Highlights Of The Cube Bikes 2017 Range

Just a fortnight ago, Singletrack was invited to fly over to Germany to see the new 2017 Cube Bike range, whilst touring their enormous new factory in Waldershof. Cube have invested a significant amount of money in their new assembly plant, which they use to assemble and ship all of their complete bikes for European distribution. It’s pretty darn impressive, and once up to capacity, it will allow Cube to produce assemble some 3500 bikes per day.

You may have already read our article on the new AMS 100 dual suspension XC race bike, but we also had the chance to look through the rest of the 2017 Cube mountain bike range. Here we take a look at some of the highlights from that range, to show you what you can expect to see at your local Cube dealer.

This is the Stereo 120 HPC SL. As you can probably tell from the name, it has 120mm of travel, and it’s one of Cube’s most popular full suspension models. It’s a bit of a marathon mile-muncher/trail bike, with upright geometry and fast-rolling 29in wheels.

The Stereo 120 range is available in five different trims, from £1299 up to £2999 for the SL model you’re looking at here. For nearly three grand, you get a full carbon fibre frame, Fox Factory suspension with Kashima gold-goodness, and a Shimano XT 2×11 drivetrain.

This guy here is the Stereo 140 C:62 SL 29. It bumps up the travel to 140mm in a similar four-bar suspension design as the Stereo 120, but with slacker angles and burlier components. If you’re into more technical trail riding, this is a more stable and confidence-inspiring ride than the 120mm travel version.

This is the Cube Stereo 140 C:68 SLT 27.5. It’s the top-of-the-range model that’s available in both 27.5in and 29in wheels. An interesting side note on wheelsize is that Cube’s Enduro World Series team is racing on the 29in version of this bike, with a bigger 160mm travel fork up front. However, Cube spec almost all of their full suspension bikes with matching travel front and rear.

The C:68 number refers to Cube’s highest level carbon construction, which is both lighter and stiffer than their C:62 carbon fibre. The SLT model eschews paint to keep things as light as possible, and features a premium parts kit that includes Fox Factory suspension front and rear. Price is £5199, though the Stereo 140 range kicks off at £1999 for the base-level alloy model.

Still 140mm travel, but this blue beast is the Stereo 140 HPA SL 27.5. In case you hadn’t already picked up, Cube include the wheelsize as part of the bike’s name (as long as there are wheelsize options within the same chassis), and the ‘HPA’ bit refers to the alloy frame.

Ok, so this one is just plain badass. The latest model to join the Stereo line up is the Stereo 150. It’s Cube’s first plus full suspension option, with 2.8in wide Schwalbe Nobby Nic tyres strapped to the lightweight Stereo platform. Travel sits at 150mm travel on the rear, and it features a 150mm RockShox Yari fork up front.

The Stereo 150 is available in two models that both use the same alloy frameset. This one is the cheaper of the two, coming in at £2299, though a few upgrades to the SL model will set you back £2799 in total.

The biggest travel option in the Stereo range is the Stereo 160. Whereas the Stereo 120 comes only with 29in wheels, the Stereo 140 comes with either 27.5in or 29in wheels. The Stereo 160 however, only comes in a 27.5in option. There are six Stereo 160 models in total, with three models using alloy frames, and three models getting carbon frames. This black and red number is the entry-point into the range; the Stereo 160 HPA Race 27.5, which will set you back £2099.

Stepping up the brawniness and the travel is the Cube Fritz. This is an interesting model of bike, because the Fritz features 180mm of travel front and rear, along with a big Fox 36 fork up front. However, Cube does not describe it as a ‘park’ bike. In their eyes, this is a long travel all mountain bike, which looks ready for the gnarliest and most rugged of backcountry singletrack.

For 2017, Cube will be expanding their women’s mountain bike lineup, with a range of purpose built machines designed to offer stability and confidence for entry-level riders. For the higher end models, Cube relies on the same frames as their unisex models, but straps on more suitable components for female riders such as modified cockpits and women-specific saddles.

This model is called the Cube Access WLS GTC Pro, and it sits one step below the top-end women’s carbon hardtail. It shares the same carbon frame, but features a cheaper parts spec to get the price down to £1399. It’s a good looking bike for riders wanting a lightweight XC bike.

New for 2017 is a women’s offering in a 140mm travel suspension package that matches the Stereo 140. Called the ‘Sting’, this range features the same suspension design as the unisex Stereo 140, but is available down to a tiny 13.5in frame size for shorter female riders. You can get into the Sting range for £1799, though the Sting WLS 140 SL (pictured here) will set you back £2599.

Also big news for Cube’s 2017 range is the dramatic increase in e-bike models. Just three years ago, Cube had only a couple of e-bikes in their lineup. For this season, they will have over 140 different e-bike SKU’s across hardtail, full suspension, fat bike, hybrid and city platforms. Clearly Cube is ready for the e-bike phenomenon to explode.

Highlighting just how far the e-bike movement will be heading in 2017 and beyond, Cube had this SLT version of its 29in Elite Hybrid model. For £4999, you can get your hands on one of the lightest e-bikes on the market. With a full carbon frame that has dropped 1.5kg off the alloy version, the Elite Hybrid C:62 SLT comes in at 18.5kg. Still a lot of weight, but if you know e-bikes, you’ll understand just how light that actually is.

While not quite as exotic, the alloy Reaction Hardtail range is arguably more exciting for a number of reasons. The Reaction frame is brand new for 2017, with a new cast downtube that aims to tuck the Bosch battery pack into a more streamlined package. Cube have also partnered with Bosch to create a custom skid-plate for the motor, which ties in quite nicely into the Reaction’s colour scheme.

Like the Reaction hardtail, the Access WLS hardtail gets the same cast downtube that tucks the Bosch battery pack into a hollowed-out pocket in the frame. Accented skid plate also comes standard, giving more of a colour pop.

And that about wraps up our highlights from the Cube 2017 launch. This by no means is an exhaustive list – the Cube 2017 line up is absolutely huge, and there is seemingly a model for every budget and every riding type. If you want to know more about the range, then roll on over to the Cube UK website to see all of the new bikes.

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