Cube Reaction Hybrid SL 500

[Nev]

Seriously considering buying one of these from my LBS. They are having an event this weekend when this and several other electric mountain bikes will be available for test rides so will have a better idea then. A friend of mine has a Cube Access hybrid, and he let me have a go on it a while back. He gave me the following warning about electric bikes, "If you try one you will buy one". I think he is absolutely right I was extremely impressed and had no idea these electric bikes were so good.

What do you folks think of the Hybrid SL, at £2800 do you think it represents reasonable value for money? Many years ago I used to be able to ride up into the mountains of North Wales on a mountain bike but I would not be able to do that now unless I had motor assistance.

 

[Parky]

You won’t regret it

It was one on my list but decided to go middle of the road (price wise) and I’m more than happy with my Cube Reaction Hybrid Race 500 thus far

 

[GLJoe]

What do you folks think of the Hybrid SL, at £2800 do you think it represents reasonable value for money?

Cube bikes are generally very competitive and well specified for the money.
What I will say though (and this goes for many models from other manufacturers as well) is that you're paying a premium at the moment on that particular bike for the new integrated power tube battery. If you like that more discrete style, go for it! but know you would be able to pick up an older model, with probably indistinguishable performance (if perhaps not looks!) for considerably less.

 

[Gringo]

is that you're paying a premium at the moment on that particular bike for the new integrated power tube battery.

No that's not a power tube battery, it's the standard battery with the frame formed around it
Back to the OP
Another one to consider is the cube acid one, some sizes are already available, others any day now. It has the latest 3 generation motor, it dosent quite have as much torque as the CX motor, but how much do you need ? And it's £1000 cheaper !!!
https://www.rutlandcycling.com/bikes/electric-bikes/cube-acid-hybrid-one-500-2018-electric-mountain-bike-green_381152

 

[falmouthtony]

Cube bikes are generally very competitive and well specified for the money.
What I will say though (and this goes for many models from other manufacturers as well) is that you're paying a premium at the moment on that particular bike for the new integrated power tube battery. If you like that more discrete style, go for it! but know you would be able to pick up an older model, with probably indistinguishable performance (if perhaps not looks!) for considerably less.

For instance....save yourself £1400

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/cube-stereo-hybrid-120-hpa-29-race-500-e-bike-2017/rp-prod154582

 

[Nev]

Thanks for the replies you have given me some food for thought I will do some more research.

 

[Nev]

BTW folks forgot to ask the following question. Is there anything game changing likely to come out in the next two or three months? I know technology is always changing and usually improving. Its a bit like computers if you buy one today you know that in a few months you could buy one a lot better and probably for less money. The problem is though if you think like that you will never buy anything. However I would be cheesed off if I bought a bike now and found out something game changing was about to be released on to the markets very shortly.

 

[soundwave]

not in ur price rage there is all ways better for a price
https://www.scan.co.uk/products/intel-xeon-platinum-8176-s3647-skylake-sp-28-cores-56-threads-21ghz-28ghz-turbo-385mb-cache-165w-ret?v=c

i only want 4 santa said fook that

 

[Nev]

it dosent quite have as much torque as the CX motor, but how much do you need ?

I will be honest with you I don't know how much torque I need. If I tell you what I used to do over 20 years ago on a none assist mountain bike and would like to do again with the assistance of a motor you might be able to tell me.

I used to ride the Carneddau mountain range in the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales, most of the peaks in this range are over 3000 ft. I did have to carry the bike up some of the steepest parts though. Don't fancy carrying a pedelect though, so I might not be able to do all the mountains I used to.

 

[soundwave]

you want the cx motor then and you will pay a premium for the power tube batts on the new bikes.

the batts cost the same but the frame mount ones can be recelled and easy to put in a back pack where as the power tube is longer so more of a pita to carry one in the first place.

also the power tube frames will be a bit more heavy and wider

 

[Rutland Cycling]

BTW folks forgot to ask the following question. Is there anything game changing likely to come out in the next two or three months? I know technology is always changing and usually improving. Its a bit like computers if you buy one today you know that in a few months you could buy one a lot better and probably for less money. The problem is though if you think like that you will never buy anything. However I would be cheesed off if I bought a bike now and found out something game changing was about to be released on to the markets very shortly.

Hey Nev,

To be fair - not a lot is changing on Bosch Performance CX's for 2019, more information can be found here ; https://www.bosch-ebike.com/en/news/the-new-performance-line-cx-package/

 

[Nev]

I've got another question too, but just trying to think how to frame it so that it makes some kind of sense.

What I am trying to find out is how much help does the motor provide in relation to ones cycling performance. So lets say 20 odd years ago I had a level of cycling performance and lets call this fitness level X. To what level of cycling fitness would I now have to get to (without the use of a pedelect) so that when I do use a pedelect I would be at a similar level to what I was all those years ago?

Would I be correct in assuming if I got to say a third of the level of cycling performance I used to have, with the help of a pedelect I would be close to the same level (level X) as I used to be?

 

[soundwave]

 

[Nev]

Fair play soundwave you have some tremendous bike handling skills, even when I was a young man there is no way I would have been riding that fast on that type of track.

 

[Trevormonty]

Seriously considering buying one of these from my LBS. They are having an event this weekend when this and several other electric mountain bikes will be available for test rides so will have a better idea then. A friend of mine has a Cube Access hybrid, and he let me have a go on it a while back. He gave me the following warning about electric bikes, "If you try one you will buy one". I think he is absolutely right I was extremely impressed and had no idea these electric bikes were so good.

What do you folks think of the Hybrid SL, at £2800 do you think it represents reasonable value for money? Many years ago I used to be able to ride up into the mountains of North Wales on a mountain bike but I would not be able to do that now unless I had motor assistance.

You won’t regret it

It was one on my list but decided to go middle of the road (price wise) and I’m more than happy with my Cube Reaction Hybrid Race 500 thus far

The main performance difference between two bikes is superior MT5 brakes and slightly better Gold fork. I've silver on normal bike and is good fork. Easy enough to upgrade brakes, 2×SLX is £150, not quite as good as MT5 but lot better than M315.

Powertube is nice integration but Race Powerpack is more flexible, spare is easy to carry in backpack. Can be used in lot more different bosch ebikes, something to consider if you may buy ebike for wife.

CX with 11spd will climb hills you would struggle to walk up let alone ride on normal MTB.

 

[Parky]

Hey Nev,

To be fair - not a lot is changing on Bosch Performance CX's for 2019, more information can be found here ; https://www.bosch-ebike.com/en/news/the-new-performance-line-cx-package/

So available in the form of an update on any 2016 and above CX?

 

[GLJoe]

No that's not a power tube battery, it's the standard battery with the frame formed around it

Not quite sure how to interpret the there, because there ARE indeed models that take the standard battery but embedded into the a wrap around frame However I'm pretty sure the £2800 2018 SL model DOES have a powertube battery!!

 

[Nev]

CX with 11spd will climb hills you would struggle to walk up let alone ride on normal MTB.

wow that sounds terrific and just the kind of thing I am looking for. I had assumed I would never again be able to cycle up some of the mountains I used to many years ago. This may sound a bit naff, but after recently becoming aware of how good electric motor assisted bikes now are I am really excited about shortly getting one.

 

[GLJoe]

BTW folks forgot to ask the following question. Is there anything game changing likely to come out in the next two or three months?

Nope. Not game changing. And somehow, I can't see those type of changes happening in the next two or three YEARS.
What is happening is marginal gains (!?!) in lots of small areas, but lots of those are stuff like mainstream bikes going over to thru axles, maybe tougher ebike specific chains and tyres - nothing that's suddenly going to make a 2018 bike redundant or somehow perform worse. The summer is coming. get a bike now!

 

[GLJoe]

What I am trying to find out is how much help does the motor provide in relation to ones cycling performance
......
would I would be at a similar level to what I was all those years ago?

That's a fascinating question.
Mainstream EMTBs use torque and cadence sensing, so you need to be able to spin your legs, and you need to be able to produce force onto the pedals.
If there is something disabling you from doing that sufficiently like a medical condition or advanced old age, then you might have a problem, however I would go out on a limb and say that for most people, if you were 'fit' just 20 years ago, then a few weeks getting back into the swing of things to shake out the cobwebs would mean that you'll be able to drive the ebike with enough initial power to get it to drive maximally, and then pretty much obliterate even world class athletes when doing a hill climb in turbo!

You yourself probably won't be able to recover as fast from the workout as you did before, but in terms of pure 'performance', the 'old you' wouldn't stand a chance compared to the new 'Turbo you'