Hi All,

I am a newbie here and I would like to receive your help, hoping that in a few time I will help other people.

I am considering to buy (actually still today 🙂 ) a Cube Reaction Carbon 29er VTT.

My big big dilemma (my girfiend will kill me if I tell her again about that) between the Race and the SL. See below the caracteristics. The frame is the same, one is in XT/Slx (which is already good), the other is full XT. I don’t care a lot because I guess the SLX is already good.

BUT I see that the maxle is 9mm for the Race and 15mm for the SLT and that the rims are really better (and also the tires…)

My question is: for 540 eur difference between this two models which one I have to choose? Is 9mm and the Race’s fork enough for XC or to have a long term investment, should I go for the SLT ?

Thanks a million for your help!

GTC RACE 29
GTC Twin Mold Monocoque Technology 29er, Agile Ride Geometry
carbon ‘n’ white
Rock Shox Reba RL 29, Motion Control, PushLoc, 100mm
FSA Orbit I-t-R integrated, oben integriert 1 1/8″, unten integriert 1 1/2″
Syntace F149 Oversized, Lenkerklemmung 31.8mm, 6°
RFR Flat Race Bar, 31,8×720 mm, 9°
CUBE Race Grip, 1-clamp
Shimano XT, RD-M781-SGSL, Shadow 10-speed
Shimano SLX FD-M671-D, direct mount, Down Swing
Shimano SLX SL-M670, 10-speed
Magura MT2 hydr. Disc brake (180/160mm)
Shimano SLX, FC-M670 Hollowtech II 42x32x24T, 175mm, Innenlager PressFit SM-BB91-41
Sun Ringlé Radium wheelset, 32 spokes
Schwalbe Rapid Rob 2.25
Selle Italia X1
RFR Prolight 31.6*400mm
RFR Varioclose 34.9mm
11,2 kg
416401

GTC SLT 29
GTC Twin Mold Monocoque Technology 29er, Agile Ride Geometry
carbon ‘n’ green ‘n’ blue
Rock Shox SID RL 29, tapered, QR15 Maxle[u], Motion Control, PushLoc, 100mm
FSA Orbit I-t integrated, oben integriert 1 1/8″, unten integriert 1 1/2″
Syntace F149 Oversized, Lenkerklemmung 31.8mm, 6°
RFR Flat Race Bar, 31,8×720 mm, 9°
CUBE Race Grip, 1-clamp
Shimano XT, RD-M781-SGSL, Shadow 10-speed
Shimano XT, FD-M781-D-L, direct mount, Down Swing, 3×10-speed
Shimano Deore XT SL-M780-I Rapidfire-Plus, 10-speed, direct attach
Shimano Deore XT K-M7851 hydr. disc brake (180/160mm)
Shimano XT, FC-M780 Hollowtech II 42x32x24T, 175mm (180mm bei Rahmengröße 23″), Innenlager PressFit SM-BB91-41
DT CSW MA 2.0 straightpull wheelset, 28/32 spokes, 15mm/QR, 19.5mm rim
Schwalbe Racing Ralph Kevlar 2.25
Selle Italia X1
RFR Prolight 31.6*400mm
RFR Varioclose 34.9mm
10,2 kg
416601

OOOH I’ve just bought one of those 🙂

I’ve gone with the Race 29er and have bargained in with the LBS a pair of Hope/Crests to shed a few hundred and I’ll lose a few more by upgrading with XT, XTR, Carbon USE blingage from my old 26 ‘Race’ bike.

I will be using mine for XC jeyness and Endurance events.

so you have choosen the Race, changing wheels but keeping the 9mm maxle?

So far as I am aware they are standard 9mm QR’s not Maxles….bloody hope so!

There is the argument that maxles will increase the rigidity of the front end, but at my weight and the riding it will do I just don’t see the advantage. to be honest I’ve never really felt my wheels wobble the only time I’ve ever known my wheels wobble is feeling the brake rubbing again my rims when really sprinting hard (road)

I’d go for the SLT simply based on it being 1kg lighter!

I forgot to mention that the difference is $700 (540 eur)…

@billyblackheart : yes, QP’s indeed, I have a bad english..

I have 1m76 for 82 kg… so I can go for 9mm ?

I think you can upgrade the bike for less than €540 that was mine and the LBS’s general consensus. the one up from the Race wasn’t worth it unless you went into the Elite range.

If you look at it, you’re only really getting a bit extra XT you can find this bargain bucket OE stuff from the likes of Merlin, CRC and the wheels but you can get for as little as £264 for Hope/Crest whilst not super light they are a light and durable wheelset.

From SRAMS website (though I did raise an eyebrow)

Reba RL 29″: 1564g, *Weight based on 265mm tapered steerer, 9mm QR lower leg, Dual Air

SID RL 29″: 1584 g, *Weight based on 265mm tapered steerer, 9mm QR lower leg

you’re right for the fork, but on Cube spec’s, it is clearly 15mmm, i am lost.

I guess Slx is already great, so no need absolutely XT. Then, two wheels+two good tires… will be 300-350 eur easy, no?

Yes there is a maxle version of both I imagine they will just be a little heavier.

I’d see if anyone else has anything to say over the Reba QR vs SID Maxle…the SID is clearly the better fork and both are great value bikes.

I’m choosing to get the lower spec bike because:
1) I prefer the colour
2) I already have the high end parts I can just swap over onto the new bike.

About the colour, I love both, but I just consider that if one day I have to change the fork, it will be difficult to fina blue one 🙂

you mean that I can put à 15mm maxle on the Race?

If yes, I would upgrade that and the wheels (and tires for wet weather)

I’ve got a 2013 GTC SLT, and it’s a great bike.

I chose it over the SL because of the XT (which I have on my full-sus and love it) and other components, and the fact it wasn’t a lot more expensive. I chose it over the basic Elite as I didn’t think the additional cost was worth it.

Am I happy with it? I thought the paint job was the runt of the litter when i first saw it, but now i’ve got it i’m quite happy – it’s not that garish. Once you ride one and feel how heavy it ISN’T forget the rest, it’s a great bike for the price.

Yes I could have bought a GTC SL and upgraded stuff, but tbh for the difference in price I couldn’t be bothered.

I agree with you and indeed I would never choose the SL. BUt between the Race and the SLT, there is a 400 pounds difference, and that’s my dilemma. I fixed myself a deadline for tomorrow 10 am 🙂 just to avoid to become crazy

go for the carbon frame much better riding experiance and you can always upgrade later wiv better components, my first cube was cube ltd race 2010 and then cube reaction cr 2010 and now i went carbon wiv the cube hpc elite race 2012 sick bike sick riding experiance.

try looking at the focus range too