The Nukeproof Giga 290 Carbon Frame: Gluttony is not a sin

In the pursuit of the ultimate super enduro mountain bike, gluttony is a virtue.

A bike built for the riders who demand a bike that can go bigger, faster and longer, the Nukeproof Giga 290 was birthed from a gluttonous lust for more. We wanted 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 290, a super enduro weapon developed straight from our award-winning Dissent downhill bike — it’s the ultimate bike for riders always hungry for more.

This frame-only version of the Giga 290 Carbon comes with the same Fox Float X2 Factory Series rear shock as our Giga 290 Elite complete bike. The X2 Factory Series is a high-performance air shock that’s so popular it nearly needs no introduction. Designed to have a coil spring-like feel and an unmatched level of tunability, the X2 Factory Series is Kashima coated, has a two-position open/firm lever and loads of adjustability.

How it Rides

Developed alongside the modern version of the Nukeproof Mega enduro bike, the Giga 290 was birthed from the desire to have a bike as versatile as the Mega but capable of shredding just as hard as our downhill bike.

We took the test mule for the Dissent downhill bike, which was in development at the time, and modified it to work as a super enduro bike. The result was mind blowing — not only did the prototype come alive at warp speed in the rowdiest descents, it climbed well and felt flickable in tight terrain. Our test riders didn’t want to give the prototype frame back.

And behold, the Giga 290 was born.

The suspension is based on the same horseshoe-driven linkage used in our Dissent downhill bike, which is 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.

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 descent with the pedal-able versatility of a modern super enduro rig. There’s also an eccentric flip chip that alters shock progressivity to suit your style and the terrain.

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.