[cdean]

Does anyone have a Cube Attain SL Disc? My wife has approved a new bike. My only ‘road’ bike is a Genesis Croix de Fer, which is really reliable and comfortable and great for winter, but I would like to get something lighter weight, which is stiffer and a little more sporty for good weather riding. I am constrained by the cycle to work limit and was thinking of getting something lightweight like the Trek Emonda ALR 4 or the Specialized Allez Elite 2018 or a CAAD12.

 

The Cube appeals as I love the disks on the Croix, I do quite a bit of riding on crappy roads and it has 105, hydraulic disks and through axles which would be great for that, then in a year or so I could keep the groupset and wheels and upgrade the frame to something more exciting like a Mason or a Bowman. However, I don’t want to ride something boring in the meantime. The spec of the Cube is amazing for the price, so it feels a little too good to be true. The reviews of the Cube’s carbon brother (the GTC Pro) are really good, but I can’t find any for the SL disc, so does anyone have one and would they recommend it? I’m going to try and do a test ride, but does anyone have any other thoughts or advice?

Topic

[joeegg]

With the thru axle type on

With the thru axle type on the Cube wheel changes are a lot slower so maybe that impacts on professional use.

I don’t read bike reviews so I don’t feel I’m regurgitating anything I might have read.

I rode mtbs for years and a bolt through fork plugged in instead of my qr one was definitely stiffer. The Cube fork itself may also have been beefed up to accept the disc forces.

[mike the bike]

joeegg wrote:

     I have a Cube Attain Disc, aluminium frame with 105 groupset.

        For poor weather riding it is excellent as it feels very surefooted at the front end because of the stiffness of the thru axles……

 

I’m glad you are pleased with your bike Joe and I have no reason to doubt its excellent roadholding.  But I am wary of regurgitating the endlessly repeated mantra about the stiffness of through-axles.  Every magazine review parrots this until it is now accorded the status of a profound truth.  

If the difference between conventional QRs and through-axles is so significant I have to wonder why the ranks of professional road riders are in no hurry to adopt them.  And I would be interested to see the results of a blind trial where journalists are allowed to ride bikes and then expected to pronounce which is which, sight unseen.  But I’m not holding my breath. 

 

[joeegg]

     I have a Cube Attain

     I have a Cube Attain Disc, aluminium frame with 105 groupset.

        For poor weather riding it is excellent as it feels very surefooted at the front end because of the stiffness of the thru axles. The 105 works perfectly and has a 32 cassette for the steeper stuff.I’ve done 50/60 mile rides without a problem.

   I bought mine as a last years model so got quite a bit of discount. The wheelset, Fulcrum 77’s, seems durable but does feel sluggish.That really is the negative part of the bike. I’m sure it would feel loads better with a lighter wheelset but i bet most bikes at this price have pretty similar wheels. Came with decent tyres though and wideish rims. There seems room to go up a size in tyres as well.

   One thing to watch is the sizing.I’m 1.8 metre tall and my other Cube , an Agree, is a 58.

          This Attain in a 58 seems to have a longer top tube, and i could really have done with a 56.

           Would i have one as a ” summer ” best bike ? No. But for chucking about on back roads in poor weather its handling, for me, is ideal.

[Author]

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