-Grips: Lizard Skins
-Bar ends: light ones
-Brake lever: Shimano XTR race
-Brake caliper: Shimano XTR race
-Brake shoes: SwissStop organic
-Disc: Ashima 160mm ( because we had a miss understanding about the rotor size, i'm used to run 140s )
-Chain: KMC X9SL silver 9 speed
-Chain tensioners: Frame integrated
-Sprocket: 16T ChrisKing
-Cranks: Sram X0 DH 175mm
-Bottom Bracket set: Reset racing
-Pedals: good cheap shimano SPD deore
-Seatpost: Box echelon converted to fit my 31.6mm seatpost
-Seat: Box echelon
-Front tire: Tioga 1.6 Powerblock
-Front rim: Bombshell carbon 32H special
-Front hub: Tune Dörte 92g ;)
-Rear rim: Bombshell carbon 32H
-Rear tire: Tioga 1.6 Powerblock
-Rear hub: DT Swiss 240s 135mm MTB hub with star ratchet
-Number plate: none
Weight: 7.5kg
Nicolai isn't necessarily a BMX specific brand. Can you explain what they're all about?
David Graf: I started racing for them in 2009, mostly because of 4 cross.. but they always had a history with fast swiss bmxers. Roger R was the first one and Yvan Lapraz won his crazy Junior world title on a Nicolai. I'm just continouing the story.
So being able to have a custom bike made, where did you start off with?
David Graf: I sat down with the engineer after the Olympics and wanted to change something.. until then I was racing a geo like every other BMX bike has.
I was not satisfied with how the bike handles, so my main goal was to get it way more stable and less playfull, more race machine.
Lowering the BB by a big margin helped a lot with that. Then I'm riding a 41cm chainstay and a pretty long toptube to give me some room and provide better position to put force on the pedal at the start.
Since then we always change some little things, just looking for that perfect setup, it's almost there but your never finished haha
The geometry seems different from what's out there. The back-end seems long. Does that help much on supercross style tracks where the speed is high and the jumps are far?
David Graf: Like I mentioned before, it is longer than usual. It sure helps with the high speeds but in my opinion it's just as much of an advantage on a normal style bmx track as on SX.
Do you run a different bike set-up on smaller tracks?
David Graf: Nope, just a different mind setup haha
I bet your brakes always work well with the disc brake attached to it. Have you ever ran into problems with people hitting the disc from behind?
David Graf: I think if they do, I have one opponent less because of a flat tire ;). No really all this fear from the disc bmxers have is bullshit haha.
I've not bent one disc on the 3 years running them, I can brake in the rain and I don't change cables anymore.. weightwise it's pretty much the same as the heavy BOX V breakes ;) So I really don't get it why the big brands are not getting on it.
Seems like bmx is just so far behind in technologies, it's crazy. I don't think it's a big advantage for the normal rider.. but as soon as you put on carbon rims I'm just laughing about the others haha.
And for the little kids it would be awesome being able to break without using 4 fingers.
What material is the frame made of?
David Graf: ALU..
Can people order a custom bike like yours?
David Graf: They can. Actually all the bikes are custom at Nicolai so you might even change the geometry the way you want.
Where can people go to for more info on Nicolai?
David Graf: Get in touch with them directly on www.nicolai.net. They are based in northern Germany, and the complete frame is built and welded there.