Cube Hybrid for women

[mholling]

Are there any women out there who have a Cube Hybrid (EXC or One or similar) with a trapeze frame. My wife and I are looking at getting one each but we've only been able to try out a regular crossbar version in medium - that's ok for me but she would want trapeze frame in small. Before we order, we would feel more comfortable if we could talk with another woman who has one. Any experience out there?

 

[skritikos]

A short friend of mine had bought one recently. Touring One 400 2021 with the trapeze frame on the smallest size available.
I guess I can relay any questions to her.

 

[mholling]

Thank you that would be helpful. Could you ask her these questions from my wife please?
I'm interested that you chose the trapeze rather than the step through frame. Was that because of availability or was there another reason? I am 163 cm tall (and 64 years of age) and have only been able to try a small (also a 400). I understand that there are also XS frames but I haven't been able to find a local stockist so I can do a test ride. May I ask how you find getting on and off the bike as well - as I'm looking to the future here as well! Many thanks.

 

[SFHills]

Hi Mholling,
I'm around the same height and my wife is 160cm and we just got an xs step through, mainly for her. She really wanted the step-through from a psychological perspective of a not so experienced cyclist. I have actually found the step-through convenient since I'm in the city with lots of hills and stop signs. Trying to stop at the bottom of a hill at a stop sign, I just pop forward off the seat versus how I would do it on a road bike. Could probably do it on a trapeze but the easy entry just makes it all less work especially getting going.

What does cube say on its sizing guide? The xs is 46cm and the small is 50cm and if your wife is 163cm or shorter, I think an xs is what would be recommended. Even for a male, I think the xs is recommended as well.

 

[Admin]

Hi @mholling, I'm not a lady and I have not owned a trapeze (mid-step as I call them on the site), but I have tested many many different models from CUBE including some "wave" step-thru and "trapeze" mid-steps. I figured I'd share my own experience briefly, in case it adds to the conversation.

• The benefits of a "diamond" high-step frame is that they are the strongest, lightest, and easiest to mount on hang style car racks like this or this. Since ebikes weigh more, I usually opt for a platform rack like this... and I almost always remove the battery pack to reduce strain on the hitch since I have an 1-1/4" vs. a full 2" receiver.
• The benefits of a "wave" step-thru frame is that they are the most approachable. Whether you've got hip or knee sensitivity, are challenged with balance issues, are using a rear rack and can't swing your leg around, or just don't want to lift your leg up high because of your clothing options (dress, skirt, tight pants), then the step-thru is a great option. They tend to be heavier because more metal is used to add strength, including thick welds and gusset plates. Even with reinforcement, they tend to flex a bit and can suffer from speed wobble if the battery and motor weight are not positioned low and center on the frame, a fully loaded rear rack can increase frame flex and impact steering more.
• The benefits of a "trapeze" mid-step frame is that they combine stiffness with approachability. You usually have to lift your leg up higher than a full step-thru, but the frame can be stiffer and lighter. You miss out on the bike rack compatibility and ease of "shouldering" the bike (lifting and carrying more easily up hills etc.)

I personally love mid-step frames and would choose that over step-thru, but depending on whether a bottle cage gets mounted to the top tube (raising the standover height) and how much cargo I'm loading, I do see the advantages of a full step-thru. I can see why you might go that direction, especially with a more premium build from a company like CUBE that makes great frames, offers good weight distribution, and depending on your use (casual neighborhood riding without a rear rack?) maybe there is no need for the slight increases in stiffness and portability

 

[skritikos]

These Cube Hybrids run on the big side! For a normal human around 165cm and below I cannot imagine riding a Small.
The XS is already quite big for my friend (162cm) and a lower/shorter stem and narrower handlebars are in the plans for the future.

As for her decision, she was between the normal and the trapeze since the beginning. The easier dismount of the trapeze and the quicker availability set the decision.

I am on the opposite height spectrum (197cm) but the one time I rode an easy-step frame I was a bit terrified by the fact that I could not stabilize the bike between my legs on a stop.
It felt really easy to drop the bike by mistake on a Stop or traffic light. I guess it is something you get used to after some time. But my experience was with a comparatively light normal bike (arpound 16kg), not the monster 25+kg of the eBikes!

The only issue of the 2021 Cube Hybrid Trapeze frames is the fact they have just a single water bottle mount on the bottom side of the 'top' tube. So its either a bottle or a lock, not both.
The lock can go on other places (the bottle too) but nothing is cleaner than having at least two water bottle mounts.

 

[skritikos]

Thank you that would be helpful. Could you ask her these questions from my wife please?
I'm interested that you chose the trapeze rather than the step through frame. Was that because of availability or was there another reason? I am 163 cm tall (and 64 years of age) and have only been able to try a small (also a 400). I understand that there are also XS frames but I haven't been able to find a local stockist so I can do a test ride. May I ask how you find getting on and off the bike as well - as I'm looking to the future here as well! Many thanks.

Cube's size calculator suggests an XS even for ~168cm and more. Height alone is not enough for a firm sizing but I can tell you that the size of the bikes is quite big and the front end sits quite high.
My opinion is that they could have an XXS too, especially on the Trapeze and Easy-entry frames.
I will check with my friend if she can share some photos with her and the bike so you can have a better understanding.

Its one of the hardest years for bike stuff (as almost everything is sold out) but it is best to at least test ride the bikes in XS and gain some personal experience.
I consider the eBike more like a car or motorbike. I bought mine with a plan to keep it for at least 5 to 10 years. It can be an expensive purchase but gives a lot of pleasure back. So good fitting is key.

 

[Homet]

Hi, I know this thread is a few weeks old but it may help.
My wife is 5'2" and at the end of last year, after searching for months for a suitable bike, we bought a XS Moustache Samedi Open for her. It was the only bike she could ride because she has a little difficulty with raising her knee over the top bar of a 'normal' bike and the same with the trapeze frames that many manufacturers offer.
These trapeze frames are usually 55cm at their lowest point but increase height rapidly to join the handlebars. To get your leg over the topbar is not as easy as you'd think - you'd need to be able to move your knee up to 80-90cm so that your foot can clear the topbar and that just wasn't a reliably attainable option for my wife - some days her sciatica would just not allow this even though the act of cycling itself would reduce her hip pain!
The Moustache bike was a game changer and she absolutely loves it as she can simply step into it.
A couple of days ago I bought her a Cube Kathmandu EXC Easy Entry as she needed a more powerful motor (we live in a very hilly area):

Kathmandu Easy Entry Xsmall

I was extremely lucky to have found this bike for her - I must have called every Cube dealer in the UK and got given pretty much the same answer "Maybe at the end of the year".

We're going to be selling the Moustache in the next couple of weeks so something like this may be an option for you if you can find one near where you are but I'd recommend calling each dealer and asking if they have anything that's not on their websites. Some do as they are too busy selling bike to update their own!

 

[mholling]

Thanks for that useful info. We have been lucky in sourcing a Bergamont E-Horizon step through in the right frame size which has worked perfectly for her. I now have a Cube EXC which even for a medium size frame seems tall. We were able to see and test the bikes before buying.

Given that I’d like to close this thread and thank everyone who has taken the time to share their experiences.