Nukeproof Scout Comp 2015
Reviews / Hard Tails
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At A Glance
Hardtails are great fun to ride, especially when they come in the more “aggressive” guise such as the Scout Comp on test here. All too often riders skip the learning curve of riding a hardtail and jump straight onto a full squizzer. Honing your trail skills on a less forgiving bike though will make you a better, faster rider and also ensure those skills transfer onto bigger bikes.
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The Scout Comp from Nukeproof is a new bike for 2015 aimed squarely at the rider looking for something exciting and fun to ride. Glancing over the excellent spec you cans see this bike means business. A RockShox Revelation 150mm RLT Solo Air fork sits up the front, and there is a 1x10 drivetrain, a nod towards its aggressive nature.
The frame is a custom hydroformed T6 6061 aluminium offering with clean looking lines and some excellent finishing. A mostly SRAM X7 drivetrain looks after the shifting duties whilst unsurprisingly the cockpit is made up of the excellent Nukeproof kit that we have long been fans of. The new OKLO dropper post gets an outing and a set of Nukeproof Generator Wheels are shod with Schwalbe Hans Dampf Snake Skin 27.5” tyres.
All in all it is a very tidy looking package that is just screaming to be ridden. Off the shop floor we can’t think of any major changes to the spec, it’s all great kit that will live up the duties required of a bike like this with ease. The bike comes in 4 sizes, we tested the small, I’m 5’10 and would probably buy the medium sized bike, the smaller ride was fun, but felt a little short at times for my size. Obviously, being the small size, it will suit shorter riders perfectly.
On the Trail
This is a really a fun little bike and a great new addition to the Nukeproof 2015 range. In Nukeproof's own words the Scout has "an aggressive geometry for hitting the trails hard". It had a comfortable feel from the offset and proved to be a very playful bike on the trails. Nukeproof are selling this bike as a "minimal fuss, bare bones mountain bike that is tailored for adventure".
The Scout certainly seems to be biased towards gravity, with a 66-degree head angle and Rock Shox Revelations up front the bike looked and felt like it was ready for action. This is certainly not a traditional XC bike and the cockpit was testament to that with a 50mm stem and a 760mm low rise bar. The front was agile and manoeuvrable on the climbs, but stable on the descents.
The SRAM X7 10 speed drivetrain didn't disappoint, buttery smooth action and a nice positive 'click' made moving through the gears a breeze. The gear ratio supplied with this test bike was a 32 single runner with a chain device on the front and an 11/36 on the back. Now it depends on how fit you are and what kind of riding you do as to whether you'll like this set up. I found it a little hard, particularly on steep off-road climbs (when I'm used to shifting into my 40 tooth rear cog), but if you're used to running this kind of ratio (i.e. you’re tougher and fitter than me) then you'll be fine. On the smoother climbs it rode really well, the Scout is light and stiff, this combined with its 72-degree seat tube had us powering up the hills.
This bike really likes getting airborne and the whole set up makes you feel like a superstar as you pin it through your local jump spot. I get the distinct impression that this bike can turn its wheels to any discipline. It wouldn't look out of place sessioning the local pump track or trail blazing on an all day expedition, it easily powers to the top of the hill and rags it back down!
Overall
The Scout Comp weighs in at 28.3lbs, which for a bike of this style is pretty good. It is well priced too, especially considering the forks and spec you get. The Scout would be ideal for someone wanting to progress to a snappy, well spec'd bike from their first ride. Equally, if you are going to be doing lots of trail riding and fancy an aggressive all-mountain hardtail for the job, then this is just the ticket.
This fun little hardtail is guaranteed to put a smile on your dial.
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This review was in Issue 33 of IMB.
For more information visit NukeproofRelated
By Jim Egercz
Jim Egercz hails from South Africa where the weather is warm and the trails and dry and dusty. Odd then that he prefers the cold, damp weather of the UK! He’s a keen trail builder near his home in the South East of England and gets out to Wales and the Alps whenever he can. He’s been a guide at the Trans Provence and is talented bike mechanic too; if your bikes broken, "Jim'll Fix It!"
