Cube has unveiled its 2021 range, with a sprinkling of all-new bikes – including a carbon gravel bike – as well as a host of updates to specs and paint on existing models.
The biggest news will be the addition of the Nuroad gravel bike, which comes in both carbon and aluminium flavours. However, there are also new bikes in the women's, e-MTB, urban and kids' ranges too, which are worth a look at.
We've done the hard work for you, so here are our highlights from the 2021 Cube Bikes range.
Cube Nuroad
Carbon now joins aluminium in Cube's range of gravel bikes, with the brand utilising its C:62 carbon fibre to create a three-bike line-up.
The carbon fibre frame and fork are said to aid vibration damping, to improve comfort on the rough surfaces they're designed to cover.
The three carbon fibre Nuroad bikes include a 1x11 Shimano GRX 'Pro' model (£1,999 / €2,099) and a 2x11 GRX Race model (£2,499 / €2,699), but our pick of the bunch is the range-topping SL model, which we've detailed below.
The alloy range comprises five unisex bikes, ranging from £999 / €1,099 to £1,599 / €1,799, plus the women's-specific Nuroad WS (pictured above) that comes in at £999 / €1,049.
Cube Nuroad C:62 SL
This flagship version of the Nuroad, the Nu:Road C:62 SL (£3,999 / €4,099) comes with the C:62 carbon fibre frame and fork we've already mentioned, with a pair of Newmen Advanced SL X.R.25 carbon wheels.
Keeping bling levels high is the SRAM Force eTap / XX1 Eagle AXS mullet groupset, offering a wide-ranging, wireless 1x12 drivetrain with a 10:50t cassette and complementary mech at the back, borrowed from SRAM's top-flight mountain bike groupset.
At 7.8kg (claimed), this is a lightweight gravel bike with a racy edge that should be able to handle any slope you point it up.
Cube SL Road
Cube's urban range has been updated, with the SL Road range gaining a new aluminium frame for 2021.
The SL Road is a flat-bar hybrid bike designed for riding around town or cycling to work.
You'll find a wide spread of gears, robust tyres suitable for commuting and plenty of accessory mounts for mudguards and luggage.
The four-spec range starts at £699 / €849 for the standard SL Road with 2x8 Shimano Claris gearing, while at the top of the range, the SL Road SL (£1,499 / €1,599) gets a Shimano Ultegra 2x11 drivetrain and aero rims to get you from A to B as fast as possible.
The two most affordable bikes, the SL Road and SL Road Pro (more below), are available in standard and step-through frame options.
Cube SL Road Pro
Our pick of the bunch is the SL Road Pro (£899 / €999).
For UK riders, it's comfortably within reach of the various Cycle to Work subsidised purchase schemes, with a bit of cash left in the pot for one of the best bike locks and the best bike lights.
The bike gets a 2x10 Shimano Tiagra drivetrain, paired with flat-mount hydraulic disc brakes from Tektro to make sure the stop-and-go gear is up to plenty of urban abuse.
Cube Litening C:68X SLT
We couldn't look at Cube's range without lusting over the outrageously fast-looking Litening C:68X SLT.
You may well be familiar with this bike because it was one of our Bike of the Year 2020 contenders. Make sure you check out our Cube Litening C:68X SLT review (the spec has been updated for 2021).
Cube's high-modulus C:68X carbon is used throughout the frame, which helps cut the complete bike weight to a claimed 7.6kg. That's not as light as a pure climbing bike, but this is an aero machine with deep tubes.
Despite aero tube shapes designed to make the bike go fast, Cube says it's also perfectly adept at day-long rides.
Aero tube profiles are complemented by DT Swiss's new 62mm deep ARC 1100 Dicut carbon wheels, while the bike is driven by SRAM's flagship Red AXS wireless groupset and stopped by the matching Red disc brakes.
It's clearly not cheap at £7,499 / €7,599, but compared to similarly-specced bikes from other big brands, this race-ready aero bike might be considered decent value for money.
Cube Reaction
Cube's hardtail range has had a pair of aluminium Reaction bikes added to it for 2021.
While we expected the XC-focused Reaction Pro (£1,199 / €1,249) with its RockShox Judy Silver fork and Shimano XT drivetrain (surely a great base from which to upgrade from), we are particularly excited by the Reaction TM.
Cube Reaction TM
The Reaction TM is a rowdy-looking 29er with 130mm of travel provided by the X-Fusion RC32 fork.
The longer fork helps keep the head angle slack, which should make for more confident performance downhill, and with a stubby stem, you'll have no excuses in the corners.
The bike comes equipped with a SRAM SX Eagle 1x12 drivetrain, giving you an 11-50t spread on the cassette. Otherwise, Magura MT30 brakes provide the stopping power, with a more powerful four-pot caliper at the front and a lighter two-pot caliper at the back.
The Reaction TM also comes with a dropper post and chunky Maxxis tyres.
Cube Stereo Hybrid 160 SLT
If electrical assistance off-road is more your thing, then Cube's 160mm travel e-enduro bike might be more up your street.
Cube has worked with Bosch on its e-MTB range, and this range-topping bike gets the fourth-generation Performance Line CX motor, along with either the Kiox or Nyon display unit.
The Nyon-equipped bikes cost £200 / €200 more than their Kiox-equipped siblings, but this additional cost gets you a more advanced display unit on the bars, with touchscreen and navigation capabilities.
The 160mm travel bikes feature a full carbon frame, including rear triangle (new for 2021), with Fox suspension front and rear.
Up front, you get the new Fox 38 fork with 170mm of travel, while the rear is controlled by a Float DPX2 shock, both in the top-level Factory spec.
Magura supplies the MT7 brakes, and SRAM the wireless X01 AXS drivetrain and Reverb dropper post. Bosch's Performance CX motor is fed by a 625Wh battery.
- Kiox: £7,799 / €8,699
- Nyon: £7,999 / €8,899
Cubie 120 Walk Actionteam Edition
We couldn't ignore this cool balance bike for younger children, with a paint scheme inspired by Cube's Enduro race team.
The Cubie 120 Walk's (£149 / €179) frame and components have had sharper edges removed, to keep kids safe in any tumbles that occur, while the low standover height should aid confidence.
The tyres are proper air-filled units, while the steering angle is limited to prevent over-the-bar incidents if steering gets a little over-enthusiastic.
Once your little one gets tired, the bike can be grabbed by the grab handle under the saddle, ready for the walk home.
