Buying Guides

Cube 2018 road and cyclo-cross bikes: which bike should you buy?

Cube caters for all types of rider and has a wide range of bikes for 2018 - but which machine is right for you?

German brand Cube caters for all levels of cycling, from supplying Wanty-Groupe Gobert at UCI ProContinental level, all the way down to a comprehensive range of machines that hit the all-important value-performance sweetspot.

There’s no dedicated aero bike in the 2018 range, much like American brand Cannondale, with Cube instead opting to headline with the Litening: a lightweight race bike made from either top-of-the-range C:68 carbon fibre or in a high-performance C:62 layup, depending on your budget.

Next is the Agree, which straddles a middle ground between a good-value aero race bike and an endurance machine – a versatile carbon bike if there ever was one.

Cube’s model year 2018 range is packed with bang-for-your-buck road bikes

The Attain is the German brand’s fully endurance-focused bike, and is available in both carbon and alloy versions. It forms Cube’s entry-level offering to the road bike market whether you’re looking to upgrade to a carbon machine or want to taste the performance an alloy frame can offer.

Cube are also players in the world of cyclo-cross, with the Cross Race bike available in a number of guises, from a carbon frame dressed in Shimano Ultegra Di2 to an entry-level Shimano 105/Tekro blend build complete with an alloy frame. The emerging gravel market is also catered for in 2018 with the launch of the NuRoad, with bikes from £999 to £1,399.

It’s a complete range with something for everyone, so read on to discover which Cube bike could be right for you.

[series]

Cube Litening and Litening Disc

The Cube Litening is the race bike of choice for the Wanty-Groupe Gobert team, and as a result comes in high-spec builds suitable for racing in the pro peloton.

The bike is available in two rim-brake and two disc-brake guises, each of which sports either the top-end C:68 carbon layup or the more affordable C:62 version.

The top-end Cube Litening C:68 SL is the bike of choice for ProConti team Wanty-Groupe Gobert

Both are high-performance carbon layups, with the top-end Wanty-coloured C:68 SL costing £4,399 complete with a Shimano Dura-Ace groupset and Fulcrum Racing 44 wheelset.

The C:62 Pro version comes fitted with Shimano Ultegra and a Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheelset for £2,499.

The Cube Litening C-68 SLT Disc gets the full flagship treatment when it comes to components and finishing kit

As for disc brakes, the C:68 SLT Disc gets the full flagship treatment with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 and Newmen SL R.25 carbon rims for £5,999 (and a UCI weight limit-troubling claimed 6.8kg) while the C:62 Race Disc receives the excellent Ultegra Di2 electronic groupset.

Cube Litening 2018 bikes

Cube Litening C:68 SL (Shimano Dura-Ace) – £4,399
Cube Litening C:62 Pro (Shimano Ultegra) – £2,499

Cube Litening C:68 SLT Disc (Shimano Dura-Ace Di2) – £5,999
Cube Litening C:62 Race Disc (Shimano Ultegra Di2) – £3,799

Cube Agree and Agree Disc

If you can’t afford to pay top-dollar for the Litening but still want a capable bike that can hold its own in a race as well as over longer sportives, the Agree could be for you.

It features aero-tapered tubing in a geometry Cube calls ‘Road Aero Endurance’. This means it’s less aggressive than the Litening, but will still allow performance-minded riders to achieve an efficient position over longer distances. It’s one of the reasons why we included the Agree in the 2016 RCUK 100, calling it “a bike which is thoroughly on-trend, bringing disc brakes, aerodynamics and comfort to the party.”

The Agree blends performance and comfort, making it an ideal sportive or value-for-money race bike

Once again there are four models, each made using Cube’s second-tier C:62 grade carbon, and once again you opt between two rim-brake models and two disc-brake versions.

The rim brake bikes top out at £2,999 with the C:62 SL, complete with an electronic Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset, while a £2,099 mechanical Ultegra bike sitting beneath it. You get aero Fulcrum Racing 44 or Mavic Cosmic wheels respectively.

The Cube Agree C:62 SLT Disc comes in at £3,499

The disc brake bikes feature the same groupset specifications (Ultegra Di2 and mechanical varieties), with the Di2 bike coming in at £3,499 with Newman Evolution SL R.32 alloy rims, and the mechanical machine costing £2,499 with Fulcrum Racing 44s.

Cube Agree 2018 bikes

Cube Agree C:62 SL (Shimano Ultegra Di2) – £2,999
Cube Agree C:62 Pro (Shimano Ultegra) – £2,099

Cube Agree C:62 SLT Disc (Shimano Ultegra Di2) – £3,499
Cube Agree C:62 Race Disc (Shimano Ultegra) – £2,499

Cube Attain and Attain Disc

The Attain is the focussed endurance bike of the Cube range, complete with ‘Road Comfort’ geometry, and features nine models in total. The carbon used here is ‘GTC’ spec, which is said to provide high levels of comfort for all-day riding in partnership with the forgiving layout. It’s heavier than the carbon used on Cube’s Litening and Agree bikes, too.

There are four of these carbon Attain bikes, with the GTC SL and GTC Pro rim brake models coming built with Shimano Ultegra and 105 drivetrains respectively for £1,599 and £1,499 apiece.

The Cube Attain is the brand’s endurance-focused range

The disc brake versions feature a Shimano Ultegra groupset on the SLT for £2,049, and Ultegra mixed with non-series components on the Race Disc model to hit a lower price point of £1,799.

Aluminium frames also enter the fray with the Attain, in exactly the same endurance geometry. These are made using 6061 T6 tubing and can be had in a number of builds from Shimano 105 level, through to a cost-effective eight-speed Shimano Claris model in the rim brake version (£649), and Shimano Sora for the disc brake bike (£849). Whatever frame material you opt for, you always get a Cube CSL Race carbon fork.

The carbon models, like the Attain GTC SL pictured, and the alloy bikes lower down the range, all share the same endurance geometry

Cube Attain 2018 bikes

Cube Attain GTC SL (Shimano Ultegra) – £1,599
Cube Attain GTC Pro (Shimano 105) – £1,499
Cube Attain SL (Shimano 105) – £999
Cube Attain (Shimano Claris) – £649

Cube Attain GTC SLT Disc (Shimano Ultegra) – £2,099
Cube Attain GTC Race Disc (Shimano Ultegra mix) – £1,799
Cube Attain SL Disc (Shimano 105) – £1,299
Cube Attain Race Disc (Shimano Tiagra) – £949
Cube Attain Pro Disc (Shimano Sora) – £849

Cube Cross Race

If you’re thinking of buying a new cyclo-cross bike for 2018, then the Cross Race is Cube’s offering to you. All are disc brake-equipped, and there are three carbon bikes aimed squarely at the premium race market.

The flagship C:62 SLT bike gets full Shimano Ultegra Di2 drivetrain with a 46-36t chainset, carbon Newmen Advanced R.25 hoops and Schwalbe X-One Allround 33c tyres. That will set you back £3,799.

The Cross Race C-62 SLT sits top of Cube’s CX range

The Race SL has a SRAM Force 1x drivetrain and brake system for £2,499, and there’s also a mechanical Ultegra bike available for £2,199. Both of those bikes receive alloy wheelsets – Newmen Evolution SL R.32 and Mavic Aksium Allroads respectively, both wrapped with Schwalbe X-One 33c tyres.

If you’re just trying cyclo-cross out, or want to keep to a lower budget, then the three alloy bikes might be perfect for you. Those start out at £1,499 for a SRAM Rival 1x-equipped machine, along with a £1,299 Shimano 105 bike. The range is propped up by a sub-£1,000 Pro bike featuring a mix of Shimano 105 and Tektro components.

Cube Cross Race 2018 bikes

Cube Cross Race C:62 SLT (Shimano Ultegra Di2) – £3,799
Cube Cross Race C:62 SL (SRAM Force 1) – £2,499
Cube Cross Race C:62 Pro (Shimano Ultegra) – £2,199
Cube Cross Race SL (SRAM Rival 1) – £1,499
Cube Cross Race Pro (Shimano 105) – £1,299
Cube Cross Race (Shimano 105/Tektro Lyra) – £999

Cube NuRoad

For lovers of gravel riding, meanwhile, we can point you towards the NuRoad in Cube’s stable. Launched in 2017, there are three 6061 T6-tubed bikes available here laid up in a ‘Gravel Comfort’ geometry, and all three demonstrate the bike’s high versatility. The frame has clearance for up to 40c tyres, and mounts for mudguards and pannier racks.

For £1,399 you can have the NuEoad Exc, which comes with mudguards and a rear racks as standard, along with a dynamo lighting system for worry-free riding when the daylight fades. The equivalent, but still Shimano 105-equipped, bike without the paraphernalia is also available for £1,299.

The entry level NuRoad comes equipped with a mix of Shimano Tiagra and Tektro components, and costs £999.

Cube Nuroad 2018 bikes

Cube Nuroad Exc (Shimano 105) – £1,399
Cube Nuroad Pro (Shimano 105) – £1,299
Cube Nuroad (Shimano Tiagra/Tektro Spyre) – £999

Cube SL Road

Finally, the SL Road range is a collection of alloy bikes featuring a flat handlebar, so form a perfect starting point for those looking to try out riding their bikes for fitness, or simply for commuting.

All SL Road bikes come with post-mount disc brakes, with two specifications featuring an option for a step-through top-tube, making the SL Road well-suited for city riding.

The flat-barred Cube SL Road range is an ideal entry-level point for commuters

The top-of-the-range SL Road SL comes specced with a Shimano Ultegra drivetrain and DT Swiss Spline R24 Disc wheels for £1,499. Step down a level and there’s the Shimano 105-equipped Cube SL Road Race bike costing £1,049.

If you’ve got less than £1,000 to spend, the SL Road Pro and standard SL Road cost £799 and £599 with Shimano Sora and Shimano Claris components respectively. Both bikes come with the option of a traditional or step-through design.

Cube Road SL 2018 bikes

Cube SL Road SL (Shimano Ultegra) – £1,499
Cube SL Road Race (Shimano 105) – £1,049
Cube SL Road Pro [standard] (Shimano Sora) – £799
Cube SL Road Pro [step-through] (Shimano Sora) – £799
Cube SL Road [standard] (Shimano Claris) – £599
Cube SL Road [step-through] (Shimano Claris) – £599

Website: Cube Bikes