Reviews

Cube Agree C:62 SLT Disc

Top disc-equipped model from revamped mid-level range

Cube were very busy in 2015, replacing their entry-level Peloton range and also overhauling the mid-range Agree. The flagship Agree C:62 SLT Disc is a bike which is thoroughly on-trend, bringing disc brakes, aerodynamics and comfort to the party.

While the Agree has been part of Cube’s range for a while now, the 2016 version is new in all but name, replacing the old Agree range in the mid-level slot above the Attain (which has replaced the Peloton) but below the flagship Litening.

The Agree is now pitched as an ‘aero endurance’ bikes, pairing two trends to have emerged in recent years in endurance geometry and aerodynamics. Typically aerodynamics are reserved for race bikes but Cube are taking aero to the masses

The new Agree combines three of the latest trends in road bike design: aerodynamics, comfort and disc brakes

It’s built for comfort thanks to a slightly more relaxed geometry to the Litening – the all-signing, super-light race bike ridden at UCI ProContinental level by Belgium’s Team Wanty Groupe-Gobert. But it’s a machine still capable of competing as a race bike

It’s lightweight. It’s comfortable. It boasts the stopping power of hydraulic disc brakes. And it marries endurance with aerodynamics for a truly versatile bike

Aerodynamic features include a fork crown which neatly integrates with the downtube and a series of truncated Kammtail tube profiles. The low-slung seatstays also meet the seattube well below the integrated seatpost clamp – though the seatpost itself is not overwhelmingly aero, just a round 27.2mm post which highlights the balance between aero and endurance Cube have strived to achieve.

The geometry is similarly well-balanced – a 56cm frame coming with a 17cm headtube, paired with a 56cm toptube, 998mm wheelbase and 405mm chainstay length. Not too tall at the front, but not as aggressive as some all-out aero machines.

As for the frame, the C:62 in the name of the Agree C:62 SLT Disc refers to the carbon grade, which is made up of 62 per cent carbon and 38 per cent resin. The higher the carbon content, the lighter the blend, and while it doesn’t match Cube’s flagship C:68 Litening, the newly-developed C:62 carbon blend holds its own against rivals which, Cube say, tend to be no more than 60 per cent carbon. Cube also keep the weight down with their twin-moulding technique, whereby the tube is moulded inside and out to avoid any wrinkles in the tube, helping to increase durability and reduce weight.

It’s nice and stiff, too, thanks to the high-modulus carbon fibres used in production, and the finely dispersed nano-particles increased into the resin to bond the two carbon layers.

The Agree frame is also available in a rim brake version, but we’re focusing on discs here. Three disc-equipped bikes are available, with the Agree C:62 SLT Disc the top dog, dressed in Shimano Dura-Ace and adopting’s Shimano new flat-mount disc brake standard.

Price: £3,299
Website: Cube UK

Rolling stock comes courtesy of Fulcrum’s Racing Quattro Carbon Disc wheels, shod in Schwalbe One tyres and a Selle Italia X1 Road saddle sits atop the in-house Performance Motion seatpost.

Cube are using thru-axle bolts at the front and rear, with a proprietary system designed to speed up wheels changes, and finish the bike with a Syntace stem and their own Cube Wing Race carbon handlebar. It’s an impressive spec, while disc bikes are also available with Shimano Ultegra and Shimano 105

It’s lightweight. It’s comfortable. It boasts the stopping power of hydraulic disc brakes. And it marries endurance with aerodynamics for a truly versatile bike.