Review: Cube's 29" Downhill Bike - the Two15 SL

Nov 7, 2018
by Paul Aston  



Cube's Two15 chassis has been put to good use under their race team for a few years now, and last year we spotted the first prototypes being raced with 29" wheels. During the 2018 World Cup season the aluminum-framed downhill race bike was piloted by Matt Walker (the Kiwi racer) and up-and-coming German youngster, Max Hartenstern.

Cube will be offering a frame-only option, along with one complete bike. That model is ready to race with Fox Factory Suspension, a SRAM GX 7-speed drivetrain, Magura brakes, wheels and rubber from DT Swiss and Schwalbe, and finishing kit from RaceFace. There is a cheaper 'Race' model that costs €2499, but if you want big wheels you need to invest the 'SL' model priced at €3999; you should be able to get your hands on one from your local Cube dealer before December.

Two15 SL 29" Details

Intended use: downhill
Travel: 205mm rear / 203mm front
Wheel size: 29"
Frame construction: HPA Ultralight hydroformed and triple butted alloy
Suspension Design Four bar linkage with 'Horst-style' pivot
Suspension: Fox 49 + Float X2
Sizes: L, XL (S, M, L with 27.5" wheels)
Weight: 15.77kg / 34lbs 12oz (XL, tubeless, w/o pedals, actual.)
Price: €3999 EUR / £3999 GBP
cube.eu
bigquotesCompared to other 29" downhill trucks on test, the Cube feels more like a park bike than a World Cup racer, Paul Aston

Contents






Construction and Features


Cube Stereo DH 29 Review - downhill configuration
The Two15 sees a ZS49/EC49 straight headtube up front.


Cube Stereo DH 29 Review - seatstay brace
Cube Stereo DH 29 Review - shock mudguard
A carbon mudguard is used to protect the shock, but leaves just enough space to slot in a 3mm and 6mm Allen key to adjust the damping settings.

Cube Stereo DH 29 Review - seatstay brace
The seat stay brace leaves plenty of tire clearance and keeps the rear triangle in-line.


The Two 15 uses a full aluminum frame with hydroformed and triple-butted tubing. There is little song and dance; Cube says they wanted to make a simple and reliable bike for a good price. The bottom bracket is a threaded BSA 83mm unit, there's a straight 1.5" headtube (ZS49/40 EC49/30) which gives more possibilities to adjust reach and angle than a tapered version. The 157mm x 12mm rear hub is held in place with a Syntace X12 axle system, and to finish off all of the cable routings are threaded internally.

Cube Stereo DH 29 Review - HPA and ETC
Cube Stereo DH 29 Review - ISO certified



Geometry & Sizing


photo
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After a number of years of widely varying geometry, downhill bikes have started to settle down to share fairly similar numbers. On paper, the Two15 has a 63.8º head angle which is slightly steeper than most, a 445mm chainstay, which is within a few millimeters of most 29" DH bikes, and -27mm of bottom bracket drop. The size large 29" frame has a 435mm reach, and 455mm for an XL (tested, this preproduction bike has an 'L' sticker on it which should be ignored). Those numbers are on the shorter end of the spectrum, especially considering the direction we're seeing geometry numbers go.


Suspension Design

Cube Stereo DH 29 Review - driveside rear triangle

The Two15 uses a Horst link suspension design, with the main pivot located close to the bottom bracket, and the rear pivots on the chainstay, below the rear axle. The long, forged, rocker link drives the Fox Float X2 shock, which is non-trunnion and non-metric, and measures 241mm x 76mm.

A four-bar linkage layout can be tweaked by designers to have a variety of characteristics. In this case, the 'anti-rise' figure is very low, and there is also essentially no pedal kickback (no tension on the chain trying to rotate the cranks backward as the bike moves through the travel), and anti-squat is around 60% at the sag point (60mm / 30%).

Finally, the leverage ratio is slightly progressive and goes from 3.17 - 2.18 in an almost straight line. This can be considered a medium amount of progression for a downhill bike, but in conjunction with an air shock it should provide enough bottom out support for nearly anything.

Cube Stereo DH 29 Review - rocker link
The long rocker link connects the seat stay to the shock.


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Build


Cube Stereo DH 29 Review - MT7 levers
The MT7 brake with the longer alloy levers are one of my favorites.
Cube Stereo DH 29 Review - prototype DT Swiss rims
My bike was built with prototype DT Swiss rims, production versions are supplied with DT's latest FR1950 wheelset.


My Cube bike was an early production sample, so the exact spec is not the same as production, but it's very similar. A top-of-the-line Kashima coated Fox 49 is found at the front and a Float X2 at the rear, as well as high-end components from RaceFace's SixC line, Magura MT7 brakes, and a SRAM X01 DH 7-speed drivetrain. Finishing touches are grips from SDG as well as a carbon i-Beam post and customized Cube saddle. The DT wheels were stickered with prototype logos but the production version will use the new FR1950 wheelset and Schwalbe Magic Mary rubber in Supersoft Addix compound. Finally an MRP G3 chainguide should keep your chain on and protected from incoming geology


Cube Stereo DH 29 Review - I needed to add a big chunk of foam after these shots were taken to stop the derailleur clunking on the frame.
I needed to add a big chunk of rubber (after these shots were taken) to stop the derailleur from clunking on the frame.



Specifications
Specifications
Price $4563
Travel 200
Rear Shock Fox Float X2 Factory, 240x76mm
Fork Fox 49 Float Factory GRIP2, Kashima
Headset Cane Creek 40 ZS49 / EC40
Cassette Sram PG-720
Crankarms Race Face Atlas 36T, 165mm
Chainguide MRP G3
Chain Sram PC-1110
Rear Derailleur Sram GXDH, 7-Speed
Shifter Pods Sram GXDH, 7-speed
Handlebar Race Face Atlas 35 800mm 35mm
Stem Race Face Chester 35
Grips SDG Slater
Brakes Magura MT7 203/180mm
Wheelset DT Swiss Prototype
Tires Schwalbe Magic Mary, Addix Ultrasoft
Seat SDG FLYMIN 2

photo













Test Bike Setup

Out of the box I pumped up the 49 fork to 76psi and the shock to 170psi. The fork came with the standard four (eight maximum) volume spacers and the X2 shock was already packed to its hilt with five orange volume spacers. To my usual preferences, compression was set a few clicks lighter than Fox recommended, and low speed rebound 2-3 clicks on the faster side (RC2: HSC -open, LSC +3, reb -7 / X2: HSC -18 , LSC -19, HSR -12, LSR -12). This gave 17% sag at the fork, and 27% at the shock, which would equate to 33% at the rear axle on flat ground. Double checking the gradient of one of my test tracks shows an average of about downhill grade of 22% which hopefully balanced the bike more towards 30/30% sag when riding.

Tire pressures have been set on all downhill bikes on test to 22/24psi with a standard tubeless setup. The fork stanchions were at full extension with a 10mm spacer either side of the top crown to leave room for ride height adjustment. After my initial shakedown ride the Two 15 needed to go straight back to the workshop for some sound-proofing and extra b-tension where the rear derailleur was loudly striking the frame in rough sections, but after this, it offered a quiet ride overall with the usual chain slap noises deadened by the rubber tape on the chain and seatstay.


Paul Aston
Paul Aston
Location: Finale Ligure, Italy
Age: 32
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 75kg
Industry affiliations / sponsors: None
Instagram: @astonator

Testing took place on a variety of trails, from Finale Ligure, Pila, Les Gets, and some of Piemonte's best kept secret bike parks.



Cube Stereo DH 29 Review - riding


Ride Impressions

The Cube isn't the most efficient sprinter due to its low anti-squat number, but it definitely pedals well enough for a downhill bike to get you to the lift and out of the start gate. The upside of this is that there is no noticeable feedback (pedal kickback is essentially zero) through the pedals which should make for a smoother ride, especially for flat pedal riders, but after many back to back runs with high-pivot idler equipped bikes like the Norco Aurum HSP and Commencal Supreme, I found it much harder to keep my Five Tens planted on the pedals.

The bottom bracket of the Two15 is seriously low, at only 338mm from the ground (-27mm drop), and I did strike the pedals a couple more times compared to other bikes on test. I even managed a full over the bars after clipping a tiny tree stump at 4mph, but a rider who is used to riding the same bike regularly should have time to adapt to exactly where they are placing the pedals. This low bottom bracket did help to increase stability on the shortest and steepest downhill bikes I've been testing this year. Short and steep is relative in this case - it's still a lot of bike.


Cube Stereo DH 29 Review - riding


The rear suspension was supple enough to maintain good traction, but small bump grip and sensitivity off the top of the stroke wasn't on the same level as what I'd experienced on the Commencal Supreme with a DHX2 coil shock. It might not be the most progressive downhill bike out there, but there was enough mid-stroke support and bottom out resistance for all but those big hits that will use all the travel on nearly any bike.

In the corners, we need to go back to that bottom bracket drop; -27mm and 338mm from the ground is the lowest of any downhill bike on test his year combined with 205mm travel (some other bikes have a similar drop with less travel ,which should give a higher dynamic ride height). This makes the bike drop in to corners and give huge confidence to push for more grip, but does slightly slow things down when trying to switch direction quickly. This is offset, though, by the Cube's more conservative geometry numbers.

Compared to other 29" downhill trucks on test, the Cube feels more like a park bike than a World Cup racer, partly due to the short chainstays that make the bike easier to manual and flick around, but cut down on stability. Don't let that fool you into thinking it won't outperform many downhill bikes from the last few years, though. To me, it had the handling that I typically associate with a park bike, but I wouldn't want the wagon wheels for constant park laps – I've already had a couple of tire-to-ass connections and I'm a tall rider – shorter pilots might not be comfortable on steep-lipped jumps where you need to let the bike come up closer to your body towards the peak of airtime.



Cube Stereo DH 29 Review - riding





How does it compare?

The Session 9.9 is the most similar bike we had on test to the Cube: the frame layout is very similar and they had the same suspension units front and rear. With the settings adjusted as similarly as possible, the Cube out-gripped the Trek, and had a smoother ride overall than the stiffer feeling carbon machine. The complete Cube costs less than the Session frame and fork kit, but the Session is out front on finish, looks, and refinement to the chassis.
Trek Session 9.9 Review - title image


Technical Report


Cube Stereo DH 29 Review - non-driveside rear triangle


Magura MT7: I've had mixed success with MT7 brakes. My least favorite were the most expensive version using the HC3 levers. These levers seem to have less power, less modulation, and I couldn't adjust them out as far as I would like to. The version spec'd on this Cube had the cheaper and longer lever blade with a much softer feel with more modulation – I don't understand the reasoning behind putting smaller rotors on the back of downhill bikes, though, let's just go for the biggest ones possible.

Derailleur clunk: SRAM's X01 7-speed derailleur clunked heavily against the frame on the first ride, so loud that I had to stop and check what it was when I first dropped into the trail. I fixed this with some rubber tape and extra b-tension, but it's worth checking before heading up for a bike park lap.



Pros

+ Solid build kit
+ Good value with high end parts for a non-direct sale bike
+ Simple frame design that gets the job done
Cons

- The least aggressive downhill race bike on test
- Park bike feel offset by 29" wheels



Is this the bike for you?

The Cube strikes me as more of a park bike compared to some modern downhill racers. It might be slightly more maneuverable than more aggressive rigs, but the conundrum of adding the bigger wheels is going to take away some of the maneuverability that leads to bike park fun times.




Pinkbike's Take
bigquotesCube have brought a solid bike to the table that perhaps is more suited to local downhills and park than the full-on rough, rocky, and rooty World Cup downhill. It's probably one of the better value downhill bikes from your local dealer that shouldn't need any more than the suspension setting up to get you on track. Paul Aston







Author Info:
astonmtb avatar

Member since Aug 23, 2009
486 articles

116 Comments
  • 109 5
 What is this? Pivots for ants?
  • 40 3
 Tiny pivots/bearings, small rotors, derailleur clunking the frame, all these little details are here to remind you that cube test riders didn't do their job properly, or that their feedback were ignored.

I can't imagine such tiny bearings did not force remy metailler or Matt walker to change them every month, particularly if they rode a lot in wet conditions.
  • 3 1
 @zede: they get new bikes all the time... probably when the bearings fail.
  • 9 10
 Metailler weights less than 140 pounds so it can't be too hard on a bike...
  • 1 7
flag trumbullhucker55 (Nov 7, 2018 at 9:59) (Below Threshold)
 Maybe any larger pivots would make the rear too stiff?
  • 23 0
 @LOLWTF: 140 pounds or not, Landing sideways daily in breaking bumps at his speed in whistler should do more damage than regular people riding at regular speed ?
  • 11 0
 Bigger bearings =bigger balls. Fact.
Look at those tiny little bearings
*PB'ers all point and laugh, Cube 2"15 runs away ashamed and crying*
  • 12 2
 26 aint dead
  • 10 0
 "This gave 17% sag at the fork, and 27% at the shock, which would equate to 33% at the rear axle on flat ground. Double checking the gradient of one of my test tracks shows an average of about downhill grade of 22% which hopefully balanced the bike more towards 30/30% sag when riding."

I need the maths for these numbers.
  • 2 8
flag LOLWTF (Nov 7, 2018 at 14:58) (Below Threshold)
 @chyu: just pure bollocks. Your body weight is the same no matter the gradient.
  • 3 0
 They need to be at least... three times bigger than that.
  • 33 0
 @zede: Never changed a bearing, never had any issue with the rear der smashing anything, never cracked a frame. Bike is bullet proof that's it.
  • 27 1
 @LOLWTF: 146 pounds buddy. Also I'm hard on the bike. Sounds weird..
  • 20 1
 @remymetailler: Remy out here silencing the haters
  • 2 2
 @LOLWTF: only if stationery. Acceleration = gravity.
  • 5 0
 @zede: Riding the Two15 SL For a year now, cant say anything is creaking or that the bearings are damaged or worn i can safely say they will endure another season.... I mean the frame set costs like 1600€ ... even if the bearings would get worn every season ... just compare the pricing to other frames and ... you get the idea Smile .
  • 1 0
 @LOLWTF: don't be ridiculous. weight is the same, but the transfer of weight is different. you've never properly set up a bike if you run the bike at 30% sag on flat ground.
  • 1 0
 @zede: A friend (90 kgs, 198 lbs) had a previous version of cube enduro with tiny bearing. Main Bearings broke after one year, axle as well ... He sold this bike quickly !
  • 6 0
 @ratm54: I have never broken a Cube frame or had bearings issues. But I have broken or had to replace bearings on nearly every other signe bike I have ever had. Just a statement on the reliability of the bike.
  • 4 0
 @ratm54: I know, both the stereo and the fritz suffer from pivot weakness and rapid bearing wear. From the comments, it seems the two15 does not have the same problem which is a good news
  • 1 0
 @zede: maybe bearing size isnt the most important. The bikes are durable and bombproof. 100 kg here, beating the living hell out of a stereo 160 hpa and the bolts are intact. Riding it on downhill trails, ton of rockgardens and crazy steep terrain. You talk like the bike is made out of paper.. interested to know what do you ride, and so you experience bearing issues.
  • 60 2
 You know what I like most about this review, you didn't say it climbs surprisingly well for a downhill bike!
  • 50 3
 The 2000s just called, they want their reach figures back...
  • 16 8
 Anything less than 460 is knees in handlebars territory for me, I couldn't even ride the XL
  • 61 5
 @src248: so 3-5 years ago you couldn't ride any bike?
  • 19 4
 @VelkePivo: Or like me he could ride a bike and then tried something that fits properly and doesn’t want to go back to undersized bikes. I’m the same height as Flo Payet and he rides like a 510 reach dh bike, losing 50mm of reach is huge.
  • 11 2
 @Daledenton: nailed it. We rode these small bikes because we had no choice, not because it's what fit us best...
  • 2 1
 I am buying the smallest bikes I can find now. Looking at a TR500 with ~370mm reach and I’m thinking that’s the sex.
  • 3 0
 Santa Cruz XL V-10 .. 450.8 Reach sooo..
  • 2 0
 @iqbal-achieve: country flag checks out. Bunch of midgets Wink
  • 2 0
 @WoodyTBC4LIFE: so they realized it was too small and made a xxl with a 570 reach for Minnaar?
  • 3 1
 @VelkePivo: There were longer stems back then.
  • 18 0
 After reading the review and some comments, I think one thing is quite clear here. Of course, as a quite big bike manufacturer you need a DH bike in the assortment. However, there is no real interest from Cube in seriously competing with other big companies in this Section. Frame design, pivots, etc. Everything seems very clumsily designed. It shows that Cube lag several stages of development behind compared to DH-Bikes from other well-known manufacturers.
  • 6 0
 Yeah it kinda seems like a bike added to the catalogue to fill a page. Nothing more sadly.
One to look out for in next September's online offers when it's -60% off due to overstock
  • 5 0
 @IllestT: Those Two15 Are constantly sold out Smile
  • 3 0
 @liv-shore And that's exactly what it is. Even their enduro or trail bikes are built that way. Buy a Giant and you get much more bike AND fun for your money.
Cube bikes have always a lot of hidden flaws especially when ridden regularly and hard. Those bikes are not made for a lot of riding.
  • 2 0
 @kingpin2607: because they only produce as much as the shops pre-order for the next season. And thats it.
Doesn't say anything about quality.
  • 19 0
 Looks like a stinky
  • 1 1
 I laughed too much at this.
  • 1 0
 But without the appropriately sized bearings.
  • 11 0
 He definitely struggled to compliment the bike and let it off pretty gracefully. I rode the previous 27.5 model and it sounds like they kept the same mentality - pretty maneuverable for a DH bike, with soft suspension but utterly outgunned in the fast or rough sections due to geometry. Also, frame design and quality is not even close to the trek. I mean, look at those thin flimsy links and pivots. The trek, and many other bikes at this level, looks 10 years ahead in terms of workmanship.
  • 12 0
 So outdated geo, high standover, cheap ugly noodle frame,undersized pivots, unstable on rough terrain at speed but nice parts slapped on and sold cheap. Yep it's a cube alright.
  • 10 1
 Odd to see the cube compared to the session 9.9 other than the fact they both have a front triangle and a rear triangle I would not have thought to compare these two bikes. Interesting to hear there was more grip found from the cube. That sounds more like just setup, but what the hell do I know... I'd like to see a more long term test between a list of DH bikes. Which one claps out first and which one still feels the best after a season of park laps and wet season riding and what not. DH bikes spend the most time in our Quivers being ridden hard and hung up wet... Lets find out who makes the best bike for the bullshit we as riders are known to put DH bikes through.
  • 1 0
 I felt that it was odd to compare it to the Trek. But I feel like they did this because it looks looks like a Trek. And that a lot of people out there can say they have ridden a session over say a Kona. Just easier for some to related I guess.
  • 3 0
 @chillrider199: could be right, just giving a referance point or something.... But in the end these bikes share 4 things... Two triangles and two circles aaaand thats about it
  • 3 0
 @TheBearDen: Yeah thats why I saying it was odd. Who knows
  • 4 0
 He compared it to the trek because of all the bikes on test it is the one that most closely matches the geometry and feel. The Commencal and Norco are both big long bikes that place stability at mach speed in the rough over flickablity and pedaling platform firmness.
  • 12 1
 2003 called, they want their standover height back
  • 11 3
 Unless you race WC or never leave the ground, I dont understand how you can justify a 29in dh bike, I already feel more wind on 27.5 than 26 on jumps, lets just slap a wagon wheel on that and youll get blown into next year.
  • 6 10
flag LOLWTF (Nov 7, 2018 at 9:40) (Below Threshold)
 Gimme a break dude. You can feel the wind more with 650b... LOL WTF
  • 9 1
 go hit some decent size jumps on a windy day with no tree coverage to block it and you will know when you literally shit everywhere after one gust hits you, why do you think fest rampage brotherns still on 26 son, semenuk also make a comment on it in an interview
  • 6 0
 @LOLWTF: Shows where you’re riding skills are. STILL ON THE GROUND LMAO!!!!!
  • 3 0
 @LOLWTF: it’s real. Nobody that has jumped all of em would argue.
  • 2 3
 @iqbal-achieve: they ride 26 inches because they cash roll motocross jumps. Not because they're afraid of spokes catching the wind lmao you guys know wheels are aerodynamic right?
  • 5 0
 @LOLWTF: nobody suggesting it’s the spokes catching the wind dude.
Actually I reckon a lot of it is gyroscopic but the larger wheels catch more wind it’s indisputable.
  • 3 0
 @iqbal-achieve: I was actually going to say this too for @LOLWTF. Wind catching the spokes/rim is way less of a concern than rotating mass when you are doing tricks like that.

Test because I can't do inverted spinning tricks...just spin a 26 and 27.5 wheel and try to rotate them while they're spinning (as if you're trying to slosh sealant around in a tubless setup). The difference is very noticeable. Especially if you try to lay the spinning wheel flat or on its side while you're holding it
  • 1 0
 It wouldn't be the rim/spokes catching the all the wind but the tires. And I will say that my buddy said his fatbike was getting blown all over the place due to front tire catching so much wind back in a gravel race we did a few weeks ago that was mostly out in the open in 20+mph winds with strong gusts.
  • 3 1
 Well, not actually entirely true about the rim spokes etc, think about when you hit a big jump, wheels are obviously spinning fast, what that does is create, for lack of a better term a semi permeable wall because of the air movement around it from the spokes, so when the wind blows from the side it cannot travel through where that once empty space was, or very little at that, so the entire wheel acts as a sail. It's not the tiny surface area of the spokes, rims or tire, its the "empty space" that becomes "wall like" when the wheels turn. Hypothetically speaking if you grabbed both brakes mid air, a side wind would be way less prominent to blowing you away but if you also did that you'd land straight to your face because of stopping that rotational weight. Also all the other effects of bigger wheels are still very prominent.
  • 2 0
 @justinhoelzl: is this really true? The wheel always has the same amount of space in it. What exactly is stopping the wind blow through that space when it's spinning?
  • 2 0
 @lochussie: the wheel spinning and moving the air within it creates the barrier
  • 2 0
 @lochussie: The relevant math here is F(air)= 1/2p Cd A v^2 or plainly stated the force of air resistance is equal to one half viscosity x coefficient of drag x area x velocity squared. The only variable that changes is the drag coefficient as it is affected by increased turbulence. In any event the difference would be relatively small as the drag coefficient does not change drastically for cylinders moving through air (which the spokes are and we can roughly assume the wheel/tire combo to be as well). To come up with any exact % difference for the above example we'd need some actual numbers to plug in.
  • 2 0
 @lochussie: the "barrier" here is really just turbulence
  • 1 0
 @kjjohnson: I assumed that's what he meant but without the maths it's not clear to me that this will be significant
  • 9 0
 that entire bike is just so dated except for 29" wheels, it also looks badly made on top of that.
  • 10 2
 Another solid review from @paulaston
Always like your work, thanks
I think we similar preferrences too
  • 5 1
 Been a bit annoyed by PA in recent reviews but I thought he did a really good job with this one.
Not so sure ever getting an idea of a reviewers preferences is a good thing though?
  • 8 0
 Anyone else annoyed that it doesn't have 215mm of travel?
  • 9 3
 455 mm for reach in a XL its quite short, why downhill bikes are generaly shorter tan enduro bikes?
  • 5 14
flag doe222 (Nov 7, 2018 at 3:09) (Below Threshold)
 Because they generally go down steeper inclines, too much reach would have you over the bars too easily.
  • 5 2
 @doe222: Reach is generally shorter as stack with long forks is greater. Try to keep the same distance between hands and feet.
  • 4 2
 It really not about the reach. Look at the wheelbase, that is much more character defining value. The short reach is compensated by long travel fork and slack head angle, thus creating long wheelbase.
  • 2 1
 @embi: you're still gonna have a cramped riding position so shorter reach isn't the solution to keep wheelbase short. Cube clearly half-assed this bike.
  • 8 2
 All this smack.. and not one of you have ridden the damn bike. You guys are soooooo DH.. please
  • 4 1
 Not the bike for me, that being said I like the fact that:
1) It's an aluminum frame
2) It has a threaded BB

When I built my new DH bike recently after deciding to retire my previous bike from 2015 (I felt more at home/comfortable on other modern geo sleds) these were 2 factors that were a must in my decision. Not a ton of options out there if you want these 2 and want a longer reach.
  • 4 22
flag LOLWTF (Nov 7, 2018 at 9:37) (Below Threshold)
 Enjoy your shitty designed bike because you of non-factors. Carbon is better and so is press fit. Stop trying to be a hipster
  • 7 0
 @LOLWTF: ^^^Ha that's great. Would you like to armchair engineer this one, or would you like a real-world schooling on materials, processes, and failure modes? I didn't even delve into the pros and cons of either in my post, these are features that I look for and want. Now let me grab my PBR...
  • 3 0
 @LOLWTF: Im normally seeing beared hipsters with their Poc glasses and full Troy Lee kit gracefully sipping high grade brewed beer at the trail station after they rolled down the trail at an reasonable speed with their newest Play-Doh coloured and most importantly Carbon Santa Cruz.
  • 3 0
 i am by no means an expert on bike design, but everything about this looks like a stretched out xc bike to me, with the small bearings and skinny stays, the weird skinny split seat tube, even the geometry seems pretty short for a modern dh bike.
  • 6 0
 I, would never buy this bike. But hey, that's just me.
  • 1 0
 Ridden my mates a few times and I really liked it, but I like low/short bikes. It has a few issues though - not nearly progressive enough at the back so bottoms a lot with correct spring rate, or set it up super stiff but then kinda defeats the purpose of having a DH rig. Closest he got to a good setup was with a Rock Shox Vivid. Back wheel buzzes the saddle a lot also. Shame they didn't sort the suspension when going from 27.5 to 29 - missed opportunity there. I've heard that a lot of ex team riders have given feedback about it, but doesn't seem like DH is a focus for cube.Their trail bikes like the Stereo has a much better sorted rear end.
  • 5 1
 What? Non metric shock? But that will surely mean the suspension isn't as plush or something
  • 4 3
 I loved my Magura brakes for about 2 weeks. Then I endoed at about 5mph and managed to snap both brake levers at the exact same spot. I have 12 years of crashing on shimano and not a single issue with broken levers. Magura offered to send me new levers which was nice but pretty pointless if they're just going to snap again at the smallest impact. Currently trying to make my old slx levers work with the calipers.
  • 4 0
 Does anyone else just look at the pictures then go straight to the pros and cons?
  • 3 0
 For $5k does it also come with a free roll of rubber tape to fix that derailleur issue?
  • 4 0
 Room for a water bottle. But no mounts. Smile
  • 3 0
 DH bikes are still a thing? I figured All Mountain / Enduro / Down Country / Up Country / Side Country was all the rage.
  • 3 0
 I hope it rides better than it looks.
  • 3 0
 It would be hard not to
  • 2 0
 These bikes have always looked fragile AF. I hope their warranty support is amazing.
  • 3 1
 Yet another hideous bike from Cube. At least their design language is consistent I guess...
  • 1 0
 Is that an X2 shock? Sure it's clearly an X shock but it appears to be missing the part that turns an X in to an X2
  • 3 0
 HSC/LSC is covered by the frame and mud guard, look in 4th picture down. Terrible bike regardless
  • 5 2
 ELLSWORTH is not dead!
  • 1 0
 Did this travel in time from 2004 and the wheels just got bigger en route? #stinky
  • 1 0
 Does the reach include the stem length?
  • 3 1
 Do the forks say fox 40?
  • 1 0
 It's all a 29er facade!
  • 4 7
 Who is editing this content? It's fully of typos and technical mistakes. That's a X01 derailleur, not a GX (see ep1.pinkbike.org/p5pb16007916/p5pb16007916.jpg and www.sram.com/sram/mountain/products/x01-7-speed-dh-x-horizon-rear-derailleur). Then in your conclusion I'm pretty sure Paul intended to say "brought" and not "bought".
  • 15 0
 @rnayel My bike was built with an X01 derailleur as mentioned in the text. The bike shown in the pictures is slightly different from production bikes which will have a GX derailleur. The spec in the 'Specification' section corresponds with the production bike.

We can't catch every typo when we produce more content than any other MTB site on the web, but I do my best.

Thanks
  • 2 1
 @paulaston: Would there be a difference in the derailleur slap if it were GX over X01? Do they use the same spring?
  • 13 0
 Fully of typos? Who wrote this comment, it's full of typos
  • 1 0
 Whats up with the bike having a Fox 40 on it?
  • 5 5
 oooh DT Swiss prototype... more info please...
  • 1 0
 It's a 29" DH rim. My guess is 30-35mm inner.
  • 4 5
 Bigger sizes have slacker seat tubes and steeper head angle, it's not a road bike Cube, what's wrong with you?
  • 2 2
 The smaller two are on 27.5 wheels and the bigger on 29 that's why angles change.
  • 1 0
 rI IRF
  • 1 1
 looks like a session
  • 2 3
 Looks like a.....
  • 2 5
 Looks like a #Monotonousbike.
  • 1 4
 Is anyone even buying DH bikes anymore?
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