Swapping a Cube Kathmandu for Cube Stereo or ORBEA Wild?

[Carlbiker]

I’ve taken my Cube Kathmandu EXC back which RRP £2999 to swap for either:

2021 CUBE Stereo Hybrid 160 HPC SL 625 27.5

Buy 2021 CUBE Stereo Hybrid 160 HPC SL 625 27.5 Electric Bikes for £4299.00 at Cycle Gear Free Shipping

www.ukbikesdepot.com

or

2021 ORBEA Wild FS H30

Buy 2021 ORBEA Wild FS H30 Electric Bikes for £4399.00 at Cycle Gear Free Shipping

www.ukbikesdepot.com

I liked my Kathmandu but after introducing myself to mountain biking at Leeds urban bike park doing trails it’s really got me going so I can get either bike for £3.7k and trade up £2.6 from what I paid for my Kathmandu.

I know hardly anything about bikes but would rather get the right one and learn as I go along.

I notice the cube has smaller wheels and I’m told it’s specs slightly better but I’m not sure which I’d the better bike but I need to decide soon.

In the interim they have been kind enough to give me a Orbea Wild same

cheers

 

[Fat Rat]

Hi
do you like a longer reach bike ?
i personally find cubes to short in the top tube compared to a lot of other makes
so for me it would be the Orbea from a geo stand point
Funny enough the wild is on my short list too .

 

[Carlbiker]

Hi
do you like a longer reach bike ?
i personally find cubes to short in the top tube compared to a lot of other makes
so for me it would be the Orbea from a geo stand point
Funny enough the wild is on my short list too .

I don’t really have enough experience to say, that said I took the Orbea out for a spin tonight and wow what a difference from the Kathmandu! I get along with the longer reach okay, the 29 inch wheels are on this one vs the 27.5 of the cube. The Cube has a colour display and is Carbon rather than Aluminium and some slightly better specs like the fork so I’m told but I’m not sure which is the better bike out of the two

 

[egroover]

The Cube looks great, like the Kiox display, navigation is a cool integration if you can get the trails uploaded to your phone and then onto the display. Is the 27.5 wheel size the best choice for downhill bikes nowadays ?
The bigger battery on the cube would swing it for me too, 25% more than the Orbea

 

[Deus]

I have the Cube 160 with Kiox and my m8 has the Orbea Wild FS H30 there is not much to choose between the 2 i would say the Cube offers more for less with higher spec parts like the forks, we bought them from Cycle Gear in Halifax

 

[Carlbiker]

The Cube looks great, like the Kiox display, navigation is a cool integration if you can get the trails uploaded to your phone and then onto the display. Is the 27.5 wheel size the best choice for downhill bikes nowadays ?
The bigger battery on the cube would swing it for me too, 25% more than the Orbea

display nav? I didn’t get chance to see that I’m store sounds very interesting! Currently I’m using my phone but the battery on my iPhone 7 is pants, but I’m running Strava/mifit/Komoot all at the same time, phone upgrade needed! I’ve got a mifit band, had to turn off the idea of an Apple Watch...I use some Aeropex headphones too which work well, shame the monotone narrators makes the things vibrate so much though!

I was under the impression the battery was 625, he kind of told me they were all 625 on the options he gave me unless he’s mistaken or the new stock in 2 weeks are updated with better batteries hmmm

 

[Carlbiker]

I have the Cube 160 with Kiox and my m8 has the Orbea Wild FS H30 there is not much to choose between the 2 i would say the Cube offers more for less with higher spec parts like the forks, we bought them from Cycle Gear in Halifax

I think the Orbea is the nicer looking bike, maybe harder to spot it’s an ebike andI don’t like how scratch the carbon Matt finish is on the Cube, it’s pretty much the mountain bike version of the Kathmandu I used to own until returning, the Orbea is easier to man handle than my old Cube but I’ve not had my hands in the Stereo as of yet. I don’t like the fact the displays are fixed on the Orbea, is it the same on the cube? My old one just clipped off which was nice for that little bit of security

is carbon a good thing to consider?

 

[Deus]

The Kiox display can be removed its held on with magnets or secured with a small screw the Orbea rolls faster 29 Vs 27.5 but the Cube seems to pull up very steep terrain better (more torque with smaller wheels?)

 

[Carlbiker]

The loan Orbea Wild I have seems fixed in place I might be wrong....in any case can anyone give a reason not to get the cube? The price is the same but the fork alone is worth £800 and the Orbea is £400....

 

[Carlbiker]

I have the Cube 160 with Kiox and my m8 has the Orbea Wild FS H30 there is not much to choose between the 2 i would say the Cube offers more for less with higher spec parts like the forks, we bought them from Cycle Gear in Halifax

Can I just ask how much you guys pay to maintain each bike each year? I’m swaying towards the Cube atm just because of the more future proof specs really, I don’t want to be getting part envy right away a least for a couple years

 

[Carlbiker]

I've done a little spreadsheet, look likes the Cube parts cost 25% more, I'm not sure which need replacing the most but something to factor in, I guess this also makes the Cube 25% better value even just based on parts alone, I've not included everything, the battery and the display will probably add £450+ of extra value too since its at least £400 more to upgrade the wild to the 625 version.

https://gyazo.com/5d768eb364d3e65fc1ec4ef49a9b0e00

 

[Carlbiker]

also just spotted this https://www.ukbikesdepot.com/m163b0s983p39861/Electric_Bikes/Mens_Full_Suspension_Electric_Mountain_Bike/CUBE_Stereo_Hybrid_140_HPC_SL_625_2021 whats the difference between this and the 160 im looking at, looks like the same bike almost? Fox form instead of Zeb, not sure which is better....hmmm exactly the same price

 

[Fat Rat]

also just spotted this https://www.ukbikesdepot.com/m163b0s983p39861/Electric_Bikes/Mens_Full_Suspension_Electric_Mountain_Bike/CUBE_Stereo_Hybrid_140_HPC_SL_625_2021 whats the difference between this and the 160 im looking at, looks like the same bike almost? Fox form instead of Zeb, not sure which is better....hmmm exactly the same price

Zeb over Fox for me
allthou i own both makes rockshox are a lot easier to self service and also the 38 fox is getting the age old creaking problem which is really annoying after all these years

 

[Carlbiker]

Zeb over Fox for me
allthou i own both makes rockshox are a lot easier to self service and also the 38 fox is getting the age old creaking problem which is really annoying after all these years

But isn't the 160 bike made for enduro racing instead of the 140 which is designed more for trails?

 

[Fat Rat]

But isn't the 160 bike made for enduro racing instead of the 140 which is designed more for trails?

I run a 170 front fork on a 150 trail bike its all about what you want
i like the fatter stantions as well as im no light weight and they handle the stress better when im belting into berms and jumps .
But yes a 160 bike is more enduro and 140 trail officially .

 

[Carlbiker]

I run a 170 front fork on a 150 trail bike its all about what you want
i like the fatter stantions as well as im no light weight and they handle the stress better when im belting into berms and jumps .
But yes a 160 bike is more enduro and 140 trail officially .

even with 27.5 tyres? I always thought larger tyres = more absorbing so less stress but the 140 is the bike with larger tyres

 

[Fat Rat]

even with 27.5 tyres? I always thought larger tyres = more absorbing so less stress but the 140 is the bike with larger tyres

yeah
i run 27.5+ 2.8" tyres mainly for grip

 

[Carlbiker]

Ive gone for the Orbea Wild HS30 in the end, more reliable and better geometry

 

[Deus]

Ive gone for the Orbea Wild HS30 in the end, more reliable and better geometry

More reliable in what what way?

 

[Carlbiker]

More reliable in what what way?

It never dawned on me to think it would be similar to cars, some just break down a lot more than others so I asked around and specifically to some bike mechanics and they said they get a lot more issues with Cubes and basically I should go for the Orbea as it’s a better bikes, it mirrors most the sales reps I chatted with although perhaps Cube sell 10x the volume....who’s to know? The bikes parts are 25% less to replace on the Orbea so the advice plus the maintenance costs swayed me really plus I’m on a Orbea loan currently and love it