Cube Agree C:62 SL review

The Cube Agree C:62 SL is the surprise bike of 2018 and offers all the comforts and stability of an endurance bike with a super speeding agile ride feel that other endurance style bikes just can’t match. The bikes quality feel and what was on offer for the price blew me away, a great Editor’s Choice find.

Disc brakes dominate the endurance bike market, so for those people who prefer the old-fashioned way of stopping it's nice to see that the Cube Agree C:62 SL still comes as a rim-brake option.

However, if you want to follow the trend of disc brake bikes then Cube does offer the Agree C:62 SL with discs too, so it has all bases covered.

This is one of many endurance-style bikes from the global German brand, but there is nothing to suggest that Cube regards the Agree C:62 SL as an all day, slowly-does-it, relaxed machine. In fact, it has some aero trinkets that would put some racing bikes to shame.

Details like the integrated seat clamp paired with a dropped rear stay, CLS Evo fork and tuned down tube help airflow according to Cube, while a tapered head tube, beefy BB shell with a Pressfit bottom bracket should help cornering and out-of-the-saddle bursts.

The CSL Evo Aero fork uses C:62 technology so should be light and stiff. It has been shaped to help aerodynamics and with those direct-mount caliper brakes, which are slightly more aerodynamically efficient than your standard single-bolt dual-pivot brakes, you should be seeing some marginal gains over other endurance framesets.

Cube calls this geometry "race-inspired" and comparing it with geometry from its race-orientated Litening you can see the differences. A longer top tube, head tube and wheelbase allow for a higher front end while a shorter seat tube helps keep the frame compact.

Comfort has been built in via two sections at the rear: Cube has shrunk the width of its carbon seatpost, which it says will help absorb the worst of the road buzz – and it does. Secondly the dropped, slender rear stays add to rear end compliance.

Another bonus of the Cube Agree SL is the price of £2,999: amazingly for this sum you get a full Shimano Ultegra R8050 Di2 groupset, which sets this bike apart from many at this price point, especially with such a good-quality frame. It comes with the classic endurance gear ratios of 50/34 and 11-28, which should get you up anything.

For an endurance bike I’ve been thrilled by the Cube Agree C:62 SL. It has sharp handling and feels nimble despite being slightly higher at the front. Riding in Devon for part of my testing it was a delight on the undulating terrain of that part of the world.

Kicking up the sharp hills it responded very well and, despite claiming to be an all-day comfort machine, the Cube Agree C:62 SL raced hard when I wanted to kick it. Cube has got the layup right to ensure a good level of compliance at the rear, also helped by the geometry of the dropped rear stays.

For its £2,999 price tag I would say it’s worth every penny. In summary, great job Cube!