed practical elements like the minimalist mudguards (the front one cut to his specifications), the Tubus Airy titanium luggage rack and a permanent lighting system composed of a SON Delux hub dynamo and Supernova LED lights.

The front light is installed discreetly under the handlebar with Supernova’s special new bracket.

We’ve turned the seat post clamp screw specially to hold the tail light directly, without the need for a fitting. And we’ve installed banana plugs so that the whole system can be disconnected in a flash if necessary.

Michael knew that two gears would be sufficient for his day to day adventures, so we’ve installed a 2-speed internal gear hub by Sturmey-Archer. It offers a second gear at 38% above the direct one, and it’s kick-activated, without the need for extra levers or cables.

It might seem strange to see road bike caliper brakes with wide cyclocross tires, but these are the super powerful and progressive Tektro R559, capable of encompassing tires of up to 50mm without problems.

The brakes are activated by these beautiful neoclassical TRP levers.

Gilles Berthoud is a French firm which creates sublime components and accessories for bicycles, including this leather saddle with titanium rails (which perfectly complement our titanium seat post), and this bar tape, both in a natural colour. Beautiful, long-lasting, and superbly comfortable.

Michael is now enjoying his Nua in and around Hamburg, and we’d like to thank him for counting on us to turn his dream into reality.

If you’d like to receive regular newsletters with updates about our latest custom builds and ideas for your dream bike, sign up here.