NUA GOES ELECTRIC: TOMAS’ NUA ELECTRICA

So, you think Nua’s take on an electric bike will just be a titanium frame with a boring generic Asian rear motor? Well, that’s is not quite the right way to describe the beautiful Nua Electrica. Indeed, the truth is quite the opposite. Let us tell you why we are so proud of this 13kg lightweight wonder.

Here’s the story. Tomas – a portuguese bicycle lover living in Houston – contacted us looking for a titanium bicycle manufacturer able to create a really minimal electric bike, built with a noble titanium frame and equipped with an innovative electric motor called the Zehus Bike +. He had fallen in love with this technological gem and as it happened, so had we, some time before. Life is all about opportunities, and sometimes everything falls into place, so after this coincidence Tomas naturally teamed up with us and together we created his very own Nua Electrica (which we called the “Nua Turbo” at the time).

Our premise when designing the bike was basically to make an E-bike that does not look like an E-bike. One that can be ridden like a normal bike but with an extra bit of electric boost, and one true to Nua’s very own “raw” style.

The Zehus BIKE + system the Electrica is built around is a shiny, lightweight (3kg) and compact e-bicycle motor-and-battery combo that replaces your normal rear hub. Don’t expect to see any wires or a computer on your frame with this electric motor: the battery, controllers and sensors (speed, inclination, and temperature) are integrated into the motor. At its simplest, it can be used without any computer, but you can also download the Zehus app to your smartphone, connectable to the motor using Bluetooth technology. As you can see in the picture below, it is very simple to charge using the elegant plug integrated into the wheel axle… but keep reading and you will find out why you’ll probably never need to charge this e-bike!

 

 

 

 

 

 

As far as autonomy and power are concerned, this 250W motor paired to a 30V Li-Ion 160Wh battery pack has 30km of autonomy with full 25km/h assistance. This range increases to 90km if you are only cruising with assistance at a top speed of 14km/h. To navigate through these ranges, six power modes are available. That being said, you will probably be asking what makes this motor so special? Well, thanks to its regenerative braking technology (similar to the KERS technology used in Formula E), the level of precision of the sensors, and most importantly the sophisticated control algorithms developed by Zehus and the University of Milan, this motor offers a mode that delivers a virtually infinite range!

Leading bio-mechanical studies have allowed Zehus engineers to make the best use of your body energy according to the type of terrain you are cycling on, which has, in turn, allowed them to optimize the energy-consumption/energy-regeneration ratio of the motor in a highly effective manner. This principle means that Zehus is the only brand in the world offering an electric motor with an unlimited range. In this hybrid mode, it assists you when starting and climbing only and otherwise stealthily charges itself when braking or pedalling on flat terrain, allowing you to get rid of plugs! It sounds like magic, but this is technology paired with simplicity and at Nua, this is what we like.

So now that you know how the Zehus Bike + totally fits with Nua’s search for simplicity, technology, elegance and durability, let us tell you a bit about the rest of the build.

As always at Nua, a Gates carbon belt drive ensures a clean, silent and maintenance-free pedalling torque transmission. On Tomas’ bike, it is paired with a shiny Sugino Pista alloy crankset, a Gilles Berthoud saddle and Brooks leather grips for a touch of classicism. We also decided to match the Nua Electrica titanium frame with Nua’s titanium fork, stem, handlebar and seatpost for optimum elegance, maximum comfort (thanks to titanium’s superb fatigue-resistant and elastic properties), and versatility. For the rest, we trusted in the classics: Shimano brakes and Mavic wheels, which are protected by Hexlox anti-theft locks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tomas wanted a simple bike without superfluous features, but the frame and fork are still compatible with racks and mudguards and sport internal electric cable routing in case he wants to add a dynamo hub and powerful light at any point. We have designed him an upgradeable electric commuter: sporty in this configuration but with the ability to morph into a more utilitarian build if-and-when needed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The search for simplicity does not mean that we don’t work hard on our designs, and this Electrica urban bike is no exception as we had to engineer special parts. Due to the inclination sensors sported by the Zehus in order to precisely optimize the assistance level, the rear wheel axle needs to be indexed horizontally. We always look for a really elegant solution to any problem and in this case, we decided to develop custom Nua dropouts to facilitate this.

Rather than using track dropouts (as many Zehus bikes do) which can mess with the belt tension when you remove the wheel, we decided to develop an integrated torque arm, inspired by Rolhoff dropouts. Thanks to these Nua custom “Zehus special” sliding dropouts, you can remove your rear wheel without having to lower the tension of the belt drive. Did we already mention that we care about every little detail? As engineers, we prefer to take advantage of our knowledge and develop smart and clean solutions instead of using off-the-shelf parts. Here’s a sneak-peak of our development process based on 3D printing technology.

 

 

 

 

 

 

At ease everywhere, Tomas’ Electrica has graced the streets of Houston, Texas and can now be spotted in Zürich. At the time of writing, this first Electrica has cruised over 1000 km in the streets of Houston without any problems.

Tomas describes his riding experience in these words: “Riding my Nua Electrica […] is a real pleasure. The ride is very comfortable and smooth and at the same time the engine assists you if you are tired or if you want to be assisted at all times. It’s all controlled by an app on your phone and this is very practical.” And he elaborates on the assistance: “It’s seamless. Regardless of the mode the engine kicks in very softly when you pedal. It’s a really nice feeling.”

Its owner seems so happy that we are now offering a customizable and well-priced Nua Electrica for general sale!

Have a look at www.nuabikes.com or stay tuned to the blog, follow us on social media (Instagram or Facebook) or sign up to our newsletter here to be sure to keep up with news about the Nua Electrica and be able to order yours.

The Nua Team

 

JAMES’ (AND SOCKET THE DOG’S) OFF-ROAD MACHINE : THE NUA ROURE

James contacted us with some really special requirements that make the story of this bike a bit more curious than most. He was looking for a rugged titanium off-roader equipped with plus tires which corresponded to his vision of the ultimate expedition machine.

He wanted it to be agile, comfortable, long lasting and well equipped… but on top of all that, he wanted to be able to take his dog Socket with him on biking adventures in the Californian countryside. The bike would need to be trailer-compatible (yes, sometimes dogs need to rest too…). Here is the final build:

First of all, we fulfilled James’ comfort and durability requirements by taking a Nua Ti-Roure titanium frame and adding the full range of Nua titanium components we offer. The exceptional fatigue resistance and vibration-filtering properties of titanium, along with its lifetime corrosion resistance, made it the material of choice for this tough but light expedition machine.

James’ bike is equipped with Nua’s signature titanium fork, seatpost, stem, and handlebars. We care about all the little, geeky details, so the frame screws, axles and headset spacers are made out of titanium too. As on nearly all Nua bikes, we internally routed the cables in the frame and fork.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The maintenance-free transmission of this bicycle was achieved by pairing two jewels of American and German technology: a Gates CDX belt drive and a Pinion C1.12 gearbox. The advantage of the Pinion C-line lies in its lightness – compared to the higher-end P-line – thanks to a roughly 30% lighter casing constructed of magnesium rather than aluminium. It offers a well-indexed range of 600% – one third more than the range of a 1x single-chainring setup. This gearbox makes James’ Roure a capable tourer, ready to climb whatever slope, even when heavily loaded with bikepacking equipment.

To securely stop the bicycle and its rider (and dog), we chose Shimano XT four-piston calipers with oversized 180mm rotors, designed for the most aggressive mountain bikers. This may sound like an extreme choice if you only consider the bike, but it was a smart move if you consider a heavily loaded bike-and-trailer combination bombing down a long Californian descent.

 

The braking power is transmitted to the ground by grippy (and stylish) Schwalbe G-one 27,5”x2,8” tires in their “Allround” version, sporting a multitude of low-profile knobs. DT Swiss XM 481 rims hand-laced with DT Swiss Champion spokes on Pinion and Shutter Precision hubs are the core of these solid and lightweight handmade wheels.

 

 

 

For convenient and battery-free night rides, James’ Roure is equipped with a sturdy Shutter Precision dynamo front hub and a kit of Supernova Pure E3 front and rear lights, mounted on the handlebar and the seatpost. Looking to offer James maximum ease of maintenance, we welded connectors to the electrical cables so that he could quickly and easily disassemble the front wheel or even in the case of a puncture or even the fork to change a headset quickly. All our bikes are assembled with this same high standard of quality and attention to detail.

 

 

For the contact points between the rider and the bike, we carefully choose the best components available: Ergon GP2 grips (with integrated “mini horns”), Shimano XT pedals (clip and flat combo) and a vintage-look Gilles Berthoud Galibier leather saddle.

 

After riding his “Socket bike” for the first time, James described his Nua Roure as “poetry in motion”; a laconic turn of phrase which perfectly fits the Nua philosophy. Test riding it ourselves during our meticulous post-assembly quality control, we fell in love with this bike and decided that we should take the concept one step further and add our version of the Nua Roure to our upcoming off-road range.

We are designing a fully equipped version of the Nua Roure, including mudguards, lights, and custom made racks. The rear lights will be integrated into the rack, sport internally routed wiring, and be powered by a dynamo hub. A supremely comfortable Nua titanium bikepacking handlebar is also on its way and will equip this bike as well as being available as an option for custom builds in 2019.

 

Stay tuned to the blog, follow us on social media (Instagram or Facebook) or sign up to our newsletter here to stay up to date with the Nua team’s version of James’ California dreamin’!

The Nua team