My new bike: 2020 Cube Kathmandu Hybrid Pro 625

[PugetSoundguy]

Two weeks ago I picked up my new Cube Kathmandu. It is perfect for my rides. Unfortunately there is little to no availability of this bike in the U.S. for some reason right now. I had to drive from Seattle a couple of hours north to British Columbia to pick up the bike but it was well worth it. I declared the bike at U.S. Customs on the trip home, and after about a half hour delay, the officer determined no duty was due (as the dealer had predicted). If the bike needs warranty work, I am hoping I can work something out with the local Cube dealer (who was unable to order this model for me). If that fails, I can always make the pleasant drive to Canada for any warranty work. I'm always looking for an excuse to visit BC anyway.

It has the new Bosch Performance CX mid-drive motor and the 625 Bosch PowerTube battery. The smooth torque has been great in my very hilly Seattle neighborhood.

The overall build quality of the bike seems outstanding. It has all the features I was looking for: Latest generation Bosch CX motor, front suspension, large battery, great build quality, integrated lights, suspension seat post, adjustable stem, hydraulic brakes, wheels and tires suitable for pavement and gravel trails, fenders, and integrated rear rack. The shifting is very smooth.

This bike has the Bosch motor that is limited to 20 mph. A more expensive 28 mph speed version is available, but it appears the speed version torque curve is somewhat different with less torque available at lower speeds, at least according to my internet research. Since hill climbing is the primary reason I wanted an ebike, I opted for the lower speed version. I was not able to actually compare the two motors side by side so I have no first-hand experience to test that proposition.

Since my rides are mainly in Seattle on urban streets and multiuse trails, and are for recreation, I felt I really did not want or need 28 mph. Commuters I think might prefer the speed version. For me, 20 mph limit for assist has been fine. For me, it would be absolutely perfect if the maximum were 22 mph, but now I'm quibbling.

I'll post more details as I ride it more, but so far I am thrilled. I can't wait for each daily ride.

 

[GypsyTreker]

Congratulations! Like you, I really have no need for speeds over 20mph. I'm a recreational rider also.

 

[Alaskan]

The Katmandu is a great bike, very able with excellent components. Please share your ride impressions and show us some photos of it.

The local Cube dealer in Seattle, Seattle Electric Bike in the Greenwood area charges $100 extra fee in order to work on an ebike that was not bought there.

Our local Trek shop has worked on my Cube as well as my Ries & Muller bikes. They are friendly and very helpful, perfectly willing to work on my bike and being as all Trek ebikes have Bosch electricals, they are certified Bosch.

I asked if their willingness was a local phenomenon and they said no, it is corporate policy to work on and service the bike of any customer whether the bike is a Trek or any other brand, regardless of where it is purchased. I think this is very smart. I just bought a Trek ebike from them. Helping people out as a great way to establish a good relationship. Greg's Cycle on Greenlake, Bellevue and Lynwood are the big Seattle area Trek shops.

 

[PugetSoundguy]

Thanks, GypsyTreker and Alaskan, for your comments. Alaskan, thanks for the tip about Gregg's. I bought my acoustic bike (Trek 7.4 FX hybrid, a great bike) from them in 2014 and we later bought both our boys' bikes there. I agree Gregg's is a great shop; I've had minor work done on all three bikes and the service has been terrific. Nice to know they would work on the Cube.

I'll post photos shortly....

 

[Ebiker01]

Too many Bosch powered ebikes. Monopoly . Restrictions. Spare Parts ?

Cube does makes Really nice ebikes. Enjoy the new addition to your stable !

 

[PugetSoundguy]

Here's a picture...

 

[GypsyTreker]

Really good looking bike!

 

[BlackHand]

Nice looking bike. Is the Kathmandu not a US model or was it just not available to order right now? I find Cube's lineup bewildering to figure out because they list so many variations that seem nearly identical except for 1 or 2 components.

 

[Alaskan]

great looking ride. May it give you many miles and many smiles.

 

[Captain Slow]

Nice ride. I'm guessing you bought it at Cite Cycle? Unaware of who else carries Cube.

I agree that a speed limit of around 35 to 38 km/hr. would be nicer. I don't have to have 45, but in between that and 32 would be what I'd really like. You say a more expensive version that goes faster is available, which model is that?

 

[Alaskan]

Here is the full line of Kathmandu bikes the 625 SLT has the top spec components with the new Shimano 12 speed 10-51 tooth cassette . 625 is the battery capacity and they offer a bunch of 500s with the 500 wh battery too.

KATHMANDU HYBRID

Drive your adventurous spirit. The all new Kathmandu Hybrid is the fourth generation Bosch-powered tourer tough enough to take on the world. From its integrated luggage carrier to the powerful Bosch drive unit and reliable components, it's got all you need to feed your curiosity.

www.cube.eu

 

[PugetSoundguy]

Still loving the Kathmandu... can't wait to get out today. Sunshine in Seattle! And easy to keep proper social distance while biking..

BlackHand, the Kathmandu is/was a model meant to be available in the U.S., I believe, and was featured on at least one U.S. dealer's website. I don't know if they had a few and sold them, or never got them, or exactly what the deal was. The Canadian dealer said he wished he had ordered more. Apparently no more are available for order this year.

JayVee, I did not add a stem riser. Everything is stock. It fits great. I agree, an option for a second battery would be nice. The 625 battery however does provide great capacity. If I get to the point where a second battery would be good for me, I would either fashion something myself to carry it building off the very sturdy rear rack or, in time, third party accessory outfits I think might be offering something to carry the long (and new) 625 PowerTube.

Captain Slow: Yes, I bought the bike at Cit-E-Cycles (Surrey, BC shop). They were a pleasure to deal with. I spoke to them by phone over a weekend and everything was available exactly as represented when I drove up a few days later. They assembled the bike while I checked out their other bikes. I took a test ride, loved the bike, and bought it. Super easy. No duty due at the border. The Customs people thought the bike was pretty cool too. The dog that sniffed through my minivan, however, appeared indifferent. By the way, I don't think Cit-E-Cycles carries 45 km bikes...not sure if it is a Canadian regulatory issue or not. Maybe they can order them or do have some, I would check with Cit-E-Cycles to be sure. I think they are very responsive.

Thank you, JayVee, for finding the faster version. Cube does have a bewildering array of bikes, with many bikes offered in full frame, step through etc.

I first started focusing on Cube after seeing how much a camping buddy loves his Cube. One of his daughters has mobility challenges, but loves being towed in a bike trailer. As she has gotten bigger, towing the trailer became more challenging. Enter the Cube: Problem solved. He's handled that bike pretty roughly over the last couple of years and it has endured the abuse well. I loved riding it and couldn't believe how easy it was to tow the big trailer with an ebike.

By the way, FlyRides in Southern California is offering to modify another Cube model at no extra charge to make it more like the Kathmandu (adding rack, adjustable stem, etc.).

Anyway, there are a lot of great e-bikes out there, but I wish Cube had sent more Kathmandus to North America because although expensive, I think it's a great value. Now I'm succumbing to selection bias, but I do love that bike....

 

[Vikingblod]

I bought the same bike in the 63" frame as I am 6' 3", 2 weeks ago as well. Had it shipped from Bow Cycle in Calgary to Toronto it arrived 5 days later. I assembled it myself, pretty easy, but did have a problem with the lower headset bearing that got damaged during shipment. Bow Cycle is working to get a replacement but it's just a metal cage with bearings so short-term I picked up loose bearings and packed them manually. In the end it's likely better this way as there are more bearings.

Some context, I am 60 years old and ride a Scott carbon fibre road bike. I will typically ride 40 to 50 km for exercise and enjoyment. But that type of bike is not great for jumping on and heading downtown with the wife to enjoy an evening out, or just running to the store, etc.. So I was looking for something that would be a little more all purpose and comfortable to ride. After all the research watching numerous review videos and comparing specs, the CUBE Kathmandu appeared to be the bike with the best specs for the price. I wanted the Bosch Gen4 motor because of its reputation.

My initial thoughts;

- The bike is a beast. My Road Bike weights 17 lbs, this bike weighs in at 57 lbs. It's also tall. Based on my seat position I need to get off the seat when I come to a stop. The handle bars look wide. But, the rider position just feels right and the ride is very comfortable, seating is upright and for city riding you will be noticed. Overall I equate the size feeling to the difference between driving a car and an SUV. This is the SUV.

- While it's easy to pedal without assist it takes an effort to get the bike moving. In Canada the assistance drops out at 32 km/h but I often find myself pushing the bike beyond that, but you soon run out of gears, around 36 km/h. I have hit 54 km/h on downgrades and the bike is incredibly stable.

- With the tires, compression seat post and front shocks, bumps, potholes and rough terrain are of no concern. My road bike shares every bump.

- So far I am impressed by the battery life. Battery showed 5 bars when I got it and I got 74 KM with lots of experimentation between assistance levels. At that point when I charged it, it had 2 bars but only showed a range of 4 KMs. Yesterday I started out with a fully changed battery was out for 2 hrs and did 45 KMs, started in ECO mode and toward the end was in Tour and finally Turbo as I was getting cold (just above freezing here). The battery still shows 4 bars (out of 5) and a range of 83 KM in ECO.

- One of my concerns with the bike is the height, As I get older will the bike be to much for me making it potentially unsafe. Thinking about it a little, I believe I could swap out the 100mm front shocks to something that is 50mm and that would drop the front end by 2". Another option is to move to tires that are less tall and that might buy me 1/2 to 3/4". But I am having too much fun the way it is to make any changes at this time.

- I don't know how to ride an e-bike. While riding the road bike I always push hard and I find myself doing the same on the CUBE. On my 45KM ride the average speed was 26KM/h and that included stops lights, etc.. I have to learn to relax more and let the bike do more of the work. I am sure that will come when my wife is out there as well. I am looking to get her the Gazelle Ultimate T10.

 

[kalli]

I just got the same bike last week in the 54cm Easy Entry frame. So far I'm really enjoying the bike but would probably ride it more if we weren't still getting snow every other day and I can't get myself to put on the spiked tires for the few days of snow remaining until proper spring.

I placed the order for the bike in October 2019 at the local Cube shop in Iceland knowing I'd probably have to wait until February 2020 for the bike, then there were some delays as you would expect during these crazy covid times last couple of weeks. During that time the government has passed a law to skip the VAT for imported bikes, so it's not all bad.

My last bike was a Winora city bike with a front hub motor and fairly small battery so my first impressions of the bike are really good, going from putting my bike to charge after every trip to manage 50-60 km in a really hilly terrain. Also going for the easy entry frame was probably the result of using the Winora during wintertime in heavy snow commuting to work in every thinkable weather wearing gore-tex pants over jeans with heavy pannier bags on the bike.

One thing I've been wondering since I've depleted the battery once and last night I went down to 2 bars of battery left with projected 5km range I connected the compact charger around 21:30 last night and at 11:00 this morning more than 13 hours later the display still says "charging" with the last battery bar still blinking. The battery guides from Bosch state around 8.8h for full charge of one powertube 625 using the compact 220v charger. Could my battery be full and the charger has switched to trickle charging or are you experiencing longer (than advertised) charging times?

 

[Vikingblod]

Congratulations on your purchase.

I have only charged my bike 2 times and in both cases the display turns off when fully charged. When I turn it on it shows 5 bars. I have over 200 km on it, battery life is great but I am not doing as many hills as you are and I typically will ride in 10 C and above. I only charge it when the battery gets down to 2 bars and range is low, so do multiple rides on a single charge.

The more I ride it the more I like the bike. Was out a couple of days ago when the weather was nice and put it in Turbo and let the motor do the hard work. Definitely moves the bike along really well.

 

[Explorer-1]

.....

One thing I've been wondering since I've depleted the battery once and last night I went down to 2 bars of battery left with projected 5km range I connected the compact charger around 21:30 last night and at 11:00 this morning more than 13 hours later the display still says "charging" with the last battery bar still blinking. The battery guides from Bosch state around 8.8h for full charge of one powertube 625 using the compact 220v charger. Could my battery be full and the charger has switched to trickle charging or are you experiencing longer (than advertised) charging times?

View attachment 49471

It could be balancing the cells, that can be very slow. did you charge it before you rode it the first time? You could disconnect the charger, check the OC voltage and beside it is at spec, ride for a bit an then put it back on the charger to see what happens. sometimes if 1 cell was too far out the balancing may not work in one go.

 

[Daan from Haarlem]

Two weeks ago I picked up my new Cube Kathmandu. It is perfect for my rides. Unfortunately there is little to no availability of this bike in the U.S. for some reason right now. I had to drive from Seattle a couple of hours north to British Columbia to pick up the bike but it was well worth it. I declared the bike at U.S. Customs on the trip home, and after about a half hour delay, the officer determined no duty was due (as the dealer had predicted). If the bike needs warranty work, I am hoping I can work something out with the local Cube dealer (who was unable to order this model for me). If that fails, I can always make the pleasant drive to Canada for any warranty work. I'm always looking for an excuse to visit BC anyway.

It has the new Bosch Performance CX mid-drive motor and the 625 Bosch PowerTube battery. The smooth torque has been great in my very hilly Seattle neighborhood.

The overall build quality of the bike seems outstanding. It has all the features I was looking for: Latest generation Bosch CX motor, front suspension, large battery, great build quality, integrated lights, suspension seat post, adjustable stem, hydraulic brakes, wheels and tires suitable for pavement and gravel trails, fenders, and integrated rear rack. The shifting is very smooth.

This bike has the Bosch motor that is limited to 20 mph. A more expensive 28 mph speed version is available, but it appears the speed version torque curve is somewhat different with less torque available at lower speeds, at least according to my internet research. Since hill climbing is the primary reason I wanted an ebike, I opted for the lower speed version. I was not able to actually compare the two motors side by side so I have no first-hand experience to test that proposition.

Since my rides are mainly in Seattle on urban streets and multiuse trails, and are for recreation, I felt I really did not want or need 28 mph. Commuters I think might prefer the speed version. For me, 20 mph limit for assist has been fine. For me, it would be absolutely perfect if the maximum were 22 mph, but now I'm quibbling.

I'll post more details as I ride it more, but so far I am thrilled. I can't wait for each daily ride.

Hi!
I share your enthousiasm and enjoy my e-bike every day!
The speedlimiter can easily be upgraded with Gen 4 speedchip 3.0 to 35km/h (instead of the legal 25 in The Netherlands) for araound €160. The difference is very satisfying, my daily commute is 35 KM. I'm even thinking of altering the 10 speed cassette into 11/32 because I never use gear 1 to 5 on the flat with all this power...
Very happy with this bicycle! Rides like a motorbike.
Greetz from Daan

 

[Vikingblod]

Daan,

Is the top speed of the speedchip only 35km/h? Here in Canada assistance stops at 32km/h, which is pretty quick when on busy bike paths as your passing most other riders. The bike is so stable and smooth so there are times you want to go faster, so I find myself pedaling the bike around 34 to 36km/h, but that’s hard to keep up for very long.

It‘s a great bike, we have had a late spring in Toronto, but that has not stopped me getting out, I ride it whenever I can.

Neil

 

[Daan from Haarlem]

Daan,

Is the top speed of the speedchip only 35km/h? Here in Canada assistance stops at 32km/h, which is pretty quick when on busy bike paths as your passing most other riders. The bike is so stable and smooth so there are times you want to go faster, so I find myself pedaling the bike around 34 to 36km/h, but that’s hard to keep up for very long.

It‘s a great bike, we have had a late spring in Toronto, but that has not stopped me getting out, I ride it whenever I can.

Neil

Hi Neil!
check:

SpeedChip V3

SpeedChip V3: E Bike Tuning with your PC. Derestrict Your Bosch Gen4 and control it with Your Personal Computer.

www.ebiketuning.com

In my experience the speed over 35 km/h with these gears and weight of the bike is very difficult to obtain for a longer period of time, but the bike is built for it though! My only problems so far were adjusting my front break pressure in wet conditions... and when I had a broken chain clasp I had to be transfered back home by a tow-truck...

 

[robertdc]

Hi. I'm in the UK and have just recently bought this bike (black and white). Really enjoying using it for the few weeks I've had it. Just a quick question - does anyone know if the front and rear wheels use quick release skewers or thru-axles. I'm not sure how to tell the difference as apparently both can have quick release levers. I want to know so I can replace them with Hexlox secure bolts to prevent any thefts whilst parked up in London.

Thanks

Rob