Submitted by
signalMTB
a Racer
from Signal Mountain, TN
Date Reviewed: April 10, 2011
Strengths: titanium, beautiful welds, solid
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
very rare to find, very fine craftsmanship, ti welds are great. this bike has never disappointed me, top tube is a little shorter than I like on an 18" frame, but nothing to be concerned about. super light, geared and front suspension it was right at 22lbs, so now I'm running rigid SS, so probably sub 20 lbs. if you can ever find one, especially with the cockroach headbadge intact, buy it!
Strengths: beautiful frame , light , great welds reliable , great all around bike.
Weaknesses: i did actually break one , although i caught a large sink hole into corner of curbing with the rear wheel riding late one night, never saw coming unable to avoid, [ but nuke proof stood behind the product and i had the frame sent back and got back like new. : }
Bottom Line:
This has been a great bike i still love to ride it although i do not race regularly any longer , is still fast on single track , bombs downhill , light wait , strong . and made in the usa. u gotta love it.
Bike Setup: old school , nuke proof ti frame , originally manitou ti fork, quad21rock shock , xc suntour pro group , bontrager rims , nuke proof ti carbon fibre hubs, bontrager bars. litespeed stem, ringle seatpost, bontrager tires .
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Submitted by
Defiant32
a Cross Country Rider
from Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Date Reviewed: March 19, 2010
Strengths: great welds, lovely handling, nice and comfortable
Bottom Line:
Great rider.
I have one from the Nuke Proof build frames, not the Litespeed early frames.
I am getting it back into the original setup.
Bike Setup: Nuke Proof stem, hubs, bar, barends, XTR M900, RS Judy XC
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Submitted by
MK
a Cross Country Rider
from Sedona, AZ
Date Reviewed: July 23, 2008
Strengths: See next box.
Weaknesses: Product Review update. Not long after my review in 1999 this frame broke at the down tube/head tube weld. Sent it back to (not)Nuke Proof for repair, the company went out of business and I never saw the frame again! sh!tty stuff. I should have had it welded in Phx.
Submitted by
James
a Cross Country Rider
from Philadelphia, PA, USA
Date Reviewed: March 20, 2008
Strengths: Light, perfect geometry for East Coast trails, just enough flex to be very comfortable for a hard tail, but stiff enough to climb like crazy.
Weaknesses: Can't buy them!
Bottom Line:
I know these aren't easy to find, but if you ever see one- buy it!! I got mine for $500 about 10 years ago and I still smile every time I ride that bike. Easily the best $500 I ever spent. I had ridden many steel and aluminum bikes, hard tail and full suspension, but the first time I rode my Nuke Proof it was like God himself had handcrafted a frame for me. The frame just fits me perfectly, the welds are beautiful, it's light, I can ride it all day long.... what else can I say?
Submitted by
Carter Collins
a Weekend Warrior
from Nashville,TN USA
Date Reviewed: February 16, 2008
Strengths: A-1 Craftsmanship, you can spend hours looking at perfect welds, plus it has a roach on the headtube
Weaknesses: Have not found one in 11 years
Bottom Line:
The best damn bike I have, I enjoy riding my Nuke over my old ARC- And the Arc was from the days Yeti was Yeti. Excellent craftsmanship and a tight ride, Like taking a Bently through the woods! Ride one if you get a chance, then sometimes it better just not know how good it can be!
Similar Products Used: Graftin, Chris King, Ringle
Bike Setup: Vintage Graftin brakes & cranks, Ringle Hubs, XTR 7 speed with reverse pull(best thing ever made)
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Submitted by
Ron
a Weekend Warrior
from Livonia, MI, USA
Date Reviewed: August 4, 2006
Strengths: Lightweight Compliant Great looking frame
Weaknesses: No longer made A tad twitchy but OK with new fork
Bottom Line:
The old fork was a bit twitchy on this frame. A taller fork was what the doctor ordered. I've owned this frame for 10 years now and still love the ride. It's light yet rugged.
This bike has lasted so damn long as I bought it right when they started making them. I don't know if I will buy a new bike ever. The only thing that would make me want to even try anything else would be to try a different frame geometry. I really love this frame and thank the Nuke Proof gang for making such a sweet beast!!!
Submitted by
Glenn O
a Cross Country Rider
from Oneonta NY USA
Date Reviewed: October 31, 2000
Strengths: Strong, light, forgiving, clean welds (done by hand I understand) A downright beautiful frame.
Weaknesses: No longer made/hard to find...don't know where I would go for customer support if I needed it.
Bottom Line:
If you can find this frame, buy it. Period. It will probably be a bit cheaper than newer litespeeds or merlins and I believe it is of comparable quality. It is a comfy ride that climbs so easily. Some say that flex is a problem but I haven't noticed it. Titanium is a better material than steel aluminum and probably carbon too. And it is nice to know that I will never buy another bike again. Five firey poohs.
Similar Products Used: Tried Litespeeds, Merlins, the Kona Hei Hei, and the Mongoose 10.7 before deciding on the nuke.
Bike Setup: Built from the ground up : Drivetrain LX cranks, XTR front LX rear, XT BB, XT Cassette. Girvin Ti Bars/flexstem combo, XTR rapidfire shifters/brake levers. Avid shorty 15C brakes. Syncros Ti post, Fizik pave saddle, WHeels: Mavic CD rims DT spokes nuke proof carbon front hub, XTR rear hub IRC advantage Pro tires.
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Submitted by
marc kinney
a Cross-Country Rider
from sedona, az
Date Reviewed: December 5, 1999
Strengths: durable, unique, very forgiving, an excellent climber,and the fact that it is not made anymore!
Weaknesses: forgiving=noodle when not needed, sloppy welds for such a gem of a frame.
Bottom Line:
this frame inspires confidence--and backs it up. from racing to backcountry freeriding, this frame wants it all! it's a pleasure to know that the frame i trust now may just last longer than i do.
Similar Products Used: none really, just years of experience with steel frames and their various attributes.
Bike Setup: full rebuild 9/99--all race face and xt, with mavic517 maxtol rims (should have gone with a DH wheelset). running irc kujo DH 2.25(r-no room for more tire) & 2.35 in front. also enjoying some boing from a rock shock seat post.
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Submitted by
B. Raras
a Weekend Warrior
from Castro Valley, CA
Date Reviewed: July 7, 1999
Strengths: Very Light Frame. Nice Craftsmanship. Climbs like a Rocket. Practically Indestructible.
Weaknesses: Why you stop making it?
Bottom Line:
The bike is excellent. I have had it for a long time and it has given me no troubles. It climbs the steepest of trails with ease. At the same time it is a decent downhiller too. The frame is very stiff but it wont kill your bones. There is very little flex when climbing. Finally, you'll look great riding it. It's a real head turner.
Similar Products Used: Litespeed Merlin Bridgestone MB-1 Raleigh
Bike Setup: All Shimano Xtr Gruppo except for xt wheel set. Judy SL Fork w/ Eibach spring kit.
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Submitted by
David
a Weekend Warrior
from New York, N.Y.
Date Reviewed: June 24, 1999
Strengths: Light frame 3.4; Very soft ride yet does not rob you of your energy.
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
the bottom line is that this frame is a classic. Vintage North Eastern setup (For me anyway). Frame is a hair larger than what I ride normally. Shortened the stem to 110 and It has increased my confidence in the handling of the bike. To think I got this bike through MTBR's classifieds for $500! The guy had it dismantled under his bed for months. This is definately a shout out to MTBR. Thanks.
Similar Products Used: first Ti frame; Before this Jamis diablo
Bike Setup: XTR-Crank,BB,F&R der.,RF shifters,Easton bar,Syncros Stem,Thompson SP,Serfas Saddle,Mod Judy XC with aluminum steerer and Englunds.
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Submitted by
Stu Aikawa
a Cross-Country Rider
from Oakland, CA
Date Reviewed: March 29, 1999
Strengths: -Stiff design. -Ti absorps sharp hits. -Overall neutral handling. -NukeProof customer service. -Ti is very strong & corrosive resistant. -Welds look handmade.
Weaknesses: -Welds are not machine perfect, but do look handmade.
Bottom Line:
Originally this bike was very quick in the tree lined single track. Climbing was excellent and fire roading was precise but you had to pay attention. To neutralize the handling a bit I went with a shorter stem, 100MM. This was the key for me. The bike still handles great in the tight stuff and climbs like a goat with 22 x 32. I guess you do learn to live with you personal rig and I'm extremely glad that I made the Ti investment. Now I know excactly what rig I'll be riding for the next 10 yrs. My trusty Nuke.
