A first ride on the carbon version of our 2022 eMTB of the Year
Based around Nukeproof’s very successful Mega frame, the Megawatt Carbon is designed for big days on big mountains, hitting enduro lines or getting stuck in between the race tapes.
Nukeproof has partnered with SRAM on its new Eagle Powertrain motor system and was the first (of four brands) to get a mule over to SRAM for testing.
Working as SRAM’s development partner, Nukeproof was both able to offer feedback on the new ebike motor system and receive it about the Megawatt, in order to hone its riding characteristics.
After around two years of testing, including the 2022 E-Enduro World Series (now E-EDR), the latest Megawatt Carbon was born.
5 things you need to know about the new Nukeproof Megawatt Carbon electric mountain bike:
- Designed to use SRAM’s new Eagle Powertrain motor, battery and wireless AXS gearing
- All-new, full-carbon frame offered in sizes S-XXL
- 170mm of suspension travel at both ends, with more progression and anti-squat compared to the alloy version, along with a more rearward axle path
- Geometry differs slightly compared to alloy Megawatt, with a slacker head angle (63.5 degrees), lower stack heights and longer chainstays (447mm across all sizes)
- The Megawatt Carbon Pro costs £8,799.99/$9,899, while the top-spec Megawatt Carbon RS will set you back £9,999.99/$10,899
All-new Megawatt Carbon frame and SRAM motor details
The new frame is constructed from T700/T800 carbon fibre and, like the alloy Megawatt, looks very similar to the non-assisted Mega it’s based upon.
Like the alloy version, the new Megawatt Carbon uses mixed wheel sizes (29in at the front, 27.5in at the back) only.
There’s internal cable sleeving to help with swapping brake hoses, though we’ll assume the gear cable housing may be left redundant, assuming riders want to stick with the wireless drivetrain and make the most of the SRAM Eagle Powertrain features.
Nukeproof does, however, provide clear UK and US cable-routing guides to ensure brake hoses and dropper/gear cables (should you have them) are guided through the frame as effectively as possible.
Other details include space for a 500ml water bottle and clearance for a 2.5in tyre through the rear triangle.
There’s a bolted gear mount beneath the top tube but, more interestingly, Nukeproof has added a mount within the bash plate that protects the battery exit port.
Apparently, there’s just enough space to cram a C02 inflator and tyre levers in there, which is handy.
An integrated chain guide helps to keep the chain in place and is a mandatory requirement on a bike with an auto-shift function.
Finally, Nukeproof provides a clear coat wrap covering the bulk of the frame to help protect your pride and joy from superficial damage.
New feature-heavy motor and easy-to-remove battery
At the core of the Megawatt Carbon frame is the new SRAM Eagle Powertrain drive unit.
We’ve already covered the SRAM Powertrain in a lot of detail, and Alex Evans has reviewed the system. However, in case you’re not up to speed, here are a few of the highlights…
Thanks to the wireless connectivity between the motor and SRAM’s Eagle AXS Transmission drivetrain, there’s a lack of cables flapping about – unlike almost every other electric mountain bike out there.
The only hoses you’ll spot belong to the brakes, while everything else, including the dropper seat post, works wirelessly.
There are only two motor modes to choose from (Range and Rally), controlled through the AXS Pod that also operates the AXS Reverb dropper post.
An integrated top-tube display shows you your mode choice and battery life, as well as which gear mode you’ve selected.
That’s right, you can choose between automatic and ‘old school’ manual gear shift modes. If that’s not enough, the Eagle Powertrain can Coast Shift, too, in a bid to ensure you’ve got the right gear selected ahead of a change in trail gradient.
According to SRAM, there’s 90Nm of torque on tap and peak power of 680W.
This is paired with a 720Wh battery, which is stored inside the down tube and is a doddle to remove – a necessity if you’re looking to compete on the E-EDR circuit.
Rather than cut a battery access port into the down tube, Nukeproof tilted the SRAM motor, enabling the battery to slide out of the bottom of the down tube.
The brand says this helps create a more weather-proof battery compartment and we’d imagine it’s improved strength and stiffness without adding extra weight.
As you’d expect, both modes and how you control them, can be customised via the SRAM AXS app.
Suspension tweaks designed to improve on the already impressive
One of the things that made the Megawatt ride as well as it did was the suspension tune.
Thankfully, it seems Nukeproof has refined this, rather than starting from scratch. That means the proven four-bar linkage suspension design remains, though its layout has been tweaked slightly.
In a bid to improve upon the alloy bike, the leverage curve looks a little different, with an increase to the starting leverage rate (which will help keep the suspension nice and sensitive and able to eke out traction more easily).
There’s a little more in the way of mid-stroke support (ideal for loading the bike up through turns or popping jumps) and more ramp-up towards the end of the stroke (to add bottom-out resistance and handle heavy landings a little more confidently).
Overall progression is now 24 rather than 22 per cent.
Although the anti-rise has only been increased slightly compared to the alloy bike, the anti-squat has been upped more significantly in the climbing gears to 102 per cent at sag (compared to 92 per cent on the alloy bike) to help keep things more stable under power when winching up the hills.
There’s also a little more rearward axle movement (handy for very effectively absorbing square-edged bumps) for the first 65mm of rear-wheel travel. When we say rearward, we’re talking about less than 5mm until the wheel starts moving up and forwards, until the full 172mm of travel has been accessed.
Nukeproof Megawatt geometry details
When comparing the alloy Megawatt to the Megawatt Carbon, the geometry figures are very similar.
Nukeproof will offer the carbon frame in five sizes (S-XXL).
Reach figures across the five sizes are identical to those on the alloy bike (435-515mm), as are the seat tube angles, which steepen as the frame size increases (77.5 to 78 degrees).
Bottom-bracket drop (30/10mm) is the same, too, although the bottom-bracket height is said to have crept up a few millimetres to 348mm.
Seat tube heights are similar, too, though the size XL is now 460mm versus the alloy XL frame, which is 470mm.
Stack heights have been reduced most significantly on the small and medium frames (624.3mm and 633.3mm respectively), but are just a few millimetres lower across the other sizes
The carbon frame gets a 0.5 degrees slacker head angle at 63.5 degrees, and longer 447mm chainstays (up from 442mm on the alloy frame).
| | S | M | L | XL | XXL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat angle (degrees) | 77.5 | 77.5 | 78 | 78 | 78 |
| Head angle (degrees) | 63.5 | 63.5 | 63.5 | 63.5 | 63.5 |
| Chainstay (mm) | 447 | 447 | 447 | 447 | 447 |
| Seat tube (mm) | 380 | 410 | 440 | 460 | 480 |
| Top tube (mm) | 573.4 | 595.39 | 611.5 | 633.4 | 655.31 |
| Head tube (mm) | 100 | 110 | 120 | 130 | 140 |
| Fork offset (mm) | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Trail (mm) | 141.78 | 141.78 | 141.78 | 141.78 | 141.78 |
| Bottom bracket drop (front/rear) (mm) | 30/10 | 30/10 | 30/10 | 30/10 | 30/10 |
| Bottom bracket height (mm) | 348.5 | 348.5 | 348.5 | 348.5 | 348.5 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 1,225.28 | 1,249.74 | 1,274.04 | 1,298.51 | 1,322.97 |
| Standover (mm) | 737.33 | 737.33 | 742.87 | 742.87 | 748.19 |
| Stack (mm) | 624.29 | 633.25 | 642.19 | 651.14 | 660.09 |
| Reach (mm) | 435 | 455 | 475 | 495 | 515 |
Nukeproof Megawatt Carbon range overview
Nukeproof will offer the Megawatt Carbon in two build options, though both feature the same frame, motor, battery and tyres.
Nukeproof Megawatt Carbon RS
- Frame: Carbon, 172mm travel
- Motor: SRAM Eagle Powertrain
- Battery: SRAM 720Wh
- Fork: RockShox ZEB Ultimate, 170mm
- Shock: RockShox Vivid Ultimate
- Brakes: SRAM Code RSC
- Drivetrain: SRAM X0 Transmission
- Wheels: Nukeproof Horizon Pro
- Tyres: Continental Kryptotal DH
- Dropper post: RockShox Reverb AXS
- Price: £9,999.99/$10,899/€11,999.99
Nukeproof Megawatt Carbon Pro
- Frame: Carbon, 172mm travel
- Motor: SRAM Eagle Powertrain
- Battery: SRAM 720Wh
- Fork: RockShox ZEB Select+, 170mm
- Shock: RockShox Vivid Select+
- Brakes: SRAM G2 RE
- Drivetrain: SRAM GX Transmission
- Wheels: Nukeproof Horizon V2
- Tyres: Continental Kryptotal DH
- Dropper post: RockShox Reverb AXS
- Price: £8,799.99/$9,899/€10,499.99
Nukeproof Megawatt Carbon ride impressions
I had just one day to get a feel for the new Megawatt. Having spent a decent length of time aboard its alloy counterpart, though, getting accustomed to this carbon version didn’t take long.
Because the bike is designed for enduro riding and racing, I picked a hillside in South Wales that’s littered with challenging, steep, natural trails, along with some decent bike-park berms and jumps.
The new Powertrain system is smooth and feels very natural when applying pressure to the pedals. There’s not as much grunt as found with the Bosch system, but I never felt as though I was lacking power.
There’s a whirring from the motor that’s easy to live with.
Toggling between modes is easy and selecting how you want to shift gears is straightforward enough.
Auto Shift is a neat feature and works well in certain types of terrain, though I did find myself overriding it when attempting tricky off-road climbs.
The bike itself is almost totally silent when descending. For me, this is a first when riding an ebike. The lack of cables, and well-damped frame and tyres, make the new Megawatt Carbon totally stealthy.
Suspension balance feels impressive, with support in the travel just where it’s needed to load the bike hard into turns or soak up unpleasant landings when needed.
It’s predictable, easy to ride and lively enough to enable you to move the heft of the battery and motor around more easily than you might imagine.
Like the suspension, the geometry feels balanced, too. It’s an easy bike to ride fast, but never feels unwieldly or cumbersome when navigating slower, tighter sections of trails.
In the bike park, it’s easy to really push the Megawatt Carbon hard because it just feels so eager to rip turns and pop jumps.
Nukeproof Megawatt Carbon early verdict
Like the alloy version of the Megawatt, the new carbon bike feels great from the get-go.
SRAM’s new motor offers a lot in terms of features, and feels natural and easy to live with on the trail. Whether all of the features appeal to you is another matter, but what the system does bring is very impressive integration of motor and drivetrain in a tidy package.
Thankfully, the new Megawatt Carbon picks up where the alloy version left off, delivering a lively, well-balanced and fun ride that’s as capable as it is smile-inducing.