Cube Agree GTC Pro vs Peloton Sl or Race?

Well I said I'd comment after some rides on the Peloton. I've put in 250 miles now and I'm really pleased. The Armadillo Elite tyres were a good move as they seem comfortable, quick and tough. The U.S.E seatpost shim arrived so I now have the 30.9 EC 70 post in which has improved the comfort still further. I notice that with the new 'Attain' aluminium bike, Cube have changed the seatpost diameter from 31.6 (on the Peloton)  to 27.2 (traditional for compliant mtb hardtails). I always hated the 31.6 alloy post on my Specialized Rockhopper years ago. Cube have realised that seatpost is somewhere that comfort can be improved on a sportive style bike, and they've taken a valid but different approach from Giant.

I'd say with the carbon post added, the Peleton matches the Giant Defy for comfort and has better wheels, chainset, and brake calipers (I forgot to mention the Ultegra mechs - which were not a deal-breaker for me.) I did 50 mile loop a couple of days back and felt fine at the end and ready to carry on riding so I'm happy.

Bear in mind I'm NOT a racer, I have the 'compact' chainset, and my requirement is not out & out speed. I've no idea whether the Peloton is fast compared with other bikes, but the ride feels enjoyable and lively.  If I'm comfortable too, then that can't be bad.

Cube Peloton SL vs. Giant Defy 1 - thoughts.

Me:
I did the London-Brighton and Wessex 100 on a 26" mtb a few years back, and I did the Surrey Hills Classic on a borrowed (and oversized) Specialized Roubaix last year - but that's about it for my road experience. Lately I've done some road rides on my adapted 29er rigid mtb with cyclocross wheels and smooth 32c tyres. I really enjoyed them, but I noticed couldn't keep up with the road bikes of my usual mtb club buddies.

I ride mtb at least twice a week, but I'm not a fanatical cyclist, so I decided on nice (but not outrageous) sportif-style bike. I have been a consummate Ebay parts-swapper for my mtbs, so I've learnt the hard way that a complete discounted new bike is the often best way to get all your components. I started by deciding there were fantastic bargains available at £700-800 and ruling out carbon for cost reasons.

With that lot in mind, I test-rode the Giant Defy 1 and the Cube Peloton SL. Emotionally, I felt would like the ride of the Defy 1 alu frame & carbon post. It was good - no question about it. However (for an extra £80) the Cube had a real bucket load of upgrades which would have cost a fortune to do (even doing it whilst buying new bike with the giant dealer). I think the cheap components they remove are virtually worthless to them so they don't give you much off new upgrade parts.

Anyway this was what I was looking at:

Giant Defy 1: FSA solid crank, stock wheel, Tektro brake calipers, 105 mechs.

Cube SL: 105 Crank, Acksium Wheelset (good basic wheel & much lighter), full 105 brakes, Ultegra mechs.

I knew I'd want lighter wheels, better tyres, and I wasn't convinced about the tektro brake calipers either. That was probably £200 right there.

The 10 mile Defy test-ride was smooth, but then the Giant had 25C tyres and a carbon seat post, whereas the Cube had the horrid skinny 23C Mavic tyres and an alloy post. The Cube dealer wasn't keen for me to take the bike too far but I managed to do 6 miles including some poor condition cycle track and a hill. Despite the crap tyres and alu post, I thought the Cube felt pretty decent and had potential. Since I was planning to fit some 25c winter tyres, and I have an Easton carbon seat post I can use, I figured both those things would bring the Cube's ride closer to the Giant's. (BTW, the Giant's carbon post is an exclusive proprietary shape.) Overall the stock Cube SL is significantly lighter than the Defy 1.

In addition of my own test ride, I'd seen the Youtube Cycle Show video where Matt Stephens was very complimentary about the Cube in a £1000 bike test. I liked the look of both bikes as neither looked garish or as if it was trying too hard.

So that was how I arrived at my choice. If the Cube had been full price (£999) and the Defy 1 had been available for £719 (which it was), then I'd have gone the other way and settled for a few cheaper components. I think either bike would be great for what I want.

I'm picking the Cube up this morning with some new 25c tyres for the autumn/winter riding. I'll be fitting some old XT spuds (for Sidi mtb shoes) as I don't hold with fancy roadie pedals and cleats. I'll drop by this forum again with some feedback after a few rides.

Cheers for now, Timmee (Southampton)

A couple of friends both bought carbon Cubes. One the base model,the other an SL. Comparing frames the base model did not have same frame. Talking to the shop they confirmed that the entry model had a different frame to all the models above.My friend paid extra and swopped to the what he equated to as a higher spec frame.

Hi,

I am in a similar situation -- thinking about either getting the Peloton Race 2015 or spending around GBP250 more for the GTC Agree Pro.

I don't ride that much -- usually it's around 60-100 miles per week (I do a lot of MTB so not that much time left). Usually I'm going to spend 1.5-2hrs in one session.

Both bikes are full 105, whereas the Peloton appeals to me a bit more in terms of paint/colour.

So what do you guys think, would I really benefit from spending that money on a carbon frame, or should I maybe stick to the Peloton and e.g. spend the additional money on getting proper wheels in some time, like the Mavic Ksyriums ? I won't ever race on this thing, it's purely for training purposes.

Thoughts ?

I totally agree with the comments about aluminium being as good as and often better than low priced carbon frames but in this case the carbon bikes in the cube range offer significant improvements in ride quality and stiffness.

The bike that excites you the most visually is far more important than the addition of an extra gear. If you need more than 10 gears you can simply get another cassette (as I did). If you have a bike that you love the look of, you will ride it more often, take better care of it and ride it faster.

The difference between the groupsets on the two models you mention will be hard to distinguish, I've got bikes with both 5700 and 5800 and the overall feel of the newer one is perhaps marginally nicer, but on my 5800 setup the 11th cog only gives me a lower gear which I'll probably never use, rather than a tighter spread of ratios between the gears. An occassional complaint on my 5700 bike (with a 12-30 cassette) is that I don't always have the "right" gear when on the flat in the big ring, so the tighter spread of 5800 with something like an 11-28 cassette might be preferable to fix that.

Don't get hung up on carbon for carbon's sake. Yes, it's what the Pros use, but it doesn't automatically mean *you* need a carbon bike. At this end of bike brands' ranges, carbon really won't be discernably lighter/stiffer/smoother than a good aluminium (or steel) frame, so do try both before you buy. Yes, it'll be different if you're spending twice the money, but I'd personally take a better groupset on a decent aluminium frame than believing the hype of the negligible improvements that a thousand pound carbon bike will give you.

Also, bear in mind if you are using a Cycle to Work scheme that the retailer may not honour a sale price on a 2014 bike when bought through the scheme (most indepdent stores don't). Much like many other big brands, Cube seem to have lowered the prices of their more mainstream models this year, so the new price of the 2015 Agree GTC Pro is £1199 (against £1399 for the 2014 model), meaning sale prices of last year's bikes might not be as much of a bargain as they appear.

the difference between ultegra and 105 rear mechs is minimal, the ultegra shifter is a bit nicer as it has more of a definite click but the thing you should focus on is the benefits of the carbon frame over aluminium, this is the deal breaker.

I had a Peloton for a year and got an Agree GTC pro with the same groupset, it is a world of difference, brilliant for long days in the saddle due to the forgiving rear end flexibility and shock absorption. Much stiffer for climbing, it's a world of difference. the agree is well worth the extra few hundred quid, I would certainly go for that if budget permits.

I've got an Agree GTC SLT 2013 which I possibly love a little too much, It's been fantastic over the last year since I bought it, with an all Ultegra 10 speed groupset. 2014+ Agrees have 11 speed Ultegra, but there are some good deals out there to be had on older models. £1500 is 46% off the 2013 Agree GTC SLT Di2 (basically the same as mine, but with electronic shifters) from Bikeshed and seems like an absolute steal - that's where I'd put my money today! There are other places giving 20-30% discounts on 2014 models.

The peletons are the aluminium version, I've never ridden one but they get decent reviews.

I have a Cube Agree Pro aluminium about 4 years old. It came with full Ultegra and has been a great bike. Not one problem. Changing the wheelset brought the weight closer to my friends carbon Cubes.I'm not sure if the present alu Cubes have the same frame as mine as its triple butted in places. Ride quality is just as good as my carbon Scott.
Bikeshed have the Di2 on offer at £1499. Just watch the sizing. I would normally take a 54 but the Cube is a 58.
Wouldn't hesitate in buying another Cube.

They're all good, just pick the one you like best.