Five years ago, who would’ve thought we’d see 180mm travel bikes in the “enduro” category? Advances in linkage design and carbon frame manufacturing have made pedal-able long-travel bikes a reality; the Nukeproof Giga wants to be the ultimate proof.
After missing the 2020 race season, we may see Sam Hill return to the tape aboard an entirely different Super Enduro beast…
Nukeproof Giga Super Enduro MTB
The important stuff
- Intention: Enduro
- Wheel Size: 27.5″, 29″
- Fork Travel: 180mm (275 & 290)
- Rear Wheel Travel: 180mm (275), 170mm (290)
- Frame Sizes: S-XXL
- Frame Material: Carbon
- Starting Price: £2499.99 (Frame and FOX Factory X2 shock)
I know what you’re thinking…. Nukeproof just spent a load of money updating the Mega. So, how on earth has the Giga come about, and where indeed does it fit? The answer lies in their downhill rig. Nukeproof say their team riders and engineers have always known that the Dissent horseshoe linkage was an impressive pedaling platform.
They wondered if the Dissent linkage could work for enduro. The test mule was born; a (heavy as) slimmed-down alloy version of the Dissent, dubbed the “Mulse”. Initial test rides had the team convinced they were onto something. So, work began to refine the bike to enduro standards… boost spacing, light carbon frame, room for a dropper seat post, etc.
The Giga is the result. Available in 275 and 290 models, the Nukeproof Giga is currently available only in carbon (but we reckon the alloy is well on its way).
The 275c runs a 180mm travel rear end while the 290c gets 170mm; the progressiveness of both is adjustable on-the-fly… more on that later. With that much muscle, certain riders out there may be looking at the Giga as a potential freeride option, matching the travel of the new Norco Shore. Let’s take a look at the angles.
Giga Geometry
Only 0.5° steeper than the Dissent, the Nukeproof Giga’s head angle sits at a very slack 63.5°. That’s paired with a steep 77.75° effective seat tube angle that further steepens to 78° in frame sizes L-XXL. On both the 290c and 275c models, the chainstay length remains consistent across the frame sizes; only the length of the front triangle changes.
Nukeproof Giga 290c Geometry
Chainstays on the Nukeproof Giga 290c come in at 445mm, while reach figures span a 430mm to 515mm range. The BB drops 25mm from the dropouts, bringing it to a height of 350mm. The 290c runs a 42mm offset fork.
Nukeproof Giga 275c Geometry
Chainstays on the Nukeproof Giga 275c come in at 435mm, while reach figures span a 435mm to 520mm range. The BB drops 10mm from the dropouts, bringing it to a height of 350mm. The 275c runs a 37mm offset fork.
Suspension Kinematics
Here’s where things get nerdy. Thanks to the placement of a lever-actuated mechanism on the main pivot the Nukeproof Giga can run one of two possible leverage curves at any one time. Riders can switch between the two (+ and -) in a matter of seconds while out on a ride. Here’s what the two settings mean:
- (-) Setting 1 = 25.5% progression (ORANGE LINE)
- (+) Setting 2 = 29% progression (BLUE LINE)
Nukeproof say both settings have a super supple beginning stroke for small bump compliance with good mid-stroke support for cornering and pumping. As we see on the the
Dissent, the progression drops off in the end-stroke to prevent any mid-stroke harshness and allowing for more tuning options with volume spacers.
The + Progressive setting is said to be suitable for adding progression for use with a coil shock, similar to adding a volume spacer to an air shock.
The Nukeproof engineers have optimised the Giga’s anti-squat values for the climbing gears, coming in at 100% for the “+” setting and 96% for the “-” setting. The kinematics were optimised around their shared belief that low anti-squat but good mid-stroke support is a winning combination for climbing traction.
To prevent anti-squat interfering with free movement of the suspension, it drops off in the smaller cogs to give good small bump compliance. In the “+” and “-” settings, the anti-squat values sit at 56% and 39%, respectively, for the cassette’s 10T cog.
Nukeproof Giga Frame Details
The Nukeproof Giga has a full UD carbon fiber T700/800 monocoque frame with boost 148mm x 12mm rear end spacing. The front triangle carbon layup is optimized for stiffness while the rear end is designed to offer a little more vertical compliance to help it track the ground smoothly. The downtube and driveside stays are protected by molded rubber.
An integrated rear fender keeps the sensitive pivot bearing areas protected from the worst while still allowing clearance for up to 2.6″ tires.
Each frame comes with an integrated water bottle holder that sits on the downtube portion inside the front triangle. Nukeproof reckon all frame sizes can accommodate up to a 750ml water bottle.
Cable routing is internal, fully guided with the use of tubes-in-tubes molded into the carbon frame. Other features that will make your mechanic happy include a threaded 73mm bottom bracket. Enduro Max bearings are featured throughout. All frames are to be shipped with clear paint protection kits to protect the paintwork.
Pricing & Availability
The Nukeproof Giga 290c and 275c are both available as frame and shock (FOX Factory X2) only, starting at £2499.99.
| Nukeproof Giga Model | GBP (£) | EUR (€) | USD ($) |
| Factory | 5499.99 | 6999.99 | 5499.99 |
| Elite | 4599.99 | 5799.99 | 4599.99 |
| Comp | 3699.99 | 4699.99 | 3699.99 |
| Frame | 2599.99 | 3299.99 | 2599.99 |
All models of the Nukeproof Giga get Michelin Wild Enduro rubber and Sam Hill signature grips. The drivetrain components, brakes, wheelsets, dropper posts and suspension are what set them apart.
The Giga Factory gets a FOX 38 Factory fork with GRIP2 damper (reviewed here), a FLOAT X2 Factory shock, Shimano XT 12-speed drivetrain and 4-pot brakes, and DT Swiss E1700 Spline 30 wheelset.
The Giga Elite is fitted with the Performance Elite series FOX 38 fork and X2 shock, Shimano SLX 12-speed drivetrain and 4-pot brakes, and DT Swiss E1900 Spline wheelset.
Finally, the entry-level Giga Comp model gets a very respectable parts list for the £3699.99 price tag. We see a RockShox ZEB fork with Charger R damper, a Super Deluxe Select R shock, Shimano Deore 12-speed drivetrain and Deore 4-pot brakes, and Sun-Ringle Duroc Comp wheelset.
