NUKEPROOF MEGAWATT 297 FACTORY (2022)

Our 2022 E-bike of the Year- £6,999.99

Defying the perception that full-fat e-bikes can't be fun and playful, the olive-green Nukeproof Megawatt 297 Factory was a worthy winner of our 2022 E-bike of the Year test. It's now available in navy-blue 2023 trim, but it doesn't look like anything has changed apart from the colour.

THE FRAME 

The Megawatt uses the same four-bar 'V4' suspension layout as the brand's racewinning Mega enduro bike, with down tubemounted shock, top tube swinglink and Horst-link chainstay pivot. This provides 170mm of progressive travel. The aluminium frame shows plenty of attention to detail, from integrated chain-slap protection to an accessory mount and down tube bottle mount, plus internally-routed cables, directed through the headset. A Shimano STEPS EP8 motor provides the pedalling assistance, powered by a 630Wh battery, stored within the chunky down tube.

Geometry-wise, the reach isn't super-long (475mm, large) and the chainstays and wheelbase are relatively compact for an e-bike, too, at 442mm and 1,264mm, while it feels like the 349mm bottom bracket height could be lower. The 78-degree seat tube angle is seriously steep, though, while the head angle is a slack 64 degrees.