Cube Stereo or Reaction

[waseem2912]

Hi,

Looking to buy my first ebike. Will be used mainly for commuting and park trails (so I think the 120mm travel will be sufficient). I think the cube bikes are great value for money and narrowed it down to Stereo Hybrid 120 SL or Reaction Hybrid SL. Couple of things I can't decide on:

1. Should I buy a full suspension bike.
2. Should I get a 750wh. (If 625wh is sufficient I could go for the 120 stereo hybrid race).

Compare: 2022 CUBE STEREO HYBRID 120, SL 750 29 vs REACTION HYBRID, SL 750 29 vs STEREO HYBRID 120, RACE 625 – 99 Spokes

The CUBE STEREO HYBRID 120, SL 750 29, CUBE REACTION HYBRID, SL 750 29, and CUBE STEREO HYBRID 120, RACE 625 are all aluminum frame trail e-bikes. The STEREO HYBRID 120, SL 750 29 has a dropper post, while the STEREO HYBRID 120, RACE 625 has 27.5″ / 29″ aluminum wheels and better components.

99spokes.com

Thank you for you advice.

 

[Bummers]

It's very hard to give good advice that's relative to you as only you know the trails you'll be using it on, what your commute is like etc.
From strictly my own experience, once you've used an e-bike on a climb it's such a game changer you'll want to use it more. You may well find yourself going to bike parks or doing more natural trails etc than you think.
Full sus, 750wh battery.

 

[BeBiker]

If you're below 30 you can go for the hardtail, even 500wh is OK.
If you're above 50 you will need the full suspension, 750wh and maybe a spare battery and a softer saddle

 

[waseem2912]

It's very hard to give good advice that's relative to you as only you know the trails you'll be using it on, what your commute is like etc.
From strictly my own experience, once you've used an e-bike on a climb it's such a game changer you'll want to use it more. You may well find yourself going to bike parks or doing more natural trails etc than you think.
Full sus, 750wh battery.

Do you think the 130mm travel is sufficient?

 

[Tubby G]

Personally I’d say a 625W battery is more than enough

I’ve had a 625w battery for over 18 months and not once have I ever thought I need more range. Unless of course you want to ride everywhere in Turbo mode!

What distance is your daily commute and what type of terrain does it cover ? How much elevation too ?

A full suss will be more comfortable on rocky rooty trails but a hardtail will be far more efficient on a daily commute and park ‘paths’

Can you lock the bike somewhere secure upon your arrival at work ? I wouldn’t let a full suss emtb out of my sight for one second, thieves grab the opportunity to steal at any moment

 

[Bummers]

Do you think the 130mm travel is sufficient?

I don't know where you'll be riding to say if it is or isn't.
A very good point was made about security, these bikes cannot be left anywhere outside, thieves will in broad daylight just use angle grinders to cut locks off.

 

[Trig]

Battery really depends on your mileage and use. If just short commutes and bike parks/natural trails less than 30 miles or so, 625w is probably plenty. Certainly more than enough that it shouldnt put you off the stereo 120 hybrid if thats what you want.

I have the cube hybrid reaction 2021 with 625wh. I always carry my spare 625 batter in my rucksack anyway, but for anything less than 30 miles ive never needed it, and thats abusing Emtb mode. Depends on the amount of hills/ground softness though.

 

[Jdub]

Personally I’d say a 625W battery is more than enough

I’ve had a 625w battery for over 18 months and not once have I ever thought I need more range. Unless of course you want to ride everywhere in Turbo mode!

What distance is your daily commute and what type of terrain does it cover ? How much elevation too ?

A full suss will be more comfortable on rocky rooty trails but a hardtail will be far more efficient on a daily commute and park ‘paths’

Can you lock the bike somewhere secure upon your arrival at work ? I wouldn’t let a full suss emtb out of my sight for one second, thieves grab the opportunity to steal at any moment

I second that. I'm riding a 140 hybrid race with 625 wh and I've only run it down to 10% once on an absolutely brutal day with 1700 meters of climb and 55 km distance. The battery gets taxed on the climbs. I generally only ride in the mountains but I did 70 km one day from the city, mostly flat, only 400 m of climb and still had 45% in the tank.

Hardtails are good fun for flow trails and commutes but anything serious it's certainly more comfortable and stable to have full suspension. Personally I'd go with the 120 hybrid race and not worry about the lower spec, it sounds like it will be plenty for your needs..

 

[waseem2912]

Thank you all for your comments. The 625wh battery would also open me up to considering the 140 hpc race. It has a rockshox 35 silver front fork whereas the other have the Fox AWL. Not sure how they compare?

 

[waseem2912]

Personally I’d say a 625W battery is more than enough

I’ve had a 625w battery for over 18 months and not once have I ever thought I need more range. Unless of course you want to ride everywhere in Turbo mode!

What distance is your daily commute and what type of terrain does it cover ? How much elevation too ?

A full suss will be more comfortable on rocky rooty trails but a hardtail will be far more efficient on a daily commute and park ‘paths’

Can you lock the bike somewhere secure upon your arrival at work ? I wouldn’t let a full suss emtb out of my sight for one second, thieves grab the opportunity to steal at any moment

Would having a full suspension hinder my ride on flat commutes? I know with non e bikes it's better to have no suspension due to added weight etc but I would have thought this wasn't the case with e bikes?

 

[Jdub]

Would having a full suspension hinder my ride on flat commutes? I know with non e bikes it's better to have no suspension due to added weight etc but I would have thought this wasn't the case with e bikes?

Having ridden both, I'd say the difference is pretty negligible on an emtb. I guess the main deciding factor would be how much you're going to ride off road. If you want to hit serious trails than full suspension is the way to go.

 

[Sander23]

I would go for a stereo 140.
That extra travel over the 120 is allways nice to have in reserve and it doesn't Hurt when commuting

 

[BeBiker]

iirc the main difference between stereo hybrid 120/140 is (superlite) alu vs (hpc) carbon

 

[waseem2912]

Thinking about the stereo hybrid 160 hpc SL. Highly spec'd and probably overkill for me ... But would it still make a good commuting bike? Not much of a price difference between this and others.

2022 CUBE STEREO HYBRID 160 HPC, SL 750 27.5 – Specs, Comparisons, Reviews – 99 Spokes

A 27.5″ full suspension enduro e-bike with high-end components.

99spokes.com

 

[BeBiker]

Thinking about the stereo hybrid 160 hpc SL...

If you are not too big and therefor prefer/like/accept 27.5 wheels (like me), absolutely go for it !

For commuting, you just have to put tyres with much lower rolling resistance.
You could eventually put the rear DHR to the front, and an Ikon/Rekon/Forekaster at the rear
Or Pirelli Scorpion M(edium), like I did.

There is even a H(ighrolling) now in 27.5x 2.4 or 2.6 at 35€

https://www.bike24.com/p2324112.html

The original front Assegai at the front behaves like glue, you have to pedal on asphalt descents.

 

[waseem2912]

iirc the main difference between stereo hybrid 120/140 is (superlite) alu vs (hpc) carbon

Am I likely to notice the difference between a carbon and aluminium frame?

 

[BeBiker]

For me this was a non-issue.
The 160S is always carbon, nice to have, a bit lighter and beautiful, but I would have bought it as an alu bike too.

 

[Jdub]

I'm only 5' 8" (172 cm) and weigh 70 kg so for me the 27.5" on the Cube 160 is perfect compared to riding my friends mullet setup on his Canyon with 29" in the front. I feel way more planted and agile, considering the weight of these enduro bikes with the big forks, battery, etc. Mostly swear by 29 front and rear or mullet but I'm in love with this set up. Here's an interesting article mentioning the cons of batteries larger than 630 w. I tend to agree. E-Mountainbike-Trends 2022 -The 7 most important findings from the big e-mountain bike comparison test 2022

 

[BeBiker]

A nice Article, from a Downhill-Enduro-Bikepark point of view. (that could be the market the 160S is made for)
For +80kg Trail-Enduro-XC (like me) or Commuting-Gravel (like treadstarter) this is completely different.
I had 4% left on the battery after a 65km Enduro ride, and at the finish talked to a 625 guy who pushed the bike the last 5km.

 

[Hardtail]

Am I likely to notice the difference between a carbon and aluminium frame?

Comparison of the Cube Stereo 120 vs 140 2022 750wh

The 120 is 1kg heavier due to the Alu vs Carbon.
Also to note is that the 120 has a longer chainstay, I guess for climbing?? I've not ridden a bike with a longer chainstay so I can't comment.
The other thing to consider is that the 120 has a 130mm fork and the 140 has a 150mm fork.
For commuting and the weekend trails I would take the 120 all day long, 120mm travel up front is all you need, 130mm is plenty for trails, I would also get a rear shock with a lock-out for those long road miles.

I ride a 2020 Mondraker Prime hardtail and I commute a lot and love big long days on the trails. I was considering an upgrade to a Cube Stereo 120, the only reasonably priced short travel full suss I could find... But then I had an epic day riding in the Mournes and ended up carrying the bike a bit and that changed my mind. At just over 21Kg's I'll stick with the hardtail, it is perfect for 90% of what I need it for.

Seeing range reviews of the 750wh compared to the 625wh I would also be happy to stay with the 625wh, although I do have a spare for extra-long days... The reason being is that with the extra weight of the bigger battery and the new Kiox vs the old crappy Purion the extra range is negligible, I would prefer to retrofit a 750wh to an old Purion display without the big screen our Bluetooth on constantly.

As a commuter I would also take Alu over Carbon and rest assured you can bang and knock it around more.

For the big road commutes I run 2.1 Thunder Burt Super Ground, very fast tyre. But in the winter months or when I'm hitting more trails I have the Maxxis Recon 2.6 EXO+ which is a lot more fun.

Volspeed chip is also a must... V3 is better IMO as it is not speed restricted like the V4.

I hope that helps!

 

[waseem2912]

If you are not too big and therefor prefer/like/accept 27.5 wheels (like me), absolutely go for it !

For commuting, you just have to put tyres with much lower rolling resistance.
You could eventually put the rear DHR to the front, and an Ikon/Rekon/Forekaster at the rear
Or Pirelli Scorpion M(edium), like I did.

There is even a H(ighrolling) now in 27.5x 2.4 or 2.6 at 35€

https://www.bike24.com/p2324112.html

The original front Assegai at the front behaves like glue, you have to pedal on asphalt descents.

I'm 5'7 ... Approx 65kg. However not sure I like the idea of having to change the tyres. Would that be essential? I do like the idea of having a bigger battery and a longer range even if it's not needed.

Narrowed down my options are (all full suspension) 120 SL 750, 140 HPC SL 750 or 160 HPC SL 160. As it's an expensive purchase would want to get the best all-rounder.

Thank you for your advice.

Compare: 2022 CUBE STEREO HYBRID 120, SL 750 29 vs STEREO HYBRID 160 HPC, SL 750 27.5 vs STEREO HYBRID 140 HPC, SL 750 29 – 99 Spokes

The CUBE STEREO HYBRID 120, SL 750 29, CUBE STEREO HYBRID 160 HPC, SL 750 27.5, and CUBE STEREO HYBRID 140 HPC, SL 750 29 are all full suspension mountain e-bikes. The STEREO HYBRID 120, SL 750 29 has an aluminum frame, a better fork, and higher gearing; while the STEREO HYBRID 160 HPC, SL 750...

99spokes.com

 

[Hardtail]

As a note. With the Mondraker 625wh hardtail I can ride 42miles St Albans to London and back in trail mode, derestricted, as fast as my legs can take me. Door to door is about 1hr each way and loads of fun. It's a relatively flat route, riding slowly greatly increases range. Tyre drag, speed and weight make the biggest difference to range, the Thunder Burt compared to the Recons is huge.

 

[Hardtail]

I'm 5'7 ... Approx 65kg. However not sure I like the idea of having to change the tyres. Would that be essential? I do like the idea of having a bigger battery and a longer range even if it's not needed.

Narrowed down my options are (all full suspension) 120 SL 750, 140 HPC SL 750 or 160 HPC SL 160. As it's an expensive purchase would want to get the best all-rounder.

Thank you for your advice.

Compare: 2022 CUBE STEREO HYBRID 120, SL 750 29 vs STEREO HYBRID 160 HPC, SL 750 27.5 vs STEREO HYBRID 140 HPC, SL 750 29 – 99 Spokes

The CUBE STEREO HYBRID 120, SL 750 29, CUBE STEREO HYBRID 160 HPC, SL 750 27.5, and CUBE STEREO HYBRID 140 HPC, SL 750 29 are all full suspension mountain e-bikes. The STEREO HYBRID 120, SL 750 29 has an aluminum frame, a better fork, and higher gearing; while the STEREO HYBRID 160 HPC, SL 750...

99spokes.com

I only change tyres seasonally depending on where I am working. I normally have the Thunder Burt's on, they are fast, as I was mostly on hard-pack trails and roads. There is no one tyre that can do it all so it comes down to personal choice. I would be really happy with the 120 SL 750, anything more is really over biked for your purpose. Definitely lock the rear shock for road miles, it just kills your pedalling power.

And I would run the 750wh system without the display for extra range.

 

[BeBiker]

I'm 5'7 ... Approx 65kg.

Well then don't care about the battery.
You'll drive further with a 500wh or 625wh battery than me with my 725Wh battery.
You are inbetween S and M, for Cube better choose the bigger bike.

The non-750Wh ebikes still have the 2020 frame wit bent top tube.
If you go for the 625Wh, have a look at the 2nd hand market, a lot of versionists sell their as-good-as-new "old" bike.

 

[Hardtail]

If you go for the 625Wh, have a look at the 2nd hand market, a lot of versionists sell their as-good-as-new "old" bike.

Totally agree, having owned a de-restricted Bosch bike for a over a year and having flogged the absolute pants off it in all weather and terrain I would happily by 2nd hand. I did for my wifes bike!
I even had to remove the motor and sent it to Homepage - eBike Motor Centre (Performance Line Bearings) when it just stopped one day, rather than waiting for a warranty repair. Turns out i had done one to many river crossings and riding in absolute torrential downpours… Peter was amazing and had me back up and running in a week with a clean and replacement torque sensor.

 

[emtbPhil]

There's a lot to say about this but.... in a nutshell

I'd get full suspension, hardtail for me was just horrid even on trails you start wishing there was a bit of rear suspension.
I'd honestly give up 750wh and get a 625wh but I'd look at the 2021 model 140 stereo hybrid

I've had 100mm and 140/150mm of travel and I really do think for trail riding a 140 is the perfect sweetspot

 

[Sander23]

Well then don't care about the battery.
You'll drive further with a 500wh or 625wh battery than me with my 725Wh battery.
You are inbetween S and M, for Cube better choose the bigger bike.

The non-750Wh ebikes still have the 2020 frame wit bent top tube.
If you go for the 625Wh, have a look at the 2nd hand market, a lot of versionists sell their as-good-as-new "old" bike.

True for sure!
I bought my haibike fullnine 10 2021 model second hand with 224 km and not a single scratch or wear on it. Paid 4300€ for it with 1 year of warranty left( New price that the owner bought it for was 6000€)

 

[Bummers]

I'm 5'7 ... Approx 65kg. However not sure I like the idea of having to change the tyres. Would that be essential? I do like the idea of having a bigger battery and a longer range even if it's not needed.

Narrowed down my options are (all full suspension) 120 SL 750, 140 HPC SL 750 or 160 HPC SL 160. As it's an expensive purchase would want to get the best all-rounder.

Thank you for your advice.

Compare: 2022 CUBE STEREO HYBRID 120, SL 750 29 vs STEREO HYBRID 160 HPC, SL 750 27.5 vs STEREO HYBRID 140 HPC, SL 750 29 – 99 Spokes

The CUBE STEREO HYBRID 120, SL 750 29, CUBE STEREO HYBRID 160 HPC, SL 750 27.5, and CUBE STEREO HYBRID 140 HPC, SL 750 29 are all full suspension mountain e-bikes. The STEREO HYBRID 120, SL 750 29 has an aluminum frame, a better fork, and higher gearing; while the STEREO HYBRID 160 HPC, SL 750...

99spokes.com

If you go for the 160SL you'll have an amazing bike that can handle anything! 750w battery, lots of travel, such a capable machine.

 

[waseem2912]

There's a lot to say about this but.... in a nutshell

I'd get full suspension, hardtail for me was just horrid even on trails you start wishing there was a bit of rear suspension.
I'd honestly give up 750wh and get a 625wh but I'd look at the 2021 model 140 stereo hybrid

I've had 100mm and 140/150mm of travel and I really do think for trail riding a 140 is the perfect sweetspot

The stereo hybrid 140 hpc race has rockshox 35 silver suspension. Not sure how this compares the the other bikes with fox AWL setup? Are the rockshox any good?

 

[emtbPhil]

The stereo hybrid 140 hpc race has rockshox 35 silver suspension. Not sure how this compares the the other bikes with fox AWL setup? Are the rockshox any good?

Rockshox 35 silver is basically equivalent to a fox 34 rhythm - other than being a fan of one brand or another I think they'll perform very similar