Aim Series

mtb629–1199 EUR

Origin

The Aim is Cube's true entry-level hardtail — the cheapest real mountain bike in the catalogue and the bike most German teenagers, students and first-time MTB buyers go home with. The frame is Aluminum Lite with Cube's Agile Ride geometry (more upright and forgiving than Reaction or Stereo trail bikes), SizeSplit wheels (27.5" on XS/S, 29" on M and above) and clearance for 2.25" tyres. Builds are honest budget kit: SR Suntour XCE coil fork with 100 mm travel, Shimano 1x8 or 1x9 drivetrains depending on trim, Tektro hydraulic disc brakes. The Aim One starts around €449, Aim Pro around €599, Aim SLX tops out around €749. Cube doesn't pretend the Aim is a real trail bike — it's marketed as a starter for forest paths, gravel and confidence-building. The chassis is the same one that's been refined incrementally since 2008, with hydraulic discs and 1x drivetrains the major modern updates.

Specifications

Weight: kg
Drivetrain: Shimano CUES 1x9 (Pro); 1x10 on Aim Race. Cassette CS-LG300 11-46T (Pro) / 11-48T (Race), ACID 32T chainring, Rapidfire-Plus shifters
Brakes: Tektro HD-M275 hydraulic disc, 160/160 mm rotors (Pro); Shimano BR-MT200/UR300 on Race
Wheels: CUBE EX25 rims, 32H, tubeless ready, CUBE alloy light QR hubs. SizeSplit: 27.5" on XS/S, 29" on M-XXL

The verdict

+Strengths

Cube seem to be breaking into the market and offer incredible value (BikeRadar forum)
neat touches like internal cable routing (BikeRadar review, 2014)
Superbly controllable with a decent build for the price (MBR, 2015)

−Weaknesses

the Cube's fork was noticeably loose and rattly (BikeRadar, 2014)
Short, high ride position compromises handling, fun factor and speed (BikeRadar)
old style gearing and poor tyres that only fit for hardpack ground