Just bought Cube Stereo 140 Pro (2018 model)

[Snoozeboy]

Hello, I just bought the above, in last year's model, in a powder blue colour that I don't like much, but hey, it was a good discount. I use it around town, plus gentle offroad (single track, fire trails) in very hilly country.

First impressions on what is my first electric bike:
- It's great. I live in a hilly area and it's great not to be daunted by the hills; to be able to ride to a work meeting without arriving covered in sweat; to get out on a bike again having been too unfit to dare in this area's challenging surroundings for the last few years.
- I'm happy with the quality of the bike. You seem to get a lot for the money.
- ...except for the saddle, which is rock hard, very flat in profile from front to back and I'm well sore after only 50km in the first day. It was a great 50km however. A revelation.
- The well documented, whiny, laggy Bosch motor... doesn't bother me too much. There is some noticeable lag and some extra noise around the 25kph cut off point, but the motor seems to disengage (or at least the lag seems to disappear or maybe overtaken by the drag of the tyres) at around 27kph upwards. At first I thought, whilst riding down a gentle decline, that my motor was de-restricted, because the speed kept building, but then I realised that it was the momentum building up from a relatively heavy bike (compared with non-ebikes) and my 102kg.
- The range seems pretty good. On flattish tarmac the motor is rarely used because once it gets you to 25kph, it's fairly easy to keep it at around 30kph without assistance. Apart from a quick buzz around a nearby forest, I haven't taken it properly into the mountains yet, but I can't wait. It'll be great to get around the mountains without relying on lift opening times.
- It's so great to buzz around at 30kph on tarmac without the motor and then hit Turbo at the foot of one of this area's daunting hills.
- the bike felt lighter than expected in the shop and then heavier than expected ever since. It's a matter of getting used to it. It's a strangely nice feeling getting off the bike after Turboing up a steep hill, walking a little and feeling the "bionics" of your legs have gone.
- Transporting it to said mountains, which are only about 25-50 mins drive away, depending on which mountain, is proving to be a bit of a challenge.
- The manual says to only transport it inside a vehicle, which isn't going to happen. I have a big Skoda estate, but it's not a van and I also have 2 kids with all their weekend gear. It isn't going to fit.
- the next best way is by towbar mounted rear rack, but this will cost me another grand or so, with the towbar installation. This is quite an expense having already spent a reasonable amount on the bike.
- My usual roof bike racks don't fit around the down tube. I'm going to try a Thule Upride rack, which secures the bike around the front wheel without touching the frame. The rating on the rack is just enough for the bike (actually 1kg short with the battery removed, but probably doable). The roof load for the car (100kg) and bars (75kg) are both fine. Lifting the bike up there won't be fun, but I can't see any other way without significant expense on dull things like towbars and bike racks. I'll keep you posted.

Overall, I'm very happy with it and a total convert to EMTB.

 

[ggx]

 

[Snoozeboy]

update
- The Thule Upride rack seems to fit, so no problem there except the difficulty shoulder-pressing the bike onto the car roof.
- I was coming down a long steep road today and my front brake (Shimano BR-M315, Hydr. Disc Brake 180) seemed to whine a lot then gave up almost totally. I think it overheated. I guess biking on a trail road the braking is more staccato allowing the brake to cool, whereas this was a very long, very steep road. I have the same brake on my normal mountain bike and never had that problem.
- I'm noticing the lag of the motor more at 25-27kph. The front forks even dive slightly. It still doesn't bother me too much.

 

[xcentric]

Re the towbar mounted racks - I always used to use roof bars or rear-hung carriers, until recently when I had to take 6 bikes away and ended up with 4 on a lowball rack and 2 on the roof. The towball option is excellent, and worth reconsidering. It's easy to get the bike on and off (it mostly rolls on), the rack can carry 2 or 3 without going over load limits, it doesn't mean you're height restricted for car parks or bridges, you don't kill yourself or dent the car lifting it up there, and it means you're less muddy when you've manhandled it too.

To keep the costs down: if you're doing shorter trips, you could just fit the towbar and not the electrics (though check the legalities in your country). For a while now, all EU cars have had to have common towbar mounting points predrilled into the chassis, so it's not a big job. Also, diy electrics are relatively simple too - and with a more modern car, there's usually a plug-in connector already the wiring loom.

In addition, with 2 kids you'll often be short of space, and you can repurpose racks to carry soft kit bags, tents, etc. so freeing up more space in the car. Further, s/h ones come up on eBay with remarkable frequency. And finally, if you have a garage you can attach a spare lowball to the garage wall, and put the rack on there for winter storage and working on the bike.....

 

[Beekeeper]

Can you not take the wheels off and then stick it all in the car or is that not a good idea?

 

[Snoozeboy]

Can you not take the wheels off and then stick it all in the car or is that not a good idea?

Most of the time I go up to the portes du soleil for the weekend with the family. Taking the wheels off and shoving it in the boot is fine for solo trips, but not with all the family luggage.