Pro Bike Check: Sam Hill's Nukeproof Mega 27.5

Sam Hill needs no introduction, he has been at the top of the DH circuit forever and is now smashing through the EWS top dogs! He has the cornering skills of a cat running on velcro, and when it comes to handling, he’s still the rider by which all other are judged. His Nukeproof Mega 27.5 is no less spectacular, featuring what must be the coolest paint job on the circuit. We caught him at Finale to take a look.

Sam Hill's iconic 12.9 kg Grave Digger inspired Nukeproof Mega 27.5 has been setting the EWS on fire. let’s check it out. — Sam Hill’s iconic 12.9 kg Grave Digger inspired Nukeproof Mega 27.5 has been setting the EWS on fire. let’s check it out.

Before we go any further we need to talk about that paint job, spitting green flames and lairy colours it’s pretty bad-ass. The Nukeproof is a bit of a monster, and as such it’s no surprise that the inspiration behind the bike was the world famous monster truck ‘Grave Digger’ that got us all crowding round our TV’s in the 1980s. Sam Hill’s eldest son Bam loves the famous monster truck, so the decision to recreate the iconic paint job on his bike was easy. The owner of Grave Digger, Dennis Anderson once famously stated about his truck “I’ll take this old junk and dig you a grave with it”, and while we would certainly not call his Nukeproof Mega junk, Sam Hill is certainly digging EWS graves. Let’s take a closer look at his ride.

Sam is running a custom tuned RockShox Monarch Plus RC3 with a High Volume air can, Sam favours 170 psi in the shock. The RockShox Lyrik fork runs at a firm 95 psi.

The cockpit is a Nukeproof Carbon Warhead bar and Warhead 50 mm stem, complete with Nukeproof Sam Hill signature grips (that must be a cool feeling).

Certainly a talking point, and showing Sam’s moto roots; he loves running the AVS Racing hand guards. Allowing him to go full gas without risk of the foliage pulling a lever.

When it comes to tires, Sam runs a Mavic Charge PRO XL 2.4 on the front and back, inflated to 23 psi and 28 psi respectively. He choses the burly Mavic Deemax Pro rims for maximum cornering aggression.

As a downhill racer, Sam knows how important powerful brakes are, so has combined SRAM’s Guide Ultimate lever with their more powerful Code calipers.

Long Live Chainsaw, amen to that! We are not sure why Sam has removed the pedals, probably to kill another Flat Vs Clips argument.

The SRAM XO1 Eagle drivetrain adds some more bling and range to the build, with a 32T chainring and big 10-50 tooth cassette.

An MRP AMg/G4 top guide and taco stop chain droppages, and also help with rock strikes, especially on the technical Finale Ligure trails.

A 150 mm Reverb Stealth Dropper keeps Sam in the right position and combined with the Nukeproof Mega’s low standover ensures the bike is easy to chuck around.

A Nukeproof Vector AM saddle finishes of the build.

We look forward to seeing Sam take on a full season next year, will he be able to take the overall EWS title?

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Words & Photos: Manne Schmitt