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As a trail bike, to provide an alternative to my Trek Superfly XC bike?
Or a Reactor?
Or:
Canyon Spectral 29 AL 5
Canyon Neuron 5
Seems like trail/Enduro bikes have dropped in price...
As a trail bike, to provide an alternative to my Trek Superfly XC bike?
Yes
Or a Reactor?
But also yes.
You can have one extremely cheap
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/p/nukeproof-mega-290-comp-alloy-bike-deore
Don't post the link, they'll sell out before I make my mind up! (Not that you didn't all get the same email I did...)
It's looking like Reactor at the moment. It seem to be a silly deal but I think they are quoting a 40% reduction against 2020 sky high prices - it's not that different to the Canyons.
I want to be able to ride up big hills and/or a long way but still smash the technical descents. On paper I want a trail bike, but I'm worried I'll miss the ability to smash through anything at ludicrous speed that I used to get on my Patriot. Of course, a modern bike would be more capable but I've no idea how much. So maybe the Mega? I dunno.
I feel like a 75 degree seat angle might be better for long rides than 78, which I feel is for winching a super long bike up something steep...?
Reactor also comes with Bomber Z2s, which are apparently open bath and I reckon that's not ideal.
Deore spec mega for the price of the frame, granted the shock is downgraded but still a ruddy good bargain. I've never liked the reactor.
@noeffsgiven Why do you prefer the Mega over the Reactor? What kind of riding?
bought one of those carbon Reactor frames and built it with existing parts last month, went for the carbon because of the better shock but have happily had the alloy. It replaced a Solaris Max that will probably be built up again at some point. I also have a Rocket Max, and didn't want a short(er) travel bike to be to close to that. The Reactor is a lot of fun and I would quite happily ride it anywhere, won't be as quick as the Rocket in the more "extreme" places but it is deffo a great trail bike which I have done a 30 mile XC loops and messing about in our local trails
this depends on what you're options are and where you ride, but I would agree with you for the past 5 years.
I’d pick a Nukeproof over a Canyon myself as I’ve preferred how their previous bikes have ridden
I would go Reactor personally, I've currently got an XC Hardtail/140mm Full-suspension combination and its brilliant but we do all ride differently.
For me it's not close enough that there's crossover, but the Full-sus isn't so burly that I never want to ride it unless I feel like I'm going on a big lairy ride/off to a Trail Centre which was the problem I had with my 160mm Enduro bike. Now I just ride whichever I fancy/is already in the boot of the car and just slightly tailor my ride accordingly.
I'd say reactor and maybe a set of chunky wheels & tyres for the burly stuff if you feel the need (which I have for my Alps trip).
I ride a bit of everything so a mega is ideal for me, I've never really felt overbiked on a mega, so anything around 130/40 just doesn't appeal to me, not really into long gruelling climbs though. On second thoughts those domain forks on the comp could feel a bit weighty, I use the previous model Lyrik ultimates to save a few hundred grams over current specd forks.
What's the mega like to just ride around on when it's just woodsy windy singletrack?
What size do I want? I'm exactly on their border between M and L.
What’s the mega like to just ride around on when it’s just woodsy windy singletrack?
Its good once you’re going down hill if it’s flat it feels a bit flat but once you go downhill it’s great.
What size do I want? I’m exactly on their border between M and L.
large id say, I’m on the border between small and medium Ive have a medium and it’s never felt too big
Bought a large Reactor....
They look like a bargain. I've been contemplating a full sus for a trip to the Alps in the summer.
My 10-year old is also bike mad so can see a lot more trips to BPW etc. in the not too distance future
Currently ride a Sonder Signal Ti with 130mm travel. Rear suspension aside, is the Reactor going to be massively different and suitable for the Alps or do I go for the Mega?
Rear suspension makes a.massive difference for me, that's why I waited so long to afford one rather than buying a HT.
Depends what you want to do in the Alps I suppose.
Ended up going for the Reactor too. Roll on Friday.
My delivery date is Friday too!
Where you riding?
Gradually moved east over the years, I'm just outside Newbury, no real need for a FS around here!
Work in Cannock & ride around the Chase quite a bit. Up in in the Lakes and around Exmoor frequently too.
Probably head to FoD next Saturday / Sunday or Swinley.
How about you?
Be aware that you won’t get any kind of support off CRC if you need a crash replacement. They’ve been awful with my lads so far.
I'll be riding locally near Cardiff on my gnarliest trails.
Be aware that you won’t get any kind of support off CRC if you need a crash replacement.
Is there a crash replacement policy? I've not heard of such a thing apart from helmets.
You can get away with 120-130mm in the Alps, but I’m willing to bet that you’d be wishing you were on a bigger bike.
I used to be on a 140mm 29er Jeffsy. For most of the UK, outside of bike park black runs, it felt over-biked. Enduro riding in the Alps was the one place where I found myself wishing I had more travel.
Most of us don't have the luxury of a specific bike for every situation though. I mean, I've got three, but that's still not enough to cover everything perfectly 🙂
Bit late to this but my Mega 290 is er mega on most things considering it's a 160/170 travel bike.
Obviously not as great as a specific bike for specific use, but it climbs really well, pedals really well and is just a great bike.
Watch the bolts where top of chainstay meets frame, saw one come loose yesterday on a 3 ride old bike and smash the hell out of frame. I think the bolt says 18nm on it, but what this had been torqued to, I'm not sure.
There's a suggestion that CRC build them terribly so I plan to go over it very carefully when it arrives.
Yeah defo do a major bolt check before you ride it.
I replaced my 150/140 Nicolai Helius AC trail bike to a Mega. I expected it to be a bit of a dog to ride uphill or on flatter trails but I can quite happily ride it all day - modern geometry and suspension works so well that it just doesn't feel like the compromise I thought it would be.
The only thing I DONT like is the UDH hanger, which destroys mechs, damages frame and wheels rather than bending or snapping.
I've heard of a bolt or two coming loose on nukeproofs before so checked and re-threadlocked my Mega, they were all correctly torqued btw but I thought I'd go the extra mile, the lower swing link bolts are a pita being from the inside out so I needed a long 6mm allen socket and a torque wrench that measures both ways, there's no room for a torque wrench at the bolt head so you go in from the back of the hollow bolt if you want correct torque, while undoing one of the bolts it started pushing the stay out rather than actually undoing the bolt, luckily I noticed and didn't just keep turning, I backed it off and held it down, guess the bolt was stuck to the bearing. I think nukeproof need to re-think that one on the next mega, I don't particularly like the exposed bearing seals inside the swing link either.
This is a bloody long week.
Despatch email received, tracking says mine will be here on the Thursday now 🙂 Hope the pedals arrive on time too.
I've been checking it all day. CRC says it will be here today, but ParcelForce say they haven't got it yet. Should be Thursday - and guess what, looks like I'm away with work that day.
Due to be delivered 8-9pm tonight. According to the tracking the driver is already out on their rounds and is in Swansea so that's at least a 13 hour day for them, poor sod.
How are you finding the reactor? I've been slightly tempted for a while....
Full write up soon.
But I can't really compare it to anything else similar, so if you're shopping around I won't be very helpful. However, it's a proper well thought out bike, they've put time and money into it with stuff like frame protection tape, proper tyres taped for tubeless (and came with valves), custom shock tune etc. All for £1650! Absolute no brainer if money is part of the picture.