Altea4

Hi Lostis4d. I also found the reaction pro 500 to be more nimble than the allroad 625 but they are different machines. It sounds like you’d have been better off with the nature hybrid 500 or the slightly lighter allroad 500. . Did you try a selection of ebikes before deciding on the allroad. I’m yet to find a hill this bike won’t get me up. I’ve cycled off-road , gravel and grass tracks. Once hitting the brow of a steep incline in turbo you can feel how much assistance it has given as you’ll be spinning the pedals at a rate of knots and clicking away for a higher cog. Did you drop cogs or attempt the hill in top gear. The mode assistance as you increase the gradients is used in conjunction with lowering the gear you are in. I’m not trying to teach a dog new tricks but it takes a bit of time to get the most out of this bike. I’m still learning at over 400 miles. Yes it’s heavy but I regularly hit 20mph in off mode on a flat. I’ve also tried to cycle against headwinds in off mode and barely made it to 7mph, then a quick ++ to tour and I’m back up to 16mph in seconds. I now switch to off mode once I am on a road that can be cycled comfortably at over 16mph or a track that doesn’t warrant 15mph , once I hit a gradient and dropping a cog still means less speed I + to eco or tour as needed. I’ve found off mode offers no resistance and increases battery life considerably v’s leaving in any mode when above the max assistance level. How far did you travel to use your battery charge , mine is still on 3 bars and showing 38range in tour mode after a week and 75 miles. I cycled 18 miles today mixed roads and gravel track and it hasn’t changed. You just need to adjust your riding , learn to use the assistance with your pedal power.

Tried out the lights on another wet ride last night and they have plenty of power , the fronts are a bit too wide angled but lit up to 5m ahead well. I was flashed twice by oncoming cars even though I have them set at lowest pointing level! I strapped my lezyne to the handle bar but no need to switch on , I may put my rear lezyne on flash as the standard rear led, although bright, is rather small. Into headwinds on a couple of long inclines, a switch to tour was enough to cut through the air and rain ,I managed to keep above the 15.5mph after cut off. Total ride of 15 miles in just under an hour , I would guess unassisted I’d have been at the very least 1hr 20 minutes. The assistance definitely changes a headwind into a light breeze. Twice on 2hr plus journeys I’ve transported the bike on a thule velocompact, once with battery in place and once without. With the battery in I could see the bike moving with the bumps of the road , not in a concerning way but I was more observant than usual , with the battery removed it was as stable as any normal bike on the rack. Lesson learnt. The battery cover is attached with the simplest of button catches so I may tape it up on longer journeys to be sure it doesn’t decide to fly off. I’ll probably be purchasing a back up as well. When the weather improves I’ll put it on my roof bars and see if the extra weight of the bike is more noticeable than my hybrid. I'm finding either setting above tour is too torquey for a start off if not expecting it , I've caught myself out a few times now when I've pressed + instead of - when slowing at a junction, bike takes off and assistance continues a second longer. Eco and tour are plenty then a + if needed. Last night proved to me that wet and windy are no longer an excuse for skipping an evening ride.

Took a ride along the Pennine Way today and again the mudguards did their job. Until I get a soaking I’ll leave as is. Won’t be bodging anyway. It made mincemeat of the wet muddy terrain and inclines , only downside today was the wide handlebars take some manoeuvring to get through the barriers designed to stop scramblers tearing up the trails. I managed after a couple of attempts to go in at an angle , I could then get the bike and myself through in one go. The battery charged from 1 bar to full in 4 hours , plenty quick enough for my needs. My laptop battery takes an hour and it’s less than a tenth of the size of this monster. I found a couple of online deals , or look out for a CUBE event and buy on the day.

My original conclusion was that the gen 3 nature exc was right for me..until I tried the reaction pro with the gen 4 cx75 motor. The riding position of the hybrids suits me more than a mtb but the gen 4,in my opinion ,had less lag once passing the 15.5mph barrier even on knobblies.The mtb riding position I find less comfortable but I’d enquired about changing the handlebar stem and replacing the knobblies for trail biased tyres. . I then came across the 2020 hybrid pro which was a mix of the 2 bikes also with ‘cross tyres’. At £2600 it was higher than my self imposed price limit but the event on Saturday sealed the deal. I managed a 2 hr ride today and I’ve definitely made the right decision for my needs. Having the mudguards saved me getting a soaking from below , the inbuilt lights are bright for day use and the cross tyres allowed me to plough through several inches of muddy trails in eco mode while still being forgiving on roads and cobbles. I tried & struggled through the easiest of mud sections in off mode (around the edges) with lots of slipping and sinking but a flick to eco mode ,even through the centres, it was a no contest with the tyres gripping very well ,encouraging the bike through. It’s a big and bulky bike at 24kg but I felt at home on it immediately and once moving it’s a lot easier to ride and manoeuvre than it initially looks. I managed a few cobbled road inclines in off mode at 5-7mph, but a quick press to boost proves what a game changer these bikes are at turning a hill into a slight gradient. After 2 hours mixed use it still had full battery charge showing. The handlebar v’s seating position is just right, no aches. I’m just under 5’7” and was borderline 50/54 bike size. I have previously bought bigger framed bikes. The 50 I found to be a bit tight when pedalling , 54 suits me. I didn’t want a permanent pannier rack, as on the Kathmandu, I have a topeak-v and small trunk bag for when taking a few tools and locks on longer rides. I preferred the green frame to stock grey, they sold 3 green at the event yesterday. Just a shame I didn’t ask what grey to green sales ratio was. Cube stockists apparently sign a price agreement but I have found a couple of online sellers who use alternative ways to offer a % drop. Halifax dealer an example. Altea4

Thanks to this forum, today I made my first ebike purchase. After much reading ,looking and test riding I was toing and froing between the reaction hybrid pro 500 and the nature hybrid 500 exc. By complete chance today I came across a bike show at Wheelbase in Staveley with Cube being highly represented. After a chat with the CUBE UK rep my deposit was placed on an in stock ‘cross hybrid pro 625’ with a 15% discount bringing the bike down in price to £2200. Really just what I was after, a mix of both of the above bikes I was deciding between. Much prefer the rugged hybrid look with added bonus of 75nm cx motor and 625 battery. Obviously I could have gained 15% off either of the above but this ticked all the boxes. Picked the bike up a few hours later after the mechanics had completed the build and initial ride proved a fantastically built bike , great control and ride. Good to see 100’s of ebikes getting full use around the area today. Can’t wait to get out and about on Sunday for a proper mix trail ride. Only time it will look this fresh.

I have a Thule 925 already. It’s rated to carry 2 ebikes. Roof carrier rated to 20kg so would have to weigh the bike without a battery.

and with the 625 battery. I like the way focus have integrated the batteries to give the bikes a non e look. I’m going to go to onbike in worcester within the next few weeks and try out their different bikes before purchasing.

Yes I’ve read up on the different specs until my eyes have gone red. 10lb difference in bikes weight with battery removed so ok to lift. My old schwinn weighs more than the cube.

Yeah. I ruled out the cube with a carrier as I’d rather have the choice over whether I wanted it permanently on the bike or not. Mixed reviews on the mudguards re:trapping stones and mud , I’ll go and look at the choice of cube bikes and decide. Not sure if I’ll be transporting the bike on car roof Thule carrier or tow bar rack so fixed mudguards could be a no no if chance of them getting ruined. I take mine off for transporting on euro travels.

RobF. Thanks for the reply. I’ve increased my mileage as I’m mainly cycling on small gradients , some tracks but getting a little bored of the same views. I can average 13mph. Today I had to stop twice on a mile long climb so ebike definitely needed for me to get up some of the more hilly sections. I’d just climbed a steeper gradient on the ride but this finished me off. I think the cube will be the one, if I can increase the bugdet or find a deal on a pro then I will. Hoping to do some riding in Europe this year so the extra mileage will be of use.

First time poster after a few weeks of post reading. I’m also on the lookout for my first e-bike. I think I’ve narrowed it down to one of the following 3 which retail under £2k. Cube Acid Hybrid One Allroad. 2020. Rockrider E-ST 900 from Decathlon. 2020. (I’d have to add extras for road use with the price saving) Focus adventura2 6.7. 2019 I‘m coming from a Carrera Crossfire 2 hybrid non e, which has served me well over the last 5 years. I regularly cycle 25 miles a morning on it and have recently upped a few rides to 35. Looking to explore more than the mildest of hills as I have the Quantocks and Mendips both within half an hours drive. Cube is lowest spec in their range but has the new cx drive , rockrider has proven parts but lacks the allroad elements , so did my current ride , and the focus again lowest of their range but is well regarded. I‘ve watched and read as much as I can find from reviewers and they all seem to fit within the budget for my first ebike. Any comments on the rockrider or focus appreciated as I’m swaying towards the cube purely on dealer location for any problems should they occur.