THE NUA LA BESTIA

For a long time now, we’ve been dreaming of assembling an extremely capable “monster gravel” concept bike, the Nua La Bestia. Here is the final masterpiece:

It is an exciting titanium machine designed for the most adventurous cyclists.

A perfect hybrid between a drop-bar gravel, a dirt tourer and a plus-wheeled mountain bike, this “monster gravel” is designed to take riders further than any other bike.

It was also designed to be a great companion for your bikepacking adventures, thanks to the possibility of adding a full lighting and USB charging kit.

The original idea was to transcend a normal gravel bike in order to make it limitless off-road, thanks to bigger tires and the possibility of mounting front suspension on a bike still designed around a gravel geometry.

To do so, the pedalling position is kept highly efficient thanks to a Salsa Cowchipper dirt drop bar. and Wide 27,5×3.0” Schwalbe G-One Allround tires provide extra off-road comfort, grip, and low rolling resistance.

If further suspension is needed, a Lauf TR Boost fork or a regular telescopic one can be mounted instead of the rigid Cinq Adventure fork or the rigid Nua Titanium fork.

As always at Nua, the drivetrain is based on high-technology solutions. For a central centre of gravity, a Pinion C1.12 central gearbox was used on this prototype. This is, in fact, the big deal of the Nua La Bestia, opening the doors to a world in which highly efficient Pinion gearboxes can be used on extremely capable drop bar gravel bikes!

Coupled to a Gates Carbon belt drive, it provides an extremely durable gearing and transmission system. This combination is extremely silent, maintenance-free and particularly suitable for long-distance and adventure rides as a worry-free solution.

Long story short, we first had the idea of this bike a few years ago for Peter – an Australian customer – and engineered the first prototype of La Bestia. The name still remains from this first attempt. For those interested in this bike, you can read more here.

Old vs new shifting system.

As you might have noticed, back in those days we had to adapt the Pinion (flat bar oriented) rotary shifter with a specially in-house-designed part on the drop bar. Like other bicycle manufacturers, we were waiting for a proper drop bar compatible shifting system compatible with Pinion gearboxes so as to be able to achieve our goal a bit more elegantly.

We heard about Cinq Innovations’ intention to produce the Pinion Shift:R Road system, and we waited impatiently for the first production versions to appear, so we could make a more refined version of our first La Bestia.

The Cinq Innovations Shift:R Road uses a special shifting system assembled on your Pinion C.Line gearbox (shown above) and modified TRP Hylex hydraulic disc brake levers. They actuate both the powerful double piston TRP brake callipers and your Pinion gearbox precisely and rapidly. The left lever will downshift and the right lever will upshift. A great feature of the Shift:R road is the ability to change two gears at a time.

For energy autonomy – should it be to feed your GPS on you favorite gravel loop or during a long bikepacking trip in the wilderness – this prototype of the Nua La Bestia is equipped with a highly efficient Shutter Precision PD-8X dynamo hub feeding a convenient Cinq Innovations Plug III USB charger and an extremely powerful Supernova E3 Triple2 front light.

All the wirings are internally routed in the fork and the frame. The production version will offer an upgraded option with a SON28 dynamo hub and a Supernova tail light.

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 La Bestia a and be able to order your custom one.

Expect to see some pictures soon of this prototype Bestia being put to the test in the highlands of Iceland by our team member Antoine.

Feel free to play with our new La Bestia bicycle builder here or visit our website to find links to our other customizable bikes.

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

MARK’S NUA DUAL

Mark has been riding the London streets on his daily commute to work for decades. So when he decided to buy a new bicycle he already had a clear idea of his needs. He had come across the Nua Dual on the internet and thought that its titanium frame and fork, its Pinion gearbox, and its belt transmission would be the perfect base on which to construct his dream bike. We were of course very happy to help.

The Nua Ti-Frame – constructed from Gr9 titanium – perfectly accommodates the fabulous Pinion gearbox. As you may already know, this gearing system was designed by Porsche engineers, so it’s not very different from the sequential gearshift you might find in a Porsche sports car. It is precise, has an enormous range which will handle any situation, and is maintenance-free except for a quick and easy oil change every 10,000 km. In Mark’s case, after discussing his needs, we opted for the 9-speed version.

Of course, the transmission had to be a Gates Carbon Drive CDX belt. With a minimum working life of 20,000 km, without the need to grease or tension, it’s the perfect companion for the Pinion box. Mark chose a red belt to add a splash of colour to his bike.

When it came to tires, Mark’s priority was to reduce the risk of punctures to an absolute minimum, so we installed some robust Continental Contact Plus and added some Zefal anti-flat tape. The 55mm width absorbs rough road surfaces with ease.

We modified the Curana mudguards so that they can be installed without removing the back wheel. That way Mark can use them only during rainy spells. (Wishful thinking from a Londoner, perhaps?)

Mark had a couple of other specific requirements: for example, he wanted to be able to have a GoPro recording at all times; very useful in case of accidents. So we designed a special bracket for the camera, mounted just below the stem.

He also wanted to theft-proof his bike as much as possible, and this we achieved with a superb quality compact Abus lock installed directly on the frame. In this way, the bike’s weight remains centred, and the lock is tidily out-of-the-way but easily accessed.

With the frame protected, it only remained to protect the main components with Hexlox inserts. Here the titanium handlebar:

The wheels (which by the way were laced in-house with Pinion hubs and DT-Swiss 471 rims):

The Gilles Berthoud saddle with titanium rails:

The titanium seatpost:

Even the rear wheel’s sliding dropouts:

The pedals:

And the titanium stem:

Mark’s words in a recent email made us very happy:

“Roberto, the bike is a sheer joy to ride. I make excuses to go out for a ride 🙂 I had a very specific set of requirements, and the superb design and all-round capability of the NUA Dual you custom made for me is the best bike I could have wished for. I love it. One of my friends already called my Nua the ‘Range Rover’ of bicycles – by which he meant it is the ultimate mix of off-road and urban luxury ride :)”

That’s all for now. If you don’t already subscribe to our newsletter and you’d like to receive regular updates about our latest custom builds and ideas for your dream bike, sign up here.
Safe and happy cycling!

THE NUA KENSHŌ

The Nua Doppio is perhaps our most iconic preset. Sexy and fast, it stands out from the crowd. So when Philippe wrote to us from Zürich asking about the possibility of us making him a version of the Doppio but with a Pinion 6-speed hub, we were more than happy to oblige. A few months later, the Nua Kenshō was born:

The Pinion gearbox is from the new C-line range, sporting a super-light magnesium alloy casing. With six speeds covering an ample range, it’s more than sufficient for urban riding and the occasional excursion into the countryside. It should last for a minimum of 100,000 km with no more maintenance than an oil change every 5,000 km. What more could you ask for?

The rest of the build is identical to the standard Doppio. Here are a few photos for your viewing pleasure:

Judging by his words, Philippe is very happy with his Nua:

“Thank you very very very much for this beautiful machine. Everything feels fantastic and I love it. I‘m using it every day and enjoy every detail and part. I am travelling a lot by train + bike from Zürich to Geneve, here some pics”

We are also extremely happy with the result of this experiment. So much so that we’ve decided to offer it as a new preset: the Nua Kenshō.

Speaking of presets, we’re in the process of adding a fabulous new Bike Builder to our web, which will allow customers to choose between components to configure their own unique Nua. It’ll be going live soon on www.nuabikes.com, so keep an eye out!

Peter’s “monster gravel” bike

Peter wrote to us from Australia asking about a titanium fork for one of his bikes, and ended up ordering one of the most amazing custom builds we’ve made to date.

Principally designed to pull a trailer on long treks across the Australian outback, this bike will also be Peter’s welcome companion on his weekend bikepacking trips, and on quick excursions into the mountains.

We designed the frame specially with a gravel bike geometry: neutral angles and a low bottom bracket for extra stability. We combined this with 27,5” wheels, Plus tyres, a light and maintenance-free Lauf TR fork, and a Pinion 12-speed gearbox.

And, of course, we installed a Gates CDX belt to complete an extremely robust and low-maintenance assembly. One which will be able to cope with any climate and terrain.

The icing on the cake is the adjustable mount for the Pinion shifter, custom made for the bike. Peter often has his hands on the drops, and he has a bit of a bad wrist, so he was very particular about the positioning of the shifter. He has experience with Pinion, so he knew exactly what he wanted. This is precisely the type of thing we mean when we say we offer a custom service.

The fast-rolling 3” wide gravel tires are super comfortable, and the clearance with the fork is great.

We put in a third pair of eyelets for a water bottle, necessary if you’ve got a frame-pack taking up its usual spot.

A Ritchey WCS dirt road handlebar with a Thomson stem.

A rear hub by Pinion with 120 POE, and an indestructible front hub by Chris King.

The headset is a Chris King i7 tapered.

The new Hylex hydraulic brakes by TRP were an obvious choice.

In a nutshell, a beast of a bike which could withstand an apocalypse, but which nevertheless maintains the elegant lines which define a Nua. A bike you can throw anything at, bombproof and maintenance-free. We hope that Peter enjoys it as much as we’ve enjoyed creating it with him.

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!

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A NUA

8 a.m. You’re out the door, bound for the office on your Nua Dual, looking forward to your morning commute through the sunny streets of Barcelona.

You pedal along effortlessly. The Schwalbe tires offer the lowest rolling resistance on record, and it’s noticeable.
The Pinion gearbox, with its Porsche-derived technology, is smooth as silk, silent, fast. You can even change down while you’re stopped at the traffic lights, with just a simple twist of the shifter.
You take a detour through the park for fun, and a little kid stares in wonder at your bike while their mum tugs at their hand because they’ll be late for school.
You arrive at the office and leave your bike leaning against the wall, where you can’t help admiring it for a minute with a smile on your face before you concentrate on work.

1 p.m. A colleague suggests heading to the beach to have lunch at a bar she knows there, so you both hop on your bikes and have a friendly race on the way.

6 p.m. Enough work for the day. You decide to do something different on the way home. Changing into your biking gear, you take your Nua Dual and head up into Collserola, the hills behind Barcelona, which are riddled with dirt tracks of all sorts. Here you can put the off-road capabilities of your Dual to the test while you burn off the stress caused by that difficult meeting.
The bike climbs beautifully. Finding the right gear is a breeze. You reach the top exhausted but happy. A group of cyclists all with almost identical carbon mountain bikes stop for a drink of water and eye your Nua Dual with surprise. Their curiosity gives rise to a pleasant conversation about its titanium frame and fork, its sequential gearbox, its belt transmission…
You wave goodbye and begin the descent. The geometry of the bike and its balanced centre of gravity make it incredibly stable. In top gear and at 50km/h you can still pedal. Its wide, low-pressure tires eat up the pot-holes and stones without a second glance. You think that the extra absorption afforded by the titanium also helps. You get to that hairpin bend and the brakes come into play, progressive yet strong. You have an agreeable sensation of control and security which mixes with the adrenalin which has been coursing through your veins for a while now.

8p.m. You arrive home at last, drenched in sweat. After a nice warm shower, while you’re toweling your hair dry, you can’t help admiring your Nua, hanging there on its wall mount, and you’re grateful to it that it will never ask for anything in return. A tire change and new brake pads every now and again, new oil for its gearbox every 10 thousand km (which you can do yourself in five minutes). And that’s it. It will be ready – with no maintenance or adjustment necessary – for the trip you’ve planned with friends next weekend: two days camping in the Pyrenees, exploring new paths, sleeping under the stars and enjoying a lot of laughs.

Like all our bicycles, your Nua Dual is totally customizable. Just drop us a line at contact@nuabikes.com and together we’ll configure a bicycle which is totally unique and adapted to your needs and tastes. And 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!