Mixed-Surface Touring on the Nua Silice Pinion: Rafael’s Feedback

We keep repeating it because it’s true: our bikes are built to be versatile, and they don’t fit neatly into the usual boxes of “gravel bike” or “touring bike”. The Nua Silice is designed to do it all - long-distance rides, mixed-surface adventures, and daily commuting - without compromise.

Rafael experienced this firsthand: he first came to pick up his Silice Pinion from our workshop in Montseny and cycled all the way back to Grenoble. Since then, he’s put the bike to the test on a remarkable journey from Grenoble to the famous Stelvio Pass in Italy. Covering over 1,300 km across varied terrain, his feedback is a perfect example of what the Silice was built for. Below, he shares his full experience.

Rafael’s Nua Silice Pinion fully loaded for bike touring with panniers, frame bag, Tubus lowrider front rack and Tubus Airy rear rack.

Feedback

'I reached Grenoble last friday : approximately 1100km within 12 days.

It went perfectly well. I had absolutely 0 problem during the trip. And I am still using it every day for commuting (50km a day). I think I was lucky with the weather : I had cold but dry weather. I did not need the mudguard at all.

You may find some pictures I took during the trip :)

I don't have a significant experience using titanium gravel bikes. I used to ride an aluminum road bike (with 28mm tires). However I can tell that the bike is incredibly comfortable on every type of road. I tried gravel paths for the first time (maybe around 50km I'd say) and I quickly felt confident and secure with the bike. After 1300km, I can say that I am very satisfied!

I never tried the Pinion gearbox before. I really love it : it makes very low noise so I can enjoy the environment during my trips, it has a very wide range of gears and I can ride the bike with all my stuff even on >15% slopes.

The gear change is very quick. I only needed 1 day to completely handle the system.

The promise of low maintenance is kept! After 1300km I had 0 maintenance to do and the bike behaves perfectly.'

Nua Silice Pinion paused with a breathtaking alpine view.

Bike specifications

Frame: Nua Silice Pinion · Titanium Gr.9 (Ti-3Al-2.5V) · Tire clearance 45 mm (700C) · Belt port · Sliding dropouts 142×12 mm · Post Mount disc brakes · 27.2 mm seatpost · Internal routing (rear brake, rear light, Pinion shifter cables) · TR ID44 mm head tube · Mounts for mudguards, rear rack & 2 bottle cages · Hand-brushed finish · Engraved / anodized NuaBikes logos · Kickstand mount

Fork: Nua Ti Type A Unicrown · Titanium Gr.9 · Tire clearance 45 mm · Tapered steerer 1-1/8"–1-1/2" · Post Mount disc 160 mm · Thru axle 100×12 mm · Internal routing for brake & dynamo · Mudguard mounts · Crown light mount (M6) · Hand-brushed finish

Headset: Chris King i7 Tapered ZS44 / EC44 (Black)

Drivetrain & Gearing: Pinion C1.12 gearbox · 12 speeds · 600% range · Magnesium housing (Black) · Gates CarbonDrive CDX belt system (32T front / 24T rear · 108T belt) · Pinion forged cranks 170 mm (Black)

Brakes & Controls: SRAM Force 22 hydraulic brake levers (indexing removed) · Hibox Pinion conversion box · SRAM Centerline Rounded 160 mm rotors (front & rear)

Wheels: DT Swiss EX471 rims (25 mm internal, 700C) · DT Swiss Competition spokes · DT Swiss 350 front hub (12×100) · Pinion H3R Hybrid rear hub (142×12) · Robert Axle Project thru-axles front & rear

Tires & Tubes: Schwalbe G-ONE Speed Evolution Addix 40mm wide · Schwalbe SV17 Presta tubes

Cockpit: Salsa Cowbell handlebar 420mm (Black) · NUA Ti-STEM 100 mm −6° · NUA Ti spacers · Brooks leather bar tape (Black)

Seat Area: Thomson Elite seatpost 27.2 mm · Nua titanium seatpost clamp

Accessories Tubus Airy Titanium rear rack · Tubus Tara Lowrider Titanium front rack · Nua Ti bottle cages ×2 · Spurcycle Original bell · Hexlox wheel anti-theft kit

Nua Silice Pinion conquering the Stelvio Pass.

Rafael’s journey perfectly shows what the Nua Silice Pinion is all about: a bike that adapts effortlessly to long-distance touring, mixed surfaces, and everyday riding. Comfortable, reliable, and low-maintenance, it proves that versatility doesn’t mean compromise. We’re grateful to Rafael for sharing his experience—and for showing the Silice in action on one of Europe’s most iconic routes.

💬 Ready to discuss your dream bike?

We’d love to hear from you. Contact us at contact@nuabikes.com