#97 KELAN GRANT’S NUKEPROOF DISSENT 290
The new downhill rig that’s four bikes in one
When Nukeproof set out to make a new downhill bike, they didn’t want to merely update their existing model, the Pulse, but instead make something completely new. And while the Dissent’s silhouette may look familiar, it’s actually quite a different beast. With the likes of Adam Brayton, Sam Hill and the whole Chain Reaction Cycles Mavic team as test pilots, they had a talented pool of riders waiting in the wings, ready to put the bike through its paces. While the CRC Mavic team are predominately enduro riders, they do dip their toes into other disciplines too. Take this year’s Fort William World Cup, for example, where Elliott Heap did battle in the 4X Pro Tour and Irish ripper Kelan Grant threw his gloves into the downhill ring, giving us a great chance to see the new Dissent up close.
Flip it good A unique feature of this bike is that you can change the leverage curve of the frame (how progressive the suspension is) – by flipping a chip in the main pivot (1). Ingeniously, the geometry and travel remain the same, and as it only changes the sag by around one per cent for each setting, you shouldn’t need to alter the spring rate. This should allow all riders to find a set-up that works for them. As Nukeproof engineer Dale McMullan puts it: “We haven’t had to make custom links for our factory riders, to try and suit their preferences – this is like a factory detail, but it’s available for everyone.”
Initially, this was just a concept feature, added to help Nukeproof’s engineers find the ultimate leverage curve. Dale explains: “If you look at Specialized or Santa Cruz, they’re so far apart, nobody can agree what’s right, so we thought, ‘let’s test them all’. Well, there’s no right answer. Sam Hill and Kelan Grant preferred setting one – the flattest rate – whereas some of the other riders opted for the suppler feel of three and four.” But the riders liked it so much, Nukeproof decided to keep it – “Once we’d given them the choice of changing on the fly, we couldn’t take it back.”
The Dissent comes with two flip-chips, offering a total of four positions. Position one gives 17 per cent progression, position two provides 21 per cent, with positions three and four giving 26 and 30 per cent, respectively. Kelan was running his bike in setting one, which offers the most mid-stroke support, because he wanted something to push against to help him pump the bike and to keep it sat up in its travel when hitting the big holes of Fort Bill. This setting also has a firmer start to the stroke, which helps the bike skip over the repeated bumps on the rough track. Coincidentally, this is the setting that Sam Hill won last year’s Crankworx Garbanzo Downhill on. Adam Brayton prefers to run his Dissent in setting three.
There’s further adjustment in the form of three different chainstay length settings, from 445mm to 455mm (2). Kelan was running the longest setting, for “ultimate stability” on the fast track. His Dissent is the 290 version, running 29in wheels with 190mm of rear wheel travel. There’ll also be a 270 version, with 650b wheels and 200mm of travel.
Factory or stock?
The only prototype parts on Kelan’s bike are the tyres – Michelin DH 22s, which aren’t available to buy yet – and the Mavic Deemax DH wheels with yellow team graphics (3). (Production bikes will get hoops in more subtle colours.) Otherwise, it’s kitted out with standard Nukeproof parts. Kelan runs the smaller Horizon CS pedals with titanium axles, rather than the downhill-specific Horizon CLs, and uses an 800mm-wide, 12mm-rise Horizon bar to help keep the front end low. A seven-speed SRAM X0 DH drivetrain keeps him pedalling (4), and the brand also supply his Code RSC brakes and RockShox suspension.
While we love bespoke bikes that lie firmly at the cutting edge of design, it’s always refreshing to see factory riders thrashing rides that us mere mortals could actually buy – even if how well they ride them does make us feel a little inadequate!
INFO
Price £1,999.99 (frame only, available in November; complete bikes TBC)
Contact www.nukeproof.com
Also consider Orange 329, £2,500 (frame), www.orangebikes.co.uk