Please help me choose my next bike..

[Goggs]

I've already bought this bike & it's due to arrive here on Monday but I wanted to ask a question of you experts here because I can't find the answer anywhere else online. Here's the manufacturers product page..

http://www.cube.eu/uk/products/trekking/hyde/cube-hyde-pro-black-white-2016/

1. Braze-ons. Specifically the lack there-of. I cannot see any bottle mounts, mudguard mounts or rack mounts. I guess it maybe doesn't have these things but the model below it (the Hyde) does have them and so does the model above (the Hyde Race). Also, this is the 2016 model & the 2015 model did have these features. And it's not just the Cube site either. I can't find one definitive image online of a real 2016 Cube Hyde Pro.

Am I alone in finding this just a bit strange? I can live without mudguard & rack fittings but not having bottle bosses would be a real deal-breaker. I live in Provence after all. It's hot in the summer. I sent an email to Cube HQ last Monday but as yet haven't received a reply. Does anyone here maybe know anyone who owns this bike? Or, alternatively, has anyone seen one in a shop? There's none in the flesh around these parts. In fact it was a nightmare trying to source a 58cm model in Europe at all.

 

[bonsaibilly]

Why did you buy it if you have these questions and not answers to them?!

BB

 

[Goggs]

Because, like I said, most of the issues are not that big a deal. I actually suspect Cube have used a prototype in their imagery on their site. Plus, believe it or not the choice of bikes with this kind of spec is incredibly limited where I live.

 

[amasidlover]

The images in the 'action gallery' show it having rack and bottle bosses.

 

[Goggs]

Yeah, unfortunately the bike in those images isn't the Pro but the model above, the Race.

I just phoned a UK bike shop and they confirmed that the Pro does not have bottle bosses! Totally bizarre decision. However, Cube will (and sadly just have) sell me an under-seat bracket for just this purpose. The older I get the more dumbstruck I am with what is cpnsidered progress these days. Still problem sorted.

To be fair, years ago I used to live in the city and regularly found myself having to carry my bike up & down stairs when visiting friends and suchlike. Bottle cages were a pain in the neck in that scenario & I guess having the bottle behind the saddle cures that particular problem. Now that I live down here though and know nobody the chances of me ever having to carry my bike are virtually nil. C'es la vie.

 

[KneesUp]

If you look on eBay there are all sorts of adaptors to mount bottle cages available. Seems odd that the middle bike in the range doesn't have then when the others do though!

 

[Bazzer]

If you look on eBay there are all sorts of adaptors to mount bottle cages available. Seems odd that the middle bike in the range doesn't have then when the others do though!

This the sort of thing that is available :
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-accessories/bike-bottle-cages/elite-water-bottle-cage-strips

Used them on my daughters' bikes, which because of their ages at the time, didn't have mountings for bottle cages.

 

[Goggs]

It's really strange, even if only from a manufacturing cost perspective. As far as I can tell the frame materials are identical throughout the range too. Also, the 2015 model had bosses.

I had a look on eBay first but the Cube solution is a tad more elegant so I went for that.

 

[Goggs]

Thanks for the link. I think I would prefer the under-seat solution though. The last bike I owned that didn't have bosses would have been back around 1977. A bizarre decision by Cube.

 

[Bazzer]

Thanks for the link. I think I would prefer the under-seat solution though. The last bike I owned that didn't have bosses would have been back around 1977. A bizarre decision by Cube.

You are not planning on a seat post bag then with some get you home spares? Or will the seat post be long enough to accomodate both?

 

[Goggs]

Ach don't, lol. I was actually but I have a handlebar bag that will do the same job. Of course although I have the bag I don't have the bracket because it was on my original bike that was stolen.

 

[Goggs]

Here's another strange thing..

If you scroll down to the bottom of the product page here..

http://www.cube.eu/en/products/trekking/hyde/cube-hyde-pro-black-white-2016/

You'll see that in the *Suitable Accessories* section Cube list a regular cage & bottle.

 

[Goggs]

*Update

The bike arrived today. Guess what?

It has the full complement of braze-ons. Two bottles, mudguards front & rear and racks front & rear. In short, it's a beautiful machine. A bit industrial maybe and it's not exactly light (I'm actually surprised at just how heavy the Nexus back-end is) but it's perfectly fit for purpose.

Although the bike has been delivered pretty much set up the gears are not working as they should. I've never worked with hub gears before but I'm sure I know where I can find some good advice

The supplied pedals don't look too bad actually. Proper alloy black cages. Still, I didn't bother fitting them & fitted my SPD's instead.

I'm 6'2" tall and the 58cm frame feels perfect. The saddle might even be a keeper, unusual for me. It's a Selle Royal Prestige and seems to be comfortable, although I've only done an initial shakedown of around 4km. It certainly looks the part.

The tyres are Schwalbe Big Apple's & they're bloody huge! They look fantastic but I'll get back to you all as to how useful they are on a day-to-day basis.

The Shimano hydraulic disc brakes are awesome, as you'd expect. Nothing else to say there.

The chainset is by Truvativ, a new one on me. I honestly can't say if it's good or bad because it's just a single ring so there's not much to tell. It looks good though.

I'll leave it there for now. Photos will be uploaded later. One more thing though.

I'm a smoker. Hopefully I'm safe in saying that's past me because I stopped 8 months ago. Still, after just that short ride it feels like the Sun is inside of me. It's unbelievably hot here, which I knew, obviously. I just didn't realise just how bloody fast I have to move for the air to cool me down. And when I stop? Arghghgh!

 

[Goggs]

 

[bonsaibilly]

Phwoar!