Lal Bikes’ Supre Drive, developed by Cedric, made a huge splash when it was announced in late 2021. The drivetrain system separates the gear-selection and chain-tensioning components, keeping the derailleur out of harm’s way and protecting it from rocks, sticks, or in my case, poor line choice. It is designed for high-pivot bike frames and requires the frame to be built specifically to accommodate the drivetrain’s requirements, so despite how promising the design is, it’s got a difficult path to mass adoption.
A year and a half later though, it’s almost available for purchase. Germany’s Nicolai Bicycles, known for their love of unconventional drivetrains, is the first company to bring a Supre-equipped bike to the market with the Nucleon 16 Supre. Read Seb Stott’s coverage of the Nucleon for a deep dive into its geometry and kinematics.
Cedric Eveleigh
Age: 28
Hometown: Chelsea, Quebec, Canada
Height: 183 cm
Weight: 74 kg
Instagram: @cedriceveleigh
Alex Ham
Age: 29
Hometown: Stellenbosch, South Africa
Height: 186 cm
Weight: 72 kg
Instagram: @alex_ham_
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The pedal kickback is actually lower than many non-high-pivot bikes, even though the anti-squat is really high. Basically, it achieves a level of pedalling efficiency that suspension engineers wish they could achieve, but can’t when their design doesn’t have an idler pulley. The Kavenz guys also figured this out that it’s nice to have really high anti squat and you can do that with an idler without creating excessive pedal kickback.
It’s got nice suspension progression for handling big hits, the suspension stays supple when braking (compared to other single pivot bikes), and the weight is nicely centralized. It’s very quiet in terms of chain slap and it pedals very well, both in terms of not bobbing and in terms of drivetrain efficiency. Overall, it’s a fun, versatile bike that can be pedalled and still go fast on the downs. |
Frame: Nicolai Nucleon 16 Supre, 170mm travel, mullet mode
Fork: RockShox Zeb Ultimate, 170mm travel
Shock: Fox Float X Factory, 165x60mm
Derailleur: Lal Supre
Chain tensioner: Lal Supre
Idler pulley: Lal Supre
Cassette: Shimano XT, 12-speed, 10-51t
Chain: Shimano, half XT and half XTR (comparing their durability)
Shifter: Shimano XTR, 12-speed
Shift housing: Jagwire LEX-SL
Shift cable: Jagwire Ultra-Slick
Cranks: Raceface Era, 165mm (but we will try 160mm shortly)
Chainring: NS Billet Cinch HG12, 30t
Bottom bracket: Wheels Manufacturing T47, 30mm
Pedals: Time Speciale 12
Headset: Acros, integrated cable routing
Dropper post and remote: OneUp V2
Seat: ISM PM 2.0
Seatpost collar: frame-integrated
Hubs: Onyx Vesper, centerlock, superboost rear
Spokes: Sapim Race
Nipples: Sapim Polyax Aluminum
Rims: We Are One Triad Convergence, 32h, 29 front, 27.5 rear
Front tire: Schwalbe Magic Mary, Super Trail, Soft, 62-622 (29×2.40in)
Rear tire: Schwalbe Hans Dampf, Super Trail, Soft, 60-584 (27.5×2.35in)
Tire inserts: Cushcore Pro
Handlebar and stem: We Are One Da Package
Grips: Wolf Tooth Karv
Fender: Mudhugger Shorty Evo
Bash guard: frame-integrated + OneUp Bash Plate
Brakes: SRAM Code RSC
Rotors: SRAM HS2, centerlock, 220mm front and rear
Weight: 17.7 kg / 39 lb (without pedals and with Cushcore Pro front and rear)
More info: lalbikes.com and nicolai-bicycles.com
Cedric stressed that many of the parts, like a Zeb Ultimate and Raceface Era cranks were chosen simply because he feels they’re great parts, but others had more specific purposes on the build. They want this bike to be easily tested by others so they opted for an air shock, as well as the easily-reversible SRAM brake levers. The lightweight Schwalbe SuperTrail casings were chosen for quicker rolling, but paired with Cushcores for durability and ride feel. They paired Made-in-Canada We Are One rims with Onyx hubs, partly because of the low vibration sprag clutch in the hub. The quiet hub really highlights how quiet the Supre Drive system is, and was apparently useful for testing things like different seatstay protectors. The hub is quite heavy though, so they’re curious to try the new Tairin silent hubs as well.
A note on the weight: the frame has no published weight, so you know it isn’t light. BUT, the 39lb figure probably isn’t representative of this bike’s trail weight either. Using lighter but still sensible components it shouldn’t be too hard to lose ~900g (2lb) off this thing, getting it slightly more reasonable. Nicolai also previously stated that the production version of this frame would be losing some weight.
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I first showed the Supre Drive in November 2021 with a frame that I built and with an 11-speed version. I have since developed a 12-speed version (10-51t) on a hardtail bike that Mike Levy test rode at Crankworx Whistler 2022.
With the help of Alex Ham, who joined me at the beginning of 2023, we made improvements to the drivetrain, including a refined hydraulic damper in the chain tensioner (analogous to the sliding friction clutch in derailleurs, but better), and a derailleur with composite parts that we 3D print on the Sunshine Coast and aluminum links that NS Billet machines in Whistler. We’re proud to make the Supre Drive in Canada. We’re currently working on a production batch of Supre Drive parts, and we’re excited for more people to start riding the Nicolai Nucleon 16 Supre. |
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About the seat, since you probably asked: the way I see it our pipes down there run along the middle, and it’s best not to squish them. This seat puts pressure on bones even when I’m leaning forward on steep uphills. I ride without a chamois and wouldn’t do that with a regular seat. ISM does a lot of triathlon stuff, but this is their mountain bike model, the PM 2.0.
Some people say I need this seat for the big balls it takes to challenge the industry, but it can be done with normal sized balls when there’s awesome support in the community like we’ve been getting from people who want a better drivetrain. |
Alex and Cedric were kind enough to show me around their shop. They’ve got a bunch of 3D printers working away, CNC machines, a lathe, a bike mechanic’s area, a design area with workstations, and a well organized assembly area. It’s a far cry from the fancy offices and prototype shops of some brands, but it’s functional and everything they need to turn ideas into reality.
They’ve got a huge hill to climb, but I’m a big fan of what Lal is trying to do and looking forward to seeing their progress. And yes, before you ask, we have a long-term test Nucleon in the works.
Thoughts? Is their system viable for mass adoption? Are the frame-side requirements too big a hurdle? Is the Nucleon’s 39lb weight too much to swallow? Is a private military contractor’s Predator drone on the way to the Sunshine Coast as we speak?