The single and whole point of the Cube SL is speed. With a lean clean aerodynamic frame set, rigid manner, tenacious handling, aluminum construction and disc brakes as standard, it delivers impressive acceleration on tarmac and makes it look easy.
Few bikes out there are a model of simplicity quite like the Cube SL, a bike designed to deliver a ridiculous rate of acceleration on the road and very little else. Everything about it has been shaped to that end. This should be fun, I thought.
In the pursuit of speed, Cube has fiddled with the latest technology and looked to be as streamlined as possible to help the SL cut through the air with minimum drag. The disc brakes are further evidence of the kind of speeds you can hit with this thing. The Cubes’ frame set and double butted tubing is welded out of lightweight aluminum. The design of the forks is taken in part from the company’s racing models. The cables run inside the tube giving it a cleaner aerodynamic profile.
Despite the aluminum construction, the Cube SL is still light enough to rival carbon fiber models weighing in at eleven and a half kilograms. It is not the weight that enables it but the racing technology. It is an excellent sprinter. That said, its brakes are impressive too. They are Tektro HD-M285 hydraulic discs and they provide excellent stopping power in multiple weather conditions. The tyres are Schwalbe CX Comp, 40x622s, sleek and very sticky.
The ride is as you would expect. The Cube SL feels light and rigid inspiring more and more confidence as you gain speed. You sense that it is bred for sprinting and it does a good job of getting you into a similar sort of mood.
+Pros:
Elegant design
Straight-line speed
Good braking
Simple assembly
-Cons:
Heaviness can be a disadvantage in some cases
The Verdict
The cube SL is an elegant racer which you can acquire for a very reasonable price and make masses of speed with.
