The Nina model name isn’t new for Italian frame building workshop Stelbel. But over the last couple of years, what started out as more of a cyclocross or even gravel race bike, the Stelbel Nina has evolved into a more capable steel adventure bike that can be customized for any style of mixed-surface riding.
Stelbel Nina custom Italian steel gravel adventure bike
Stelbel calls the Nina “a constantly evolving project”. That’s something of a testament to the explosion of gravel bikes, but also the seemingly blurred lines between gravel racer, bikepacking rig & modern adventure touring setups.
The Nina is a steel dropbar bike built for mixed surface riding, and a solid starting point for customization whatever type of riding you plan to get into.
Stelbel Nina custom steel gravel bike – Tech Details
Designed as a mixed terrain, off-road frame, the Nina is a modern TIG-welded steel frame for everything from asphalt to technical singletrack, with of course gravel, bikepacking, and even cyclocross in between.
Depending on what riding style suits you, Stelbel can adjust the steel tubing spec to get your desired ride feel. Stelbel works closely with stock and custom drawn tubing from Columbus, and starts with an individually selected set of multi-butted tubes out of the Zona, Life & Spirit lines.
Fork spec also plays a big part in how the bike will be ridden, and Stelbel will adapt the rear end to match the character of what you choose up front. Customers can pick forks from Columbus, Enve, 3T & WR Compositi, or even Stelbel’s own custom-made 1.125″ steerer steel bikepacking fork for more loaded adventures. To fit whatever fork you need, the Nina gets a straight 44mm headtube for straight or tapered steerers.
From there, Stelbel will craft the Nina to work with 1x or double chainring setups, internal or external routing, and mechanical or electronic shifting. Remember this is custom steel, so really there is not much limitation to what they can offer.
Standard tire clearance on the Nina is up to 700c x 47mm tires or 650b x 53mm (27.5 x 2.1″) so you can build it up with pretty much any gravel tire available. Brakes get flat mounts, 12mm thru-axles, customized threaded bottom brackets, and the bike comes standard with three sets of bottle bosses. If you want it, a fourth bottle is possible on most size frames, as are rack & fender tabs.
Stelbel Nina steel gravel bike – Geometry, Customization & Pricing
Geometry is custom too, so Stelbel works with each rider to create the Nina they need, whether for fast gravel roads, cross racing, buff singletrack, or loaded down tour divide bikepacking. The Nina is fully custom, totally handmade to order like all of Stelbel’s bikes in their workshop in Italy – overseen by the framebuilder Stelio Belletti who pioneered welded steel bikes in the 1970s.
Standard pricing is $2400 or 2390€ for the Nina frameset including frame, headset & painted-to-match carbon fork. That seems to include the option for custom paint colors as well, assuming you stick to their standard leopard print / mud splatter scheme. They’ll also custom paint components to match like a stem or seatpost. Of course customized options can add up on top of that starting price, so the final pricetag is subject to your imagination. And full custom isn’t fast, expect 5-6 months for delivery from the time your order a custom Nina.
