Cube Stereo 27.5 ” 140mm Enduro E-Bike - EuroBike 2013
Cube today presented the first E-bike we looked at in our “best of” Enduro style E-bike round up and testing at Euro Bike in Friedsrichshafen.
Generally as a rule the press doesn’t like E-bikes, “It’s not cycling…” has been heard many a time from certain areas of opinion. Step aboard the Cube Stereo and immediately your opinion will change. We have been riding various MTB E-bikes for a while and most have suffered from feeling like converted cross country bikes with strange geometry that felt heavy but powered you up the hill. With a significant amount of experience in using Enduro bikes the Cube Stereo with 27.5″ wheels and 140mm of travel caught our eyes immediately when we first saw it then later sat on it and rode it, we were surprised by the comfortable feeling and the right kind of geometry for this style of “Enduro” bike.
The latest technology from Bosch is with a 400W motor that should last around 50 KM on turbo mode with the supplied removable battery. The battery is centrally positioned and made the bike feel incredibly well balanced, a huge leap forward in feeling on Ebikes in the last years. The bottom bracket position is very slightly higher than a standard Stereo, but it didnt seem to affect our feeling on the bike. Overall weight for the bike was around the 20 kilo mark.
The battery system on the Stereo is centrally placed with the frame slightly formed around the battery giving protection from any strikes or contact with outside objects, a feature we really liked.
Fitted with Fox’s Kashmir coated Talas 34 up front and float shock behind, the component choice on this bike was top quality, we particularly like the bar and stem setup which was wide enough and short enough respectively and a fundamental component to have right when searching for the Enduro feeling on any kind of bike . Tyre and wheel choice was acceptable and “Enduro” in form with Schwalbe Hans Dampf 2.35″ mounted front and rear.
Drive to the wheels was provided via a Shimano XTR Mech and and XT cassette from the special fit front chainring mounted on the motor. Stopping power was provided by the ever excellent Shimano XT brakes. A long cage mech was used in order to limit chain slap on the stay due to the small front chainring on the modern Bosch system. Overall a nice package, finished off well with a Stealth Rockshox Reverb telescopic seat post.
The handle bar system layout was clean, correctly setup and included the Bosch control system. The bar width was around 740mm and felt absolutely ideal especially coupled with the correct length stem and frame geometry as mounted. Ideal for a 140mm, 27.5″ inch wheeled all mountain bike.
Conclusion and Brief Testing
After years of slightly disappointing off the shelf Ebike setups we thought that this Ebike might just be another, “almost there,” bike. However after our limited testing we think that this bike is a game changer the style of the bike is such that it will open up technical All-Mountain trails in distant places or up steep hills that can be hard to access for the less adjusted less fit rider.
The bike was tremendous fun, handling was as close to a non electric “Enduro” bike as it is possible to get in this style with the weight being virtually unnoticed at low speeds on non technical/dirt surfaces. We cant wait to get one of these on the trails in Punta Ala and test it out properly, we think the amount of distance and type of trails that can be covered with easy and comfortable riding downhill, will be exciting. It is hard to explain here how this bike feels in a few words but summing up it could best be done by the fact that anyone who sits on this bike is going to feel comfortable and secure and it will open up a whole other style of riding that wasn’t possible before.
Retail Price €3999 available soon.
