Interessante Bilder einer NICOLAI-Werksbesichtigung (November 2007) gibt es hier:
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=353530
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cmadrigal/sets/72157602829085298/.
Maximum Stoke Day - Nicolai Factory Visit
Today was the big day... My dream of making a visit to the Nicolai Factory, Offices became a reality...
I organised this visit with Falco Milne (Marketing, Communications Manager), once the organisation was done, Crisillo decided to join me.
So I flew from Barcelona to Frankfurt, met up with Crisillo (awesome guy) got the rental and made our way towards Hannover more of less. Nicolai is based some 50Km from Hannover. And yes, when I say it is a small town where Nicolai are based, think really really small, maybe a town of 400 people, I kid you not. A stunning little rural German town. Have travelled pretty extensively in Germany in the rural areas, and this area was stunning....
See the little pictoral of the trip and Motel...
No drinks at the pub at arrival, was near midnight, great little local hotel though. Great breakfast...
In the morning we made our way to Nicolai. Was cool driving there, when you see the village, you just know it is going to be a quaint little town, you cannot even tell that there is a very classy bike frame factory, there is no sign out the front..
See below the offices etc....
A few details, the company kicked off more or less as it is now in 1997, at the time there were 4 staff, there is now 20 staff. Nicolai produces around 2000 frames per year, over the total range. The largest seller is off course the Helius FR. Around 30 GBoxx frames are built per year. The number of frames produced is increasing annually. Of the 20 staff it seemed that half if not more were involved in Design, R&D etc....
It was a greeat experience to sit down with Kalle Nicolai. Kalle went over some history etc, the image the company recieved with the first gearbox models, the Nucleor type bikes as Kalle calls them... It is a life dream for Kalle to see gearbox's as the standard.
We were allowed to take pictures anywhere, except in the R&D main room, but we were aloud in there. Was great to see the new generation gearbox's, belt drive systems, allsorts... The future will for sure be very good for us biker peeps...
Next photos are of the manufacturing part so to speak. The photos will speak for themselves.
Falco & the C&C Machines
http://www.whafe.com/Nicolai Factory/Falco & C&C Machines.jpg
Rear Chain Stays, all milled, look hot...
Getting the tubes ready for an Argon
Rear der hangers
GBoxx components (these are now being licensed out to other companies for use)
Setting up for welding
I think my fav photo I took
Fresh as fillets, yummy yummy
Ali ready for milling, was a cool looking Ali library
Prep after paining
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=353530
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cmadrigal/sets/72157602829085298/.
Today was the big day... My dream of making a visit to the Nicolai Factory, Offices became a reality...
I organised this visit with Falco Milne (Marketing, Communications Manager), once the organisation was done, Crisillo decided to join me.
So I flew from Barcelona to Frankfurt, met up with Crisillo (awesome guy) got the rental and made our way towards Hannover more of less. Nicolai is based some 50Km from Hannover. And yes, when I say it is a small town where Nicolai are based, think really really small, maybe a town of 400 people, I kid you not. A stunning little rural German town. Have travelled pretty extensively in Germany in the rural areas, and this area was stunning....
See the little pictoral of the trip and Motel...
No drinks at the pub at arrival, was near midnight, great little local hotel though. Great breakfast...
In the morning we made our way to Nicolai. Was cool driving there, when you see the village, you just know it is going to be a quaint little town, you cannot even tell that there is a very classy bike frame factory, there is no sign out the front..
See below the offices etc....
A few details, the company kicked off more or less as it is now in 1997, at the time there were 4 staff, there is now 20 staff. Nicolai produces around 2000 frames per year, over the total range. The largest seller is off course the Helius FR. Around 30 GBoxx frames are built per year. The number of frames produced is increasing annually. Of the 20 staff it seemed that half if not more were involved in Design, R&D etc....
It was a greeat experience to sit down with Kalle Nicolai. Kalle went over some history etc, the image the company recieved with the first gearbox models, the Nucleor type bikes as Kalle calls them... It is a life dream for Kalle to see gearbox's as the standard.
We were allowed to take pictures anywhere, except in the R&D main room, but we were aloud in there. Was great to see the new generation gearbox's, belt drive systems, allsorts... The future will for sure be very good for us biker peeps...
Next photos are of the manufacturing part so to speak. The photos will speak for themselves.
Falco & the C&C Machines
http://www.whafe.com/Nicolai Factory/Falco & C&C Machines.jpg
Rear Chain Stays, all milled, look hot...
Getting the tubes ready for an Argon
Rear der hangers
GBoxx components (these are now being licensed out to other companies for use)
Setting up for welding
I think my fav photo I took
Fresh as fillets, yummy yummy
Ali ready for milling, was a cool looking Ali library
Prep after paining
)
