Van Nicholas Yukon review

Van Nicholas produces a wide range of road and mtb models, all in titanium, available as frameset-only or complete builds via the company website and a network of UK dealerships.

Formerly known in Europe as Airborne, the Dutch company makes no attempts to branch out with alternative materials but sticks to the justifiably renowned ride qualities and durability of titanium.

Van Nicholas founder Jan-Willem Sintnicolaas has his designs built up in China — no bad thing nowadays.

Aimed at the fast-paced Audax or sportive rider, the neatly finished Yukon is built with 3Al/2.5V seamless titanium tubing. The 73deg seat tube and 72deg head tube angles on our 58cm model keep the ride perky without being twitchy, while pleasingly curved chainstays and generous clearances, plus the inherent comfort factor of titanium, make for a machine that felt good all day long.

The test model arrived with mudguards but we whipped them off to save for a rainy day. The Ultegra groupset and mostly own-branded finishing kit, including a smart-looking titanium seatpost, is all good. It’s always a pleasure to see Chris King components fitted and the hubs are a class piece of kit. A shame then, that the freehub makes such an irritating, high-pitched whine when freewheeling. But a minor quibble. The solution: keep pedalling!