Nukeproof Reactor OR…

Hi,

I’m in the UK for a short while but I’m looking to buy a new frame to replace my privateer.

I’ve had two big injuries, and I’m looking for a bike that is more playful at slower speeds on a mixture of terrain but mostly singletrack in the woods.

Top of my list is a Nukeproof Reactor (I’ve found a potential frame only to buy).

Anyone got any other ideas (frame only, cheap as possible)?

In other news I’ll hopefully soon be selling a barely used (can’t emphasise that enough) privateer P1 161 frame (black) if anyone is interested.

Anyways, I’d love any input into the decision.

Thanks,

Angus

Bird Aether 9 framesets are back in stock again with a few shocks to pick from.
https://www.bird.bike/product/aether-9-frameset/#configuration

It’s one of the cheaper full suspension frames I’ve found.

The Reactor is an awesome bike, must admit I’ve sold mine (potentially) as i wanted more travel for trips to Spain next year so i now have the less playful Mega. I would have kept both but needed the cash for a bloody hernia op. Go for the reactor….

I demo’d a reactor 29 (Alu frame), and a bird AM9.

TBH, despite being shorter travel & less LLS in general, I thought the reactor was more of a plough on the descents, and didn’t climb as well, hence I’ve got an AM9.
I haven’t tried an Aether 9 to compare yet.

+1 for the Aether 9, chose it over the Reactor for various reasons. I wasn’t convinced about the Reactor’s climbing performance based on various reviews. Also consider the Aether 7 if you want more playful (haven’t ridden one), but the 9 is plenty playful – noticeably more so than the AM9.

I may well be wrong, but it sounds like you might be looking at reining things in a bit having got into trouble on a big bike? IMO the AM9 isn’t the bike for that nor slower speed fun.

I’ve had a reactor for 5-6 months now. It’s a really fun bike and I ride mine pretty much exclusively in the steeper setting rather than the slacker “rail” mode. It isn’t all too exciting to climb on but I feel it puts me in a good position on the bike to climb and the front doesn’t wander either. On the flats it can feel a little slow to get going but I haven’t ridden many larger travel bikes to know how it compares, I think this slowness is partly due to the heavy wheels and beefy tyres on the comp spec alu model.

Anything from flat to steep downhills it’s a real laugh. I prefer to hop around the trail rather than plough through rock gardens and it’s really progressive which helps with that. Trying not to use bike magazine buzzwords, but I don’t want to change it for anything. I’ve demo’d an aeris 120 before and preferred the nukeproof, but that’s all down to personal preference.

I was looking at the 660b versions but considered the Aether 7 / Reactor / Sonder Evol and went Aether 7 in the end. The reactor was more expensive and had a slacker seat tube angle / longer seat tube. I decided I’d rear too many comments about the pivot hardware not being brilliant on the Sonder.

The Aether is pretty ace – mines built a bit more hardcore than poppy with Lyriks at 150mm travel and a Fox DHX2 coil. I actually prefer the coil to the air that was on there before – even when climbing.

The only thing I’m really toying with is the Aether 9C perhaps next year. Would go frame only + new fork and maybe get some lighter wheels than my Pro4 /XM481s to offset the weight of the bigger wheels / fork.

the front doesn’t wander either

This is something that I sometimes need to be aware of with the Aether 9, balancing keeping traction on the rear vs. keeping the front on-line. Can end up stalling the front wheel on a rock or something, or spinning out the back wheel.

Assuming you are looking at a Carbon reactor frame, this probably isnt much more money…

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Norco-Optic-C3-29-Mountain-Bike-2021-Trail-Full-Suspension-MTB_238981.htm

And the optic is an absolutely awesome short travel ripper.

I love mine and have no hesitation riding it down steep and rough stuff, as well as your usual run of the mill trails.

Might be worth a look/consideration.

Thanks all for the advice – some great input.

In the end, I went with the Reactor frame because I got a good deal on a second hand one – and I actually wanted 275 wheels (should have specified this, sorry).

Cheers

I’ve done something similar recently with my AM9. Newborn baby and starting to prepare to move abroad made me more wary of injuries in the last couple of months. A huge crash 2 months ago into a rock garden at warp speed which folded me pedal and crank arm and of which my wrist is still recovery only reinforced the sentiment.
My AM9 was built pretty much as a DH tank, heavy rims, Michelin DH34s front and rear, 170mm fork. I decided to dial things back a bit to make it more enjoyable on longer, calmer rides:
– reduced the Lyrik to 160mm travel
– replaced rims with 25mm versions (saved 70g per rim)
– replaced tyres with a Michelin Wild Enduro in the front and a DD Aggressor in the rear, no inserts.

Did the mods on at the time to see the differences. Fork surprisingly did little to no difference, in fact the bike corners a little bit better now. Wheels and tyres really changed it, feels way way lighter and quicker now, and much worse at tracking through the roughs.
So I think it was a sucess