All-Road Performance, Interpreted in Steel
Nina XCr is conceived for riders seeking a more performance-driven approach to mixed-terrain riding. Its orientation is clearly racing-inspired, yet never extreme, allowing it to transition seamlessly between asphalt, compact dirt roads and light gravel.
Rather than specialising in a single discipline, Nina XCr focuses on speed, stability and precision, offering a confident and fluid ride where wider tyres and composed handling become a tangible advantage.
The Nature of XCr Stainless Steel
At the core of Nina XCr lies Columbus XCr stainless steel, one of the most refined and technically demanding materials available for modern framebuilding. Few builders choose to work with XCr due to its complexity and the high level of expertise required during fabrication.
Its resistance to corrosion, combined with its mechanical properties, allows for thin-walled tubing capable of delivering a precise and stable ride while ensuring long-term durability. XCr rewards careful workmanship and penalises inaccuracy, making each frame a demanding but highly satisfying project to execute.
TIG Welding and Workshop Craft
All Nina XCr frames are TIG welded in our Bergamo workshop. Working with stainless steel requires even greater control during welding, where heat management and consistency are essential.
Each junction is carefully refined by hand, with significant time dedicated to surface finishing and weld shaping. This process ensures structural integrity and alignment while allowing the material itself to remain honest and visible, reflecting our commitment to precision and repeatability.
Design Considerations
Nina XCr is designed around modern all-road standards while maintaining a clear performance focus. Tyre clearance up to 700×40c supports fast rolling slicks and light gravel tyres alike, enhancing versatility without diluting the racing character of the frame.
The rear triangle and overall structure are developed to favour efficiency and stability, delivering a direct and predictable response when pushing on the pedals.
The frame features Paragon Machine Works dropouts, compatible with the UDH standard, and a Stelbel-designed CNC-machined stainless steel T47 bottom bracket shell. This component has been refined over time to resist thermal deformation during welding while remaining highly optimised in terms of weight.
Hidden cable routing is achieved through our Evoluzione system, a proprietary solution that adapts the fork and frame interface to allow fully integrated cables. The standard configuration pairs Nina XCr with the Columbus Futura Allroad fork, which also allows the use of mudguards when required, without compromising the clean and balanced front-end design.
From 2026, Nina XCr adopts a cylindrical XCr stainless steel head tube with a 44 mm internal diameter, paired with the ZS44/28.6 | EC44/33 headset standard. This choice preserves a clean aesthetic while remaining fully consistent with the performance-oriented nature of the frame. A revised front engraving accompanies this update, more elaborate and distinctive, reinforcing the off-road identity of the model.
A Raw Finish with Purpose
From 2026, Nina XCr is offered as standard with a raw finish, following the strong response received at Rouleur Live 2025. The frame is left visually unpainted and protected by a transparent matte clear coat applied over the entire surface.
This finish enhances protection against the elements while allowing the refinement of the tubing, the precision of the welds and the care taken in surface finishing to remain clearly visible. Logos are applied with restraint and complemented by engraved details on the head tube and bottom bracket shell, reinforcing the exclusivity and racing character of the frame.
A Frame with Long-Term Value
Nina XCr is built as an object meant to endure. Stainless steel naturally resists corrosion and lends itself to a long service life, making the frame suitable for years of demanding use across varied conditions.
Each frame is made to order and shaped around a clear riding intent, resulting in a personal object that reflects both performance goals and craftsmanship.
