![]() He’s also worked out that shaving your legs saves 8 watts, while testing aerodynamics in a wind tunnel. Outside of testing bikes, Tom competes in a wide range of mountain bike races, from multi-day enduros through to 24-hour races in the depths of the Scottish winter – pushing bikes, components and his legs to their limits. With more than twenty years of mountain biking experience, and nearly a decade of testing mountain and gravel bikes, Tom has ridden and tested thousands of bikes and products, from super-light XC race bikes through to the most powerful brakes on the market. He is also a regular presenter on BikeRadar’s YouTube channel and the BikeRadar podcast. Tom has written for BikeRadar, MBUK and Cycling Plus, and was previously technical editor of What Mountain Bike magazine. He has a particular focus on mountain bikes, but spends plenty of time on gravel bikes, too. Tom Marvin is a technical editor at and MBUK magazine. On tight, twisty tracks, the long stem slows reactions, leaving the Reaction feeling a touch more ponderous than the other XC bikes I had on test. ![]() ![]() There’s little noticeable flex from the skinny seatpost. The back end is stiff and the tyres have to be run relatively hard (the skinny carcasses mean you can’t reduce pressure much to increase comfort without risking punctures), leading to a jarring ride that makes it hard to maintain speed over rocks or roots. On the way down, the Cube doesn’t quite make the grade. With your weight towards the front axle, there’s no front-wheel lift or wander. On steep drags, the broad range of the Shimano gearing and the stretched position, thanks to the long stem, mean there are few excuses for not getting to the top. The difference is marginal, but the Cube powered up slippery climbs. This is because the Ray and Ralph tyres have sharper, more spaced-out treads than tyres such as Ikons, Rekons and Fast Traks found elsewhere, giving more purchase in the slop. That said, the Reaction performs well in loose, muddy conditions. The Cube is great for sprinting up short, sharp climbs, but on rougher ascents the fairly hard-compound tyres leave the bike scrabbling for grip as they struggle to mould over rocks and roots. That race-optimised damping keeps the 32 fork stable in open mode, and there’s also an on-bar lockout for tarmac sprints, which I used to good effect on my faster test loop.įox’s 32 StepCast fork has cut-out lower legs to keep the chassis narrower and therefore lighter, while still fitting a Boost front wheel. The Reaction’s reactions are punchy, with the direct-feeling back end thrusting you forward with each pedal stroke. The rubber compounds aren’t the softest, but the treads were among the most aggressive on test.Ĭube’s own Newmen brand provides the long stem, narrow bar (740mm) and fairly slim grips. Schwalbe provides the Racing Ray and Racing Ralph tyre combo. You get a full Shimano 12-speed drivetrain and brake set-up, and the bike rolls on Fulcrum wheels, which I had no issues with in testing. Russell Burton / Immediate Media Cube Reaction C62 SL kitįox’s 32 StepCast is a popular XC fork for good reason, with a low weight and race-focused damping, which prioritises efficiency over smoothness on small chatter. The long stem and narrow bar are a definite throwback to sketchier times – a shorter stem would improve handling no end.
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