Cube Stereo ONE77 C:68X TM 29 review | Enduro Bike of the Year contender

Cube’s long-travel Stereo ONE77 C:68X TM 29 looks to be a relative bargain when you consider what you’re getting for the cash.

Not only is there a carbon frame, but a spec that you’d only normally get on an alloy bike at this price if you’re lucky.

Look at enduro bikes with a similar price tag and you won't often find a highly adjustable RockShox ZEB Select+ fork or Super Deluxe Select+ shock, let alone impressively punchy Hayes Dominion A4 brakes.

It might not all be headline-grabbing equipment, but Cube has been smart with how and where it has spent its cash, in a bid to create a bike that’s solidly put together and seriously capable straight off the shop floor.

Unlike some brands, it seems Cube continues to pursue lighter overall bike weights, meaning the bike seen here is one of the lightest within our 2024 Enduro Bike of the Year test.

As a result, the Stereo ONE77 delivers a lively and very agile ride, despite the 170mm of travel at the front and rear, chunky tyres and a coil shock.

The Cube excels when picking its way through technical terrain with precision, but on faster, rougher tracks, it isn’t the most stable or comfortable.

Cube Stereo ONE77 C:68X TM 29 frame and suspension details

Cube offers the ONE77 in two alloy builds and three C:68X carbon options.

The C:68X carbon is said to use less resin and a higher fibre content, which helps lower weight and maximise stiffness.

In a similar vein, Cube opted not to include any kind of internal frame storage in a bid to help keep weight down, while maximising strength. There are, however, mounting fixtures on the underside of the top tube should you want to bolt any essentials to the frame.

As a result, Cube says the ONE77 frame weighs only 2.3kg.

All bikes use 29in wheels at the front and rear and sport 170mm of rear-wheel travel, delivered using a four-bar Horst-link design.

In a bid to reduce suspension kinematic compromise, Cube uses a flip chip at the upper shock mount and a second set of drillings at the lower shock mount, enabling you to switch between a coil or air-sprung shock.

Switching between the coil and air fixtures will alter the level of progression through that 170mm of travel.

The more progressive setting (meaning the suspension becomes harder to compress as it moves through the travel) is better suited to a coil spring (which has a constant spring rate). Air-sprung shocks, which are naturally progressive and can be made more so by adding volume spacers, don’t require the same level of progression.

There’s plenty of rubberised protection on the driveside chainstay and seatstay, as well as the underside of the down tube. What's more, Cube has included more of this protection on the non-driveside chainstay to help protect against heel rub, which is a lovely touch.

A threaded bottom bracket should help keep maintenance to a minimum.

Cables are routed down through the headset, though, which won’t win everyone over.

Cube Stereo ONE77 C:68X TM 29 geometry

Cube offers the ONE77 in sizes medium to double-extra-large. At 172cm tall, I opted to ride the medium, which has a reach of 452mm and a short 405mm seat tube.

I’ve ridden the ONE77 in size-large in the past because the seat tube is only 420mm and reach a reasonable 470mm. I got on just fine with that bike, so for those of a similar size to me, upsizing is certainly an option.

The chainstays remain the same length across all sizes, at 435mm.

I measured the head angle at just under 64 degrees, which is on a par with most other enduro bikes, though the 810mm front centre is fairly long for a medium-sized frame in the slackest setting. This can be steepened by 0.6 degrees using the angle headset cups provided.

While Cube's geometry chart states an effective seat tube angle in the slacker setting of 76.7 degrees, with my saddle set to my preferred pedalling height, my test bike’s measured steeper at 78 degrees.

Cube Stereo ONE77 C:68X TM 29 specification

The ONE77 C:68X TM 29 might not have the most memorable name, but its parts list is quite the opposite.

Starting with the suspension, Cube’s choice here is a good one. While the Select+ RockShox ZEB fork might not be the top-end offering (that’d be the ZEB Ultimate), it stills come with the highly adjustable Charger 3 damper.

It’s a similar story with the Super Deluxe Select+ shock, which doesn't get all the high- and low-speed compression-damping adjustment of the Ultimate-level shock, but comes equipped with the hydraulic bottom-out feature. This is really useful, along with a low-speed compression lever should you need to firm the back end up while climbing.

SRAM provides its GX Eagle gearing, which I’ve found to work well, especially in grimy, muddy conditions, compared to Shimano equivalents that get noisy and grumbly far more quickly.

The Hayes Dominion A4 brakes were a real highlight, with plenty of power and a light, consistent feel as you pull the lever.

The Newmen Evolution SL A.30 wheels are wrapped in Maxxis Assegai MaxxGrip (front) and Minion DHR II MaxxTerra (rear) tyres, both in their decently tough EXO+ casing.

On the scales, the ONE77 is light at 14.89kg in size medium, without pedals.

Cube Stereo ONE77 C:68X TM 29 ride impressions

I rode the ONE77 on a wide mix of terrain to try to get the best possible measure of the bike, testing it back-to-back with seven other enduro bikes.

The trails in question included steep, natural singletrack descents covered in roots, rocks and mud, along with flowy jump lines and high-speed, rough and rocky tracks in the bike park.

Cube Stereo ONE77 C:68X TM 29 setup

Cube shipped the medium bike with a 400lb spring fitted. This provided me with 30 per cent sag, which felt spot-on.

I initially opted to run 55.5psi in the fork spring, with one token installed and all damping adjusters wound off.

After a few rides, though, I removed the token and upped the spring pressure to 60psi. This was because really heavy, repetitive impacts could feel harsh with my initial setup.

Removing the token and upping spring pressure helped maintain balance front to rear and removed some of that harshness later in the fork’s stroke.

Cube Stereo ONE77 C:68X TM 29 climbing performance

Press on the pedals and the ONE77 shifts instantly with the same sort of ease you’d expect from a lighter-weight trail bike.

Although the rear end feels solid, supportive and very calm while pedalling – despite the coil shock dipping easily into its travel – it’s how taut the frame feels that steals the show here.

Every watt you put through the pedals feels as though it’s transferred directly into forward momentum when pointed uphill. This results in climbs being disposed of with relative ease, with far less suffering than you’d experience on weightier, less efficient bikes.

It’s easy to forget there’s 170mm of travel at either end, as well as tough tyres with tacky rubber (on the front, at least), as you winch your way to the top of the hill.

Longer slogs are more than bearable too, not just because of the Cube’s efficient nature, but the comfortable seated position, where the steep seat tube angle (which, don’t forget, measured steeper than stated by Cube) perches you nicely up and over the bottom bracket.

In slippery conditions when tackling really steep inclines, even though the chainstays are relatively short, I didn’t have any issues with the front wheel lifting as I manoeuvred up through tight uphill turns.

There’s also a decent amount of traction through the rear tyre, down partly to the Maxxis rubber and partly to the supple suspension, which remains free enough to trace the trail contours even when you’re turning the pedals.

Cube Stereo ONE77 C:68X TM 29 descending performance

Out-of-the-saddle sprint efforts get the ONE77 surging forwards. This thing feels lightning-fast under power, getting up to speed with what feels like very little effort.

And, once you’re moving, the ONE77 does a fine job of maintaining that speed.

Its supportive suspension lets you work the bike through rollers and undulations, and down the backsides of landings, pumping the terrain for every ounce of speed available.

This makes clearing awkward gaps with short or bumpy run-ins that bit easier, or maintaining speed on rough, flatter sections of trail where you'd find yourself scrabbling at the pedals on other bikes.

Bike-park flow lines and jump tracks play into the ONE77’s favour. Its low weight and lively demeanour make for an agile ride. Hopping it from one line to the next, or lofting up and over gaps, can be done with little effort and maximum precision.

On more demanding, rougher trails, there’s a bit of cable rattle when you really start trucking. As things beneath the wheels start getting hectic, the ONE77 doesn’t feel quite as at home as it could do.

In fast rock sections, I felt the ONE77 was being buffeted around a little more than some bikes, possibly due to the lower weight and relatively stiff frame.

There’s also more feedback transmitted through the bar, leading to hand fatigue on longer descents and not helped by the firm, thin SDG grips.

A switch to a more forgiving bar and softer grips would be a relatively inexpensive upgrade that would help improve overall comfort.

Tackle steeper tracks and the ONE77 feels pretty capable and ready to take on just about anything. However, just as I found in fast, rocky terrain, it’ll fidget around in the rough more than the best bikes in this category.

One big bonus is just how punchy the Hayes brakes feel. The lever feel offers a blend of SRAM and Shimano, with a relatively light touch yet plenty of feedback and modulation as you apply pressure.

When the pads bite, they really bite.

Pick your mark on the trail, drop your heels and these stoppers will scrub speed in an instant, no matter the gradient or weather conditions.

Get off the brakes and the ONE77 feels confident when cornering, carving a mean turn when you commit.

However, drift too far away from your intended line and it doesn’t feel as though it has as wide a margin for error as some bikes.

That means despite that 170mm of travel, the ONE77 still feels best when it's ridden with accuracy and precision.

Do this and it’ll reward you with a consistently high pace, even if it isn’t the comfiest ride in the really rough stuff.

How does the Cube Stereo ONE77 C:68X TM 29 compare?

A little like the Ibis HD6 XT also in my Enduro Bike of the Year test, the ONE77 manages to span the trail and enduro bike categories better than most.

Both bikes weigh the same and both pedal and climb well. But the ONE77 has the edge here, feeling even better under power than the HD6.

In more demanding terrain, the longer-travel fork of the HD6, and more composed and capable rear end, offers a more forgiving ride than that of the ONE77.

While the HD6 offers a more composed and smoother ride, the ONE77 is still a very capable machine and one that costs significantly less cash, too.

If I were to choose between the two, I’d take the HD6, albeit in the cheaper GX guise without the carbon wheels.

Cube Stereo ONE77 C:68X TM 29 bottom line

The ONE77 feels efficient but fun, tackling climbs with more ease than many other enduro machines but retaining a solid, very capable feel when pointed back down the hill.

In some ways, it's more long-travel trail than heavy-hitting enduro bike, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It offers a more planted ride than the pricier ONE77 C:68X SLX 29, but is just as sprightly.

You’ll get the most out of it if you prefer to ride with tighter line choice and a more accurate style, though.