CUBE Bikes Elite Super HPC Race 29 2013
Reviews / XC Bikes
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At A Glance
As the winter has drawn in I’ve been spending a lot more time on hard tails, working on my fitness and skills for the year ahead. There’s nothing quite like putting the miles in and being able to feel every rut and root to make you a better rider for next season.
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The Cube has definitely helped with the mile count, as soon as it left the box it screamed fast, the Elite Super HPC 29 is Cubes XC Carbon race bike, built with a solid and reliable XT groupset, 100mm Fox 32 CTD Fit fork with remote lock out and tubeless ready wheels.
With a Syntace X12 rear end, oversized headtube and press fit bb, the Cube frame is very stiff, giving you a firm and responsive ride and transferring all of your energy into the rear wheel.
As is the way with most Shimano speced bikes, the Elite Super HPC 29 featured a front mech, this time working for a 2x10 drivetrain, where as the higher up models in the group are set up with a 1x SRAM set up. An upgrade I would look into implementing, if only for the weight saving and cleaner lines a 1x set up gives.
On The Trail
FAST, that pretty much sums up the Elite Super HPC Race 29, built for speed, climbing and putting in the miles.
Stiff, but not rattle your filings out stiff, it transfers your power and calls out for more than my fitness could deliver! It will drive you to ride further, get lost and then find some more hills, if you’re only going for a quick blast around the woods, then prepare to go out for longer, or until your heart pops! This bike screams race me.
The moment you turn a pedal you can feel the bikes potential and amazing power transfer. An uncomplicated beast, it simply wants to go further and faster.
With the power transfer as good is it is you would think that it’s dream up hill and it is in the most parts. On the climbs it has a drill sergeant mentality for pushing you harder. As long as you are giving it everything it rewards you with its power transfer, sitting down and grinding or standing up and pounding the Elite is very responsive. However, when your energy levels are down, or the hill is so steep that it’s almost beat you and you are churning away in the granny ring, then the bike can become a little twitchy. Clearly showing its disdain for taking it easy!
It goes without saying that this bike is a thoroughbred, at home with the wheels down and the heart rate up, where other bikes encourage you to ride above your skill level, the Cube differs, it pushes your fitness, daring you to go harder and further than you had planned.
Cube Elite Super HPC Race 29
Seat tube: 420mm
Effective top tube: 585mm
Head tube: 95mm
Chain stay: 440mm
Wheelbase: 1086mm
BB Height: - 65mm
Head angle: 70°
Seat angle: 73°
Reach: 399mm
Weight: 21.8lbs
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This review was in Issue 33 of IMB.
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By Jim Egercz
Jim Egercz hails from South Africa where the weather is warm and the trails and dry and dusty. Odd then that he prefers the cold, damp weather of the UK! He’s a keen trail builder near his home in the South East of England and gets out to Wales and the Alps whenever he can. He’s been a guide at the Trans Provence and is talented bike mechanic too; if your bikes broken, "Jim'll Fix It!"
