The development of lowerable suspension forks was one of my biggest aha moments years ago: Suddenly I was cranking up ramps that previously seemed unconquerable in the saddle. But after two long touring summers with the Cube AMS 130, I realised that Fox's Talas Vario fork remains in the middle position most of the time. There it releases 130 millimetres of travel, which fits perfectly with the rear triangle. The balanced geometry of the AMS convinced me so much during the endurance test that I hardly needed to reach for the adjustment lever, which is inconveniently located on the fork crown.
During my research tours for the BIKE-Guide in the Wetterstein, I missed a seatpost that could be adjusted from the handlebars. The retrofitting of the Blacx Vario seatpost finally increased the fun factor considerably. The four-bar rear suspension does its job inconspicuously: no bobbing uphill, even without platform adjustment on the shock. In difficult terrain, it swallows up every root and responds sensitively to my 66 kilos.
There was always trouble with the Formula RX stoppers: although they gripped firmly, the annoying squealing could not be stopped despite several workshop sessions. The pads were also a mystery. The standard set lasted a whole season, the second (organic) was completely worn out after just 300 kilometres. The SLX/XT combination shifts smoothly, although the SLX lever requires a little more finger strength when shifting up to the big blade. The quiet whirring of the brake disc when cornering or pedalling in the saddle is tolerable, but a thru-axle would make the wheel more torsionally rigid. The paintwork coped well with a few small drops on the rocky trails on Lake Garda or in the Karwendel.
ConclusionA solid touring classic with balanced handling characteristics - at home on any terrain. The squealing of the brakes is annoying, but only minimally detracts from the overall package.
Functionality *****
Shelf life *****
(max. 6 stars)
TUNING
- 0 km Saddle changed: Instead of the narrow Cube Ready saddle, the familiar and well-worn Fizik Aliante is fitted
- 850 km Brake discs: Other brake discs fitted: but brought no improvement, so I changed back to the old ones
- 2200 km Vario support: The eternal, manual lowering of the seatpost is annoying: therefore a Blacx Jewel AM+Air is installed
DEFECTS
- 1800 km brake pads: The squeaking, worn original brake pads (sintered) replaced with organic ones
- 2100 km Brake padsAfter two Tremalzo descents and a Wetterstein lap, the pads had to be changed again.
- 2700 km chain changeReplaced the worn chain, but the cassette is still OK.
