Cube Elite Race Hardtail Review

10 kilos and a price tag of 3199 €. The Cube Elite C:62 Pro is lightweight and affordable. But this featherweight doesn’t come without its drawbacks. It has narrow tires, a rigid seatpost and a slender suspension fork. Can you still have fun in 2024 with these specs?

The facts are thrilling. A race hardtail that weighs only 10 kilograms in size L without pedals has become quite rare. And this bike also comes at an affordable price of 3199 €. Yet with the Cube Elite C:62 Pro, it’s worth taking a closer look. The Elite frame hit the market back in 2020 and does show its age.

Even though the wheels are already updated to the current Boost spacing, it’s evident that the frame has collected some dust since 2020. While the cable routing is prepared for a dropper post, finding a solid model with a 27.2 mm diameter is quite a challenge in the market. And even if you do find one, wear tends to be higher with the 27.2-mm diameter than with the more standard seatpost diameters of 30.9 or 31.6 mm.

The recently introduced Stereo One models come equipped with a threaded BSA bottom bracket. This makes maintenance much easier.

Our consistent evaluation of the components makes it crystal clear: with the Fox Factory fork, the Shimano XT drivetrain and brakes, and the lightweight Newmen wheels, Cube stands well above what one might otherwise expect in the sub 4500 € price range.

The component selection shaves weight off the scale. In the C:62 version, the frame is not exactly featherweight at well over 1000 grams. Even with the higher grade C:68 version, which has a greater proportion of fibers to resin, the frame weight remains above 1000 grams.

The benchmark for carbon hardtail frames is currently around 800 grams. For comparison, we’ve listed some weights and prices of bikes that we’ve also tested.

Cube fights for every gram when it comes to tires. With a tire width of 2.25 inches on relatively narrow 25 mm rims, Cube is bucking the trend towards beefy tires in the cross-country scene. The wheelset, including tires, rotors, and cassette, hits the scales at an impressively light 3930 grams, but you’ll also feel a negative impact on the trail.

Competitor models, such as the Canyon Exceed or the Orbea Alma, are now rolling out with thick 2.4-inch tires and wide 30 mm rims. This significantly increases the ride comfort on gravel and off-road terrain.

Although the Elite comes fully equipped as a thoroughbred racer, the bike’s seating position is not super stretched out. Thanks to a relatively short top tube and low reach, even touring riders will find this seating position comfortable.

With its lightweight wheels and low overall weight, the bike accelerates like an arrow. Whether it’s climbing, on long straights, or short punchy climbs, the Cube really shines. And even if the geometry, with a 69-degree head angle, isn’t the absolute latest, the handling on the trails is very well executed.

The high seatpost and the narrow tires are real buzzkills on actual trails. When it comes to comfort and enjoyment off-road, there are hardtail concepts, like that of the Rose PDQ, which are significantly more convincing.

The Cube Elite Carbon Hardtail is available in 5 different spec versions starting at 2899 euros. We’ve taken a closer look at all the options.

With the arrow icon , you can drag and drop each model into the comparison with any other bike from our extensive market overview. Also of interest, as an additional piece of info to this test, is our comprehensive race bike system comparison.