NUKEPROOF MEGA 290 ALLOY PRO £3,699.99
Frame 6061 aluminium alloy, 160mm travel Sizes S, M*, L, XL, XXL Fork RockShox Lyrik Select+, 170mm travel Shock RockShox Super Deluxe Select+ Drivetrain SRAM GX Eagle (1x12) Wheels Nukeproof Neutron V2 Tyres Michelin Wild Enduro Gum-X TS TLR 29x2.4in Brakes SRAM Guide RE, 203mm/ 200mm rotors Bar/stem
Nukeproof Horizon V2, 780mm/ Nukeproof Neuron, 45mm Seatpost/saddle
Brand-X Ascend, 150mm/Nukeproof Horizon Enduro Weight 15.19kg www.hotlines-uk. com
ON ROUGHER, HIGH-SPEED, BIKE-PARK-STYLE TRAILS THE WHYTE EDGES ITS WAY INTO THE LEAD, GIVING YOU MORE COMPOSURE AND CONTROL
Mega. While each of these models can fit a water bottle inside its front triangle, the Trek is the only one to offer internal storage in its down tube, which is both handy and impressive, because there aren’t many brands who can boast that in an aluminium frame.
INVEST WISELY
All three brands spec SRAM GX Eagle drivetrains, although the Slash uses the slightly cheaper 6K crankset while the other two get Descendant 7K cranks. Both the Whyte and the Trek come with SRAM Code R brakes (the former getting a power boost with a 220mm front and 200mm rear rotor), while the Mega has cheaper Guide REs, which still work well. Trek and Nukeproof spec 200/180mm discs. Look to the pricier components and it’s a similar story.
Although all three share a RockShox Super Deluxe rear shock, the G-180 and Mega use the more basic Select+ model. The Trek, however, is fitted with the Ultimate version, which, as well as getting their proprietary
Thru Shaft tech, offers three positions of low-speed compression adjustment – something that the Select+ doesn’t, and it does make a subtle difference on the trail. Up front, it’s great to see one of our favourite forks, the RockShox Lyrik, on both the Nukeproof and the Trek. The 170mm-travel, Select+ version specced here uses the superb Charger 2.1 RC damper, which provides masses of comfort and ample support when you need it most. It’s also easy to tune and adjust. Somehow, though, despite the G-180 costing only £50 more than the Trek, Whyte go one better – it’s the only bike in this whole test to be equipped with a RockShox ZEB Select+ fork, which uses the same Charger 2.1 RC damper, but housed in a burlier chassis, with 38mm rather than 35mm stanchions.
Of course, we can’t forget the tyres. The Nukeproof’s Michelin Wild Enduros may not be the widest, but they’re a solid bet, especially in damp conditions. Whyte’s choice of a Maxxis Assegai up front and a Minion DHR II at the rear is impossible to fault. They work on almost any surface, wet or dry, and offer consistent, predictable grip. It’s a real plus that they’ve specced a tougher EXO+ casing up front and an even tougher DoubleDown casing at the rear. The Trek’s tyres are its weakest point. While the Bontrager XR5 and XR4 handled some seriously reckless riding through some hideous rock sections during testing, they lack the bite of the Michelin and Maxxis alternatives when banked over in muddy turns. The rear XR4 also doesn’t feel as steadfast under braking on steep, technical trails. They roll fast and are really well-suited to hardpack bike park surfaces, but we wouldn’t say they’re the best all-rounders.
RISING TO THE TOP
When it comes to getting to the head of the trails, all three bikes are comfortable climbers, with little in the way of
suspension bob when seated. When the gradient started to steepen, we found ourselves reaching for the shock levers on both the Mega and G-180, just to ensure they stayed propped up a little more in their travel. The Trek, however, feels the easiest-going on the climbs, partly thanks to its incredibly stable suspension, but also down to the Bontrager tyres rolling so well. While its effective seat angle may not be as steep as the Mega’s, the extra room that the lengthier effective top tube (610mm) on the Slash provides is appreciated.
DOWNHILL FAST
Heading back down the hill, the Trek again feels the nimbler of the three and is easier to throw about when tackling natural, technical terrain. It took a little bit of tinkering with the rebound speed and the low-speed compression adjustment on the Super Deluxe Ultimate shock (we settled on the ‘+’ position in the end) to find the support we were after. But once we’d got this dialled, we could load the bike through turns and up take-offs without any muting of its impressively hyperactive ground-tracking capability, which helps to keep the rear wheel searching out every morsel of traction.
The Mega feels confident from the get-go but can’t quite match the Trek when it comes to liveliness. Its surefooted feel boosts confidence, though, and it skips across roots or boulder fields with masses of composure. Not surprisingly, so does the G-180. Its steadfast, rock-solid character urges you to get off the brakes and ride steeper and faster lines as if you were piloting a downhill bike. The Whyte delivers loads of grip in the process, at the same time offering a bit more pop than the Mega. This means that, despite its extra travel, it’s a little easier to loft the G-180 over gaps or skip it from line to line. The Trek may not feel quite as steadfast in these particular conditions – which is partly down to the tyres – but it’s still right up there with the Whyte.
It’s when you unleash this trio onto rougher, highspeed, bike-park-style trails that one contender edges its way into the lead. Plough head-on into the most hectic,
rockiest of trails and all three bikes do a good job of calming things down. While the Mega is amply capable, the G-180’s active suspension – which rides a little higher in its travel – makes carrying speed that bit easier. The Nukeproof’s support through its mid stroke is far better than its predecessor’s, but the Whyte’s is better still. This, combined with the sturdy ZEB fork up front, makes for a formidable combination when the terrain gets really rowdy, giving you more composure and control.
When it comes to carrying speed, though, neither the Whyte nor the Nukeproof can touch the Trek. The Slash’s super-supple suspension recovers so rapidly, hit after hit, that it tracks the trail with pinpoint accuracy, without ever sinking too low into its travel or sacrificing any of that liveliness or pop. There’s enough support that you can really feel a difference in speed as you pump every bump or undulation, and getting back up to pace after tackling a slower section or awkward obstacle feels effortless. It’s easy to hold onto that speed too, even when faced with really rough or rocky ground.
Here, the calm that the Slash exudes is simply incredible. While the wheels bash frantically through obstacle after obstacle beneath you, there’s little movement through the chassis. This adds an air of composure that not even the big-travel Whyte can match in many situations, and gives you the illusion that you have that little bit longer to make those split-second decisions. Yes, better tyres would elevate the Slash’s performance even further, and we’d love to try it with an even burlier fork, such as a RockShox ZEB or Fox 38, but its overall performance and ability to finesse its way through the nastiest of terrain give the Trek the advantage here.
THE CALM THE SLASH EXUDES IS SIMPLY INCREDIBLE. WHILE THE WHEELS BASH THROUGH OBSTACLES, THERE’S LITTLE MOVEMENT THROUGH THE CHASSIS