Cube’s Dirt Cheap and Capable Travel Pro Gives Other Bikes a Serious Run for Their Money
Folks, Cube is a German cycling team that been around only since 1993, and in comparison to other cycling giants on the market, they’re rather young. But this doesn’t mean that they don’t know what they’re doing. Seeing as how most businesses fail in the first year or so, the fact that you can go out and buy a 2022 version of some of their bikes should tell you all you need to know about this team’s ability to sell a bike.
One bike we can use as a perfect example of Cube’s level of ethics when designing a two-wheeler is the Travel Pro, a bike meant for daily off-road use. Currently, the Pro, like most other Cube bikes, is available in two frame styles, men and trapeze.
Now, the two bikes differ only in geometry, meaning that the components you’ll find are the same on both, but a downside to this bike is that it would seem it’s only available over in Europe. So why bring it to your attention? Because it seems to bring forward some decent gear for the €1,050 you’ll end up paying for this trinket ($1,238 at current exchange rates). But this price does depend on the dealership you acquire your bike from. But some states in the U.S. do provide Cube bicycles, and I I bet if you gave them a call and asked for a Pro to be delivered, you just might get a positive response.
Since building materials are a very important factor when we talk bicycles, know that the Pro is completed from nothing else except Superlite Aluminum. Simply put, Superlite is double butted aluminum that Cube heat treats in order to produce a frame that “is rigid, corrosion-resistant and fatigue-proof.”
Oh, Cube also like to say that their tubing is completed using Advanced Mechanical Forming, which allows the team to modify frame characteristics without any “tedious and complex welding requirements.” All this may be one of the reasons for this bike’s affordability.
Since the bike is meant for riding off-road, one thing Cube decided to do was throw the whole bike on a pair of 29-inch tires. Even though the frameset itself has no suspension qualities, a pair of Schwalbe Marathon Almotion with Kevlar touring tires are running on 55×622 dimensions. Suspension? Who needs one?
As for the drivetrain for this puppy, this was the main reason I felt compelled to bring this bike to your attention. Believe it or not, a Gates CDN drivetrain with 120T drive belt and S150 CDN cranks, are what you’ll find on this bike. Sure, the CDN line from Gates may not be as outlasting as the CDX system, but using the same carbon fiber tensile cord technology, the CDN is a nice way to get a feel for belt-driven bicycles.
Now, what sort of bicycle would be complete without some pieces from one of the world’s biggest bicycle component manufacturers, Shimano? Not many might I say. What, you thought this bike got away from Shimano’s grip on the market just because the Pro is running that CDN setup?
For the Pro, Shimano is furnishing a set of Alfine SL-S530 shifters, BR-MT200 hydraulic disk brakes with 160 mm (6.3 in) rotors, and both front and rear hubs. But what Shimano didn’t provide is the cockpit and all those other little features that give this bike some of its off-road touring abilities. Features like mudguards, kickstand, and the Acid semi-integrated carrier. With these last features you can make sure you’re able to bring along some luggage and keep it clean at the same time.
Sure, it’s not a bike that you can descend mountains on as if you’re riding some mythical mountain goat, but it is a bicycle that seems to have just the right amount of everything that most people look for.
