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.
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.
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.
Look at those tiny little bearings
*PB'ers all point and laugh, Cube 2"15 runs away ashamed and crying*
I need the maths for these numbers.
One to look out for in next September's online offers when it's -60% off due to overstock
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.
Doesn't say anything about quality.
Actually I reckon a lot of it is gyroscopic but the larger wheels catch more wind it’s indisputable.
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
Always like your work, thanks
I think we similar preferrences too
Not so sure ever getting an idea of a reviewers preferences is a good thing though?
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.
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