Even earlier Nucleon models from Nicolai, such as the Nucleon DH or the Nucleon Evo, have already relied on alternative shifting concepts and combined them with a high-pivot suspension design. These bikes each used a modified 14-speed Rohloff gearbox with the axle at the height of the swingarm pivot point well above the bottom bracket. They required a primary drive to the gearbox and a secondary drive from the gearbox to the rear wheel. The suspension and shifting performance, robustness and insensitivity of the early Nucleon bikes were excellent. However, the gearbox, including the housing and additional components due to the design, resulted in a weight disadvantage. And even the precise, high-quality Rohloff gearboxes never achieved the shifting performance of a derailleur under load.

With the Supre Drive, Nicolia can now make optimum use of the performance advantages of a high-pivot chassis in a long-travel enduro bike for the first time, with a 1x12 setup and 510% total gear ratio.

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