Test HNF Nicolai UD4 All Terrain: The E-SUB with the powerful Bosch drive of the latest design drives with continuously variable automatic transmission as if by itself. Thanks to the long suspension fork and a lot of tire volume, it is in its element even on bad roads.
E-bikes have moved further and further away from bicycles with an auxiliary motor. All drive components are integrated on a modern pedelec like the HNF Nicolai UD4 All Terrain; Today there are technical possibilities for this that no one dared to dream of just ten years ago - such as the networking of components to form a communicating overall system.
Motor and circuit harmonize
Would you like an example? The Enviolo continuously variable gear hub has been on the market for many years, and when the electronic variant was introduced in 2011 (then called the NuVinci Harmony), it was still fitted to conventional non-motor bikes. The downsides of the system are also noticeable here - additional weight, lower efficiency - which, however, play no role on a powerful electric bike. And so the Enviolo Automatiq, as the continuously variable automatic shifting system is called today, can fully demonstrate its advantages on e-bikes such as the HNF Nicolai UD4 All Terrain after the shifting with electronic updates and greater mechanical resilience on high-torque drives à la Bosch Performance Line CX was tailored.
What is special about the features of the UD4? First of all, the bike itself: With its angular tube shape and tidy look, the bike is a prime example of a modern E-SUB, akin to a “Sport Utility Bike”. "Sport", especially since the most powerful Bosch motor with 85 Nm torque is on board, "Utility", i.e. utility, because the HNF Nicolai is of course excellently suited as an everyday bike, and not just on asphalt. With the 100 mm suspension travel of the air fork and large-volume tires, it can cope with bumpy tracks of all kinds; the four-piston brakes at the front ensure reliable deceleration, even when you're on the road with a heavy load.
The shape of the frame is not untypical for a current E-SUB. The low step-through is no longer reserved for women's bikes; instead, the monotube frame is considered a unisex model. The generously dimensioned down tube with the integrated battery is so stiff that it no longer needs the horizontal "bar" for stabilization. Seen in this way, a diamond frame on an e-bike is only for the looks; meanwhile, the UD4 is characterized by easy mounting and dismounting and is otherwise very easy to handle. The flat steering angle stands for safe straight-line stability, the 27,5-inch wheels ensure that the rolling circumference is not too large despite 62 mm wide tires.
The Nicolai is also state-of-the-art when it comes to on-board electronics with the Bosch Smart System. The Kiox display, which is subject to a surcharge, is installed on the test bike and its color display can be individually configured. The Smart System includes numerous innovative functions, of which the navigation system is still the most common. The riding modes can be individualized on the HNF Nicolai, fitness data such as pedaling frequency, wattage and calorie consumption of the rider are given and, of course, routes can be uploaded or downloaded. Software updates and the installation of new functions are possible via the app. The Bosch system also communicates with the smartphone: it can display its charge level, for example, and the cell phone can also be used as an "eBike Lock" - the drive then only works when the e-bike is connected to the smartphone, which is considered more effective anti-theft protection.
And the drive can do something else, namely communicate with the electronic circuit. And so the Enviolo gearbox, in which pivoted steel balls change the ratio between gearbox input and gearbox output, becomes a dream for lazy cyclists. All you have to do is enter your favorite cadence (which you can of course change at any time using a small keypad), and this is then maintained by the electronics, even if the riding speed changes. The change in translation is not noticeable. This has the funny effect of losing a little sense of speed caused by pedaling faster or slower. Above all, however, the automatic shifting on the e-bike is very pleasant, where the motor takes over a large part of the propulsion work anyway. Another advantage over a conventional gear change is that with the Enviolo you don't have to take pressure off the pedal when changing gears in order to relieve the load on the gearbox. The current variant of the stepless gearshift is designed for torques of up to 120 Nm and is therefore highly resilient.
HNF Nicolai also offers the UD4 with a cable-operated Enviolo - not quite as comfortable, but 450 euros cheaper. The bike is also available with derailleur gears, which also goes well with the E-SUB. Then it costs 5.215 euros instead of 6.165 euros in the tested configuration.
Today, gear shifts are combined with a toothed belt drive, which, compared to the chain, requires minimal maintenance and runs almost inaudibly - this is also a typical feature of modern electric bikes. Likewise, of course, a bright LED lighting system, with the UD4 with brake light and emergency brake signal, whereby the power for the lighting system no longer has to be supplied by a dynamo after the corresponding changes in the law.
The HNF Nicolai has unlimited energy on board, because the down tube contains the largest Bosch battery with 750 watt hours. The single-tube frame has the advantage that the flap for removing the battery is on the tube; HNF's diamond frames have the opening on the underside of the tube. This makes it much easier to remove the battery, which of course can also be charged on the bike.
With one feature, however, the HNF Nicolai UD4 All Terrain is completely a bicycle again: As you can admire on modern racing bikes and gravel bikes, the lines leading to the rear of the E-SUB also run under the stem into the frame, what a tidy look cares. The motor-assisted bike definitely looked different.
