The weather still isn’t perfectlycycling-friendly at the moment, which means we find ourselves spending a little more time indoors, dreaming about adventures later in the year – and especially dreaming about new bikes on which we might ride them. That situation has only become more relevant recently, with the news that global bike brand CUBE has released its 2023 range, and there’s no shortage of fantasy material there.
One of the great strengths of CUBE’s catalogue is its frankly mind-blowing array of choices. Whether you’re an ardent road racer, a drop-bar leisure rider, an off-roader, a commuter, an e-biker or anything beyond or in-between, there is a plethora of CUBE options for you. That’s great for untrammelled dreaming, but it also makes choosing one bike a little tricky asthey’re all corkers.
So we’ve done a bit of the hard work for you and picked out some of the highlights from CUBE’s bike releases for 2023. Is your next bike to be found below? You won’t be disappointed if it is.
Road bikes
Our pick of 2023 – CUBE Litening Aero C:68X SLT £8,499
Let’s not beat about the bush here as we begin this round-up of exciting new or renewed bike models – if you want the ultimate in uncompromised road race performance, the Litening Aero C:68X SLT should be your first port of call. This awesome lightweight carbon frame-based machine has been designed with extensive use of Computer Fluid Dynamics and real-world wind tunnel testing to provide a staggering 30% reduction in drag. That means it’s naturally very fast. But it’s also completely UCI-compliant, so you can race it with complete confidence that you’re following the rules.
Other newbies -CUBE Litening Air C:68X SLT £8,999
Cross bikes
Our pick of 2023 – CUBE Cross Race C:62 SLX Teamline £3,399
If the competitive juices are already flowing and you can’t wait until spring to start racing, there’s only one thing for it: cyclo-cross. CUBE’s Cross Race C62 SLX Teamline is a perfect option for any experienced cross racers who want to take their cross racing to new levels in 2023. It features a selection of top-end design innovations – such as its semi-integrated seat clamp and cable routing – all wrapped up in CUBE’s proven, lightweight C:62 carbon frame. For seriously competitive drop-bar mud-plugging, it’s the perfect option.
Other newbies -Cross Race C68X TE £5,599
Gravel bikes
Our pick of 2023 – CUBE Nuroad WS C:62 Pro£2,099
One of the CUBE range’s great strengths is its wide selection of women-specific models – whatever kind of riding you want to do, there is an easily-found and specifically-designed female-friendly option available. In fact, whatever kind of riding you want to do, you can probably do it on just this fantastic carbon-framed gravel bike. The Nuroad WS C:62 Pro’s comprehensive design and spec sheet will allow you to take to road, gravel, mud, trails, leisure riding, challenge riding, competition, and – thanks to its rack mounts – even a spot of touring.
Other newbies -Nuroad C:62 SLT £4,599;Nuroad Race FE £1,999
Mountain bikes
Our pick of 2023 – CUBE Reaction Pro £1,499
If your off-road demands are so extreme that even a high-performance gravel bike won’t quite cut the mustard, there’s no shortage of dedicated flat-bar and fat-tyred mountain bikes among CUBE’s roster. CUBE has a well-deserved reputation for delivering outstanding value for money, and its Reaction range of do-anything hardtail mountain bikes is the perfect showcase. This Pro model features a super-refined aluminium frame with internal cable routing and tapered headtube for excellent handling. The quality continues onto the spec sheet – with a RockShox Judy Silver fork, Shimano XT hydraulic disc brakes and matching XT rear derailleur, this is one finely appointed and ultra-capable machine.
Kids bikes
Our pick of 2023 – CUBE Elite 240 C:62 SLX £2,399
CUBE doesn’t only excel with adults’ bikes – its range of options for smaller cyclists is possibly the most impressive offering from any global bike manufacturer. The new CUBE Elite 240 C:62 SLX is a perfect case in point, featuring the same quality of carbon frame as CUBE’s full-size alternatives, but scaled down superbly to fit younger riders. There really is no shortage of advanced design elements: tapered head tube, full carbon fork, internal cable routing and 12mm thru axles front and rear are all present and correct. Add in SRAM GX gearing and Magura MT8 Pro hydraulic disc brakes, and you’ve got an incredible bike.
Other newbies -Elite C62 SLX Rookie £1,949
Commuting bikes
Our pick of 2023 – CUBE Nulane Race FE £1,599
You’d be forgiven for thinking the CUBE Nulane Race FE is something of a contradiction. For example, it sits within the brand’s ‘gravel’ section, yet it has a flat handlebar. And it’s called the ‘Race’ model, yet – with its integrated rear rack, mudguards and lighting system – you’re unlikely to see it on any starting line any time soon. Actually, though, the naming convention isn’t that far wrong. Yes, it’s not built for true racing. But its lightweight aluminium frame, full carbon fork, thru axles and disc brakes means it’s built for a particularly speedy and rewarding commute.
Other newbies -CUBE Nulane C62 SLT £1,999;CUBE Kathmandu SLX £2,099
E-bikes
Our pick of 2023 – Cargo Dual Hybrid 1000 £6,299
We’ve said CUBE is great for women’s bikes, and kids’ bikes, and bikes for almost any discipline or purpose you can think of. But, as a brand, CUBE is REALLY great at making e-bikes (or ‘hybrid’ bikes as it calls them). In fact, many of the bikes we’ve already listed have a fab electric alternative. So for our best new CUBE e-bike of 2023 we’ve chosen a model where the extra assistance from the battery and motor will come in especially handy. The CUBE Cargo Dual Hybrid features a massive load bay that will accept up 220kg of goods, or even a couple of young passengers. Which means you’ll be especially thankful for the cargo-specific Bosch drive unit.
To see CUBE’s full range of e-bikes or any of the other bikes in CUBE’s range, visitwww.cube.eu/uk-en/.
