Nukeproof Bikes was born Nuke Proof Industries in Grand Rapids, Michigan during the 1990’s heyday of North American mountain biking.

Founder John Muenzenmeyer created the brand with the mission of making desirable, innovative and reliable solutions to meet the demands of the burgeoning 90’s mountain bike market. Nuke Proof Industries quickly gained a reputation as a pioneer in exotic design through its use of materials not often seen in the early days of the sport. In the 90’s, none in the line was more iconic than our carbon and aluminum hubs — a component ahead of its time in its use of carbon fiber well before the material grew to dominate the cycling world.

Nuke Proof Industries went on to produce titanium frames, carbon fiber handlebars and other innovative components, represented at races by athletes such as James Bethea, a local courier with an appetite for winning with a unique attitude to boot .

After the American bicycle boom of the 90’s, a dramatic decline in the market made the future murky for Nuke Proof Industries. In 2004, Northern Irish downhill racer and long-term admirer, Michael Cowan, saw a chance to save the brand. He set about acquiring the trademarks with the aim of re-invigorating the iconic company. A leading and influential mountain bike racer himself, Michael put in place a product development team of experienced and passionate riders.

With a (slightly) new name and renewed vigor behind the brand, Nukeproof relaunched in 2007 with a line of titanium suspension springs. These were shortly followed by more gravity-focused products, including a set of 760mm and 800mm handlebars — bar widths seldom seen in that era.

Hot on the heels of the development of those components was the conception of a new Nukeproof frame, conceived with racing in mind. The goal was to design a longer, slacker and more capable bike specifically for the famous MEGAVALANCHE race in France, a historic mass start enduro race that drops roughly 8,500 feet down the side of Mont Blanc.

Thus came the Mega, an aptly named bike three years in the making that to this day remains a mainstay in the Nukeproof lineup.

Simultaneously, former World Cup downhill racer Nigel Page was assembling the Chain Reaction Cycles-Intense team to compete in the UCI Downhill World Cup. Nigel chose to work with Nukeproof to develop components to meet the team's exacting standards, enabling them to test and showcase our components at the highest level of the sport.

At the 2010 Interbike show in Las Vegas, Michael and Nigel decided the time was right for Nukeproof to design and race its own bike, paving the way for the development of the brand’s first downhill frame — the Scalp.

Today, with UCI Downhill World Cup and Enduro World Series victories behind them, our race teams are integral to the development and testing of all new components and bikes. The Nukeproof roster of professional athletes includes Sam Hill, an iconic gravity racer and three-time downhill world champion and three-time Enduro World Series champion. Sam, along with his long-term mechanic, has developed a signature series of Nukeproof components designed specifically to meet his needs.

In 2022, Nukeproof announced its plans to bring the brand back to the United States in a big way. With a new base of operations, warehouse and support team in Utah, Nukeproof has come full circle and returned to where it all began.

Designed and developed in Belfast, Northern Ireland, with input from riders and team members from across the globe, Nukeproof products are sold in the US through independent brick-and-mortar retailers and online at the Nukeproof website. The brand continues to evolve while retaining its proud race-proven history and tradition of being crafted by riders.

Nukeproof: It's an attitude