We're no marketing experts, but when it comes to naming the two duelists, our gut feeling is that they could have come up with something better. The flood of numbers and characters behind the type name Cube Stereo triggers fewer emotions than a brand of washing powder. And Evil? The frame is super chic down to the last screw, but "wreck" as a name for a classy carbon racer? Okay, at least it sounds cool and evil in English. You don't have to translate it. No matter. After all, today is about something other than names. Two sophisticated racing machines compete against each other here: large wheels for maximum speed, lots of suspension travel for maximum grip, lots of carbon for minimum weight. However, 14 kilos is not a value for which we pop open champagne bottles and jump around the editorial office with howls of joy.
14 kilos is more like ... okay? But enduro bikes are no different to modern cars. Despite the high-tech and all the bells and whistles of modern engineering, they are getting heavier and heavier. A few years ago, 29-inch wheels were only for shaven-headed dopers in CC racing. With paper-thin tyre sidewalls and wheels made of spider silk and decaffeinated carbon fibre, they were still light and therefore a real gain, both up and down. But then, two years ago, the downhillers also started the bigger=faster arms race. But now with heavy wheels and tyres. And because modern enduro bikes are basically downhill bikes that are suitable for uphill riding, they are now following suit bit by bit and are therefore 1-2 kilos heavier than top enduro bikes a few years ago. Fortunately, 14 kilos downhill is not a problem, but a gain. Slightly heavier bikes are better and safer. But enduro bikes used to be the epitome of the "one bike for everything". But 14 kilos on a fast home circuit with lots of short climbs? Probably not. Today's customers have to think carefully about whether they want a race weapon or an all-rounder suitable for everyday use. They are now called trail bikes and are what enduro bikes were three years ago.
For maximum downhill performance, you're spoilt for choice with the Cube and Evil. The Evil costs significantly more than the Cube due to import duties and middleman margins, although it is slightly less well equipped. The frames are technically on a par: full carbon here and there. On the Cube, even the rocker is made of plastic. The Evil appears to be more complex. The unusual rear triangle construction gives the bike a unique look and an extremely low centre of gravity, while the Cube has a classic look. But a
sic four-bar linkage is by no means a disadvantage. Cool looks alone don't win races. Rather the good geo and high-quality equipment. The Cube, quite unusually, comes up with really good numbers. A slack head angle, a reasonable reach and a steep seat angle in combination with a very low bottom bracket suit the range of use perfectly and combine good downhill stability with a riding position suitable for uphill riding. The Evil has a steeper head angle and a much slacker seat angle. This promotes direct handling, but places the rider, who is over 170 centimetres tall, far above the rear wheel on the M-frame.
This makes it less effective uphill. A slight tendency to bob in the first centimetre of the stroke cannot be prevented using the compression lever on the shock. However, the tendency to bob doesn't increase when pedalling, so the Evil accelerates very well out of corners. The Cube climbs better overall. The riding position is more effective above the bottom bracket. The rear suspension is composed and, with the compression lever in the down position, stable and firm even when pedalling. On the other hand, the fork bobs a little, while the Lyrik is virtually lockable. The Cube also leaves the better impression when it comes to spec and downhill performance: the Fox suspension elements of the 2019 generation really leave nothing to be desired in terms of tunability and performance. Thanks to the Float X2, the rear end is very forgiving, linear and, thanks to the new hydraulic bottom-out, is still resistant to bottoming out. The fork offers all adjustment options from comfortable to racy and is still sensitive in all variants. Add to this the code brake, transfer seatpost and the well-chosen super-gravity tyres - and you have the perfect overall package.
The Evil isn't quite as powerful. Although the Lyrik RCT3 is also a top fork, the 2018 version can't quite keep up with the performance of the new Fox. In terms of comfort, it is clearly on a par, but at full speed in nasty terrain, the Fox is more stable in its stroke and manages to combine sensitivity and race tune better. The Monarch Plus at the rear is also not as creamy as the X2. On long, fast descents, the damping changes noticeably towards (too) fast due to the high temperatures. The rear suspension is also more progressive and transmits hard hits more clearly to the rider in the last third of the stroke. We didn't feel the nominally longer travel. The Maxxis tyres are just as good as the Schwalbe combination on the Cube in terms of rubber compound and tread. But the more puncture-prone carcass makes less sense on a bike like this. On rock gardens, the EXO tyres flatten faster, which clearly runs counter to the racing idea of the 29-inch enduro bike. The fact that both bikes still weigh the same suggests a lighter frame on the Cube.
Nevertheless, the Evil is automatically one class more lively and agile on the trail than the Cube. After all, the large wheels have to be accelerated again and again. Every gram at the outermost point of the wheel has a negative effect. However, the Cube rider has the option of fitting lighter tyres for the home circuit and thus slimming the bike down to 13.5 kilos. Weight tuning on the Evil is only possible at a significantly higher cost by replacing more expensive parts.
Conclusion on the Cube Stereo 150 C:68 TM versus Evil Wreckoning test duel
The Evil wins the style category and impresses with its dynamic handling. The (real) slack seat angle is not ideal on the climbs, and the rear shock is a weak point on the descents. The Cube is smoother and safer. It combines the large tyres with a perfect chassis, ideal geometry on the high-quality frame and the first-class equipment for the better deal.
Cube Stereo 150 C:68 TM
MANUFACTURER INFORMATION
Distribution Cube Bikes
Web www.Cube.eu
Material / Sizes Carbon / S,M, L, XL
Price / weight without pedals 4,499 Euro / 14 kg
MEASURED DATA
Front / rear suspension travel 160 mm / 150 mm
Rear suspension system Four-bar linkage
Fork / damper Fox 36 Float Factory / Fox Float X3 Factory
Cranks / gears Sram X1 Carbon Eagle / Sram GX Eagle
Brake system Sram Code R
Impellers Newman Evolution SL A.30 system wheelset
Tyres Schwalbe Magic Mary Evo SG 2.35 / Hans Dampf EVo SG 2.35
Reach 432 mm
Stack 628 mm
BB-Drop -38 mm
PERFORMANCE
TRAIL 5 out of 6 points
DH 6 out of 6 points
Evil Wreckoning
MANUFACTURER INFORMATION
Distribution Evil Bikes Global
Web www.eu.evil-bikes.com
Material / Sizes Carbon / S,M, L, XL
Price / weight without pedals 5,699 Euro / 14.1 kg
MEASURED DATA
Front / rear suspension travel 160 mm / 160 mm
Rear suspension system Supported single-joint
Fork / damper RockShox Lyrik RCT 3 / RockShox Monarch Plus RC3
Cranks / gears Truvativ Descendant / Sram GX Eagle
Brake system Sram Guide RSC
Impellers E13 TRS+ system wheelset
Tyres Maxxis Minion DHF/DHR II 3C MaxxTerra Exo 2.3
Reach 434 mm
Stack 637 mm
BB-Drop -27 mm
PERFORMANCE
TRAIL 5 out of 6 points
DH 5 out of 6 points
FREERIDE-RANKING:
The number (maximum 10 points) reflects the overall impression of the testers and is not an addition of trail and downhill points. 10 = test winner, it couldn't be better. 9 = very good. Recommended purchase. 8 = solid performance. 7 = below average. The product has weaknesses. 1 to 6 = We can only warn against this!
