Nukeproof Mega Update

So I've had the mega for around 6 months now so I thought a little update about how it's been and what I've done to it was in order. Since being bought back in early July it's been ridden in Wales, The Peaks the local Lake District hills and around a few of the closer trail centres, so it's certainly seem some mileage.

The Build

Since buying it the build has had a few changes. The forks (Rockshox Lyriks) were converted from air to coil, and while this adds more weight to the build they feel much nicer. The rear shock (Rockshox Monarch) has also had a small tune to speed up the rebound and decrease the air volume of the can, to try help it feel a little nicer through it's midstroke.

The old dmr v12 pedals were switched out for the newer vaults which I must say feel amazing, the large platform really helps keeps your foot in place, just beware that if they do slip and catch your leg they will eat it up.

Somewhere in Wales

I've been running the Maxxis Ardent tyre out back and a Schwalbe Hans Dampf at the front. The Ardent is certainly looking worn now but has performed incredibly well, the Hans Dampf still looks in great condition and really is a great all round tyre. It's massive size (the 2.35 looks more like a 2.5) and softer compound certainly helps with grip and the only time it's struggled has been in very muddy conditions.

The Ride

It's taken me some time to get used to how this bike rides, but it's starting to feel more like my own now. With the shock in lockout mode it provides a very stable platform when climbing smoother trails or roads, it can feel a little wandery with a longer fork up front but this is easily remedied with a travel adjust fork. On the rougher stuff the middle setting of the shock feels nice, taking hits and soaking up the worse bumps while not stealing all your energy through excess bobbing. It must be mentioned that if you are using a travel adjust fork in shorter mode the bottom bracket is quite low so pedal strikes can be an issue, I'm considering switching the cranks to 170mm length to reduce this.

Once the bike is pointing downhill you really can have a lot of fun. The relaxed head angle and downhill orientated geometry help you feel safe and planted, and if you are willing to let go and attack the trail the bike comes alive underneath you. It does struggle in the tighter technical stuff as the chainstays are pretty long but that could be down to not enough rider skill on my part.

Overall

I'm pretty happy with the build and how it rides overall, i'm still learning how it behaves in certain terrain and I hope as I get more time on it my enjoyment will increase. I'm sure there are more upgrades to come too. As previously mentioned I would like some shorter (and lighter) cranks to reduce the pedal strike issue and also try one of the dropper posts which I think would really help with it's versatility on the trails. Last thing to mention is I think it looks great in the raw finish.

At home in the Lakeland Fells