Unboxing: Van Nicholas Skeiron disc-equipped titanium road bike launched

In our latest unboxing video we unveil the brand new Van Nicholas Skeiron, the Dutch titanium company's all-new disc-equipped performance road bike. 

Van Nicholas likes to name its bike models after winds, and this latest one derives its name from the Greek god of the Northwest wind. It would seem an apt name for a bike that the company says is intended to be a high-performance road bike.

To deliver the necessary performance expected of a bike of this style, the frame has been beefed up in key areas. An oversized down tube, press-fit bottom bracket, tapered head tube and tapered chainstays using hydroforming ramps up the stiffness of the frame. 

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Also helping in the battle against flex are the 12mm thru-axles at both ends and a full carbon fibre fork. The new frameset also uses the flat mount standard. To provide very clean aesthetics, all cables and hoses are internally routed, with a very neat entry port on the front of the head tube. It’s Di2 compatible as well. 

Fear not if all this talk of frame stiffness is putting you off, the company assures us it has managed to retain the smoothness that the frame material is famed for. It has used very small diameter seat stays with no brake bridge and a 27.2mm titanium seatpost to offer a little extra ride comfort.

“Our main goal was innovation by integration,” explains Ralph Moorman, General Manager of Van Nicholas, “so we designed the Skeiron with integrated cable and hose routing; clean and unique for a titanium frame.” 

“In keeping with the integrated concept, the front fork has also been designed to accommodate the front brake hose and blend seamlessly with the frame – a neat ergonomic touch that also enhances the bike’s aerodynamic performance,” he adds. 

It's worth adding that while Van Nicholas claims the new Skeiron has "unique" integrated cable and hose routing, it's not actually that unique; the new Kinesis Tripster ATR V2 and J.Laverack R.Jack are two titanium frames with disc brakes that feature internal routing for the gears and brakes. 

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The new Skeiron will be available direct from Van Nicholas or from Van Nicholas dealers in August and cost €2,099 for the frame and fork, or total builds kicking of at €3,599 with a Shimano 105 groupset. The build featured in our unboxing video spares no expense, with Ultegra Di2 and FFWD carbon clincher wheels coming in at just shy of €7,000. Choose from six frame sizes from 48 to 64cm.  More at www.vannicholas.com

Stay tuned for the full review soon. You can watch more unboxing videos on our YouTube channel right here.