The Giga is Nukeproof’s longest travel trail bike to date, but is it destined to tread on the toes of its very successful Mega enduro bike?
Nukeproof’s new Giga is the brand’s take on a ‘super enduro’ bike, and is inspired by its current Mega enduro machine and Dissent downhill bike. Look closely and it doesn’t take long to see just how the two bikes have morphed into what you see here. The roots of the Giga actually stem from way back in 2013, when Nukeproof created a one-off Mega for the Chain Reaction/Nukeproof Team with increased travel and more aggressive geometry to take on the downhill World Championships in South Africa (race footage suggests Sam Hill actually raced the Pulse DH bike in the end, but sadly crashed out in spectacular style).
Nukeproof started to explore the idea again while working on the latest version of the Mega, but using the suspension platform from the Dissent DH bike. While it knew it’d work on the downhills, the platform needed to work on the flats and uphills too. After testing a prototype and, despite the additional weight, Nukeproof was impressed with how well it climbed and pedalled, so it began to work on reducing the weight. When it comes to the name, it’s all down to numbers. What’s more mega than a Mega? A Giga. While ‘mega’ is used to denote a factor of one million, a ‘giga’ denotes a factor of one billion. Is bigger always better, though?
Five things you need to know about the new Nukeproof Giga
The Giga is designed to be more of a downhill-orientated enduro bike, while Nukeproof claims the Mega is a better all-rounder
There are five sizes of the Giga available, ranging from S to XXL
Nukeproof offers the Giga with either 650b or 29in wheels (the 650b model has 180mm of travel either end, while the 29er has 180mm up front and 170mm at the rear). There’s no mixed wheel size option
Currently only available in carbon
There are three full builds available starting from £3,699.99 and a frame only option at £2,599.99 RRP
Nukeproof Giga frame and suspension details
The Giga uses a linkage-actuated single pivot suspension design and allows you to increase/decrease (depending on the setting) how progressive the rear end is – just like the Dissent.
A small lever on the non-driveside main pivot can be flicked between the two positions (once you’ve loosened the non-driveside main pivot bolt with an 8mm Allen key – this then needs to be tightened once the lever is in the required position), altering the progression of the back end from 25.5 to 29 per cent.
Nukeproof states that switching to the more progressive setting when running a coil shock is akin to adding a volume spacer to an air shock, making the coil setup that bit more progressive.
Nukeproof says that “low anti-squat and good mid-stroke support is a winning combo for climbing traction”. In the less progressive setting, there’s 96 per cent anti-squat (when using 32-50t gearing), while in the progressive setting, this value creeps up to 100 per cent when using the same climbing gear.
As the Giga drops through its travel, anti-squat decreases to 39 per cent (in the less progressive setting) and 56 per cent (in the more progressive setting) to “give ultimate small bump compliance and remove rough trail and root chatter,” according to Nukeproof.
The idea, Nukeproof says was it “wanted a balanced amount of anti-rise that tails off for bigger hits” so that there’s some squat within the system when you’re hard on the brakes, which should, in theory, help maintain the dynamic ride position without upsetting the overall balance, yet still deliver enough pressure through the tyres to maintain traction.
And, in a bid to better handle those awkward, jarring square-edge hits, Nukeproof claims the axle path of the Giga moves in a rearward direction during the first 50mm of its travel, which equates to around 2.5mm in a rearward direction before continuing to move upwards and forwards for the remainder of the travel.
Rear travel does actually vary, depending on which wheelsize is fitted to the Giga. The 29in machine boasts 170mm of bounce, while the smaller wheeled 650b Giga gets a touch more, at 180mm.
The rear end has clearance for up to 2.6in tyres, which means there’s plenty of room for mud with the 2.4in Michelin tyres that come as standard – ideal if you ride anywhere as muddy as the UK.
There’s a whole host of other neat details worth mentioning on the Giga. For starters, Nukeproof has tubed all of the internal channels to make routing cables through them that bit easier.
All pivot bearings use EnduroMax bearings and, like the latest Mega, the Giga comes with SRAM’s Universal Derailleur Hanger, which will be widely available and should make getting hold of a replacement nice and easy.
There are also bolt fixtures on the underside of the top tube so you can bolt any spares/tools etc. in place, if you’re not keen on lugging them around in a pack.
But what’s arguably one of the coolest things here is the effort the brand has gone to to ensure a bottle and bottle cage can be fitted to the Giga’s mainframe. The custom cage (which Nukeproof provides) is partially enveloped into the upper side of the beautifully shaped down tube, and creates enough room in the front triangle to fit a 750ml bottle.
Other details of note include the rear mudguard, which helps to keep linkage pivots a little cleaner and prevent too much mud building up on the rear of the seat tube.
Some neatly integrated rubberised frame protection is also used on the underside of the down tube and on the driveside chainstay, and the frame is coated in clear frame protection to help keep the paintwork looking fresh.
Nukeproof Giga geometry details
The Giga is offered in five different sizes (S to XXL) and, just like the Mega, Nukeproof steepens the seat-tube angle as the bike moves up the size range, in a bid to ensure that no matter the size and saddle height, the seated position should be as efficient as possible (moving your hips closer to sitting above the bottom bracket).
This should mean that taller riders on the bigger frame sizes won’t be left sat over the back of the bike and closer to the rear wheel axle.
Nukeproof includes specific saddle heights (an easy measurement to take from an old bike that you’re comfortable on) and saddle offsets in its geometry charts to help guide you towards the correct sized frame.
While the effective seat-tube angle starts at a claimed 77.75 degrees on the size small and medium, as soon as you jump up to the size large it steepens to 78 degrees.
Up front, the Giga’s head angle is a slack 63.5 degrees and designed around a 44mm offset fork on the 29in version and a 37mm offset on the 650b.
When it comes to reach (the horizontal distance from the centre of the bottom bracket to the centre of the head tube), the Giga boasts some decent modern numbers.
The ultimate guide to geometry and handling
If we look at the 29er version of the bike, reach figures start at 430mm and stretch up to 515mm on the XXL, while the 650b version of the bike ranges from 435mm to a lengthy 520mm.
The chainstay length on the Giga remains the same across all frame sizes at 445mm on the 29er and 435mm on the 650b bike.
Due in part to the amount of travel on offer, the bottom bracket sits at a claimed 350mm off the floor, which is relatively high compared to the likes of the Whyte G-170 29er.
Nukeproof Giga range overview
All Gigas use the same carbon frame, no matter what the build, and include the custom bottle cage.
All builds also come with Michelin Wild Enduro 2.4in tyres, as well as own brand bars, stems and grips.
Nukeproof Giga Comp 275/290
Frame: Carbon with 170/180mm travel (29er/650b)
Fork: RockShox ZEB, 180mm travel
Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Select R
Drivetrain: Shimano Deore M6100 12-speed
Brakes: Shimano Deore M6120
Wheels: Sun-Ringle Duroc SD37
Price: £3,699.99 / $3,699.99 / €4,699.99
Nukeproof Giga Elite 275/290
Frame: Carbon with 170/180mm travel (29er/650b)
Fork: Fox 38 Performance Elite, 180mm travel
Shock: Fox Performance X2
Drivetrain: Shimano SLX M1700 12-speed
Brakes: Shimano SLX M7120
Wheels: DT Swiss E1900 Spline
Price: £4,599.99 / $4,599.99 / €5,799.99
Nukeproof Giga Factory 275/290
Frame: Carbon with 170/180mm travel (29er/650b)
Fork: Fox 38 Factory, 180mm travel
Shock: Fox Factory X2
Drivetrain: Shimano XT M8100 12-speed
Brakes: Shimano XT M8120
Wheels: DT Swiss E1700 Spline 30
Price: £5,499.99 / $5,499.99 / €6,999.99
Nukeproof Giga first ride impressions
My time aboard the Giga has been very limited and, due to current restrictions, I’ve not been able to ride some of the more demanding terrain that this bike is designed for.
I have tested it on steeper, slower more technical trails, though, which has given me some idea as to how it’ll perform, so read on for more info.
The low slung weight helps to make the Giga feel steadfast through the turns. Andy Lloyd / Immediate Media
The first thing that came to my attention was just how well this monster of a bike pedals. When seated and climbing, the steep seat-tube angle and almost bob-free rear suspension makes climbing really quite easy going, with the only thing that feels like it’s really stifling uphill speed being the relatively slow rolling Michelin tyres.
Otherwise, considering the travel on tap, the Giga climbs far better than expected, immediately raising questions as to why you’d opt for the Mega over the Giga if you plan on riding or racing enduro.
Time aboard the Giga has been limited so far, but there’s no getting away from the fact that it’s more of an all-rounder than the amount of travel and its DH bike-like geometry might suggest. Andy Lloyd / Immediate Media
The geometry feels well-balanced, as does the suspension, and the low-slung weight of the bike really helps to make the Giga feel planted through the turns, where it has, so far, excelled.
It’s hard to properly comment on suspension performance, having not really ridden many rough trails in my limited time aboard the bike, but the plan is to do some back-to-back testing with the Mega over the coming months before compiling a more thorough review.
By Robin Weaver Published Here: January 27, 2021 at 9:00 am
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