NUKEPROOF SCOUT 290 REVIEW

THE DIRT

To showcase the new Scout hardtail, Nukeproof put on a glamorous event in the south of Wales for a small selection of UK journalists. We were provided with a frame in the size of our choosing, a workstand and a selection of parts from various brands to turn the bare frame into a dialed custom bike to ride on the trails the following day. The intimate process of building the bike from the bare frame would offer the chance to experience the finish quality and fine details up close and personal.

Discussion with Nukeproof prior to the event led to me receiving a 290 frame in size large. Though I’d typically be an XL on a sizing chart, I wanted to retain a bit of the playful nature that every good aggressive hardtail should have in my mind, so the 25mm shorter wheelbase was desirable. With its 470mm reach falling at the lower extremity of what I’d typically consider comfortable, I was excited to get the bike built and hit the trails.

My build was to be supplied primarily by Nukeproof and the Hayes group. Nukeproof provided a fresh set of their Horizon V2 Wheels and ARD Inserts, Horizon stem, saddle and Trail Ti clipless pedals, and Sam Hill alloy handlebar. The Hayes group supplied their Dominion A4 brakes, a Manitou Mezzer Expert fork, and an interesting Microshift Advent X 10spd drivetrain. Rounding out the build was a pair of Michelin Wild Enduro tires; a Race Face Aeffect R crank, and a Brand X Ascend XL dropper post. This reasonably priced but feature-packed spec tips the scales at 31.6lbs fully loaded. During the build day, I discussed with Nukeproof’s Marketing Manager, Rob Sherratt, about the fork travel that would likely be best for me. Designed for 140mm, but rated for up to 160mm, we agreed that my intended riding would likely warrant the longest of the allowable travels, so we left my fork at the 160mm setting it was delivered in. The build went relatively smoothly, and the build quality and finish seemed excellent up-close with everything threading together nicely.

Once we’d built up the bikes and sampled a beer or two, we hit the hay eager to wake up the next day and get out onto the trails. The morning started off well, with sunshine peering through some light cloud cover and everyone eager to get on a bike. We were to ride Wye MTB’s shuttle-assisted enduro loop, which covered a wide expanse of open terrain in the South Welsh countryside. As we made our way up the hill for the first shuttle, thick clouds began to close in, and raindrops started battering down on the roof of the van. Undeterred, we got out and climbed our way out of a forest onto the open moor atop the first hill. With one steep pitch on the climb and immeasurable energy to burn, I cranked up a rain rut hard and was met with a swift “snap” of the chain. After being that guy (don’t be that guy) and making everyone in the group wait out in the cold, I was back up and running and ready to give the Scout the shakedown it deserved.

Over the course of the first day testing, we rode a great variety of terrain – both up and down the hill – which proved to be a huge amount of fun. Even though the rain was getting progressively worse, drenching even the most waterproof of jackets and chilling everyone to the bone, the wild party trains slipping and sliding down some slick Welsh hillside was entertainment enough to keep everyone’s mind off it, and the Scout proved to be quite the tool to tackle the terrain. Although we weren’t too short of ride time over this day, it was more of a test of character than it was an opportunity to figure out the personality of the bike.

Following the event I took the Scout away to sample a wider variety of trails in (thankfully) drier weather, to get an actual appreciation of the handling with hands and feet that I could feel. After over a month of thrashing around the UK, my knees and ankles are ready to tell the tale. Nukeproof’s geometry concept for the Scout produces a natural feeling bike when coming off of full suspension rigs, with the slightly slack seat angle on paper actually translating to a nicely centered position out on the trail that limits the need to get out the saddle to weight the front wheel. The relatively compact wheelbase, especially when sagged, gives an agile response that allows for quick direction changes on the climb, making short work of uphill switchbacks without washing the front wheel when under power. The crank clearance with 170mm cranks fitted is okay when seated, but you have to be careful when pedaling tech standing up, as the increased front sag that will result can begin to leave your pedals in the danger zone. Unlike a full suspension where you can effectively raise the bottom bracket by weighting the front end heavily, the opposite is true and you are best to keep your weight back to a reasonable degree.

When it comes to descending on a hardtail, for me there’s always going to be a different riding approach compared with a fully suspended bike. Sure, you could grip on for dear life and ride the same lines at similar speeds as a full sus, but in doing so I feel like you miss out on the best parts of hardtail riding and simply subject your body (and bike) to extra punishment. The Scout certainly does a good job at tackling rowdy descents, with its serious “in the bike” feeling producing a surprisingly composed ride, and a hint of flex in the rear end to keep the wheel tracking nicely on the off cambers. But for me there’s only so many square edged shockwaves I can tolerate before the novelty wears off. Instead, a slower, smoother and more creative approach to riding the trail is what makes an aggressive hardtail really come alive for me. The direct connection to the rear wheel means you can be more precise and enjoy absolute predictability in the response of the rear end when you load it up for a hop or a pump through a compression. And this is where the low slung (even when 20mm over-forked) nature of the Scout can become a slight hindrance.

The low bb pushes the natural weight bias of the Scout towards the front wheel, which lets the rider hang further back with dipped heels and take the impacts more effectively. What also results from this weight bias though is a front end that is relatively heavy feeling, so manuals require a good pull to initiate and the low-speed maneuverability is reduced some. The low stack height contributed to this, so I tested the Scout with a higher 50mm rise bar towards the end of the test, which improved things slightly. There’s a lot of give and take with mountain bike geometry, and the capability of the Scout for rough and rugged natural mountain biking unfortunately detracts from the playfulness in its character. The 27.5” version may help in this respect, but I wouldn’t say either version of the Scout is going to be the ideal rig to use as a “play bike” as such. Of course a pure play bike is not the intended use case, it’s a do-it-all mountain bike, and it absolutely thrives on technical trails.

I’m not going to suggest my legs are well enough calibrated to feel the difference between the rear tire and frame flexing – I don’t spend enough time on a hardtail for that – but the Nukeproof felt to give a little more trail feedback than the steel framed Stif Squatch I reviewed last year. Both were running similar sized tires at the same pressure, though the Stif has a cushier Rimpact insert compared with the Nukeproof ARD, and a slightly thicker DH casing Maxxis tire instead of the lighter weight Michelin, which may have done enough to produce this comfort difference. What I’m trying to say is that the Nukeproof works no magic on straight-on, square edged impacts, and riders in rocky terrain are going to be well served by a tire insert. For off-axis impacts though, such as when charging through root and rock infested chutes, there’s a notable level of compliance that was present with both the Nukeproof wheelset and a stiffer carbon-rimmed wheelset. This gives a boost to the comfort and grip that’s much appreciated, especially when the trails are slick, though it’ll still bite you long before a full suspension equivalent.

Over the testing period, the Scout handled all the abuse without flinching, resisting stone chips and top tube rub well. The deep seatpost insertion was appreciated, with the 200mm dropper able to be slammed for the more playful times on the large frame tested. The tool mount on the underside of the top tube is an appreciated detail, too, but the narrow diameter of the tube meant that certain loads could protrude either side, leading to a few instances where I knocked my knees. The bike ran quietly, with the external cable routing not giving a single peep, and the chainstay protection keeping the chain noise to a minimum. The generous mud clearance around the 2.4” rubber ensured that there were no issues with blockage, even on day 1 when the mud was as thick as it could be at times. All in all, Nukeproof did a great job with the details on the new Scout.

To touch on the parts spec which features a few obscure items including the Microshift Advent X drivetrain (review coming soon), Manitou Mezzer , Brand X dropper and Hayes Dominion brakes, the result was a smooth running and trouble free bike throughout the test. The Microshift drivetrain provided impressively reliable shifting, though the larger jumps in ratio were noticed on some constant-speed climbs, where you could be stuck either side of the ideal gear ratio. The Manitou fork offered a supportive and controlled response, if not the most sensitive nor tuneable, with a chassis that was up for the challenge on the front of the bike. The Brand X dropper, with a retail of just $135, proved to be dependable throughout the test, however required notably more force to actuate than the best of them. The lever feel and reliability on the Hayes Dominion brakes still stacks up well in the field, though they don’t have the most absolute power out there. All of the Nukeproof componentry was dependable and went about the job quietly – the Sam Hill grips were a particular highlight, with incredible soft and tacky rubber that managed to retain a reasonable level of damping considering their thin diameter. This gave some great trail feel, though they wore quicker than anything I’ve used in quite some time – a price worth paying (literally) in my eyes.

The Wolf’s Last Word

As an aggressive hardtail for riding all mountains, the Nukeproof Scout 290 is a dialed rig that offers a nice blend of handling and a comfortable climbing position. Riders looking for the ultimate play bike may be better served by the Scout 275, or a less aggressive model by another brand. But as a general trail hardtail, there’s little to dislike with the updated Nukeproof for “Scoutin’ about”.

Price: £499,99 (Frame, seatclamp, headset, rear axle)
Weight: 31.6lbs
Website: Nukeproof.com

NUKEPROOF SCOUT 290 CUSTOM SPECS

CHASSIS
Frame: Alloy | Hardtail
Fork: Manitou Mezzer Expert | 160mm

COCKPIT
Brakes: Hayes Dominion A4, 200F/R D-Series rotors
Handlebar: Nukeproof Sam Hill 31.8mm| 800mm| 20mm Rise
Stem: Nukeproof Horizon 31.8mm | 50mm Length
Headset: Nukeproof IS44/IS56
Seatpost: Brand X Ascend XL 200mm
Saddle: Nukeproof Horizon Enduro

WHEELS
Wheelset: Nukeproof Horizon V2
Front tire: Michelin Wild Enduro Front Competition | Magi-X | 29″ x 2.4″
Rear tire: Michelin Wild Enduro Rear Competition | Gum-X | 29″ x 2.4″

DRIVETRAIN
Bottom Bracket: Raceface Threaded
Cassette: Microshift Advent X H Series | 10spd | 11-48t
Cranks: Raceface Aeffect R | 32T | 170mm
Shifter: Microshift Advent X Trail Trigger Pro | 10spd
Derailleur: Microshift Advent X | 10spd