Bike Check: Adam Brayton's Nukeproof Prototype From Red Bull Hardline

Sep 9, 2022 at 14:43
by Matt Beer  

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BIKE CHECK
Adam Brayton's
Nukeproof
Prototype

In preparation for the notorious Red Bull Hardline that challenges the likes of the world's top downhill specialists, Adam Brayton has built up a custom painted Nukeproof DH bike. This is special bike for a few reasons, as Adam describes it as his "dream bike". The prototype frame is the same as what other Nukeproof team riders Ronan Dunne and Chris Cumming have been riding at the last handful of World Cup races, but Brayton has put his own touch on the finish. With no visible welds under the crafty camouflage theme prepared by Elite Refinish, the frame looks to be a carbon evolution of Nukeproof's Dissent model.

Gas to Flat, a nickname Adam picked up for his ability to hold strong under the heaviest landings, has fitted bright and shiny components from his long-term sponsors; Hope, FOX, Renthal, and Maxxis. Scouring the frame with more detail shows that there is a chainstay length adjustment and he's continuing to stick with the mixed wheel sizes. This bike is getting put through some serious forces on the Hardline track but those parts have been trusted staples under Brayton for the last couple of seasons.

Adam Brayton s Scout 275 Fox Hope spec
Adam Brayton
Hometown: Lake District, UK
Age: 33
Height: 173cm / 5'8"
Weight: 70kg / 154lb
Instagram: @adbrayton

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Nukeproof Prototype Downhill Bike Spec
Frame: Nukeproof Prototype, size MD, mixed wheels, short chainstay position
Shock: Fox DHX2, 500lb spring
Fork: Fox 40, 97 PSI, 5 volume spacers
Wheels: Hope Fortus rims on Pro 4 DH hubs
Tires: Maxxis Assegai, DHR II (25, 28 PSI)
Derailleur & shifter: SRAM XO1 DH 7-spd
Pedals: Crankbrothers Mallet DH
Brakes: Hope Tech 4 E4
Cockpit: Renthal 31.8 Fatbar 20x760mm, 50mm stem
More info: nukeproof.com

bigquotesForks are at 97psi I believe, with 5 tokens. 500 lbs spring - I’ve generally gone up a bit on everything. Rebound a couple clicks slower. Hope E4 not the V4 just because I’m only 70kg. Hope DH hub in the rear for a dishless wheel. Tires are 28 rear and 25 front off top of my head. Think that’s about it!

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Bass to Flat?

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Alloy Renthal handlebars. I'm surprised there aren't proper moto bars on here with the distance the riders are blasting at Hardline.

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Brakes - you're going to need those for this race. Adam prefers the less powerful E4 version of the Hope Tech 4 brakes which feature a revamped lever design.

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A newly shaped, dual bolt Hope seat clamp seems to have popped up.

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Realtree and raw. The contrasting color scheme shows off the mill work that Hope is known for and conceals the prototype frame shapes.

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The Hope Pro 4 DH hub has extra wide flange spacing that only works with seven cassette cogs to maximize the spoke bracing angle for a stronger wheel -might need those out there!

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FOX's hunter orange pairs well with the Reeltree camo.

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Hardline isn't your typical DH track.


Author Info:
mattbeer avatar

Member since Mar 16, 2001
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88 Comments
  • 37 2
 I just can't see it...
  • 15 0
 Those floating rotors are literally floating...
  • 31 0
 I’m shocked Brayton is so light! Dude looks like an absolute tank!
  • 30 32
 Your desensitized of what proper BMI for a very fit and strong person should be for their stature apparently.
  • 4 0
 @likeittacky: possibly.
  • 5 0
 @likeittacky: He's got a BMI of 23, so right in the middle of the "perfect" range
  • 15 1
 @likeittacky: you are right, the public get conditioned to seeing out of shape people and think that’s the norm, in truth they are carrying unnecessary excess body fat.
  • 19 0
 @likeittacky: all the fat people downvoted you
  • 6 0
 @jimmythehat: yeah because almost everyone is overweight these days. Including me.
  • 1 10
flag Kevindhansen (Sep 10, 2022 at 7:33) (Below Threshold)
 @likeittacky: the goal is to have a body fat percentage below 10% but still be on the obese side of BMI. Anything less than that and it's time to get back in the squat rack.
  • 6 3
 @Kevindhansen: 10% is too low for real people. To push it that low just tells all the girls you care about your appearance more than you care about anything else, including your sheila. Therefore, not a good look for real people. 15 is fine.
  • 2 0
 @jaame: fair enough, 10-15%. But keep it within visible abs range.
  • 1 0
 @Kevindhansen: agreed
  • 1 0
 @Kevindhansen: i am 12% but no signs of abs LOL
  • 3 0
 @korev: it's actually a little high. Over 25 is overweight, so just looking at numbers a doctor would say, "hmm you're ok now, but don't let it drift".

Which is why BMI is full of shit. Adam is a beast of a fit dude, a professional athlete, and still ends up with a BMI like this. A meth head who's his height but skinnier would have a better BMI than him.

BMI is, at best, a very rough guide to predict issues that may occur. It's as useful as just looking at someone.
  • 2 0
 @likeittacky: BMI science is on par with taking horse dewormer for a virus
  • 1 4
 @EnsBen: And i bet you believe those that took ivermectin took the same dosage that livestock are ministered. Typical of a Fauci occultist. And you took the jab + boosters probably and continue to wear a face diaper im guessing but hope you have more dignity than i'm assuming.

I know several well educated people in the medical field that took it when they had covid. It helped them greatly.


You believe the lie
  • 2 0
 @likeittacky: not sure what else to do than laugh at people like you at this point!
  • 1 1
 @EnsBen: So i was right about my assumptions evidently.

As suggested, my closest friend an Anesthetist and very ethical ,rational human being is one of the smartest and compassionate people I've ever known. While You and the likes of, are simply revolvers of mainstream media- conditioned to drink it's cool aid and vomit it's poison on everyone that does't align with the indoctrinating narrative of fear, hypocrisy and propaganda.

Laugh all you wish; that's what men do when folly and ignorance are their compass.
  • 2 0
 @likeittacky: your closest friend sounds very cool, please tell me more! I'll pass along your feedback to my lizard people overlords
  • 15 1
 You can run Zee/Saint on the Pro 4 DH hub, 7 gears and spacers from a 10 speed Shimano cassette and then fill in the rest of the space on the hub driver with various spacers from a single speed kit. Set the derailleur limit and you’re golden.
  • 2 0
 @somebody-else That's totally true. Maybe it wasn't an option to order when they first debuted and that stuck in my head. Of course, a savvy mechanic could have still swapped the drivers and set up the derailleur as you mentioned.
  • 16 6
 One of the Worst "Bike checks" i've seen around here.... call it "bike Parts check".
  • 3 0
 @anonimous666 Thanks? This is pretty standard for a bike check. Nukeproof are keeping any frame details quiet at this point. What other info were you looking for?
  • 9 1
 2 bolt seat post clamp?!?
Is that necessary?
  • 15 0
 Not on a DH bike, but I could see it being helpful for some dropper posts that are sensitive to clamping force.
  • 6 1
 @AndrewHornor: Clamping force would be (inversely) proportional to the contact area (i.e. height) of the clamp, not the number of bolts, surely
  • 6 0
 @boozed: that makes a lot of sense and tall clamps obviously exist for that reason. But I've also read somewhere that the clamping action is very uneven, i.e. wants to squish the area where the gap is, and does nothing on the opposite side. That's the only logic I could think of for adding a second gap.
  • 9 0
 Well if it had one bolt then there'd be one missing? So I guess, yeah, it needs two bolts.

I'm being a dick.
  • 2 0
 @AndrewHornor: Most good clamps use barrel nuts to help with this - maintains bolt angle and reduces uneven clamping.

I could see more people messing a two bolt clamp up than it helping trying to tighten both bolts evenly and to the same torque, assuming that’s how it works.
  • 3 1
 Hope probably thought is about time they moved on from their current single bolt clamp. That looks like My First CNC project compared to the rest of their range.
  • 2 0
 They were used on their Hb130. So, nothing new. Better for Carbon frames.
  • 5 1
 Looks like a sweet addition to the lineup, not to mention an amazing paintjob!
  • 5 1
 Fox orange doesn’t go well with anything.
  • 4 1
 Is that a transition tr420?
  • 3 0
 Looks like a high pivot Giga with a bigger shock
  • 1 0
 What you see there is linkage; the swingarm pivot is hiding behind the chainguide. The Giga's linkage is basically the same as the current Dissent anyway.
  • 2 0
 @boozed: yeah I noticed it was not a high pivot after I wrote my comment and I couldn’t edit it fsr lol.
  • 3 1
 Can we get some numbers, anything, reach, wheelbase, adjustments? Basically an advertisement for Hope
  • 9 0
 to be fair to Pinkbike they don’t have any of these numbers and won’t have until the frame Ad’s riding is released.

This is more of a “check out the amazing paint job” by Elite refinish than a “bike check”.
  • 3 0
 It's a prototype. You can't have dick.
  • 1 0
 @Nukeproofinternational: any date on frame release, please don’t say keep an on the socials!
  • 1 0
 @Nukeproofinternational: is it paint or a wrap?
  • 1 0
 @jaame: paint
  • 4 0
 @jaame: hand painted- only the finest from our Jonny.

Release dates are expected to be earlyish next year.
  • 4 0
 Send it Grandad!
  • 3 0
 The hardtail picture had me worried about his hardline bike choice
  • 2 0
 At least the orange fork isn’t out of place.
  • 14 1
 It took me a moment to get the "hunters orange" reference but here's something that'll boggle the mind of riders in the UK-

Last time I rode in the US was around Thanksgiving in Pisgah. A ranger came over to have a chat with me and essentially tell me off for not wearing orange or another bright colour. It turned out it was hunting season and, unlike in the UK where if a shoot were going on there'd be red flags around the perimiter of the shoot, the odd game keeper at key entry points to warn people and signs saying stick to the paths because the shoot will ensure it doesn't aim towards them, in the US it's your responsibility as a human to wear bright clothes and not get shot. Rather than the person with a lethal weapon taking all reasonable precautions.

So, hunters wear orange. To stop their mates blasting their guts out.
  • 2 0
 @lukeb: France is equally scary for this. Have previously ridden with phone blaring out music to dispel any thoughts that we could be boars.
  • 1 0
 @BenPea: good bit of tinny trap blaring out like the local chavs down the park?
  • 3 0
 @lukeb: If a hunter were to shoot someone they're still liable for it. The rangers encourage blaze orange etc. because rare incidents unfortunately do happen (one in Italy too last year I believe?). Blaze orange is just the standard way to maximize safety in dense woods here. If someone is shooting and they can't even tell if it's the right animal they're probably breaking the law, but planning for stupidity on the part of the hunter is in your best interest just like driving cautiously.
  • 1 0
 @jaame: Yep, exactly. We figured it would reduce rather than increase our chances of being shot by the octogenarian with the elephant gun who had previously told us about the size of his bullets and what they could do to a person.
  • 3 0
 @lukeb: It's perfectly normal. Hunting season in the US is year round depending on the species of animal.
The season you are referring to is deer season starting in November.
Riders, hikers and equestrians know it. Most everyone skips a ride on opening day. After that, no other day of the year is a worry.

And during deer season, riding at 6am or late around 5 (pre-dawn & dusk) running an orange helmet is smart.

But I've ran the same drab colors for 30 years in the woods of Pisgah as a rider. It's not a big deal.

Also, in that 30 years I've seen a ranger once in the forest. You found a leprechaun of a human on your trip across the globe. Congrats. Beer
  • 2 0
 @lukeb: Don't forget all the beer swilling that happens during hunting season.Best to wear orange.
  • 1 0
 @lukeb: I was riding in rural central Pennsylvania one time, on trails right near town, and remember having a few hunter jump up out of the bush ahead of me, guns drawn ready to blast, and then yelled at me for almost getting murdered...I moved!
  • 1 0
 @ccrida-pnw: Or maybe you came across someone's drug operation
  • 2 0
 Gastovlog is the best. lots of laughs on the vlogs.
  • 3 0
 And they also showcase Danny Hart's personality, which is a bonus.
  • 1 0
 If you want to see more of the bike just go watch Braytons you tube vid from a few days ago when he’s building it up.
  • 2 3
 So you say Realtree several times in the article... Is that a real Realtree® licensed pattern or are you just using their registered name because you're looking for a different word for camouflage?
  • 2 0
 paintjob is bomb
  • 5 3
 Jackson is going to win
  • 2 0
 Kerr is stronger than at the time of any of his previous wins. But, you're onto something. It's going to be the best race yet.
  • 1 0
 What bike are you talking about? All I can see are parts,
  • 4 5
 Forks? I see one fork at 97 psi. Unless you wanted fork tines. Then there are two tines. Best of luck with the dual tine fork.
  • 1 0
 It's a weird mtb thing but I feel the same.
  • 9 1
 Even worse is when people refer to their “front forks.” That one pushes me right over the edge.
  • 6 0
 @BiNARYBiKE: unless they mean it in the possessive sense. My fork's feeling a little glum today, for example.
  • 2 1
 @danlovesbikes: That's not possessive, surely "My fork's pressure" would be.
  • 3 0
 @korev: I think a fork's feelings are possessive.
  • 1 1
 @BiNARYBiKE: in old school motorcycle circles, it's not uncommon to refer to the "rear fork" a.k.a. swingarm
  • 2 1
 What. Where are his bar ends and bell?
  • 1 0
 hell yes! more hardline bike checks!!
  • 2 0
 Hometown, Lake District.
  • 3 0
 Lake District, Western Europe, to be precise.
  • 1 0
 Shes a fair machine. Good luck
  • 1 0
 What kind of blokes are Nukeproof bikes? Passionate or Corpo?
  • 1 0
 Holy moly I'd love that paint job on my bike
  • 1 0
 Sweet paint job , I didn’t see that one coming.
  • 1 0
 TIL Fox orange is called hunter orange
  • 1 0
 Hometown: Lake District (?)

Marra!
  • 1 0
 Terra
  • 1 0
 Sweet bike, marra.
  • 1 3
 "early production model" maybe, but it's not a prototype.
You don't make prototype bikes from carbon fibre
  • 5 0
 The pretty shapes are one thing, Carbon lay ups are another
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