Regular readers of this site will notice that Airbomb.com is a frequent advertiser and often has incredible deals. One item for sale that caught my eye, was the Nuke Proof Stealth frame for around $190 CDN. Having recently broken my trusty steel hardtail I was on the lookout for a replacement. The Nuke Proof frame is made of straight gauge 7005 series aluminum tubes and features a replaceable derailleur hanger (the part of my previous frame that went bust) and S-curves in the seat and chain stays. The test frame was slightly different than the advertised frames; it has no gusset at the head tube and the finish is polished aluminum. On initial inspection, the welds seemed to be of decent quality and a quick check of the frame alignment showed it to be straight. (I have seen bikes right off the showroom floor with misaligned frames)
All of my testing impressions were favourable but it must be stated that the bike came VERY nicely equipped from Airbomb. It had RaceFace Next LP cranks, XT drivetrain, Cane Creek WAM wheelset and a 2001 Rockshox Judy SL fork. The whole 20 inch frame bike weighed 24.5 lbs. Compared to my 35 lb. Freerider it felt like a feather. The radially spoked wheels made it clear that it was not built up as a shore machine but instead as a cross country racer. As a plus, whoever assembled the bike did a nice job. The brakes and drivetrain were all adjusted properly and nothing on the bike broke or went out of alignment. The only maintenance I needed to do while I had the bike was lube the chain and tighten the cranks a few times.
My first impression was one of speed. The lightweight and skinny Panaracer 2.1 XC tires allowed me to ride much faster than on my shore bike. After getting used to the speed, I noticed that the frame geometry felt very neutral. My previous hardtail had steeper angles that made it tough to handle on the shore. This bike has angles of 72/73.5 degrees, which is way steeper than any purpose built shore machine but still comfortable. My shore bike has very slack angles and is definitely built for descending. Considering the geometry, I was surprised at how well the bike handled steep rolls and tight terrain. The gussetted downtube combined with straight gauge tubing ensures that it will handle a long travel fork as well which will push the angles back towards the freeride range.
Is this a shore bike? My answer is no; it is a bike that can be ridden on the shore, but it is not a shore bike. Serious shore riders like slack angles and full suspension. Even those who prefer hardtails would like to see relaxed angles like those on the Cove Stiffee or a Rocky Mountain Reaper. But both those bikes are considerably more expensive than the Stealth. Clearly, this bike is not aimed at the North Shore market. The ideal buyer for this bike is someone who wants a do-it-all bicycle. With this thing you could commute, go cross country and do some beginner/intermediate shore riding. If you wanted to spend less than a grand for a fully outfitted, decent bike this would be a good choice. If you want a serious shore machine I am afraid you are going to have to spend more money.
