Nukeproof mega 275 vs 290

nexusfish

El Mariachi
Has anyone got any comments on the difference between the two bikes. Looking for a enduro racing rig for next year and the geo and specs sit well with me. Im a 90kg 186cm rider with a dirt bike back ground and a decent technical ability, so am thinking the 29 for something bigger to swing around on.

Will the 29 be too much bike for Aus trails? (im in Tassie.)

Cheers.
 

born-again-biker

Is looking for a 16" bar
Has anyone got any comments on the difference between the two bikes. Looking for a enduro racing rig for next year and the geo and specs sit well with me. Im a 90kg 186cm rider with a dirt bike back ground and a decent technical ability, so am thinking the 29 for something bigger to swing around on.

Will the 29 be too much bike for Aus trails? (im in Tassie.)

Cheers.
I'm in Tas.
I'm 191cms / 95kgs.
I recently switched up to a 29er Enduro bike.
I friggin love it.
Big wheels feel great to me.

I haven't ridden one, but I do know the Mega has very long chain stays. When combined with 29er wheels you would expect huge traction and stability... but at the cost of agility and play.
This is great if that's what you need /want.

But maybe the 27.5 wheels are a good way to offset the huge chain stays when the trails are not ultra demanding?

Sent from my LG-H870DS using Tapatalk
 

nexusfish

El Mariachi
I got back into riding after taking a few years break and started training properly on my 2010 Giant anthem 26er. I snapped it and used the warranty replacement to get a 29er and was instantly 1:30 faster on a 25min loop i had dialed down so much i could do 4 laps within a 10 second difference. I found the 29er so much more roomy and allowed me to use my body movement more in corners. I rekon the long chainstays are going to be a really good thing for me as I like usung a bit of muscle moving the bike. Aslo, some of the enduro tracks are nice and chundery, so i rekon a stable beast would be great.
 

nexusfish

El Mariachi
I think they are 450, but people get all hung up on numbers for no other reason than they like to sound all knowledgeable. The majority reviews are its a great bike aside from super tight switchbacks, and who goes out looking for those anyway?
 

Spike-X

Grumpy Old Sarah
Super tight switchbacks are a prick to ride on any bike, so I wouldn't make that a deal-breaker.
 

discofrank

Likes Dirt
find a bike you like, ride it have fun! as long as it puts a smile on your dial is that all that matters,

few guys i know in perth ride 26 and happy as a pig in shit!

just ride.
 

Kerplunk

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I think they are 450, but people get all hung up on numbers for no other reason than they like to sound all knowledgeable. The majority reviews are its a great bike aside from super tight switchbacks, and who goes out looking for those anyway?
I have a 29er with 445mm chain stays, it’s super stable in both directions. Very confidence inspiring to get in air as well. Yes it’s harder to bunny hop than a bike with 430mm stays but you get used to it and forget about it..
Ain’t the bikes with the nu school geo all going back to longer stays these days?
 
  • Like
Reactions: SDA

The Reverend

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Mine has 445mm standard and I extended them to 455mm. Feels superb as it's an XL bike.

And it gets up down and around switchbacks with no problem.

I avoid short chainstays bikes on purpose due to the lack of balance they exhibit in my experience. What you're looking at sounds good, enjoy it!
 

SDA

Likes Dirt
This video inspires me to choose longer chainstays (and geo) for my next bike...

Go the 290
 

born-again-biker

Is looking for a 16" bar
I looked at the Geo a little differently when I chose the Process 153.
To me, the super short chainstays were a nice way to offset the big wheels and keep the overall feel closer to a trail bike.
By that I mean, I knew I wouldn't be bombing down EWS tracks every time I went for a ride (only sometimes) but couldn't afford more than one bike.

For me, a 29er wheel with a long chain stay was like putting all the eggs in one basket.
No doubt it's super fast, super stable, prolly better in most situations, but I have enough trouble manualling/bunny hopping/cuttying before I went to the big wheels... so for me the short CS were a logical 'offset' against a bike that was always going to be less agile than my previous 27.5 trail bike.

Does the bike feel unbalanced with different front/rear centers?
Fuck no. Heaps of front tyre traction. It's still an XL sized Enduro 29er that is better than I'll ever be. And I can pick the front wheel up (a bit) and try to hold a manual sometimes.

My earlier comments to OP re CS were not tribal opinion about the latest 'trends'. The Mega is an awesome bike.
But it's a fact the Mega's CS are at the longer end of the category (or were? )... and I thought the OP might want to know in case he /she was looking for something less focused or wanted to go with the smaller wheel size.
And of course, one measurement does not maketh the whole bike either.

Sent from my LG-H870DS using Tapatalk
 

Soul-Rider

Likes Dirt
I’m on a specialized stumpy evo with the small wheels. I think that the small wheels help add a little pop and play to such a long/slack bike. I’ll admit that I’m keen to try some big wheels on it. There’s plenty of clearance at the back and the bottom bracket sits lower then a lizards ball sack. If I find anyone brave enough to loan me a pair i’ll tell you how it goes!
 
Top