As possibly one of the worst held new bike secrets of this year, Nukeproof’s Mega Carbon has finally been let out of the bag. And as the first carbon fibre mountain bike to come from Nukeproof, the Mega Carbon certainly arrives to much anticipation after it had been spotted numerous times this year underneath Sam Hill in recent rounds of the Enduro World Series, and more recently, at the Downhill World Championship race in Cairns.
Of course the big story with the 2018 Mega range is the new carbon version, which purportedly sheds 320g off the alloy frame, while building in more strength and stiffness overall. However, the entire Mega range has been updated for 2018, with new versions of the alloy Mega 275 and Mega 290. Utilising a similar suspension design, the new frames are now equipped with Metric rear shocks and a bearing mount at the rocker link for smoother actuation, and rear hub spacing has been updated to Boost 148mm. All frames are 1x only so as to widen and stiffen the main pivot, and while geometry remains pretty similar across the board, the reach has gone 10-35mm longer (depending on size), and head tubes have gotten a bit taller too.
Nukeproof Mega Carbon Features
- Full carbon fibre monocoque frame
- 165mm rear travel
- 160/170mm fork travel
- 65° head angle
- 75.75° seat tube angle
- 435mm chainstay length
- 73mm threaded bottom bracket shell
- ISCG 05 chainguide tabs
- Boost 148x12mm thru-axle
- Integrated frame protection
- Frame RRP: £2200
- Complete bike RRP: £4200 – £4600
Starting at £2400, there will be seven complete Mega models for 2018, with each complete bike getting updated build kits. That includes wider handlebars and longer travel dropper posts featured across the board, as well as cleaner graphics and higher quality paint jobs. Nukeproof’s main marketing man, Rob Sheratt, sent us through a full rundown summarising the 2018 Mega range, which you can read in full below;
Engage Press Release
Currently leading the Enduro World Series and fresh from a 6th place finish at the Downhill World Championship in the hands of legendary athlete Sam Hill, it feels the stars have aligned ready for the release of the new Nukeproof Mega 275c. When Sam announced his switch to focus on the Enduro World Series it gave Nukeproof the opportunity to pitch our Mega against the largest bike brands in the world and develop our products on the world’s toughest test tracks at race speed.
The goal wasn’t to make just another carbon bike, it was to engineer the fastest machine possible, capable of carrying Sam Hill to EWS glory and a bike true to our DNA, attitude, and fit for the Nukeproof customer. Since its introduction in 2011 the Mega has always been on a constant design evolution, this is the next step forward for us.
The Technical Bit
The big news is the development of the Mega 275c, Nukeproof’s first ever carbon bike, leaning on our experience of developing award winning carbon products such as our Carbon Warhead handlebars.
The Mega 275c had to offer riders that edge over the alloy frames. This frame has been designed with mountain bike legend Sam Hill, whose input has helped shape the Mega 275c into a winning machine. Not only is the chassis now 320g lighter than its aluminium counterpart, the strength of the frame has also been vastly improved enabling every rider to push harder, faster and with more confidence than ever before.
We have a long history with our aluminium bike. The aluminium bike receives all the updates the carbon version has, and the results speak for themselves; EWS podiums, race wins and a whole lot of fun to ride, making this the finest aluminium bike we have ever made. The new Mega is podium proven in both an aluminium and carbon.
On all of the Mega 275 and 290 models we have focussed on the smallest details to provide the biggest improvements on an already podium proven chassis. We made the decision to commit to a dedicated 1x drivetrain configuration across all models; this enabled our engineers to achieve maximum stiffness – by utilising the space required for a front derailleur we could increase the main pivot bearing placement. This additional stiffness prevents torsional flex under pedalling and helps the chassis track through high speed, rough terrain without compromise.
With stiffness in mind, we took the time to incorporate the very latest Boost 148 rear axle spacing allowing us to spec much stiffer and stronger wheels both front and rear. All 2018 Nukeproof Mega models will come with new wider spaced Boost wheels and forks enabling the rider to feel even more confident on the increased capability of the bike.
With the demands of Enduro World Series racers progressing at a rapid rate, we looked again at our geometry and saw an opportunity to tailor the frames to suit not only the fastest racers, but also the growing tribe of riders that utilise our bikes every weekend, whether that be shuttling runs at their favourite bike park, or heading off for an all-day epic in the local hills.
Slightly taller head tube lengths help tailor the cockpit feel to increase rider confidence, and a lengthened top tube on large and x-large frames should help even the tallest of riders feel at home on the new Mega. All frames have had their geometry altered to take advantage of 170mm forks for 275 and 160mm for 290, with longer rear travel (165mm on the 275) to make the new Mega even harder hitting.
The new Mega utilises the brand new Rockshox Super Deluxe rear shock, and hardware now comprises of a wider spaced 25mmx8mm front mount, with a rocker link mounted bearing system to improve shock sensitivity and reduce the amount of wear through heavy usage. This combination adds even more stiffness to the chassis through these more secure fixtures and the ‘Metric’ rear shock system with increased bushing overlap. Working with our race team, engineers, Fox and SRAM we have tested and developed our shock tunes to make the most out of the Mega frame.
Tested on the toughest of terrain and in the most varied conditions by Enduro World Series Winner Sam Hill, the 2018 Mega sets out to tackle every ride with its trademark attitude.
If you’re after more details about the 2018 Nukeproof Mega range, including full geometry and spec details, then stroll over to the Nukeproof website for more information.
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