My new bike: 2020 Cube Kathmandu Hybrid Pro 625

[skritikos]

Yes the insurance and registration goes with out saying. That’s why those ebikes already have license plate brackets pre-installed.

I'm not challenging the existence of a number plate holder. I know they do have this. What I'm not sure about is the status of the State and the Ministry of Transportation to issue number plates for S-Pedelecs. I will read the link tomorrow to enlight myself (even though I just received my first 25km/h ebike )

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Many happy rides S Kritikos!
Post some pictures and report on experience!

 

[skritikos]

To provide an example, when I asked a very new and reputable shop about the HS 45km/h bikes they said it's OK we can sell them as the law does not discriminate them from the 25km/h ones (!).
They issue no plates for them. They sell them fully equipped but its up to you to try to do the rest. One of the employees rides a HS bike every day to work, on mostly main roads. No plate at all, no insurance either.

 

[skritikos]

Many happy rides S Kritikos!
Post some pictures and report on experience!

No test ride before the weekend as I have my mother treated in a hospital. So the days are a big mess!

The Cube looks great, like a tank! Huge bike, even for my 197cm of height!

 

[skritikos]

I have done 2 test rides in the weekend. The first one was 25km and the second one 45km.
Even though there are some changes needed to better fit my body and riding style I can say for sure that the bike feels amazing!
The main change will be to lower and move further away the handlebar. This will require a stem and handlebar change as it is as low/away as it can get already.

The bike is very stable even on fast downhill (asphalt) sections at speeds around 60km/h
I did not expect that kind of ride quality after testing so many Moustaches and Riesse & Muller bikes in the summer.
The frame is stiff, the wheels/tyres very comfortable set at 40psi (I'm just 80kg)
I can feel the weight only when moving the bike and when going up stairs. When riding I can't say if it is 18kg (like my Thorn Sherpa) or 27kg.
It's weight is a great advantage when the road has even the slightest decline, as the bike easily goes up to 45km/h without spinning our of gears!
The 12speed drivetrain helps a lot on that aspect.

The Bosch Performance Line Cruise Gen3 motor (latest version and spec) if pretty much silent on all Support levels.
You cannot compare it to the CX Gen4 motors, they are on a totally different noise level.
I think that Cube has done an excellent mount job and this helps even further dampening more Decibels.

After a total of 70km on my first battery charge, with more than 30km on mountain uphill roads (8-16%) I still have 3 bars on the battery!
Estimated range left ~60km on ECO mode!

A detailed report will follow after a few more rides. And many more (and better) photos!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@skritikos: waiting...

 

[skritikos]

I did another 60km last weekend in two different rides on the mountains around my home. The bike is crazy good. Cant say enough about the quiet performance of the Performance Line Cruise motor.

I can see indicated ECO ranges up to 240km when riding on almost flat terrain. The actual average on my type of riding should be around 130km with the engine mainly on ECO and just some big and long uphill sections on TOUR mode. This range combined with some parts that I ride with the engine OFF or above 25.5km/h give me an actual touring range of more than 150km. I know that my legs and body will be long gone before reaching this distance!

The bike is almost silent when passing over rough roads. No clunks, noises or feeling that it will break down.
I increased the tyre pressure from 40psi to 48f/52r psi and there is an even lower rolling resistance.
The Energizer Plus performance tyres are a great match to the purpose of the bike. They are not the heaviest neither the lightest eBike tyres.
They weight around 1200gr each but their cornering grip is very good. I can rail through downhill corners when going with speeds more than 60km/h
Latest max speed was 66.7km/h without even trying, I was just going on a 10km downhill section following the cars in a steady distance!

PS: I really cannot find a single reason why most manufacturers spec the CX motor for trekking and touring bikes. I know, marketing and competition....

PS2. after the two weekend rides (60km) I still have an indicated range of 71km on ECO based on the last kms usage that are quite uphill when I'm returning home.

 

[skritikos]

Just three photos from the last rides. Today even though its a public holiday here we got rain since last night. So no riding

 

[Stefan Mikes]

You're the best ambassador for the brand, skritikos!

 

[Excalpino]

Hello - I have been the owner of my Kathmandu pro 625 (2020) since February and love the bike. I had a Kalkhoff ProConnect B9 previously ( Bosch Performance line 2nd Gen motor). I moved my Nyon controller onto the Cube without problem, and recently acquired BarMitts for winter riding.
I HAVE A QUESTION! I would like to fit a dropper seat post to the bike, I would like to run the cable internally and can see how this is possible from handlebar to motor housing, has anyone done this? The difficult part will be getting the cable through the motor housing and into the seat post. Has anyone done this? How easy is this? Do I need to drop the motor to get the cable through? Looking down the seat tube with a torch I can see a white plastic hollow tube - what is it?

 

[Alaskan]

Hello - I have been the owner of my Kathmandu pro 625 (2020) since February and love the bike. I had a Kalkhoff ProConnect B9 previously ( Bosch Performance line 2nd Gen motor). I moved my Nyon controller onto the Cube without problem, and recently acquired BarMitts for winter riding.
I HAVE A QUESTION! I would like to fit a dropper seat post to the bike, I would like to run the cable internally and can see how this is possible from handlebar to motor housing, has anyone done this? The difficult part will be getting the cable through the motor housing and into the seat post. Has anyone done this? How easy is this? Do I need to drop the motor to get the cable through? Looking down the seat tube with a torch I can see a white plastic hollow tube - what is it?

I like to do as much of my own work as possible on my bikes. I have a pro grade work stand and a good collection of tools. This is one of the jobs I would have the shop perform. When a motor has to be dropped to properly route a cable, you need to have that work done by a trained Bosch tech in order to preserve the Bosch warranty. This is a one hour job at most.

However when it comes to doing a job that requires the addition of another cable through the motor area, I prefer to pay a shop to do the work. In all likelihood, the motor will need to be dropped down to allow the dropper cable to run above it and into the down tube. There are already a bunch of cables running through there, motor display/controller, rear brake hose, derailleur cable, and headlight cable. The have to run tightly together but not so tight that they pinch and infringe on each other's functionality. Also Bosch uses anti-friction films at the contact points where the motor bolts onto the frame. A set of films is around $15 and a new set should be used in putting things back together when the motor has been dropped.

I have the PNW Coast internal 120mm dropper that has the 30mm adjustable air spring suspension.

COAST SUSPENSION DROPPER POST

Suspension + Drop. The Coast Post combines the benefits of a dropper with the joint saving squish of suspension. This witchcraft all happens via a dual chamber hydraulic cartridge featuring 40mm of tunable air suspension, designed to help riders on all types of bikes - from packed up trekkers...

www.pnwcomponents.com

And use the Wolf Tooth dropper lever

ReMote

The Wolf Tooth ReMote Dropper lever is a great upgrade for all cable actuated bicycle dropper posts. Made in the USA, this low profile lever is lightweight, ergonomically designed, easily installed, handlebar mounted, simple to adjust, with replacement parts available.

www.wolftoothcomponents.com

 

[Excalpino]

I like to do as much of my own work as possible on my bikes. I have a pro grade work stand and a good collection of tools. This is one of the jobs I would have the shop perform. When a motor has to be dropped to properly route a cable, you need to have that work done by a trained Bosch tech in order to preserve the Bosch warranty. This is a one hour job at most.

However when it comes to doing a job that requires the addition of another cable through the motor area, I prefer to pay a shop to do the work. In all likelihood, the motor will need to be dropped down to allow the dropper cable to run above it and into the down tube. There are already a bunch of cables running through there, motor display/controller, rear brake hose, derailleur cable, and headlight cable. The have to run tightly together but not so tight that they pinch and infringe on each other's functionality. Also Bosch uses anti-friction films at the contact points where the motor bolts onto the frame. A set of films is around $15 and a new set should be used in putting things back together when the motor has been dropped.

I have the PNW Coast internal 120mm dropper that has the 30mm adjustable air spring suspension.

COAST SUSPENSION DROPPER POST

Suspension + Drop. The Coast Post combines the benefits of a dropper with the joint saving squish of suspension. This witchcraft all happens via a dual chamber hydraulic cartridge featuring 40mm of tunable air suspension, designed to help riders on all types of bikes - from packed up trekkers...

www.pnwcomponents.com

And use the Wolf Tooth dropper lever

ReMote

The Wolf Tooth ReMote Dropper lever is a great upgrade for all cable actuated bicycle dropper posts. Made in the USA, this low profile lever is lightweight, ergonomically designed, easily installed, handlebar mounted, simple to adjust, with replacement parts available.

www.wolftoothcomponents.com

Happy New Year from Scotland ! Wow - thanks for the prompt reply! I am also interested in the PNW Coast dropper, however their site suggests that it may not fit my Kathmandu, I only have 140mm distance from collar to to saddle rails , and when i measure down into the seat post the bottle cage bolts intrude at 240mm below the collar. I will be speaking to my local BS next week if I can be sure that the PNW will do the job - i have a support ticket with them and hope they will respond after the New Year holiday. I know the PNW post can be fitted externally routed as last resort but it seems a shame when the bike has been designed so well to start taping/tying cable on to the frame.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@RandallS has used an external cable for the PNW Coast dropper on his Giant e-MTB. He might want to chime in.

 

[RandallS]

If your concern is aesthetics, OK I get it. I use velcro strapping to run the dropper cabling to the lever in the cockpit. But its functional and the external routing allows me to make choices on bike setup.

For example, as much as i love riding with a dropper, there are times when my needs dictate a different setup. I have a 2nd saddle on a Suntour suspension seatpost which allows me to use a seatpost mounted rear rack with a trunk bag. I can change the two setups in about 5 minutes, so Trail vs. Pathway riding compromises are easy to rectify.

As to the PNW Coast itself, it's a pretty awesome piece of kit as far as a dropper goes. But as far as the suspension part, it's not really going to soften the ride as well as other, non-dropper solutions like Thudbuster,Suntour etc...

If suspension was not required, the Brand-X externally wired droppers from ChainReactionCycles.com get a lot of good reviews from customers.

Returning back to the origins of the dialogue, yes I may go to a fulltime, internally routed dropper on my next bike (FS eMTB), but for this current "compromise" , the PNW Coast fits the bill wonderfully! Don't get hung up on looks, focus on function.

My $0.02

 

[Jimbo08]

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.

Did you mean it is their shops policy to work on all ebikes? Or all Bosch equipped bikes? Sorry, I am a bit confused.

 

[Alaskan]

Did you mean it is their shops policy to work on all ebikes? Or all Bosch equipped bikes? Sorry, I am a bit confused.

If you are referring to Trek, as I understand the policy in their corporate owned stores, they will work on any bike, ebike or Bosch bike. I am not sure what they would do with ebikes that do not have Bosch electric equipment though. They worked on my Riese & Muller Bosch bikes and did a very good job.

 

[David Paisley]

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.

An almost perfect bike to me, but you are right. Can not get.

 

[Excalpino]

I like to do as much of my own work as possible on my bikes. I have a pro grade work stand and a good collection of tools. This is one of the jobs I would have the shop perform. When a motor has to be dropped to properly route a cable, you need to have that work done by a trained Bosch tech in order to preserve the Bosch warranty. This is a one hour job at most.

However when it comes to doing a job that requires the addition of another cable through the motor area, I prefer to pay a shop to do the work. In all likelihood, the motor will need to be dropped down to allow the dropper cable to run above it and into the down tube. There are already a bunch of cables running through there, motor display/controller, rear brake hose, derailleur cable, and headlight cable. The have to run tightly together but not so tight that they pinch and infringe on each other's functionality. Also Bosch uses anti-friction films at the contact points where the motor bolts onto the frame. A set of films is around $15 and a new set should be used in putting things back together when the motor has been dropped.

I have the PNW Coast internal 120mm dropper that has the 30mm adjustable air spring suspension.

COAST SUSPENSION DROPPER POST

Suspension + Drop. The Coast Post combines the benefits of a dropper with the joint saving squish of suspension. This witchcraft all happens via a dual chamber hydraulic cartridge featuring 40mm of tunable air suspension, designed to help riders on all types of bikes - from packed up trekkers...

www.pnwcomponents.com

And use the Wolf Tooth dropper lever

ReMote

The Wolf Tooth ReMote Dropper lever is a great upgrade for all cable actuated bicycle dropper posts. Made in the USA, this low profile lever is lightweight, ergonomically designed, easily installed, handlebar mounted, simple to adjust, with replacement parts available.

www.wolftoothcomponents.com

Hi, I thought I would update you on my enquiry re fitting a dropper post to my Kathmandu. On detailed inspection with a torch I could see a hollow white plastic tube located at the bottom of the seat tube !
I then slackened the plastic guard at the bottom of the battery compartment ( 2 screws). the rubber guard which fits over the rear of the motor (push fit on rubber 'lugs', and the plastic guard which is located under the motor ((1 long bolt located on side away from chain ring). Great joy! there was the other end of the plastic tube which I had seen in the seat tube! A test with some flexible wire confirmed that this was a clear route from the seat tube to the front of the motor housing. Cube refer to this feature as "Stealth Ready Frame". This now left only the problem of routing from the bottom of the battery housing to the remote lever on handlebar. There are 4 cable guides (2 on each side of the battery compartment) the Derailleur cable and the rear brake hydraulic line enter at the top left ( opposite side to their levers) and run in the two guides on that side. However the 2 electric cables (motor controller and front light) enter at the top right but run BEHIND the battery holder leaving the cable guides empty! This just leaves the question of how to get a third cable to exit the battery compartment at the top of the frame through a fitting which is designed for 2 cables. The cable entry is a two part plastic part retained with a small phillips screw, if this screw is slackened the plastic part can be eased out of the frame ( do not drop screw inside frame), it is then possible to slide a third cable between the tow plastic parts and then replace and retighten.
I am pleased to report that my lovely Kathmandu now has a Oneup 120mm dropper (reduced to 100mm travel with supplied Oneup shims) topped off by a Brooks Flyer sprung saddle. Spring and summer can't come soon enough

 

[SFHills]

An almost perfect bike to me, but you are right. Can not get.

David, I was able to pick up a Kathmandu Hybrid One Easy Entry xs last week and it was shipped to me from Oregon. I know another shop which ships that have other sizes in stock so ping me if interested. This shop had 2 XS already reserved for March and the next XS was suppose to come in August, but I think they have some 54cms (trapeze/diamond) in stock.

Couldn't find any Pros anywhere but pretty happy so far with the One.

 

[skritikos]

An almost perfect bike to me, but you are right. Can not get.

There are exceptions!
Many Cube eBikes available or soon to be available. This is the store I used to buy my own Touring EXC.

Touring E-Bikes Men

Touring as an English term for hiking, describes the function of these bikes. They should be a reliable companion in nature and on the road over long distances. The touring bike originated from the road bike, even though there is little...

www.mhw-bike.com