With a completely revised frame that's 15% lighter than the one it replaces, our design team has been putting in the hours to build a marathon-focussed cross-country hardtail worthy of wearing our team livery. Starting with our next-generation C:68X carbon technology and a blank sheet of paper, they carefully shaved weight where possible while ensuring strength and efficiency weren't sacrificed. So the tapered head tube, carefully profiled down tube and Boost 148 rear end ensure that every watt of your pedalling input is transferred to the rear wheel. In the meantime, slim seat stays and a 27.2mm seat post contribute to a ride that's comfortable for extended periods, aided and abetted by the Fox Float Factory suspension fork. Light, strong Newmen Advanced carbon wheels shod with grippy, fast-rolling Schwalbe tyres give you the control you need in combination with our tweaked Agile Ride Geometry, and a full complement of Shimano's superb XTR 1x12 components take care of stop-and-go duties with typically reliable alacrity. Ride fast, ride far and ride well. It's what our team riders do - and you can, too, with this bike.
If there's one thing our engineers have learnt over the years, it's that you can always squeeze a bit more performance out of a frame. That's why they went back to the drawing board with the Elite. It was already stiff, light, comfortable and agile - but the new one is 15% lighter, designed with even greater comfort in mind, and features revised Agile Ride Geometry designed with marathon riding and endurance cross-country in mind. It's all possible thanks to the combination of our high-end C:68X carbon and Advanced Twin Mold manufacturing technology, which gives our engineers the ability to add or remove precise quantities of carbon to create the perfect blend of characteristics. Slender seat stays help absorb trail vibration for greater comfort over long distances, while the tapered head tube and Boost axle at the rear help maintain precise steering and incredible pedalling efficiency. There's even provision to upgrade to an internally routed dropper post. Better than before? Definitely. The best out there? Well, we think so. But we'll let you be the judge...
Key Upgrades over the 2020 Cube Elite C:68X SL 29er:
Fox 32 Factory Stepcast Fork with Kashima Coat.
1 x 12 Shimano XTR drivetrain.
Newman Carbon wheelset.