Mileage in the endurance test: 4,686 km | 103,561 altitude metres
As a tour guide, I've been looking for the perfect all-mountain bike for a long time. From spring to autumn, I'm out on my bike an average of five times a week around Sankt Englmar - with and without customers. After a long season with a lot of climbing, I fell in love with the Cube Stereo: 140 millimetres of suspension travel is ideal for the Bavarian Forest trails, whether uphill or downhill. With the Stereo, you always have the necessary reserves on board on guided tours so that you can safely cycle down the trails. Even when my customers persuaded me to go to the bike park in Bischofsmais, the good-natured 29er never let me down.
I rarely pushed the Hans-Dampf tyres from Schwalbe to their limits in the Bavarian Forest. I therefore rode Nobby Nic tyres most of the time. With the fast Rocket Ron/Racing Ralph combination, I battled my way through the long MTB loop of the Arber Marathon in Regensburg. The Stereo also copes with such excursions without a hitch. The only thing I couldn't get used to was the low bottom bracket - every now and then the Stereo would hit the pedals. When the aluminium bolt on the main bearing broke after almost 2500 kilometres, I was amazed. But Cube responded promptly to my enquiry via a dealer and sent a replacement immediately. Only one mountable bottle cage - that's not helpful on long tours, but you learn to come to terms with it. After all, as a guide you usually carry a large rucksack. Only the mountain gear with 24/36 gearing gave me a hard time on steep ramps. In the end, I fitted a 22-tooth cassette.
Functionality ******
Shelf life ****
(max. 6 stars)
ConclusionThe wide range of use and the good-natured handling make the Cube Stereo the number one touring weapon for me. Even the defective bolt doesn't change that.
CHANGES:
- 186 km - 22-tooth chainring: Instead of the 24-tooth chainring as the smallest chainring, one with 22 teeth was fitted
DEFECTS:
- 288 km - Brake calliper loose: Tighten the rear brake calliper bolts with Loctite
- 582 km - brake pads down: Worn rear and front brake pads replaced
- 1962 km - Inaccurate shifting: Replace rear shift cable and adjust shifting
- 1962 km - Vario support has play: Reverb telescopic support disassembled, re-greased and bled
- 2431 km - Bolt torn off: Aluminium bolt on the main bearing of the rear triangle replaced
- 4070 km - Brake discs down: Both brake discs replaced, as only 1.4 and 1.45 mm thick respectively
