Bike Check: ENDURO Mag’s Stuart Wilcox on his Nukeproof Mega 290
As we speak, high up in the Italian mountains the first Trans-Rezia All Mountain multi-day Enduro is well underway, and ENDURO magazine has a racer, Stuart Wilcox, in the mix collecting some very interesting power data. Stuart Wilcox is no stranger to the pointy end of racing after solid seasons with Cube and Radon where he collected top 30 EWS finishes and a top ten stage time. Now a member of our bike test team and representing on the international racing circuit we thought it was best to check out his Nukeproof Mega 290 race bike.
Nukeproof Mega 290 PRO setup
Stuart has made some alterations to his stock Nukeproof Mega 290 PRO, which has been thoroughly tested in the European EWS rounds and through a tough Scottish racing season. “The bike is really impressive on fast, rough and especially rocky trails. Due to being fairly long (reach and especially wheelbase) it needs to be ridden really aggressively, but it’s great when the terrain is right. It’s not the most playful bike, but as a hard charger in gnarly terrain, it’s pretty epic! It feels pretty bomb proof, and there’s not much I’d change geometry wise – it has a good Head Angle and Seat Tube angle”
Wheels: After suffering bearing issues with the stock SRAM wheels, Stuart has upgraded the wheels to Stans ZTR BRAVO carbon wheels, offering a faster acceleration and improved handling. Stuart has been full of praise for the wheelset and the increased vertical compliance has resulted in a noticeable increase in control without sacrificing lateral stiffness. The BRAVO wheels are shod with a Maxxis DHF 2.5 3C Maxx Terra front tyre and Maxxis Minion SS rear, though Stuart mentions that he would run something more aggressive on the rear for Alpine racing. He runs 23 Psi in the front and 27 Psi in the rear, adjusting a little either way depending on wet/dry or bike park/natural trails.
Brakes and suspension: In pursuit of maximum stopping power, Stuart has used a technique made popular by Jared Graves, using the lightweight and ergonomic Shimano XTR Lever and combining it with Shimano Saint callipers. This gives serious power and great modulation.
We will be releasing a full story on the power demands of top level enduro racing very soon, but in the meantime keep an eye on ENDURO for more information on Stuart’s progress in the Trans-Rezia.
