While the Stereo 160 looks quite tall, with a relatively high top tube, it doesn’t feel that way on the trail. That’s partly thanks to the low bottom bracket (BB), which sits 335mm off the ground and has a 14mm drop that sinks you down nicely between the wheel axles. Standover height isn’t quite as good as on the lower-slung bikes here, though. It’s an incredibly easy bike to ride and feels very natural from the get-go, but does come up pretty short in terms of reach, which is an issue for taller riders, considering there’s just one more size up from the 20in bike here.
In terms of kit, the Cube is seriously impressive. If we were to be really picky, we’d prefer to see a more forgiving Lyrik fork in place of the Pike, and while the Rock Razor rear tyre gets Schwalbe’s reasonably tacky TrailStar compound and tough SuperGravity casing, its minimal tread means things can get sketchy in the mud. High-fives to the guys at Cube for slapping a well-damped, supertacky Magic Mary VertStar on up front though – it takes the sting out of trail vibration and offers supreme traction. The Stereo is also one of the few bikes here to have the more refined RS version of SRAM’s Guide brake.
Although the Cube is one of the lightest bikes on test, the plush rear suspension soaks up a lot of rider input, so you have to work harder to conserve your speed on flatter trails. Get it pointed down something with a little more gradient though, and the Stereo quickly finds its feet. The back end feels progressive enough for most, though hard riders will want to add some volume spacers to the shock to gain more support for tackling bigger hits.
SPEC
Frame ‘HPA Ultralight’ aluminium, 160mm travel
Fork RockShox Pike RC Solo Air, 160mm travel
Shock Fox Float X Performance
Drivetrain SRAM X1 with Race Face AEffect cranks (1x11)
Wheelset DT Swiss CSW AM27.5 wheels, Schwalbe Magic Mary/Rock Razor tyres
Weight 13.9kg (L)
Price $4350