This was bought as my introduction to serious MTB after months of research and trying out different bikes at the LBS. I finally settled for the Cube as the spec for the money was excellent (it was £1499 in Feb)and had the looks to boot. I also liked the positioning of the high level rear shock which is kept away from dirt and less prone to damage. I have used it every weekend from new and found it very versatile from the pro pedal on the road and climbs to use of the full sus which handles the down hill with ease and the bike feels very solid throughout.
Con's so far.... The pop lock has stopped returning within the fork (Rock Shox Revelation) LBS to fix under warranty (not a Cube issue). Cables wear through the paint work quickly around the frame at the steering head, you will need protectors here. In summary, awesome fun, fast & light enough to carry over fences etc.I'm very pleased with my choice.
Spent some time over winter looking for a new bike. Was looking for something around £1500, it had to be well spec'd, comfortable for long XC runs, lockout on climbs and handle rough descents. This bike fits the bill perfectly. I have the front and back locked out for 50% of the runs, the rear shock position makes it wasy to lock and unlock the pro pedal, the front lockout on the bars is a dream. The U--turn is a nice idea but I usually leave it at full extension anyway. The riding position is very comfortable which was important to me. I wanted something I could sit on for 4 hours. I have never had any neck pain, or back ache etc. I did swap the gripos or ergo grips tho but I have always had numb hands...but not anymore. The K18 brakes are amazing. One finger is enough for most downhills, so much stopping power no matter what weather. The bike looks great too and isn't too common yet.
I've had this bike now for 3 months and absolutely love it! As always, you do need to sit on any bike to try the geometry out and see how it feels. I managed to do this at my local shop and found the setup good for me and generally I would say it's good for more XC riding with an interest in All Mountain go anywhere riding.
I love the high mounted rear shock and the ease of flipping from pro pedal to fully open. The Reba Race forks are really good but quite soft. The best bit about them is the U Turn, I didn't think I'd muck around with shock length settings at first but now find myself making tweaks when I get to downhill sections compared with the ride to and from the good bits. An excellent innovation in my eyes.
I did however have a few problems;
1) The fizik tundra seat was really painful for me and only lasted 15 miles before I swapped it for a compfy SDG Bel Air.
2) The brakes were setup the American/Continental way with the left brake being the front. I only found this out after flying over the handle bars! It was pretty easy to swap them over but has left a mess with cables. I will get them all straightened but with hydraulic brakes, it's a bit of a faff.
3) The cables do rub on the frame and quickly show. I recomend some lizard skins straight away and you'll also need a chain guard of some sort.
Final thoughts: I've done about 1k miles now (all off road) and would not hesitate to recomend this bike to anyone. I have spent about £200 extra customising it with shorter bars, ergon grips and a different seat but hopefully you'll have all that on your old bike to swap over. All in all I think it's a really good buy at the price.
GO ON... BUY IT!
