With its central, centred rider position and a certain suppleness, the Kathmandu grabs a few sympathy points straight away. The XT equipment throughout is noticeable on every ride with precise, crisp gear changes and, depending on requirements, sensitively adjustable or powerful braking action. A nice bonus of the XT is always the ability to shift down two gears and up three at the touch of a button on the shifter.
The 2-finger brake levers also promote control: with the index finger constantly in contact, you can finely regulate the speed in fractions of a second. The air fork with its conically thickened steerer tube guides the front wheel with high lateral stiffness and therefore great precision. The Paragon fork has a kind of emergency stop in case you bump into a pothole with the lockout blocked: this protects the material and increases riding safety. The nimble Kathmandu also transported 22 kilos of test load decently - with the exception of abrupt load changes. However, the bags need to be positioned carefully: The rear legroom is tight and the carrier is close to the seat tube.
On the other hand, the Cube is agile and manoeuvrable. In the city, this is pure joy. The elegantly compact Eyc light with its high light output also comes into its own here. The fact that Cube has fitted the Kathmandu with expensive Schwalbe tyres from the Evolutition line gives the bike an extra dose of suppleness and outstanding grip.
Plus:
- Top bike with good touring qualities
- Very high-quality equipment
Minus:
- Carrier places the bags far forward towards the pedal
The history of the model:
The first Kathmandu hit the shops in 2003: A cross bike on knobbly tyres, with RST suspension fork, Shimano LX/XT mix, hub dynamo light, pannier rack and Magura HS 33 brakes. The bike, which was designed for everyday use and, more importantly, for travelling, cost 1300 euros and was intended as a "bike for everyday use and adventure". Cube has modernised this concept year after year: The frame and components became lighter, more stable and better. Today, the Kathmandu is the top model in the trekking category.
