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It is above all the stable, confident handling that immediately wins over the testers in favour of the Cube. You sit slightly upright, yet always relaxed and comfortable, the wide handlebars are slightly above saddle level and sit comfortably in the hand. A massive adjustable stem allows the handlebars to be raised up to 90 millimetres if desired. Thanks to the solid design of all components, the heavily loaded steering head and the cockpit of the Cube Touring One quiet and torsion-free. Large-volume, profiled frame tubes with neatly laid weld seams make the frame torsionally rigid and easy to ride. It is the same frame, in a different colour, that is used in the entire Touring series, including the more expensive models.
The wheel in practice
The colour-coordinated, simple suspension fork with steel springs, stanchions and steerer tubes brings a certain amount of steering inertia into play with its relatively high weight. However, at least when new, it works as inconspicuously and efficiently as the solidly constructed telescopic seat post with steel spring damping under the rear section of the tester. The Cube Touring One copes with rough gravel tracks or cobblestones without shaking the rider too much. The generously wide 47-millimetre Schwalbe tyres also contribute to this. Their block profile runs smoothly on tarmac roads, but also provides reliable lateral support and propulsion on gravel tracks. With a triple crankset and an eight-pinion set, the derailleur gear system offers a gear range of 492 per cent - enough to always find the right gear, even on hilly, even mountainous terrain.
The Cube Touring One in detail
The cranks have some limitations compared to higher quality gears: The three chainrings are riveted together instead of bolted and firmly pressed to the crank. The steel cogs do not wear out as quickly as the more expensive aluminium rings. However, in the event of wear, the entire crankset has to be replaced instead of individual chainrings. The cassette offers three gears less than current top trekking groupsets. The gear range is sufficient, but the individual gear steps are larger than with higher-quality groupsets.
Across all model variants, Cube uses the same low-vibration house-brand mudguards, stable rear stands and a fully luggage-compatible rack on the Touring One. This puts it on a par with significantly more expensive model versions. Only the hub dynamo and front light come from cheaper sources. The latter offers a narrow but usable light field even on unlit roads.
The price of things
The Cube Touring One is noticeably heavier than its higher-quality, more expensive siblings due to its cheaper components. However, at a good 17 kilos, it is still within a range that is easy to handle. In addition to the extra weight, the more favourable gearing means coarser gear jumps, less precise handling and slightly higher maintenance requirements. Overall, however, the positive factors outweigh the disadvantages, offering high utility value for everyday use, touring and travelling.
Advantages and disadvantages
- Plus: Mature frame; high stability and riding safety; very high versatility
- Minus: Derailleur gears with large gear steps; chainrings cannot be replaced individually; relatively heavy
The most important details of the Cube Touring One
- Price: 749 Euro >> available here
- Frame sizes: Men: 46, 50, 54, 58, 62 cm; ladies: 45, 46, 49, 50, 53, 54 cm
- Test bike weight: 17.1 kg
- Permissible total weight: 140 kg
- Frame: Aluminium, welded
- Fork: Suntour NEX 28, steel spring, stanchion, stem; 63 mm
- Circuit: Shimano Acera, Tourney
- Translation: 48, 36, 26/12-32 t., 3 x 8 gears, 492%
- Brakes/ø: Shimano BR-M200 Disc/160 mm
- Tyres: Schwalbe Range Cruiser 47-622
- Lighting system: Cube Shiny 50 LED, Acid rear light, Shimano DH-3D37 hub dynamo
- MYBIKE grade: 2.3
Conclusion on the Cube Touring One
Despite the necessary dealer margin, the specialist retail brand Cube is able to compete with direct sales providers: the basic Touring One model benefits from the concept and technology of its more expensive sister models. And thus shines with an outstanding price-performance ratio.
