Inside Germany’s Handmade Bike Factory

I spent 2 full days inside the Nicolai factory in Germany, getting proper behind-the-scenes access to see how their handmade aluminium frames are built. From the first sketches and CAD work to CNC machining, tube cutting, welding, heat-treating, powder coating and final assembly. Everything happens under one roof. Nicolai have been building bikes this way for 30 years, and it shows. The engineering, the attention to detail, and the people behind it all make this place pretty special. This video takes you through the full process, step by step, with a look at the raw materials, the machines, the welders, the paint shop, and how a frame goes from blocks of alloy to a finished product. Massive thanks to the team at Nicolai for letting me film everything, and to Bennie for the tour. Next up, I’ll be building the sample frame you see in this video into a full bike — that video is coming soon. If you enjoyed this one, hit subscribe and drop any questions below.