Long Termer: Nukeproof Pulse Comp
May 3rd, 2013
By Thomas Gaffney in Reviews
Coming into 2013, I never really planned on changing my downhill bike, at least until I rode one that completely changed my mind that is… In all honesty, I was pretty happy on my previous downhill rig; it felt comfortable, jumped nicely and looked great, but one day it broke! Following that stroke of bad luck, I had to borrow a friends bike for an uplift day we’d booked, and while I hate riding other peoples bikes (this was a 2012 Nukeproof Scalp), especially ones I haven’t even sat on before, this one just felt right somehow?
From that first ride on that Scalp, I knew three things: it one-upped my current ride, I now wanted a new bike and with Nukeproof rolling out an all new DH frame for 2013, the Pulse, well, it just had to be done…
Words: Tom Gaffney | Photos: Tom Gaffney & Dan Armisaw
For the price, which is just a penny shy of £3000, it’s easily one of the most economical downhill bikes with race pedigree on offer today, but what’s more, the spec alone makes this bike race ready out of the box. The Sram X-7 parts are smooth and effective in their role, as are the simple yet effective Avid brakes – the only downside perhaps, is the wheels, which are a little on the heavy side, and the forks, which could perhaps have a bit more adjustment, but other than that, everything is more than satisfactory.
The bike looks incredible in the flesh – when I first saw photos on the net, I thought it looked grey and in all honesty, a bit dull, but in the flesh, it looks simply awesome!
In the box, other than the bike, there are lots of little items to instantly tinker with, like the stick on rubber down-tube guards, chain stay protector and even reflectors and a little bell, should you need them… The rubber guards are a really nice touch, especially with “Pulse” written down the side – they really fit with the frame too! The adhesive is pretty hard-core, so you have to make sure to get it right first time… Sadly there is no head tube protection to stop the brake cables rubbing, but I always use clear adhesive frame protection here anyway, to help keep the frame as “scrape free” as possible.
The build looks really tidy and the “full Sram” spec gives the Pulse a very factory look and feel. The aesthetics, like I’ve mentioned, are bang on and the yellow Nukeproof logos throughout add a little depth amongst the gloss red and grey paintwork – it all comes together for one very nice and purposeful looking bike.
Whether you think there’s too much ‘Nukeproof’ on this Nukeproof is neither here nor there and this bike truly is ready to race and parts can always be changed, as I plan to do, to make this Pulse mine and mine alone. While saying that, the Nukeproof parts look and feel great and will certainly find homes on my other bikes as and when I start to play around with the stock spec… In the meantime, it’s just straight up the local hill and smiles for miles!
Pulse Tech:
Here’s the Spec:
| Frame | 2013 Nukeproof Pulse, Size Large |
|---|---|
| Forks | RockShox BoXXer RC, 200mm Travel |
| Shock | RockShox Vivid R2C, 210mm Travel |
| Headset | Nukeproof 49IISS |
| Stem | Nukeproof Direct Mount; 45mm, 30-degree Rise |
| Bars | Nukeproof Warhead 760 Riser; 760mm Wide, 25mm Rise |
| Brakes | Avid Elixir 5 – 200mm Front & Rear Rotors |
| Grips | Nukeproof Element lock-on |
| Saddle | Nukeproof Race Pulse |
| Post | Nukeproof Warhead In-Line |
| Shifters | Sram X7 10 speed |
| Rear Mech | Sram X7 10 speed |
| Chain | Sram PC 1031 10 Speed |
| Cassette | Sram PC1030, 11-26, 10 speed |
| Chainset | Gravity Step Up DH ISIS; 165mm |
| Chainring | Gravity 36T |
| Chain Guide | Gravity Prime Aero |
| Pedals | None Supplied |
| Wheels | Nukeproof Generator Disc Hubs; 110mm x 20mm front, 150mm x 12mm rear, on Nukeproof Generator DH Rims |
| Tyres | Maxxis High Roller II DH, 26”x2.4” ST/42a |
Geometry:
Initial Impressions…
After the first ride out, I instantly felt comfortable on the bike – it’s a large, but comes up a little smaller than some of the other bikes I’ve been trying, but in all honesty, it isn’t such a bad thing and it certainly feels nimble and light on the dirt. The bars are a little slim for my tastes (yes I like massive bars!), so they’ll be getting upgraded soon enough! I’m also looking forward to getting the suspension bedded in before getting out to France in late June, but then riding in the Alps will throw any preconceived notions out of the window and will undoubtedly be the Pulse’s ultimate proving ground… So far it’s looking simply awesome and I’m hooked!
I also need to mention the amount of attention the Pulse has been getting out on the trail – so many people stopping me and saying how great it looks and also how it doesn’t “clatter” down the trail, which is a big plus it has to be said. A few friends have managed to prize it away from me long enough for a quick ride and they instantly loved the feel and said it was “easy to get used to” – there’s a lot to be said for great geometry!
I’ll be busy riding the Scalp and seeing how it fares over the coming months and will of course let you know how it develops, but if you have any questions, fire them in the comments below. In the meantime, try and get to a dealer and have a sit on one and hit the logo below and check out Nukeproof’s new website. Big thanks to the team at 
