Cube Kathmandu Hybrid Pro 500

Hi all,

I have today placed my lovely Cube up for sale in the Classified Ads section. If you are looking for a well looked after, powerful ebike, then give it a look. Apologies for the multiple ads - seems to be a glitch on the site which I have notified to admin. Hopefully they can delete the copies.

Hi Phil, can I ask why you’re selling? That’s I’m looking at but local bike shop says it’s v heavy.

Hi.

The only reason I'm selling the Cube is because an old back injury has recently come back to haunt me and is seriously impacting the length of time I can spend on the bike. I had a damaged disc removed 24 years ago so I can't complain at two and a half decades of extra cycling! Decided to go for some stationary exercise equipment in the garage instead. In so far as weight is concerned, Cube state, I think, 23-24kg which is pretty standard for a Hybrid ebike with integral rack, suspension forks and mudguards. Must admit, I would not like to be hauling it up and down stairs regularly, but in normal use its no problem.

Thanks for your interest,

Phil

Hi all,

I have today placed my lovely Cube up for sale in the Classified Ads section. If you are looking for a well looked after, powerful ebike, then give it a look. Apologies for the multiple ads - seems to be a glitch on the site which I have notified to admin. Hopefully they can delete the copies.

 

I wish you lived nearer London

No way, José! Leicester is bad enough.

NOW SOLD. Enjoy, Andy.

If Phil doesn't mind, I'd like to keep this thread going.

 

I had my first proper ride on the bike today. I looked at the BBC forecast which presented a window of half decent conditions & risked it. The Sustrans route from Warwick to Stratford-upon-Avon is an old favourite, so that's the way I went.

 

Initial impressions are very favourable indeed. It's a very different beast to the Ortler, but they are built for different purposes. The Ortler is a very accomplished commuter and it's done me proud. The Cube is much more suited to the minor roads I was on today. The CX Performance motor is noticeably more powerful when going uphill and the Intuvia display keeps me well informed of how much power is being fed in.

 

There's no dongle on the Cube, so I contented myself with the power cutting out smoothly at around 16.5 MPH. I had the wind against me on the way to S-u-A, and quite strong it was too, but the motor made it easy going. I didn't stay long there, as the forecast was wrong - of course! It was quite wet at times on the way back and all along the route, the Avon had burst its banks at the side of the road. Coming back to Warwick, I had the wind behind me and I sailed along.

 

I'll need to tweak the riding position a little. I'll also fit the Tefal mirror from the Ortler as well as the Lion bell (highly recommended, but not cheap!). If there's room, I'll put the Badass dongle on the Cube too.

 

26.5 miles covered (19 miles of range used on the display) at 15.1 MPH average speed. It's an undulating route, so that's quite a decent average in the conditions.

 

I wish the BBC forecast was as good!

I have just come back from test riding the Hybrid Pro and also the Kathmandu 625 - both gorgeous bikes. I'm 6ft 6ins and was advised in the shop to go for the 58 frame, not the largest 62. Apparently the largest frame sizes are aimed at very (more than 6ft 6) tall Germans and Dutch riders - does this sound right?

What size frame did you try out? I'd say 6' 6" is pretty tall and warrants the largest frame, but it depends on leg length as much as anything.

Andy, you are going to put my beloved ex-bike into cardiac arrest taking it out in the rain! Still, life is all about new challenges. It will get a fright when you fit the dongle! Seriously, though, I'm pleased that you are enjoying it, and appreciate the power it delivers so smoothly. Cube screw things together well, and the whole unit is a great example of Germanic engineering. I'm resurrecting and renovating my old Specialized hybrid at the moment just to potter round on in the warmer weather.

I did think of you once the rain started, Phil! In my defence, it was dry when I set out and was supposed to remain so for the duration of my ride. Had I left it another couple of hours, it would have been far worse, so I suppose I was lucky. I'm impressed that battery life seems to be about 50 miles in Sport/eMTB mode in the cold. That bodes well for an even longer range in warmer weather. I had the tyres at 80psi, which would have helped.

Edited February 20, 20206 yr by Warwick

...And today I've fitted some mudguard extensions. The front one is almost down to the ground. My commute has some wet stretches, so those will help. The Cube also has a shroud over the Bosch motor unit. The Ortler didn't.

I have just come back from test riding the Hybrid Pro and also the Kathmandu 625 - both gorgeous bikes. I'm 6ft 6ins and was advised in the shop to go for the 58 frame, not the largest 62. Apparently the largest frame sizes are aimed at very (more than 6ft 6) tall Germans and Dutch riders - does this sound right?

No, definitely not.

I'm 6' 5" and have just purchased a Cross Pro 625 in 62cm and it fits perfectly (I also have another 62cm Cube SL Road)

Today the sun is shining here in Warwick, or it was. So, I hopped on the bike, with Badass dongle fitted, and went out into the local countryside. I soon encountered the tail end of the Warwick Half Marathon, which was actually quite good, as the roads were closed. I also caught the tail end of Storm Jorge, so it was quite blustery out there.

 

The dongle kicked in straight away and it became apparent on a quiet, straight, tarmaced bridleway that this is one very fast bike; too fast in Sport mode to be used safely on the roads. I was doing 26MPH and there was more to come. That would attract attention, so I'll have to content myself with Tour mode to keep things sensible.

 

I need to tweak the saddle position and turn the bars to gain a bit of extra reach, as I'm a little cramped with it as it is, but that's trial and error. I think the weather is favourable enough to ride into work this week, so I'll see how I get on with it on my commute.

 

There was a stretch on a muddy towpath, but the mudguard extensions seem to have kept most of the crud at bay.

Hi

I went for the 58cm in the end as the wait time was so long on the 62cm. It seems to fit fine! There are screws missing where the bottle cage should be mounted - stupid question but shouldn't there be screws supplied with bike to avoid water getting in?

Hex bolts would generally be in place, but I doubt the holes are big enough to allow water in.

 

Any half-decent bike shop should have some spares knocking about.

 

A bottle cage is handy anyway, even if you don't want to carry water you could use a bottle shaped tool caddy for your spare tube, puncture stuff, and a multi tool.

 

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-tool-storage-bottle/

Thanks Rob, that’s really helpful tip. Will invest!

Any hints/tips/products out there for keeping the Bosch intuvia display protected from the elements? I’m assuming it’s showerproof but surely it’ll not like torrential downpours which seem to be becoming the norm. Good old fashioned sandwich bag maybe?

Cheers

I did the commute this morning with the bike in Tour mode. I actually have to put in some effort then. In Sport/eMTB mode, I only need to turn the pedals.

 

c.9 miles at an average speed of 17.5MPH with just over 1 bar (of5) of battery used. I like!

Thanks Rob, that’s really helpful tip. Will invest!

Any hints/tips/products out there for keeping the Bosch intuvia display protected from the elements? I’m assuming it’s showerproof but surely it’ll not like torrential downpours which seem to be becoming the norm. Good old fashioned sandwich bag maybe?

Cheers

MH Unisex's EBIKE DISPLAY COVER INTUVIA, Clear, standard size

MH

£17.12

Hi

I went for the 58cm in the end as the wait time was so long on the 62cm. It seems to fit fine! There are screws missing where the bottle cage should be mounted - stupid question but shouldn't there be screws supplied with bike to avoid water getting in?

My Cross hybrid also came without bottle cage bolts, M5x14mm stainless button heads are what you need.

I've done my commute this week on very quiet roads. That means I have been able to unleash the power of the bike in Sport mode. It would be silly of me to say how fast I went, but it was very rapid indeed, and far too fast for normal traffic. The bike handled it with aplomb and the brakes are powerful enough to bring me to a quick halt, if necessary. At 'normal' speeds I only need to turn the pedals and put a minimum amount of effort in to get going.

 

There are two observations so far: 1) I'm having to get used to changing gear whilst pedalling again. The Ortler's hub gear was great for being able to change gear at a junction; 2) the handling is sharper than the Ortler's, meaning I'm turning into corners quicker and I'm needing to adjust. Both of these I'll get used to sooner rather than later.

Yep roads are very quiet at the mo and very noticeable during my p.m driving shifts as a key worker, though it appears not only loonie ebikers are releasing the speed of their vehicle of choice. The open quiet roads also bringing out the Mansell's of this world.

The Cube is still going strong. I've ordered some Schwalbe Marathon GT365s to fit onto it. Those will handle bridleways better than the Marathon Plusses on it at the moment.

 

One minor irritation is that the front forks aren't as giving as the Ortler's. That means that my very loud Lion bell pings rather too often without me doing it. Seeing as it's loud that a) gets on my nerves and b) irritates peds. And yes, I have adjusted the damping, but to no avail.

The Schwalbe GT365s have been fitted - which was a cinch. Whilst at it, I fixed the rattly front mudguard with some bits of inner tube wedged between the stay and the guard itself. Both items were just tested on a 12-mile, mainly off-road ride. The mudguard didn't rattle once, despite riding over some pretty bumpy terrain and the tyres handled all they encountered.

 

The front bell still pings at the wrong time, so a replacement is on its way. Shame, as the Lion bell has a lovely, long tone. I think the Suntour seatpost needs adjusting too, as the ride was rather harsh in places.

 

It's amazing how busy the bridleways are with fellow cyclists.

Seeing as I'm only working one week in four during the lockdown, the bike hasn't had as much use as normal. Since the last update I've fitted a different Zefal mirror, the Zefal Spin. More compact and recommended. I've also fitted half toeclips, as the pedals fitted were a little slippy for my footwear. I had an unusual puncture last week. The rim tape cube used isn't really fit for purpose - which surprises & disappoints me in equal measure - and the tape had given way around one of the inner spoke holes. 70psi had done its work and forced the tube into the hole with inevitable results. I fitted new, thicker, less rigid tapes to both wheels.

 

I did a mini service yesterday and replaced the front pads, so the front brake is really effective now. That's just as well, because I was riding along yesterday and I felt the bike's motor cutting out. I looked at the speedo & it was reading c.15.5mph. Seeing as I have a Badass dongle fitted that meant 30+mph! This was in Sport mode, but I generally use Tour mode. It really didn't feel that fast, but it must have been. This was out on quiet country roads, I add. I'm sure the soap box brigade will have something to say about that, but don't bother, I won't read it.

 

I retrieved the Suntour NCX seatpost and fitted it. It's hard to say if it's effective, as it does its job in a very non-intrusive way. There's no pogoing as with the common up-and-down jobs.

 

I'm thinking of using it on the Devon Coast-to-Coast route later in the year. Even with the hills, I think I can do the 100 miles in 2 days. That'll mean removing the dongle though. Effective as it is, riding along so quickly does nothing for the range.