CUBE STEREO HYBRID 140 HPC ABS 750 REVIEW

Words by Robert Johnston  |  Photos by Sam Howard

The Cube Stereo Hybrid 140 electric mountain bike has been on the market for a while at this point, but so far eluded our testing. When they made the Bosch ABS-equipped model available and offered it for testing, we jumped at the opportunity. How would Anti-Lock Brakes work on technical mountain bike trails, and most importantly could they offer performance gains for experienced mountain bikers? We were excited to find out when testing for this review.

ABOUT THE CUBE STEREO HYBRID 140 HPC ABS

The Cube Stereo Hybrid 140 is their mid-travel full suspension eBike, designed for all mountain usage. That’s to say, it’s an eBike that can span long mile pedaling missions up to light enduro riding. With a pair of 29” wheels as standard and 140mm rear travel paired with a 150mm fork, this is a versatile Bosch-powered eMTB.

DRIVE UNIT AND ELECTRONICS | Cube relies on the service of the Bosch Performance Line CX drive unit to power the Stereo Hybrid 140. This 85Nm and 600W motor is a firm favorite for its dependable power. Powered by a 750Wh removable internal battery, range feels to be impressive. The system is controlled by the Bosch LED Remote on the handlebar; and the key stats are shown on the Kiox 300 color display mounted to the bars. This doesn’t offer the clean integration of their top tube LED hub, but allows the rider to view more information on-the-fly.

FRAME AND FEATURES | Cube offers the Stereo Hybrid 140 only in their HPC frame, with a carbon front triangle and alloy rear end. C:62® Monocoque Advanced Twin Mold Technology is used for the carbon front end, helping to shave some weight and provide a durable and stiff frame.

The Stereo Hybrid 140 runs on a pair of 29” wheels as standard in sizes M-XL, with the Small fitted with a pair of 27.5” wheels to better suit smaller riders. Cables are routed internally through the headset, avoiding the need to drill holes in the headtube. The removable battery sits behind a full-length plastic downtube cover, offering protection from impacts and stone chips. The SRAM UDH allows for easy derailleur hanger replacement, and offers T-Type compatibility.

BOSCH ABS | Much like in your car, Bosch’s ABS system is designed to prevent the front wheel from locking up under braking. It uses a speed and angle sensor on the wheels to determine when the wheel is locking up or the rear wheel is lifting. A pressure regulator on the Magura front brake reduces braking pressure momentarily, theoretically faster than a human is able to react. This aims to keep the wheels rolling – albeit slowing down – and make for more controlled braking. Bosch claims it reduces stopping distances and overall improves braking performance, so we were very interested to see how these claims would stack up on the trail.

SUSPENSION | Cube uses a fairly typical Horst Link suspension system to deliver the 140mm of rear travel to the Stereo Hybrid 140. Efficient Trail Control kinematics are used to deliver a low leverage ratio and linear compression rate, which Cube says offers good sensitivity and limited pedal bob.

GEOMETRY | Geometry on the Stereo Hybrid 140 is conservative, but well suited to a go-anywhere mid-travel eBike. Across the size range, there’s a 66° Head Tube Angle; 75.5° Effective Seat Tube Angle and 457mm Chainstay length. A 36mm bottom bracket drop (16mm on size S) puts the rider deep below the axles. Reach figures are quite average at 473mm for the size Large tested, which is paired with a 637mm tall Stack height. Total wheelbase sits at a reasonable 1252mm.

BUILD SPECS | Cube currently offers the Stereo Hybrid 140 in a range of builds from $5,599 /£3,499 to $9,299 /£5,499. The HPC ABS 750 we tested is currently available in the EU only, for £4,799. This is equipped most notably with the Bosch ABS system, fitted to the Magura MT C ABS brakes with a pair of 203mm floating rotors.

Suspension duties are handled by a Fox 34 Rhythm E-Bike fork at 150mm, with a Float DPS EVOL shock. The drivetrain is handled by Shimano, with their Deore shifter and cassette, and an XT derailleur. The cockpit is the Newmen Evolution SL alloy bar and Cube Performance alloy stem, with a Cube dropper seatpost. The wheelset is provided by Newmen with their Performance 30, which is wrapped in a pair of 2.6” wide Schwalbe Hans Damph tires. Overall bike weight for this size Large was just over 25kg / 55lbs as standard.

THE DIRT

Over the course of a couple of months in the Tweed Valley and around the UK, the Cube Stereo Hybrid 140 HPC ABS was given a thorough testing.

SETUP | Getting this Cube eMTB setup proved to be an easy task. With the Fox fork set to 5 Psi above the recommended pressure, and rear end set to 28% sag, the initial balance and feel was comfortable. The Bosch eBike system was tuned with the help of the Flow app to deliver an unhindered, all-out TURBO mode and slightly boosted ECO mode. The ABS system was set to ABS Trail, as recommended.

The only notable item that was changed were the tires. The Schwalbe Hans Dampf were not appropriate for the conditions or the intended riding application, and so were swapped for a burlier and more traction-rich tire setup. For around a month of testing, during the deepest depths of the winter, a set of Vee Tire Co Snap WLT mud tires were fitted, and offered a welcome boost to the traction on the ultra-muddy trails.

ELECTRONICS & INTEGRATION | The Bosch system with LED remote and Kiox display was not the cleanest in terms of integration, with extra wiring and clutter on the handlebars. It performs solidly and displays a large quantity of information if desired, which some riders will appreciate, but we’d prefer to see the cleaner integrated top tube LED hub and wireless Mini Remote on the handlebars.

The Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 4 drive unit is one of our favorites on the market, with solid power delivery and reliable and consistent performance. Powered by the 750Wh PowerTube battery, it offers impressive range to let you cover good ground, fast.

CLIMBING | On the way up the hill, the Bosch drive unit performed very well as you might expect, and no issues were sustained throughout testing. The Cube’s geometry was solid for climbing, with a nice and long rear end and fairly steep head angle keeping plenty of weight on the front wheel when needed for the steeper pitches or tight and technical portions. The ground clearance is not exceptional, but was manageable for all but the chunkiest of climbs.

The overall weight was quite high, and the climbing support built into the suspension didn’t make for the firmest or most efficient platform. This led to lower power modes feeling sluggish, and the Cube being a monster on the two instances I fully drained the battery. However, the flip-side was reasonable comfort when seated and fairly impressive traction (with appropriate tires). For all-day missions on fairly rough terrain, the Stereo Hybrid 140 was a solid choice.

DESCENDING | A combination of the high weight for its class, the conservative geometry and a linear suspension platform initially left me concerned as to the fun-having capabilities of the Cube Stereo Hybrid 140. Much to my surprise though, it was well balanced with supple suspension, and the frame was stiff enough to support some fairly aggressive riding. As much as I wasn’t expecting it to be a great time, it went to show that a bike’s performance is not determined by a single factor. The overall system came together to offer a solid enough platform to still enjoy the trails, albeit dancing closer to the limits of the bike more frequently than most. If you’re not looking to push hard on the descents, but want a comfortable machine for rough terrain at a lower pace, then this Cube is a perfectly suitable eBike for you.

Where this Cube eMTB did not excel was in the mellower terrain that I’d imagine a typical 140mm travel eBike rider would be looking to ride primarily. The weight was only compounded by a lack of support in the suspension, and the pedaling platform was not the best once you’re above the motor cut off. These factors combined meant the Cube Stereo Hybrid 140 was a bike that really favored having some gravity on its side. But not too much. That’s not to say it can’t be ridden on mellow terrain, but it’s unlikely to squeeze out as much fun from flow trails as some lighter and snappier offerings.

FINISH AND VALUE | Looking at the HPC ABS build kit on the Stereo Hybrid 140, there’s nothing particularly of note other than the Bosch ABS system. Everything else is quite appropriately selected for the intentions of this bike, and while it’d be nice to see upgraded suspension components and a longer dropper post, everything felt quite well matched in terms of capabilities and was dependable throughout testing. For the £4,799 (appx $6,100) price tag with a carbon front triangle, the value seems reasonable for a brand with dealer support, but nothing to get too excited about.

COMPONENT REPORT | BOSCH ABS

I originally arranged the testing of this bike with the Bosch ABS system as the priority. However, aside from the levers of the Magura MT C ABS brakes having an insanely far-out minimum reach – much further out than my preferences – the ABS system didn’t drastically change my ride.

In the Trail mode – recommended for eMTB riding – the system would absolutely cut in if it senses the front wheel locking up. However, I’d wager experienced mountain bikers have developed the sensitivity in their fingers to make lock-up occurrences very infrequent. For myself, there were only two instances when riding where the ABS stepped in notably. The first was during an endo-turn, where the ABS stepped in unexpectedly and dropped the rear wheel, leading to a very hairy moment on a steep switchback. I had performed many other endo-turns and stoppies during testing, when the ABS had not stepped in.

The second was in an emergency braking situation on some very loose mud. I was gripping the front brake for dear life, and the ABS stepping in felt to limit my maximum stopping ability a little, but it was hard to tell. Notably though, it did keep the front wheel rolling slowly.

Keen to really feel ABS working for me, I set it to the more intrusive AllRoad setting and dropped into a steep and slippery section of trail. In this setting, there was so little stopping power on the front wheel that I had to pull over after just ten seconds. I simply could not slow down on a steep and loose trail with this setting, though this mode was not intended to be used in these conditions.

As it stands, I’m not convinced the Bosch ABS system is adding performance for experienced riders. It certainly adds safety for riders unfamiliar with feathering a powerful front brake, though. This is likely to be a system that’s highly valuable to beginners, and would make for an excellent tool for hire bikes in areas where customers are likely to get in above their heads.

I’m intrigued to see if Bosch can continue to develop the system as a performance tool, and would certainly welcome further testing. But for now, it’s not for me.

The Wolf’s Last Word

The Cube Stereo Hybrid 140 HPC ABS was affectionately named Grandad by a friend. While there were some elements that go to justify this moniker, if I’m still able to ride as hard as this bike when I’m a grandad, then I’ll be pretty damn stoked on how things are going. Cube’s mid-travel Stereo Hybrid is a comfortable ride to cover miles on, and offers well-balanced handling for the way down, but won’t suit aggressive riders or those looking for a light and efficient eBike.

The Bosch ABS system made for some interesting testing, and offers improved safety for beginner riders. As it stands, I’m not convinced that it offers tangible performance gains for experienced riders looking to attack technical mountain bike trails. 

Price: £4,799 (HPC ABS 750)
Website: Cube.eu