LONG-TERM Riders MBLK
JIMMER’S NUKEPROOF REACTOR 290 EXPERT £3,100
Our art editor wages war on winter!
Embracing the wet weather has been easier than I thought this autumn. Weirdly, I’ve been looking forward to some shitty conditions, as much to mix up my riding as to keep me on my toes on my technical local trails, which aren’t kind to ditherers! Of course, good weatherproof kit helps, as does the knowledge that your bike is up to the job.
Unusually for me, I haven’t changed anything on the Reactor all year, except for a carbon bar upgrade. I’ve stayed with the original Maxxis rubber – an Assegai up front and a Minion DHR II out back, which have proven to be an awesome combination. Spinning on 29in wheels, they’ve made the rooty sections that are so washed-out right now a lot more manageable in the wet. I’ve swapped back to the excellent Crud XL Fender for maximum protection from the muck now that the season’s turned, and feel like I’m in the gang now that the Santa Cruz Syndicate run them!
Every time I sling a leg over the Reactor it feels like a fit-and-forget bike.
