Although the newly crowned world champion José Hermida and Olympic champion Julien Absalon used bar ends on their handlebars at the World Championships in Mont Sainte-Anne, test riders Kurschat and Döhl agree: "Bar ends are out!" That may be a matter of taste, but the bar ends cut two to three centimetres off the 630 handlebars.
In addition, the grip alternative stretches the already stretched seating position even further. A 120 millimetre long stem and a 615 millimetre long top tube turn the 20-inch test bike into a real stretching bench. Uphill, this results in a flat, aerodynamic position that keeps the front wheel glued to the ground. Thanks to the Fox Terralogic fork, which at 1620 grams marks the end of the test field, there is no need to push the handlebar lever on the short ramps of our test lap, and the stylish Easton carbon wheels climb nimbly. When you turn into the descent, you experience a smooth-running bike, but it's not one of the most manoeuvrable in the starting block. Thanks to the revised Syntace P6 carbon seatpost, the frame achieves better comfort values than its predecessor.
The warranty gives cause for criticism: Cube does not offer more than two years (statutory warranty).
ConclusionBalanced racing bike with stretched seating position and racing set-up.
+ Lightweight carbon wheels
+ Affordable frame
- Little ride comfort
- Susceptible to chainsucks
Web: www.cube.eu
