A fat old guy’s opinion…

The NukeProof Mega Carbon 290 is a top-of-the-line enduro mountain bike that is designed to excel on the most demanding trails. It features a super quiet drivetrain, stable tracking, progressive braking, and a pliable yet firm suspension.

I was invited to participate in the Demo Event at The Bike Company, in Lake Forest, California. This shop treated me so well as a customer getting a shock rebuild, that driving forty-five minutes to go there is not an obstacle. I was greeted by three separate employees on the first visit, invited back for a demo day, then recognized by name when I returned for the demo.

My shock was done nearly 2 weeks before they promised it. The fee for the rebuild was exactly as quoted. They called me as soon as it was done and called me again to confirm my demo day. To top it off, they called me after the demo day to ask how the demo day went. Top-notch client process all the way.

Now Onto the Demo

When I was turned over to Jimmy with Nukeproof, they had me give them some information for the setup and confirm that information. This allowed them to set the suspension for my weight and set the dropper post seat to the right height. They asked what my preferred tire inflation was and set the bike as I had requested.

As they were setting up the bike, they engaged me in conversation. Where was I intending to ride it? How do I usually ride? What kind of bike do I normally ride? As they finished it up, they put the bike in a special stand so I could stand on the pegs while stationary. This allows him to check the “sag” which is my effect on the ride height while stationary. This helps gauge the travel that will be used while riding in a dynamic way.

About the Bike

The drivetrain is powered by a Shimano XT 12-speed drivetrain, which provides smooth, precise shifting and a wide range of gears for all types of terrain.

The suspension is handled by a Fox 38 Float Factory Series fork & Float X2 Factory Series shock, which offer 160mm of travel front and rear. The suspension is tuned to be plush and compliant over rough terrain, yet still provides excellent support when you need it.

As a point of interest, the Rear Shock is the same as on my Giant Reign, so I had some preconceived notions on what to expect on the ride.

THE NUKEPROOF MEGA 290 CARBON FACTORY COMPONENT DETAILS

• Fox 38 Float Factory Series fork & Float X2 Factory Series shock
• Shimano XT 12-speed drivetrain
• Shimano XT 4-piston brakes
• DT Swiss EX1700 SPLINE 30 29-inch tubeless wheels
• Maxxis Assegai 29×2.5 front tire & Minion DHR II rear tire

The frame is made from high-quality carbon fiber, which is both lightweight and strong. The frame features a modern geometry with a long wheelbase, slack head tube angle, and short chainstays, which makes it stable at high speeds and agile in tight corners.

Overall, the NukeProof Mega Carbon 290 is an excellent choice for riders who are looking for a top-of-the-line enduro mountain bike that can handle anything you throw at it. It is fast, capable, and comfortable, making it the perfect bike for long days in the saddle.

The Ride on the Trail

Well, I am an idiot. I took the bike to Whiting Ranch. I have been there before but not for a long time. I parked in the Starbucks off Portola Parkway. Headed onto the trail. Now I remembered that there was a turn to the left that popped through a little dip, then you would end up on the road to get to the entrance of the park… bypassing paid parking.

I missed the turn. It was overgrown and I failed to recognize it. This put me a little way up on the main trail and riding around a gate. I knew at that point I missed the turn and while I could have just popped back a few yards, I would be on the right path. I foolishly told myself I would enjoy the adventure.

I entered through the gate and pedaled up the path, The first thing that really blew me away was the silence. I had my bone-conduction headphones on, listening to “The Pocket” on Amazon Music. The headphones allow the ambient noise in… and it was silent. I began running up and down the gearset to see if there was any slack or sloppiness in the shifting. It was sharp, accurate and quick. I did note that it took a fair amount of pressure on the lever for the downshifting.

This bike is so much newer than my Giant. My own bike is a 2017 and has roughly 6,000 miles on it. Is the newness the quiet, or is it desgn? In any case, I like it.

I love QUIET.

The suspension was the same as the running gear… silent. Even better, it worked. The bike is the first time I rode a 29’er and really paid attention. I am used to 27.5 wheels. The tracking, control over obstacles and action of the suspension was superb entering the park and moderately climbing toward my next obstacle.

Now here is where things began to separate. I love climbing. I dig the workout. Part of the reason I ride is to burn off the red meat, red wine, and beer that my healthy diet gives me.

I kept left at the fork staying on Serrano trail and leaving Raptor to other folks. The Raptor sounds aggressive. I pedaled along at a steady increase until I came up to a sign that said… and I am not making this up, “Dreaded Hill Rd”. The trail to the right looked more unused than the Dreaded Hill Road, so I stayed on the path.

About 200 yards later I was panting hard. This is a wall of a hill and it seems to go on forever. This is when I realized that the shock orientation on the Nukeproof does more than look different than the Maestro set-up on my Giant – it behaves different as well.

Unless I locked out the rear suspension, it felt like I was wasting a great deal of energy in the pedal stroke. Once locked out, the bike climbed well and the bike has an uncanny way of maintaining position on the trail. I didn’t have a lot of weaving back and forth on the climb – more of a straight path.

Once to the top of this torture test, I decided to rail it down the hill and hit some of the side “pop” jumps on the way. Normally, I am a bit timid on descents. I brake a lot. As I came up on a sweeping right turn with a top layer of gravel… I thought, even if I fall, there’s plenty of room to land, so I released the brakes and let the bike flow through the turn.

It stuck! Now I run the same tires on my Giant, so I was really surprised at how stable the bike was especially over the gravel-coated turn.

I saw a single-track lane extend to the left and I grabbed the chance to do a little more technical with the bike. I found in most cases, I was greatly under-riding the bike. The esses, little jumps, roots, dry creeks, and side jumps were soaked up willingly and QUIETLY by the deep suspension.

Overall Fit

Now this is a personal thing and not the fault of the bike. I rode a medium which is always my size. I am 5’8″ and over 200 pounds. I felt like I could have had a large. I found myself feeling like I was working harder at the top of the stroke than on my own bike. I also found myself scooting backward in the saddle.

Maybe if I moved the Seatpost up 5mm and the seat back 5mm, it would feel more natural to me. As I rode the bike I got more and more used to it. Once I returned to the Demo tent, Jimmy and Quincy (his demo tent partner) explained the differences in the bikes, invited me to try other models, and confirmed my thoughts about the top of the stroke feeling I was having.

This bike has a different seat tube angle and gives the rider a more closed position on the bike, whereas my bike from Giant is a little more open and upright. The cranks are the same length, but my body position is different, putting me more over the crank than slightly behind it.

Overall… If you are looking for a top-of-the-line enduro mountain bike that is fast, capable, and comfortable, the NukeProof Mega Carbon 290 is an excellent choice, and I definitely recommend adding them to your shortlist to test ride.