FIRST RIDE REPORT
THE NEW NUKEPROOF MEGAWATT CARBON
SRAM EAGLE POWERTRAIN EQUIPPED
Images by: Mountain Bike Connection Summer 23 – Roo Fowler
As the partner brand SRAM called upon to help develop the new Eagle Powertrain eMTB System, Nukeproof built a whole new eBike chassis in the form of their brand new Megawatt Carbon to integrate and harness its performance as best as possible. We managed to log a vert-filled day on Nukeproof’s race-ready e-Enduro machine in the Italian Dolomites at the Bike Connection Agency Summer ‘23 event, and within just 30 seconds of dropping into the first descent, we knew Nukeproof had crafted something pretty awesome.
Keep reading to learn all the details of the Nukeproof Megawatt Carbon in the press release, following our First Ride Impressions.
FIRST RIDE IMPRESSIONS
We’ll focus primarily on the performance of the Nukeproof built around the new SRAM Eagle Powertrain eMTB system in this article – take a peek at our First Ride on the drive system here if you’d like to dig further into the “E” side of things. To quickly sum that side up, the SRAM drive unit is very similar in performance to the Brose unit you’ll find on full-power Specialized eMTB’s, which stacks up very solidly in the market. The Auto Shift and Coast Shift tech that SRAM’s Eagle AXS Transmission brings into the picture makes for a very sleek user experience overall, though we did find some shortcomings in the ability of the system to predict extreme changes in gradient of the trail – this can be overcome easily by manually overriding the gear selection, though. Everything runs remarkably quiet, aside from the noise of the motor when working hard, leading to a smooth and dialed sensation on the descents.
This smooth and dialed feeling is helped by the tight and rattle-free drive system, but is also undoubtedly due to well considered cable management and the harmony of Nukeproof’s rear suspension with the RockShox Vivid and Zeb suspension package. At risk of sounding like a cliche jukebox, the result is an extremely supple off-the-top suspension feel with an impressive ability to stay composed and glued to the ground. The Megawatt Carbon retains the ability to pop and pump with minimal effort though, and packs enough end-of-stroke support to remain comfortable on harsh landings. Frame stiffness feels like a good balance – sufficient to avoid any vague sensations, but compliant enough to generate traction.
Geometry has been tweaked a little compared with the Megawatt Alloy, getting half a degree slacker out front, 5mm longer out back and 3mm higher in the bottom bracket. Tiny differences, but all combining to give a fraction more stability and improved ground clearance thanks to the 5mm shorter crank spec. The climbing position remains nearly identical, with slightly more bike out behind you aiding in keeping the front wheel planted on steep pitches. I didn’t manage to get much technical climbing done in my single ride on the Nukeproof, so can’t comment on its tight terrain maneuverability, but I get the impression it’ll do a satisfactory job of technical uphills at the very least.
Overall, I thought the old Megawatt Alloy was a solid bike, but lacked a bit of je ne se quoi. The Megawatt Carbon offered up plenty of “quoi” immediately, feeling sharper and simply begging me to let off the brakes and attack. With the initial baseline setup giving these sensations, I’m extremely excited to welcome the Megawatt Carbon into my stable for a long term review. It’s giving me the same excitement that the Orbea Wild did when I got to preview it last year, and that bike ended up taking top honors in our eMTB Shootout…Stay tuned for a long-term review coming to the site soon, and in the meantime keep on scrolling to learn all about the Megawatt Carbon below.
PRESS RELEASE
THE MEGAWATT CARBON
BORN FROM A SHARED HERITAGE OF PERFORMANCE
The Nukeproof Megawatt Carbon is the newest addition to Nukeproof’s race ready line of e-enduro bikes. Developed in tandem with the cutting-edge SRAM Eagle Powertrain, it’s a bike we couldn’t be more proud of — the latest and greatest in eMTB technology wrapped in a carbon frame designed to wallop the nastiest trails on the planet.
Over the course of two years, the alloy version of the Nukeproof Megawatt was used as the test bed for SRAM’s first-of-its-kind Eagle Powertrain — a integrated eMTB ecosystem the meshes SRAM AXS components, the drive unit, and software into one cohesive package. The Nukeproof engineering team had a front-row seat to the development of the Powertrain, giving us unique access to the budding forefront of e-bike tech. Our role as a development partner gave our engineers access to the SRAM system and allowed us to give feedback as it was developed. In turn, we got feedback on the Megawatt test bike SRAM and their athletes were using. The Megawatt Carbon is the product of this partnership; a new version of our race-ready e-enduro bike built from carbon and designed specifically to make the most of SRAM’s new system.
Settled and stable yet playful and agile, the Megawatt has earned a reputation for surefootedness in terrain where most bikes fight for traction. We didn’t want to lose those qualities, so the rear linkage and suspension kinematic has only been slightly tweaked from the alloy model to get the best from the suspension. Based on rider feedback, we’ve added new features such as storage under the motor cover for trailside essentials and improved internal cable routing, among other things.
The result is a carbon e-enduro machine that handles like a bandit and is purpose-built for the new SRAM Eagle Powertrain.
Welcome to the Megawatt Carbon, proudly designed and engineered in Northern Ireland.
TESTING AND DEVELOPMENT
At Nukeproof, we’ve long believed the best way to develop our bikes is to put them to the test at the highest level. The new Megawatt Carbon was no different.
SRAM’s Megawatt test bike was raced and developed through the 2022 E-Enduro World Series with the Nukeproof-SRAM Factory Racing team. It also earned a victory at the 2022 EWS-E100 in Tweed Valley under Nukeproof head-honcho Michael Cowan. Yannick Pontal from SRAM’s BlackBox Test Pilot Program also took the overall 2022 E-Enduro World Series title using SRAM Powertrain.
From the rain-soaked mountains of Northern Ireland to the scorching heat of a Slovenian summer, the Megawatt Carbon has withstood thousands of miles of testing in less than ideal conditions — all to ensure performance and reliability.
CONCEPT AND DESIGN
As with all Nukeproof projects, the Megawatt Carbon started life on the pages of a sketch pad. Based around the Mega’s key linkage points, geometry, and design cues, it stays true to what we love about the Mega but incorporates lots of clever new features.
An example of this is the Megawatt Carbon’s easily removable battery, a must-have feature for big days where battery swaps are essential. Instead of using a battery door in the downtube, which can add weight and compromise strength, we tilted the motor so the 720Wh battery can slide out through the bottom of the downtube. This protects the battery in a weathertight compartment while making it easily accessible for maintenance, swapping, and transport.
We’re a little biased, but we also think the new frame design is quite easy on the eyes.
MODELS
MEGAWATT CARBON RS
COLOR: Whiterocks
PRICING: £9,999.99 / €11,999.99 / $10,899.00
WEIGHT: 24kg / 52.9lbs
FRAME: Megawatt Carbon
FORK: Rockshox Zeb Ultimate 170mm
SHOCK: Rockshox Vivid Ultimate
DRIVETRAIN: SRAM XO Transmission
CRANKS: SRAM XO 160mm
BRAKES: SRAM Code RSC
WHEELS: Nukeproof Horizon Pro
TIRES: Continental Kryptotal Downhill | Front: Supersoft / Rear: Soft
SEATPOST: Rockshox Reverb AXS
SADDLE: Nukeproof Horizon Enduro
HANDLEBARS: Nukeproof Horizon V2 Carbon
STEM: Nukeproof Horizon 45mm
GRIPS: Nukeproof Sam Hill Signature
MEGAWATT CARBON PRO
COLOR: Deep Purple
PRICING: £8,799.99 / €10,499.99 / $9,899.00
WEIGHT: 24.3kg / 53.5lbs
FRAME: Megawatt Carbon
FORK: Rockshox Zeb Select+ 170mm
SHOCK: Rockshox Vivid Select+
DRIVETRAIN: SRAM GX Transmission
CRANKS: SRAM GX 160mm
BRAKES: SRAM G2 RE
WHEELS: Nukeproof Horizon V2
TIRES: Continental Kryptotal Downhill | Front: Supersoft / Rear: Soft
SEATPOST: Rockshox Reverb AXS
SADDLE: Nukeproof Horizon Enduro
HANDLEBARS: Nukeproof Horizon V2 Carbon
STEM: Nukeproof Horizon 45mm
GRIPS: Nukeproof Sam Hill Signature
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