7 Common Problems With Cube Bikes (For Beginners)
It is difficult to discuss the finest German-made electric bikes without mentioning Cube bicycles. This brand presents a vast range of e-bikes, renowned for durability, innovation, and versatility.
Well, amidst all these virtues, Cube buyers have complained of some notable deficiencies. Let us talk about some of the most occurring problems with Cube bikes.
Many users complained about the press-fit bottom brackets of their Cube bikes. This complaint mainly was among Cube Attain buyers. Another sizable percentage of Cube buyers were unhappy with their bikes’ motor hub noise, belt drive issues, the head tube being too tall, poor tire clearance, and hall sensor error issues.
How about we dive deeper into some of these problems Cube users lamented about?
Press-fit bottom brackets issues
Most Cube bikes – predominantly the Attain model – are fitted with press-fit bottom brackets. This bracket design entails embedding a bottom bracket into the bracket shell.
Admittedly, this presents unique advantages like eliminating the need for threading the bottom bracket shell. This is because such press-fit bottom brackets are securely integrated into the frame.
This means lesser time spent in production and lesser money, of course.
But this press-fit bottom bracket makes Cube bikes more demanding to maintain. Cube Attain bikes with press-fit brackets consequently need more rigorous inspection and servicing.
More than being difficult to service, Cube bikes with press-fit brackets tend to have their bearings’ lifespan shortened. This is because the bearings take on massive stress-loads when the calculations go slightly inaccurate.
Cube bikes have motor noise
Many Cube bike buyers lamented about the unsettling noise the hub motor produces. It would be unfair to ascribe this issue to Cube bikes exclusively.
The generality of electric bikes we have investigated also has their hub motor giving off this distinct noise. The prevalent cause of such motor hub noise is friction-inspired wear and tear of components like bearings, disk brake, and gears.
If a bolt loosens up, the motor hub will become noisy when operated. Most of such noises can be managed when you lubricate the motor bearings. If the noise continues, you may need to replace the worn-out component fully.
Cube bikes have belt drive issues
Cube bikes are leaning more towards belt drives over chain drives. This comes with the disadvantage of a limited range of options for components.
If your bike had a chain drivetrain, you could royally pick from lots of options for your chainring, cassette, derailleur, and sprockets. You don’t enjoy such versatility with the belt drives from Cube bikes.
First, you don’t have a bevy of manufacturers producing belt drives. Also, most of the belt drive systems – especially that of Cube bikes – are proprietary.
This severely limits the extent to which you can enhance or customize your Cube bike.
Let us not forget that Cube bikes with belt drive systems (without motor assistance) rarely measure up to their peers in efficiency.
With no chains, you would have to apply more pressure on your pedals to attain the efficiency derivable from a chain-driven equivalent.
Another notable handicap of Cube belt-driven bikes is frame incompatibility. Unlike your traditional chain drive, you can’t break your belt in the middle.
For the belt-drive variants, you need to open the frame. This can be inconvenient, especially if the frame doesn’t have a bolted connection.
Cube bikes have discomfiting head tube heights
Most Cube bike buyers were not comfortable with the head tube design of their bikes. Many said the head tube was too long.
Fundamentally, you can determine the head tube length by measuring from the head tube’s top to the bottom. The head tube angle also refers to the inclination of the head tube to the ground.
Some cube bikes had their head tube angles around 72.5°. This made the bike harder to maneuver.
While most Cube bikes’ longer head tube design improves their high-speed performance levels, it is more challenging to achieve stability when on rough terrains.
Also, keeping your Cube bike more balanced on technical trails is more challenging, no thanks to the high head tube make-up.
Cube bikes have lesser tire clearance
Most cube bikes come with smaller wheels. This leads to reduced tire clearance.
Compared to bigger wheels, it is harder to sustain high speeds on your Cube bike with reduced tire clearance. The reason is not hard to find.
Because these bikes are fitted with smaller wheels, the wheels can’t retain much inertia. This means your Cube bike will need way higher revolutions (per minute) to compensate for the reduced inertia from its smaller wheels.
Inevitably, the highest speed you can attain on your Cube bike is highly influenced by the bike’s gearing and tire size. This means if you would ride your Cube bike for longer distances, you will need faster pedaling to keep up your speed.
Users complained of Hall Sensor Error
The Hall sensor is another prominent issue we saw with Cube bike owners. This can be readily resolved if you have some technical experience.
To fix the hall sensor error, you will need to unplug every connection on your kit and replug them. This involves you unplugging (and replugging) your brake levers, throttle, and motor lead connections.
Before plugging the components back, check carefully to see if the pins on any connection plug are damaged. Commonly, some pins could be bent.
If you replace the damaged pins and the hall sensor error yet resurfaces, you will need to check the hall sensor connection to the motor core (from the controller).
Chances are, this connection may be loose. If it is not loose, check if the connection is interrupted by silicone interference.
Inevitably, you will have to unplug the hall sensor plug, check it, and plug it back.
Cube bike buyers complained of poor customer service
While this is not a technical defect, it is worth noting that a frightening fraction of Cube bike users we came across complained bitterly of poor customer service.
Most of these users whined that Cube’s customer correspondence was terrible, with the customer care team unresponsive most of the time.
In other cases, buyers moaned that Cube abandoned them to dealers who couldn’t resolve their issues.