Cube Agree C:62 Race Disc review

2017 CUBE AGREE REPLACEMENT TAPERED HEADSET BEARINGS [ ]

eBay

£15.99

£15.99

Need some ammo for your next Friday night Zoom/House Party/Microsoft Teams cycling quiz? Name a German bike brand. Chances are, the first to spring to mind starts with a ‘C’ and ends with ‘anyon’. However, Teutonic rival Cube has a range of more than 350 models and – unlike the direct sales giant of Koblenz – manufactures them on home soil, in the small Bavarian town of Waldershof.

Cube’s production plant employs around 450 staff, equivalent to around a tenth of the town’s entire population. You’re welcome.

The Cube Agree C:62 carbon road bike is available in three variants: the £3699 Sram eTap-equipped SLT; the £2999 Ultegra Di2 SL; and the bike I’ve been enjoying solo lockdown rides on, the mechanical Ultegra-wearing Race, which sneaks in a shade under £2500.

Cube reckons this is ‘an endurance speed machine that will bring out the best in every rider.’ After many weeks of solitude behind its cockpit, I’m inclined to agree (see what I did there?)

Packing it all in

We’ll deal with the potentially confusing ‘C:62’ tag (shared by many bikes across Cube’s range) first. The carbon composite frame of the Cube Agree was updated in 2016, from which point it has been made from 62% carbon content. The company’s Advanced Twin Mold construction is said to ‘minimise imprecise overlaps by accurately fitting individual carbon layers’ overlap regions during the monocoque building process.’

In theory, this brings weight down. The Agree C:62 also uses a solid core at the heart of the frame during construction, to reduce the folding of composite material, for a stronger end result.

Buy now from Leisure Lake Bikes for £2,499

With the belly of the beast dealt with, what do we find at either end? The Cube Agree C:62 is built as much for comfort as for speed, with slender seatstays, a 27.2mm carbon seatpost, and slight carbon fork profiles. Each end of the bike is affixed to Newmen 32mm-section alloy rims via a 12mm thru-axle, eliminating any chance of misalignment and mitigating losses due to flex under load.

A brace of 160mm rotors is gripped by hydraulically actuated flat-mount calipers.

Nothing lost to progress

How far to ride each day in these peculiar times of Covid-19? I’ve been trying to limit my outdoor cycling activities to a local 35km loop (which, given it takes more than an hour, Michael Gove would certainly not approve of). However, it’s been ample on a number of occasions to reveal the calling cards of the Cube Agree C:62.

The outskirts of the flatlands not only offer pan-flat roads fraught with crosswind but also Ardennes-style climbs of the short and sharp variety. Despite concerns that the deepish-section Newmen rims fitted to the Agree might suffer in the gusts, forward motion has been plain sailing, and enforced by a small rear frame triangle and boxy, 412mm chainstays.

Power gets to the tarmac quicker than a panic-buyer to the toilet roll aisle.

Climbing any of the 500-metre hillocks on my loop has been joyful. The solidity of the Cube Agree C:62 frameset at the downtube and bottom bracket combines with twin thru-axles to provide flex-free muscling of the bike uphill, more often than not in the big ring; mainly due to the provision of a 32-tooth sprocket, more than my wattage.

But it’s this gearing that lets the package down slightly when I find I’ve misjudged an ascent. Changing up and down in the middle of the cassette is met with sizeable jumps between ratios; just enough to sap the bike of momentum. But it would be easily fixed with a close-ratio cassette.

Going down?

I’ll put this out there; I’m no fan of rapid descents. With the exception of a weekend in Mallorca many years ago, where the downhill tarmac of Coll de Soller partially exorcised my descending demons, a number of previous high-speed motorcycle get-offs tend to prevent me from full commitment.

However, the Cube Agree C:62 imbues me with such confidence that if I’ve learned one thing during the government-enforced lockdown, it’s been to embrace the power of gravity (I had planned on learning to knit, too, but that’s all gone to pot).

Buy now from Leisure Lake Bikes for £2,499

A direct translation of steering input into directional change puts me on the right line to carve even bumpy asphalt, the hydraulic Shimano Ultegra braking set-up offers endo-inducing force at one end of its scale, but finely measured speed arrestment at the other.

Brush the front lever gently to scrub off speed and put a little weight over the front end, and the 28c Continental Grand Sport Race SL tyres (the widest fitment allowable with the Agree’s frame clearance) roll into turns, grip and track your chosen line like they’re neurally linked.

Agreeable in every way?

The Cube Agree C:62 is a bike that flatters you, there’s no doubt about that. But there are a few niggles, however minor. Firstly, although very easy to adjust, the aero clamp that holds the carbon seatpost in the seat tube isn’t the prettiest solution.

Secondly, we’ve already touched upon the possible need for a close-ratio cassette, not only to make climbing even more pleasurable but also make rolling roads an utter smashfest.

Thirdly, is it worth £2,499? That’s the, er, 3102-dollar question… It’s a close call between the Cube Agree C:62 and the brand’s closest German competitor, the Canyon Ultimate CF SL Disc 8.0.

This mechanical Ultegra-equipped, disc brake-stopped rival costs £100 less, already comes with an 11-30 cassette as standard, and weighs in the region of a whole kilo less than the Cube. But, while on price it’s unable to match the Far Eastern-manufactured might of its compatriot, taken in isolation, the Agree C:62 is quite some bike.

Rapid, comfortable, versatile, and crucially – if exclusivity is your thing – still a criminally rare sight on UK roads.

Spec

All reviews are fully independent and no payments have been made by companies featured in reviews

Cube Agree C:62 Race Disc 2016 review

The Cube Agree platform has been revamped and there are discs bolted on too, but is it for better or worse?

Peter Stuart – June 2016

£2,199

Cube has always excelled at what all German bike brands seem to do very well: simplifying the supply chain (usually by cutting out at least one link) to give you a lot of bike for however much or little you’re spending.

However, the disc brake era throws up a few challenges that complicate things on that front for this model, the Agree. So far, disc-brake bikes have proved a strong prospect at the entry level, and equally in the very top tier, but seem to have a harder time in the mid-priced sector, where the Agree sits.

To my mind, this is mainly due to the higher cost of fully hydraulic disc brakes and the fact that they add to both frame weight and component weight – a problem often confounded by the bulky alloy wheelsets needed to cope with discs at this price level. As a result, you seem to be paying more for something that’s not only heavier but also doesn’t always ride as well as an equivalent rim-brake bike.

The C:62 is the latest in the Agree family of frames that has been the brand’s workhorse for nearly a decade. I briefly owned a Cube Agree myself, as at one point it was nigh-on impossible to beat on value. Latterly, though, the Agree range has started to show its age, its once-modern looks becoming progressively more dated with each year that passed without a frame upgrade.

Fresh faced

This newer version has enjoyed a comprehensive redesign. The brand has also built the disc and rim brake versions in tandem, but both with separate design goals. ‘As the bike was designed completely anew we could create two platforms – a rim version featuring direct-mount brakes for better aerodynamics and a disc version that can handle the additional loads of the braking torque in the frame,’ says Cube’s product manager Frank Greifzu.

Cube seems to have paid more than just lip service to the disc-specific design too, having opted for thru-axles rather than a standard quick release, a move that would certainly require more structural changes. The manufacturer has also targeted aerodynamics with the new frame, and says wind-tunnel testing was part of the development of the Agree C:62. And while the new model doesn’t boast aerodynamic gains on the same level as the latest batch of superbikes, a little more speed is never a bad thing.

Although the design is new, Cube has stuck with its tried-and-tested Advanced Twin Mold production process, which involves moulding in two halves around a complete inner silicone mandrel rather than an expanded foam mandrel or a pressurised inner bladder. In truth, this seems to be no different to the process behind many carbon frames, but Cube insists its methods strengthen the frame at a reduced weight. Either way, any attempt to hone specific production processes and not just follow the norm deserves some credit.

As for the brakes, Cube hasn’t just bolted on a pair of flat-mount Shimano disc callipers. It’s strived to uphold the ride feel of its equivalent rim-brake version, which is no easy task, and it took me a while to decide whether Cube had managed it.

Finishing touches

On first impressions, I found the looks of the C:62 a little underwhelming. Cube’s higher-spec Dura-Ace model has a more attractive grey and red paint scheme, and would be far more likely to catch my attention on the shop floor. But black is always fashionable, even if the market is oversaturated with it.

Looking beyond the aesthetics, the spec certainly caught my interest. The Shimano Ultegra hydraulic groupset is encouraging at this price point, although to really beat the market (as Cube has done so often in the past) I’d like to see a hydraulic Di2 build at under £2,500. Cube has opted for its own-brand colour-coordinated finishing kit, which left me with mixed feelings.

I was impressed to see a carbon bar and rebranded carbon PMP seatpost, but the latter isn’t quite as refined as usual. The post has a somewhat overbuilt saddle clamp compared to the compact and elegant solutions we’ve seen from other brands. With a small cradle and a single bolt for angle and positional adjustment, it’s a little outdated and lacked adjustment range for fine-tuning my desired position. I also found I was thwarted by the set back angle and overly bulky clamp when trying to set my seat position. It’s a small detail, but frustrating nonetheless.

Additionally, the build was let down by the DT Swiss Spline R32db wheelset, which Cube has opted for to offer tubeless compatibility. For that I applaud them, as it opens up a world of superior tyre technology, but the consequence is a rather heavy wheelset. Weighing just under 1,750g, the mid-section aluminium hoops take a bit of effort to push up to speed. Thankfully the frame is stiff enough to not sap accelerating force even further, but I noticed myself falling away from the wheels of friends in signpost sprints. 

I was able to climb with my usual rhythm and speed, but did find some of my energy ever so slightly squandered by the extra weight of the hydraulics and the wheelset, which combine to push the total bike weight over 8kg. Every cloud has a silver lining, though: the wheels are dressed with Schwalbe One 25mm tyres, which are an excellent addition to the package, though it is worth noting that these aren’t tubeless-ready.

Cube has been wise to opt for thru-axles as it avoids potential disc-alignment issues compared to standard quick releases, and potentially future-proofs the design. It also contributes to the sharpness of the handling, which is one of the bike’s big selling points.

Down the road

While my personal preference is for going uphill rather than down, the Agree proved particularly good at the latter. Its predictable handling coupled with superb braking modulation made it a dream to descend on, and I found myself pedalling through corners I’d usually approach with caution. The ride quality is robust but not overly harsh, making it a surprisingly comfortable package. It’s definitely an agreeable all-day ride partner and I was confident venturing off the beaten track too. With the benefit of increased tyre clearance with disc brakes you could easily fit 28mm tyres, which would allow you to be more adventurous still.

Overall, I was left feeling the Cube Agree C:62 Race has gained from discs in some ways, but lost in others. Braking performance is undeniably better, but the discs have added extra kilos and extra cost to the build (its rim-brake counterpart weighs a claimed 7.7kg and costs £400 less). Yet in fairness, this criticism isn’t levelled just at Cube.

The C:62 frame itself has translated the character of the Agree range well into a disc platform. If the spec can eventually live up to the standard of the frame, this will definitely be a bike that paves the way for endurance machines.

Spec

All reviews are fully independent and no payments have been made by companies featured in reviews

2017 CUBE AGREE REPLACEMENT TAPERED HEADSET BEARINGS [ ]

eBay

£15.99

£15.99