The Making Of A Modern Trail Bike

RockShox and SRAM’s killer suspension may be conceived on a computer screen but it’s born on the testing trails of Afan — we witness the labour pains of the new Nukeproof Mega.

- Mick Kirkman

Every autumn, British brands using RockShox suspension meet SRAM technicians at a lowkey tuning camp to perfect their latest machines. It’s the crucial final stage for every modern trail bike, and we got exclusive behind-the-curtain access to find out exactly what goes down.

Like most brands, Nukeproof works years in advance of its production line. Long before a bike hits the shops or the internet, a team of designers, engineers and product managers brainstorm the original concept. Everything from frame material and construction techniques, commercial potential, strength-to-weight ratios, geometry, suspension rates, specification and finish have to be considered; each informed by multiple influencing factors, and a bit of good old crystal ball gazing.

A bike’s specific remit is often defined in terms of suspension travel. For Nukeproof and its Mega, that means roughly 160/170mm travel (the industry consensus for an enduro bike) but any new bike faces ever-shifting constraints on top of this too. Things like manufacturing costs, new trends or design ideas, fresh technologies and standards, and even rider, or race team feedback, also figure in the equation.

Meeting up with RockShox each year is a bridge that connects computer modelling and paper drawings with real-world scenario testing. A new bike’s success can hinge on the quality of the suspension performance, so tuning with the shock manufacturer is a critical part of the process.