Cube Travel / Cube Touring Bikes

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Serge

Serge

Über Member
Location
Nuneaton
[QUOTE 5217125, member: 45"]I was in your position a couple of months ago, and decided that Cube were good bikes with great VFM. I looked at the two you're talking about and, while they're complete (guards, rack, lights) they're big and heavy.

I went for the Cube Hyde Race in the end. Belt drive, hub gears. Lighter and faster than your two, but strong. With a rack on the back it's fantastic for commuting.[/QUOTE]
Way out of my price range I'm afraid, that's without equipping it with all the kit that's included with the above two.

I'm also a bit dubious about hub gears for no reason other than I've never tried them.
 
OP
OP
Serge

Serge

Über Member
Location
Nuneaton
Update:

Just returned to work after two rest days and they're laying people off, bugger!

I think the new bike will have to go on the back burner for now.

Does anyone out there want to hire a chef? I have my own transport!
 
Last edited:

Crankarm

Guru
Location
Nr Cambridge
Way out of my price range I'm afraid, that's without equipping it with all the kit that's included with the above two.

I'm also a bit dubious about hub gears for no reason other than I've never tried them.
The Cube Hyde Race is about £900 and you say it is way out of your budget which was what? £250?
 

Bodhbh

Guru
I think your second para undermines your first to be honest. And that replacement fork won't be free. Why complicate things? I'd get the right bike to start with.

It probably does, I'd had a few (and have now :wacko:). I did my first few tours on a 2003 Rockhopper with the orginal suss forks. It was fine. they added weight and weren't really needed, but I didn't readly care at the time and it was nice to 'boing' in pothotes etc and didn't hurt either..
 

Douggie954

Well-Known Member
My brother borrowed my Cube touring bike for LEJOG and then I did London to Paris, Hull to Harwich and then Bedford to Minden and back on the Cube touring bike. My brother bought his own after LEJOG and has done the other tours with me as well. It's a great bike and I just get it serviced once a year after the tour.
 
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Serge

Serge

Über Member
Location
Nuneaton
My brother borrowed my Cube touring bike for LEJOG and then I did London to Paris, Hull to Harwich and then Bedford to Minden and back on the Cube touring bike. My brother bought his own after LEJOG and has done the other tours with me as well. It's a great bike and I just get it serviced once a year after the tour.
Does yours have the front suspension?
 

Douggie954

Well-Known Member
Does yours have the front suspension?
Yes and so does the one my brother bought.
 
Location
España
Hi Serge,

Here's an alternative idea that may suit your budget and is a bit modular....

Use your existing MTB. I don't know the specs of yours offhand, but a lot of MTBs of that vintage have a very good design for touring. A key measurement is to check the length of the chainstays to make sure that your feet have clearance with panniers on the back.

I've done that with an old Trek MTB. I changed out the stem to give me a more upright position and added racks front and back. I replaced the stock saddle with a Brooke's. I also got new wheels because I don't travel light and I wanted a dynohub. It served as my commuter & tourer for a couple of years (I changed out the wheels between tours) until I saw another for 30 euro and now use that exclusively for commuting, leaving me lots of time to play around with the tourer. (I'm no mechanic, so I like to take things apart and put them back together again to learn).

It looks a bit of a mongrel of a bike, to be honest, but I like that I don't have to worry too much on a tour leaving it outside a supermarket - it's not shiny & brand new and drawing attention of those that like to acquire such things.

I did several weekend and long weekend mini-tours to figure out what I wanted on this bike, what would be comfortable etc and then looked around on Ebay or some of the bike sellers online to get what I wanted a good price. It took me about 2 years to get everything I wanted the way I wanted it, but it was usable from the first weekend.

In any case, good luck in your quest!

Frank
 
OP
OP
Serge

Serge

Über Member
Location
Nuneaton
Hi Serge,

Here's an alternative idea that may suit your budget and is a bit modular....

Use your existing MTB. I don't know the specs of yours offhand, but a lot of MTBs of that vintage have a very good design for touring. A key measurement is to check the length of the chainstays to make sure that your feet have clearance with panniers on the back.

I've done that with an old Trek MTB. I changed out the stem to give me a more upright position and added racks front and back. I replaced the stock saddle with a Brooke's. I also got new wheels because I don't travel light and I wanted a dynohub. It served as my commuter & tourer for a couple of years (I changed out the wheels between tours) until I saw another for 30 euro and now use that exclusively for commuting, leaving me lots of time to play around with the tourer. (I'm no mechanic, so I like to take things apart and put them back together again to learn).

It looks a bit of a mongrel of a bike, to be honest, but I like that I don't have to worry too much on a tour leaving it outside a supermarket - it's not shiny & brand new and drawing attention of those that like to acquire such things.

I did several weekend and long weekend mini-tours to figure out what I wanted on this bike, what would be comfortable etc and then looked around on Ebay or some of the bike sellers online to get what I wanted a good price. It took me about 2 years to get everything I wanted the way I wanted it, but it was usable from the first weekend.

In any case, good luck in your quest!

Frank
Many thanks for the advice, I have been wondering over the weekend whether I could use my existing bike.

The main drawback is that I use it daily for my commute so I can't afford to have it out of action for any length of time.

Also, when it comes to mechanical work, I'm about as much use as a chocolate teapot!
 
Location
España
Many thanks for the advice, I have been wondering over the weekend whether I could use my existing bike.

The main drawback is that I use it daily for my commute so I can't afford to have it out of action for any length of time.

Also, when it comes to mechanical work, I'm about as much use as a chocolate teapot!

:-)
I was as much use as a chocolate teapot too! But I figured I'd need to change that if I wanted to visit all the places I wanted to on a bike. And while I'm no expert, I'm a lot more confident now at dealing with most things that need to be done. Youtube is your friend for a lot of stuff.

I used mine as my daily commuter for about 2 years while adding the bits and pieces for touring - it's doable. And when I saw a similar model for sale cheaply I picked it up just to make life easier. When your bike is in bits and you need it the next morning for work, it tends to focus the mind :-)

In any case, good luck with your decisions!
 
OP
OP
Serge

Serge

Über Member
Location
Nuneaton
:-)
I was as much use as a chocolate teapot too! But I figured I'd need to change that if I wanted to visit all the places I wanted to on a bike. And while I'm no expert, I'm a lot more confident now at dealing with most things that need to be done. Youtube is your friend for a lot of stuff.

I used mine as my daily commuter for about 2 years while adding the bits and pieces for touring - it's doable. And when I saw a similar model for sale cheaply I picked it up just to make life easier. When your bike is in bits and you need it the next morning for work, it tends to focus the mind :-)

In any case, good luck with your decisions!
DSC_0876.JPG


Here's what I'm riding at the moment (note the "energy" drink on the table!).

I'm loath to change anything about it to be honest.
 
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