As part of the Cube Bikes 2017 launch, the German brand has just pulled the wrapper off its brand new full suspension XC race bike: the AMS 100. With a lightweight carbon fibre frame, 100mm of travel front and rear, 29in wheels and geometry geared towards pedal efficiency and sharp handling, the AMS 100 is exclusively designed for the competitive world of XCO and marathon racing.
The AMS has been in the Cube range since 2003, though over the past decade, it has split off into multiple versions across different travel brackets and wheel sizes. Compared to its competitors however, the current Cube AMS 100 was starting to show its age in terms of its geometry and suspension layout. The new 2017 version steps things up considerably, with an all-new carbon fibre frame that is both sleek and impressively lightweight, coming in at just 1550 grams for the bare frame (claimed). Add in a rear shock, and it’s still well under 2kg.
The model being shown off here is the top-of-the-range SLT model that will be retailing in the UK for £5199. However, the AMS 100 range will kick off at £3499 for the Race model, which uses exactly the same carbon frame and suspension design, but with a cheaper parts spec to get the price down. If you’re a true weight weenie though, you will want the SLT model, because it features an unpainted frame that saves over 100 grams over the other two AMS 100 models.
“If it looks right, it often is right. Of course, there‘s a lot more to designing the ultimate cross-country race chassis than that, but it‘s a truth that holds for our designers. That‘s why, for example, the seatstays blend seamlessly into the shock mount on this frame. It‘s also the reason you won‘t see any exposed bolts or bearings, and why we routed cables internally (including provision for Di2). As for the stuff you can‘t see, it‘s the high tech Advanced Twin Mold C:68 carbon you‘d expect, crafted into a structure that sets new standards for low weight and high stiffness. Boost148? Check. Tapered head tube? Present and correct. We‘ve sweated the details, so you can concentrate on the ride” – Cube Bikes.
One of the prerequisites for the new AMS 100 frameset was the ability to carry two water bottle cages. With more and more riders looking to ride further without the need to carry a hydration backpack, this proved an important consideration in the design of the AMS 100. The application of a top tube mounted rear shock, a compact linkage and a heavily bent down tube ensured the necessary clearance to fit a second set of bidon cage bolts on the lower half of the seat tube.
As for the suspension itself, it’s a four-bar arrangement (Cube call it ‘4-Link’), with a horst-link style pivot on the chainstay just forward of the dropouts. The suspension kinematics have been tuned to offer a firm and efficient feel under power, with sufficient progression towards the latter half of the suspension curve. As with many Euro brands, Cube has added remote lockouts to the AMS platform for those riders who like to lock out their suspension at the flick of a lever.
The compact linkage around the upper part of the seatstay does look a little odd, and it takes a few closer looks to decipher exactly what’s going on here.
While it looks like a complex multi-link design, there is only one link driving the rear shock, and this link bolts to a forward triangular-shaped mount that juts out from the seat tube. This small link is then connected via a pivot to the upper seat stay assembly, which is covered by a carbon sheath.
These carbon sheaths simply hide the pivot assembly underneath to give an incredibly smooth look to the AMS’s rear end. However, they don’t actually serve any structural function – these are purely for aesthetics.
The top-end AMS 100 SLT model features a carefully selected parts selection to keep weight as low as possible. That includes Cube’s own carbon fibre wheelset, Race Face Next SL cranks, and interestingly, a 1×11 SRAM XX-1 drivetrain. Cube says it chose the 11-speed drivetrain because it was lighter than 1×12 Eagle, and that competitive XC racers aren’t so in need of twelve gears. Time will tell on the commercial validity of that decision…
Other neat parts that we spotted included new carbon handlebars and this trick one-piece stem from a new German company called Newmen. The stem apparently weighs under 100 grams, but looks like it will require some patience for installation and adjustments. Along with the rest of the high-end build kit, the AMS 100 SLT reportedly weighs just 8.9kg for the complete bike. Pretty damn impressive for a 100mm travel full suspension bike!
The new AMS 100 range will be available in three different spec levels. The cheaper two models get 2×11 drivetrains with a Shimano side-swing front derailleur, as well as dual-lockouts to cover both the fork and rear shock. They still share the same frame as the SLT model, which is equipped with a tapered head tube, internal cable routing, and a Boost 148x12mm rear end.