Cube AMS Hybrid one44 c:68x slt 400x (Bosch sx, 400 battery, allegedly 16.2kg)
Pensioner who does map based cheeky xc so needs to be able to lift bike over a variety of obstacles, still trying to pedal as much as he can but has got to the stage where he likes help on steeper hills/further into ride when tiring/bad legs day. I think my ideal ebike would be a 15kg, full power, removable 400ish battery with extender option, 130mm travel xcer - and that just doesn’t exist.
So, love my levo (fully mudguarded and pogied, say 24-25kg), now use it mainly in winter, does everything well enough for me, ploughs thru the worst slop, great on hills/when you’re knackered but it’s a HEAVY lift/manhandle, really like my trek exe (standard 18.2kg) much easier lift/push/drag, great on flat and downs, but for me I’d just like a little bit more help esp on steeper hills/when I’m tiring. From internet reading etc it appears the Bosch sx (now 60 ) just has a few more suds, doesn’t seem to be a problem motor and as the cube allegedly weighs 16.2kg and was really well priced in a sale I cracked.
After just a short shakedown ride, its definitely more powerful than the exe (esp if spinning fast), not too noisy, got up my test hill pretty easily (better than exe, less than levo), rides and fits really well, does feel like 16.2kg, initial impressions very good, roll on summer.
likes - has 4 power modes, app works well, control usability (leccy and bike ), motor feels fine, general feel when riding, weight/liftability, doesn’t have mixed torx and Allen fittings (*found so far), fox suspension, can do own software updates, can get range extender
dislikes - headset cabling (why, why), non removable battery, to be discovered.
Observations - light weight has some “choices”, one piece bar stem, no bite point adjustment on brake levers, single piston 180 rotor brakes, light tyres, dropper is sl with just up/down modes, basic 5 lights battery % display and single colour power mode display on top tube.
will do further testing when we get some drier weather but I’m pretty sure it will replace the exe. (exe 9.8xt, small, black, extender, immaculate, lightly used, well maintained mainly summer bike, Oxfordshire)
I keep looking at the one 77, Cube do seem to be the best bang for your buck at the moment, I don't like the idea of headset routing but my 2018 Esommet is still on its original headset bearings
will do further testing when we get some drier weather but I’m pretty sure it will replace the exe. (exe 9.8xt, small, black, extender, immaculate, lightly used, well maintained mainly summer bike, Oxfordshire)
How is the Trek? Been looking at that bike as it’s cheap reasonably local to me, shame I need a large.
I like the idea of the removable battery.
Trek - I really like it, rides really well, only gripes are that to turn the motor off takes holding the power down button for 2 secs (all other mode changes are instant and I ride motor off a lot, so do that quite a lot ) and you seem to need to take it to a dealer to get certain sw updates (£25 for me at non supplying dealer), removable battery (some people carrying spares in rucksacks), easy to use extender (and you can control which battery is used when by careful plug positioning) , non headset cabling, dealer support network, very quiet, good for lifting, parts available etc etc. Also the newer more powerful hpr60 motor can be retro fitted (*reduced power a bit as cooling fins don’t fit, awaiting developments) but at least it will probably be supported for a few years, I thought about doing this, as for me it hasn’t quite got enough power ( pensioner) - esp on very steep and when I’m knackered, but from internet reports the sx (60) is just stronger, the whyte sx isn’t in small in the sale but i saw the cube at what seemed a very good price. If I didn’t feel I was getting near the end of my biking career I probably wouldn’t have bothered but there still isn’t (and probably won’t be) a ‘full power lightweight’ so I’m taking what I think is the best I can get (*without stupid money)while I can.
Thanks for taking the time to write that. Definitely sounds like a good fit for me, I don’t need to chase full fat bikes.