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More or less decided on a road bike rather than gravel and the Cube looks great for the money. But is it too good? A carbon 105 equipped bike for alloy/Tiagra money? I can’t find any recent reviews so I was hoping someone here could confirm that my hopes for it are not in vain?
Have you looked at the Vitus Zenium? Arguably even better value
It's a newer version of my 2016 Attain GTC Pro Disc that I've had nearly six years now, been great. Stock version of mine was ~9Kg using 105 5800 group with brs505 hydraulic brifters, 105 7000 group is ~0.5Kg lighter iirc. Latex tubes, GP5000 and a wheel upgrade made a performance difference and dropped a bit of weight. Can take 32mm tyres.
My only slight regret is I chose the 58cm frame because my lower back was very tempremental back then, so I went for the more upright 388mm reach and 610mm stack instead of the 56cm's 385/591mm, over the past year I've used a Deda adjustable stem that's given me the option of semi-racey effective stack of ~565mm. Bigger frame also meant less exposed seat post, in hindsight with my better back I should have got a 56cm and a 120mm stem (I have short legs and long torso for someone ~177cm).
The geo is at a glance looks the same as mine, fairly upright and a bit odd, many need to size up a frame https://www.cube.eu/uk-en/cube-attain-gtc-race-frostwhite-n-carbon/577200
There might be some EOL bargains out there at the mo at the likes of Rutland, Pauls Cycles, Merlin, CRC, Hargroves etc., it's how I got my Cube from Rutland. As an example, https://www.merlincycles.com/orro-gold-evo-105-mix-carbon-road-bike-272438.html is ~£1440 when added to basket tonight.
Failing that, the Boardmans look nice and you can get 8% off at Halfords, or 10% at Tredz with British Cycling membership.
I have one, it's a Ford Mondeo of bikes. Not especially exciting* but excellent at what it does for the price. No complaints at all.
* I mean all bikes are exciting as you swoop down some lovely descent or zip across the moors or whatever, aren't they?
I got some VEL 50 RL wheels when they were on sale under £400 last autumn that I've still yet to fit, to replace the Hunt Aero Light Disc front and original Fulcrum rear I've been running for the last three years, feels a bit like putting lipstick on a pig given I affectionately call my Cube a sportive aero brick. It's even more ironic I have some nice semi-aero wheels to fit on the bike seven months into long covid, last spring and summer I was able to do ~320W (4W/Kg) for ~18mins and improved my best times on loads of Strava segments, now 3mins on a rare good day near that power leaves me absolutely wrecked.
They're solid bikes, but in recent years, I've had the tricky n+1 dilemma... Whether to buy a more racey bike before my body fell apart, or an adventure/gravel bike with loads of tyre clearance to cope with the worsening state of the western South Downs lanes. Very nearly pulled the trigger on a Boardman ADV 8.9 in Halfords' recent 20% off sale, but was stopped by really wanting the ADV 9.0 that has so often been out of stock since it's release in late summer '20.
I used to have one, the last of the non-disc bikes while my mate still has the disc version from the same year (2016?). Coming from a MTB background it was a lovely bike, light and nicely finished + another world faster than either of the gravel bikes I've had since. Got rid as I hate road riding and prefer gravel type terrain where there's no cars.
Vitus isn’t an option, it’s through Evans Ride 2 Work. At a similar price I’m looking at an alloy Trek Domane with Tiagra or an alloy Cannondale Synapse with Tiagra. The Trek arguably has the best wheels, but that’s something I would upgrade in the future on any bike. The next step up is a Trek Emonda SL5 which is way above my voucher value and it’s not legal to pay a difference any more (thanks Cyclescheme!).
I had one, it rode very well. Sizing was a bit odd though, I’m a 54 usually, but ended up with a 56 and fitted a shorter stem as the 53 was too small. Mine was an eleven hundred quid bargain from Paul’s, but a mate got one in a Rutland sale for under a grand. Brifters were enormous and the brakes squealed, but it was fine.
We have 4 cube bikes between us.
Ford mondeo is a good description of them, but they’ve been good solid bikes.
Would happily buy another.
Oh yeah, on my 2020 model the wheels, whilst usefully wide were pretty heavy. I picked up some Prime carbon 38mm wheels recently which are far better and really finish it off.
That said, the wheels on the current Race are different so I can't comment on those.