Nicolai S16 MGU Speed 2025

October 25, 2025

The German brand Nicolai presents its new speedpedeled: a fully (front- and rear suspension), available in 5 sizes and in the colour Raw (aluminium) with black decals. Nicolai describes the bike, made of 7020-T6 aircraft grade aluminium with a Pinion MGU motor gearbox unit, carrier and lighting, as "explorer bike", suitable voor rough terrain. It finds competitors in the Belgian brand Aska (although with a rear wheel hub motor) and the (Super)Delite 2025 models from Riese & Müller with Bosch mid motor. Does the 25 Km/H e-bike version of the S16 MGU start at € 11.099 without carrier and lighting, the Speed version adds € 2.200 to this and operates in the highest price range.

The brand Nicolai characterizes itself with refined proprietary technical solutions: just browse their website and discover many tech sheets of all their components. Their "Torque Chart" consists of no less than 6 pages. The S16 MGU frame does not have a framebreak for replacing Your beltdrive: that happens via the rear hinge on the mainstay, a clever solution. The reinforced front belt sprocket, which Nicolai names Overload Bashguard, is another marvel of design.

Back to the bicycle. The motor is combined with a 12 speed gearbox at the cranks: the Pinion Motor Gearbox Unit or MGU. Shifting can be done by pushing one of two buttons (triggers) at the handlebars' right side. Or when You engage Auto.Shift (through a longer push on the buttons) it happens full automatic based on Your own preferred cadence that can even be altered while cycling. Two other nice features of this MGU are: Start.Select (automatic back shifting to Your preferred gear when coming to a standstill) and Pre.Select (while coasting and slowing down the MGU automatically shifts back to a proper gear again based on Your preferred cadence. This makes the MGU the modern gearbox with the most practical solutions while including a complete mid motor! Be aware the Pinion MGU motor is audible just as the shifting in its gearbox.

Other electrics are taken care of by FIT, Pinion MGU's partner. A large central colour display, giving access to lots of screens and info, and a Basic Remote control unit on the left of the steering bar. An intube, removable Fit 1.060 Wh battery (charging time 5.8 hours using the 4.8 A charger) with a long-life-mode (limits charging to 80% enhancing its lifetime). The connectivity takes place via the FIT E-Bike Control App on Your smartphone: fine tuning the 4 support levels, planning a tour and using Turn-by-Turn Navigation when You unblock Komoot in Your app.

It is a low maintenance bicycle because of its Gates beltdrive (tensioned by its own little, spring loaded, wheel under the belt) and the Pinion MGU needing only an oil change every 10.000 Km. The comfort is not only derived from its 5 frame sizes but also from the front suspension (160 Mm travel where 100 Mm is standard), the rear suspension (62,5 Mm travel providing 160 Mm at the rear axle), the 65 Mm wide mountain bike tyres, the low point of gravity and the Bikeyoke Divine Dropper Post. The dropperpost lowers Your saddle, for easy (dis)mounting with a simple pull on the lever installed on the steeringbar's left side.

The bicycle is equipped with the Nicolai Explorer Kit: fenders, a Tubus Vega Classic rear carrier with a max. load of 25 Kg, best of class Supernova lighting including a high beam, Schwalbe Johnny Watts mountainbike tyres and an ABUS Bordo Light folding lock. Rims are from the DT Swiss quality brand, model HX 1700 Spline, Tubeless ready, with DT Swiss Ratchet Technology and 30 Mm wide. A steering limiter prevents stress on the cables (or worse) and keeps the bicycle upright when fully loaded at a standstill. At the front of the downtube a solid aluminium crashplate offers better protection for the MGU housing and improves impact resistance in off-road use.

Optional: 1 out of 27 custom colours either in matt of glossy € 399; several steering bars (width and heights); saddles and grips; FIT USB-C charging port (1.5A) to be mounted on either the display holder or at the remote control €50; FIT GPS Tracker price unknown.

Please note that the photo's show the Pinion's MGU E1.12 e-bike 25 Km/H version in stead of the E1.12S speedpedelec version which was at that time not available. Visually just the letter "S" apart.