NUKEPROOF MEGA 290C FACTORY

The new Mega 29 range gets a travel boost, carbon models and Sam Hill-honed geometry

- Alan Muldoon

Since it first launched in 2016, the Nukeproof Mega 29 has been slowly evolving. Initially it was a simple revision to the shock tune to add mid-stroke support to the 150mm rear suspension. Then, in 2018, the bike received some major revisions, updates that included a Boost rear end and wider main pivot for increased stiffness. At the same time Nukeproof made the switch to a metric rear shock. For 2020, the Mega 29 changes again. The latest round of revisions ushers in a steeper seat angle, slacker head angle, new sizing and a carbon option. Travel has also been pumped up to 160mm on the rear, bringing it much closer to the 27.5in version in terms of raw firepower.

And it’s not just travel and frame materials that have been aligned more closely across both wheel sizes. The latest Mega model range sees parity too, with four carbon models and two alloy options in both wheel sizes, with pricing also held constant.

Where the bikes diverge is sizing. The Mega 29 is available in three sizes – M to XL – while the addition of a new 'tweener ML with a 452.5mm reach brings the total of 27.5in options to five, ranging from S to XL.

Why such a snail’s pace of product development? When you have Sam Hill successfully bucking the trend for longer frames and bigger wheels, it’s hard to argue that either will make you faster.

So what changed? Well, there’s nothing quite like a rider’s winning margin being slashed to make them take a closer look at their set-up. Also, with more riders on the EWS circuit making the switch to 29in wheels, the holes in the tracks were getting deeper and Hill was finding it increasingly difficult to avoid them.