Nukeproof Giga 290 Carbon Factory (Sram)

THE NUKEPROOF GIGA CARBON 290 FACTORY: GO FAST OR GO HOME

The Nukeproof Giga Carbon Factory came to be because we wanted a bike with more travel, more capability and more shredability — something that could still comfortably pedal uphill but would descend like an absolute hooligan.

Thus came the Giga Carbon Factory, a long-travel weapon that’s part Dissent downhill bike and part Mega enduro bike. Offered in both the standard 290 and 297 mixed-wheel options, the Giga features ultra-tunable geometry and top-notch component package.

Fast enough to land on podiums in the Enduro World Series and playful enough for the bike park, the Giga is the ultimate bike for riders hungry for more. To us at Nukeproof, it’s our “parkduro” bike — our choice for days where the downhill bike feels a little big and the enduro bike a little small.

The Factory spec of the Nukeproof Giga is a high-end build featuring the new SRAM XO/GX Eagle AXS Transmission and the top-tier Fox 38 Float Factory Series fork and Fox Float X2 Factory Series shock. Rounding out the parts kit are Hayes Dominion A4 4-piston brakes and the full suite of Nukeproof Horizon cockpit components. It’s a build for the rider looking for a zero-compromise bike that performs at the highest level.

DOWNHILL-INSPIRED GEOMETRY

Developed alongside the most recent generation of the Nukeproof Mega enduro bike, the Giga came from the desire to have a bike as versatile as the Mega but capable of shredding just as hard as our downhill bike.

We started with the test mule for the Dissent downhill bike — which was in development at the time — and modified it to work as a long-travel enduro bike. The result was mind blowing; not only did the prototype come alive at warp speed in the rowdiest descents, but it also climbed well and felt maneuverable in tight terrain.

It was so good; our test riders didn’t want to give the prototype frame back.

The suspension is based on the same horseshoe-driven linkage used in our Dissent downhill bike, except with the addition of a two-stage main pivot flip chip. It’s designed to be supple off the top, supportive in the mid-stroke and progressive through the rest of the travel. This means the top-end of the travel has supple small bump compliance and solid mid-stroke support for better cornering and pumping.

Riders can tune the geometry to their liking through that main pivot flip chip and through an eccentric axle system that adjusts shock progressivity.

• Setting 1 = 25.5% progression
• Setting 2 = 29% progression

Both settings have a super supple beginning for small bump compliance. They also both have good mid-stroke support for better cornering and pumping. Like the Dissent, the progression drops off in the end stroke to prevent mid-stroke harshness or spiking and allows more tuning options with volume spacers.

The geometry of the full-carbon UD 700/800 frame is based on our saddle offset principle, which adjusts seat tube angle across the size range to ensure the seated riding position is perfect, no matter the rider’s height. It’s a long, low and slack frame designed to feel like a big bike on the downhill with the pedal-able versatility of a modern enduro rig.

It also features a downtube carved out to fit a full-size water bottle inside the front triangle, an accessory mount hidden under the top tube, and it comes with a stock-installed frame protection kit.

It’s a bike built for the biggest lines — equally at home on technical big mountain enduro stages as it is lapping the wildest lines at the Whistler bike park.

THE NUKEPROOF GIGA CARBON 290 FACTORY COMPONENT DETAILS

• Fox 38 Float Factory Series fork & Float X2 Factory Series shock
• SRAM XO/GX Eagle AXS T-Type 12-speed drivetrain
• Hayes Dominion A4 4-piston brakes
• DT Swiss EX1700 SPLINE 30 tubeless wheels
• Maxxis Assegai and Minion DHR II tires