Cube Cross Race C:62 2027
Since there seem to be quite few buyers in this bike category, I thought I’d share some info here.
I had already bought the Cube Nuroad One, but then realized in the shop that it was too small for me (size L at 1.85 m and 89.1 cm inseam). On the test ride, the spark for gravel bikes somehow didn’t catch either: tires too fat, somehow not sporty enough – I was missing a bit of the fun. So I returned the bike and started looking again. I didn’t want a road bike, because I also wanted to ride on forest trails and gravel.
Then I came across cyclocross bikes and the new Cube Cross Race 2027 with a carbon frame, carbon wheels and electronic SRAM Rival AXS shifting.
The Cube dealer nearby had the bike in stock (size 58). Took it for a test ride: the bike is super dynamic, agile, light, and the shifting is clean – left for down, right for up, just tap. What can I say, I was instantly a little bit in love.
I then went for size 58. Smaller would definitely have been too small. Larger (61) would have worked – you’d sit more upright, but have more reach with the stock stem.
What I changed:
- Flipped the stem (+/- 6°) from negative to positive → higher handlebar
- Degreased and waxed the chain
Everything else I left as is.
In my opinion, a cyclocross bike is a mix of road bike and gravel bike – so what are the pros and cons?
- Riding position: upper body lower than on a gravel bike → more towards a road bike.
- Tire width: narrower than a gravel bike, but wider than a road bike (33 mm).
- Tread: if anything, even more aggressive than on a gravel bike → gravel, mud and sand are no problem, but you lose some speed on tarmac.
- Drivetrain: the combination of rear cassette and front chainring is also more on the gravel side, i.e. 40T x 10T for speed (downhill you hit the limit quickly) and 40T x 36T for climbs (might not be enough for very steep hills – hasn’t happened to me yet, though). The downside of the smaller climbing range comes with the upside that the harder gears are more finely spaced, which I really like.
- There are no mounts for bags or a rack on the frame.
- Seatpost and handlebar are not carbon → so there’s potential to save some more weight with relatively “cheap” components.
Have fun :)