Cube Compact Hybrid 20

[GeoffH]

I have been a great fan of Brompton for many years, latterly having a Brompton Electric 6 speed..... the fact you couldn't change power without stopping and pressing a button on the battery was "inconvenient" to be polite about it! Also wheelspin from the front hub was dangerous on even slightly gravelly surfaces found at the edge of many roads.... so it had to go!
I wanted a Bosch crank drive bike which wouldn't take up too much room in the garage.
I saw the publicity for the Cube Compact and went for a test ride.... I was so impressed I bought one straight away.
I really wanted the "Sport" version with the slightly more powerful motor but Cube had run out of them.
I'm so pleased I didn't get the sport as I think the "mech" seemed to hang very close to the ground and who really needs 10 gears on an electric bike?
I'm 6'7" and about 17 stone living in a VERY hilly area. I cannot believe the power from the new Bosch Active Line Plus motor, it's unbelievable and the twist grip 5 speed gear change is very slick... also the motor is so quiet I can't hear it above the noise from the tyres on the road.
The way I can fold the handlebars through 90 degrees makes storage an absolute dream... no more complaints about the handlebars catching SWMBO as she walks past it.

 

[soulstyledevon]

I have now invested in the Sport version and absolutely love it.
Its like a mini Tern but without the £4000 price tag...

 

[steve mercier]

I have now invested in the Sport version and absolutely love it.
Its like a mini Tern but without the £4000 price tag...

View attachment 66198

Can you or have you tried to affix pannier bags to the rear rack? I really like that little powerhouse bike !

 

[soulstyledevon]

Can you or have you tried to affix pannier bags to the rear rack? I really like that little powerhouse bike !

Yes.
I have a Ortlieb pannier attached. Infact so impressed with the bike, we bought another for my wife. We use the bikes for all our local commutes.
Rarely use our car these days...

 

[steve mercier]

Yes.
I have a Ortlieb pannier attached. Infact so impressed with the bike, we bought another for my wife. We use the bikes for all our local commutes.
Rarely use our car these days...

View attachment 72850

Nice! I see you pull a kid on the white bike. How old is the child and how do they like riding that way?

 

[soulstyledevon]

Nice! I see you pull a kid on the white bike. How old is the child and how do they like riding that way?

They love it.
It’s a trail gator. We unhook him once at a cycle path, so he can ride on his own without worrying about traffic. He’s 4 and the bikes pull him without effort.

 

[steve mercier]

May I ask do you find any drawbacks to the 20" wheel size?

 

[soulstyledevon]

May I ask do you find any drawbacks to the 20" wheel size?

No not really.
The Cube 20’s come with balloon tyres which really help absorb the bumps. The key is not to over-inflate them like many bike shops do.
They are much stronger than normal bike wheels and therefore I run them with less air.
Ok for tow paths, grass, cobbled roads etc They will cope with rougher tracks, but will need to go slower than on something like a mountain bike. But then it’s not a mountain bike, so to be expected.

But overall, a great wheel combo. Helps with the fitment between different riders and aids mounting and unmounting the cycle

 

[steve mercier]

No not really.
The Cube 20’s come with balloon tyres which really help absorb the bumps. The key is not to over-inflate them like many bike shops do.
They are much stronger than normal bike wheels and therefore I run them with less air.
Ok for tow paths, grass, cobbled roads etc They will cope with rougher tracks, but will need to go slower than on something like a mountain bike. But then it’s not a mountain bike, so to be expected.

But overall, a great wheel combo. Helps with the fitment between different riders and aids mounting and unmounting the cycle

Well written! I can foresee a time when I will not be able to get my legs over my 27.5" wheel bikes and that bike looks like the perfect way to keep riding. The local shop has 4 of them on sale right now and I am sorely tempted.

 

[skritikos]

Well spoken! I can foresee a time when I will not be able to get my legs over my 27.5" wheel bikes and that bike looks like the perfect way to keep riding. The local shop has 4 of them on sale right now and I am sorely tempted.

They got my attention too. Probably as a replacement to my Brompton that I dont use anymore after leaving downtown and moving away from the city.
I wonder how a 1.97m fit guy will look on one of this!

 

[KNOBBY]

I have been a great fan of Brompton for many years, latterly having a Brompton Electric 6 speed..... the fact you couldn't change power without stopping and pressing a button on the battery was "inconvenient" to be polite about it! Also wheelspin from the front hub was dangerous on even slightly gravelly surfaces found at the edge of many roads.... so it had to go!
I wanted a Bosch crank drive bike which wouldn't take up too much room in the garage.
I saw the publicity for the Cube Compact and went for a test ride.... I was so impressed I bought one straight away.
I really wanted the "Sport" version with the slightly more powerful motor but Cube had run out of them.
I'm so pleased I didn't get the sport as I think the "mech" seemed to hang very close to the ground and who really needs 10 gears on an electric bike?
I'm 6'7" and about 17 stone living in a VERY hilly area. I cannot believe the power from the new Bosch Active Line Plus motor, it's unbelievable and the twist grip 5 speed gear change is very slick... also the motor is so quiet I can't hear it above the noise from the tyres on the road.
The way I can fold the handlebars through 90 degrees makes storage an absolute dream... no more complaints about the handlebars catching SWMBO as she walks past it.
View attachment 59454

Hi
I have just bought the same Black Compact with Nexus hub here in UK to replace a Giant Halfway. I love my Halfway but now well past my three score and ten need a little assistance. The Cube Compact is great. I had foldup peddles fitted. The video EBR review from N. Van sold it for me. While I no longer need a folder I do need it to fit in the boot of my Prius and with the bars turned and peddles folded the Compact fits fine. I did have a problem finding a dealer who knew, and appreciated, the bikes features. All wanted to sell me a huge mountain bike. At five six size matters. Eventually I folded the bars and peddles on my Halfway, put in the boot and took to dealers to show them what I wanted. All, but one, tried to sell me the Sport, but I guess the Nexus is more robust.? Only one understood what I wanted and why, thanks Jason (Life on Wheels). So far the Compact does just what the video review says. While I need exercise it takes the strain. It is comfortable, robust and a great carry-all.

 

[Lee67]

Hi everyone im Lee , similar story to Geoff’ im a Brompton fanatic having owned 5 normal ones ( still have my trusty M3l) and one electric Brompton that lasted all of 3 weeks before failing spectacularly!!! Cut a long story short i rejected the Brompton and waited all this year to see about getting another hoping they had rectified all the problems’ nope having read the Brompton e forum i see there still same faults now ! So plan B I’d buy something else ‘ I’d looked at various other small compacts but finally decided on the Cube compact’ bike finally arrived today it’s the 2021 black/Grey nexus 5 speed one ... it’s charging as we speak so Havnt tried yet but looks ok ! Couple of niggles ... cables are a tad messy, need to remove grips, shifter,Brakes levers etc to reroute the wiring and try fit the supplied cable spiral tidies’ and secondly both bottle cage screws were missing and one front rack cover plate too !!! Been in touch with supplier to source those , anyway will repost when I’ve road tested her !!! Cheers Lee

 

[GeoffH]

Hi everyone im Lee , similar story to Geoff’ im a Brompton fanatic having owned 5 normal ones ( still have my trusty M3l) and one electric Brompton that lasted all of 3 weeks before failing spectacularly!!! Cut a long story short i rejected the Brompton and waited all this year to see about getting another hoping they had rectified all the problems’ nope having read the Brompton e forum i see there still same faults now ! So plan B I’d buy something else ‘ I’d looked at various other small compacts but finally decided on the Cube compact’ bike finally arrived today it’s the 2021 black/Grey nexus 5 speed one ... it’s charging as we speak so Havnt tried yet but looks ok ! Couple of niggles ... cables are a tad messy, need to remove grips, shifter,Brakes levers etc to reroute the wiring and try fit the supplied cable spiral tidies’ and secondly both bottle cage screws were missing and one front rack cover plate too !!! Been in touch with supplier to source those , anyway will repost when I’ve road tested her !!! Cheers Lee

Hi
I agree with Lee, after the Brompton the cables do look rather haphazard to be polite, but the more important thing is reliably and the way it rides which is in a different league.
I hope you managed to get out on the road before the snow! My bike is now covered up and waiting for the snow and the wretched salt to go so I don’t get corrosion issues.
Like others who put pictures on this site, I eventually managed to get a front rack, which wasn’t straightforward due to supply problems, but I’ve fitted it along with a Rixen Kaul quick release so I can attack my Ortlieb bag.....I was so used to the Brompton bag on the front I had to do it!
I live in a very hilly area in Co Durham UK and find the 5 speed internal hub more than adequate for the job and a flight after having to clean the mech etc on the Brompton gearing system.

 

[Lee67]

Hi Geoff’ yes I’ve managed to get out and done just shy of 100 miles so far! Saturdays ride was longest if 32 freezing hilly miles ( i live in Yorkshire so very hilly) ... luving it so far’ the 5 gears are more than adequate and i only use eco and Tour for odd really steep hill! ... it’s very comfy and with tyres at 35/40 rolls very nice , i too ordered a front rack before xmas they said they had in stock ... took my money and nothing ! 3 weeks later oh sorry we don’t have stock so got a refund will keep trying ... im also contemplating panniers too ... one thing to note the rear wheel removal looks awkward?? I thought Brompton ones were hard lol

 

[Lee67]

Front Rack arrived today ‘ hopefully panniers arrive tomorrow! Really enjoying Frankenstein lol

 

[skritikos]

Front Rack arrived today ‘ hopefully panniers arrive tomorrow! Really enjoying Frankenstein lol

I like your sporty position and the clipless pedals. It reminds me my Hybrid despite the fact they are totally different frames.
I have seen a huge improvement on the position by changing the handlebars to a narrower and flat I borrowed from another bike of mine to see what I will need to order.
I removed the adjustable stem too and replaced with a normal flat of the same length.
The softness of the stock saddle was killing my tender bits on long rides so this went too together with the suspension seatpost that was not my cup of tea.
I guess stem and seatpost changes are out of the question for you because of their specific design for the Compact.

 

[Lee67]

Seatpost can be changed easy... been looking at a thudbuster ... stem can’t as it’s a speedlifter, tho i have considered different bars, ones that won’t sweep back as much !

 

[sarantak]

Hi there from Athens/Greece.
I got my cube compact hybrid sport at the end of October 2021 and have two questions:

1. Did anybody had issues fitting the front rack. Specifically I have difficulty screwing all the way in the screws at the bottom.
2. Has anyone fitted a frame lock? Does it fit in ? I have received an ABUS Pro Shield Plus 5950 NR Frame Lock and it seems as if it doesn't fit mostly due the rear fender.

 

[Lee67]

Hi there from Athens/Greece.
I got my cube compact hybrid sport at the end of October 2021 and have two questions:

1. Did anybody had issues fitting the front rack. Specifically I have difficulty screwing all the way in the screws at the bottom.
2. Has anyone fitted a frame lock? Does it fit in ? I have received an ABUS Pro Shield Plus 5950 NR Frame Lock and it seems as if it doesn't fit mostly due the rear fender.

Hi Yes i fitted the front rack last week ‘ mine was difficult screwing the supplied screws in ...they actually were slightly thicker than the holes .. but they eventually went in ...

 

[skritikos]

Hi there from Athens/Greece.
I got my cube compact hybrid sport at the end of October 2021 and have two questions:

1. Did anybody had issues fitting the front rack. Specifically I have difficulty screwing all the way in the screws at the bottom.
2. Has anyone fitted a frame lock? Does it fit in ? I have received an ABUS Pro Shield Plus 5950 NR Frame Lock and it seems as if it doesn't fit mostly due the rear fender.

Off topic: We should establish the Cube Hybrid trekking club of Athens!