Editor (Urban)
Origin
Cube is a German bike brand founded in 1993 by Marcus Puerner in Waldershof, Bavaria, where it still designs and assembles bikes today — growing from a 50-square-metre corner of his father's furniture factory into one of Europe's largest bicycle manufacturers. The Editor belongs to Cube's urban/city line and was conceived as an antidote to the maintenance headaches of chain-driven commuters: pair a Gates carbon belt (no oil, no rust, runs near-silent for tens of thousands of kilometres) with an enclosed internal hub gear (shift while stopped, nothing to derail or wear out) on a light, sporty aluminium frame. In its first years (roughly 2019-2022) the Editor existed as one premium build: Shimano's Alfine 11-speed hub, Gates CDX belt and hydraulic discs, positioned as the flagship above Cube's cheaper Hyde belt-drive bikes. From around 2023 Cube widened the Editor into a full family — a single-speed One, a chain-drive Race, a Nexus-8 belt Pro and an Alfine-class SLX — each also offered in an 'FE' (fully equipped) trim with rack, mudguards and dynamo lights, so a buyer can choose between a stripped sporty townie and a ready-to-commute workhorse.
Specifications
- Frame
- Aluminium Superlite Urban, double-butted, hydroformed; diamond (Classic) or Easy-Entry (FE) frame; internal cable routing, eccentric BB / split dropout for belt tensioning
- Weight
- kg
- Drivetrain
- Varies by trim: Gates single-speed belt (One); Shimano derailleur chain drivetrain (Race); Shimano Nexus 8-speed hub + Gates belt (Pro); Shimano Alfine 11-speed hub + Gates CDX belt (SLX / early Editor)
- Brakes
- Shimano hydraulic disc. Early: Deore BR-M6000/M6100 160/160mm. Current: BR-MT200/UR300, typically 180mm front / 160mm rear
- Wheels
- 700c (622); CUBE/ACID EX25 tubeless-ready disc rims, 32H; FE trims add a dynamo front hub powering integrated lights
The verdict
- Belt + hub drivetrain is clean, silent and almost maintenance-free — no oily trouser marks, shift while stopped
- Light and lively for a city bike (early Alfine build ~11.5-11.8 kg), with steady, friendly, confidence-inspiring handling
- FE trims arrive genuinely commute-ready: dynamo lights, quality full mudguards, rack and kickstand all included
- Base (non-FE) trims and the early model shipped without rack/mudguards despite 'urban' billing — retrofitting a belt-drive bike is fiddly
- Single-speed One trim (and even the geared versions' low gearing) struggle on steep hills — poorly suited to hilly terrain
- Premium price for the drivetrain tech; internal hub gears are marginally less efficient than a clean derailleur
Generations
Gen 1 — single premium build (~2019-2022)
- One flagship trim only, diamond frame, no rack/mudguards. The classic light, sporty belt-drive Editor reviewers rated 8/10.
- Brakes
- Shimano Deore hydraulic disc
Gen 2 — tiered family + FE trims (~2023-2026)
- Editor split into good/better/best price tiers, each in bare and 'FE' (dynamo lights + rack + mudguards) versions, plus Easy-Entry frame option.
- Brakes
- Shimano MT200/UR300 hydraulic disc, larger 180mm front
Versions & builds
Every official build side by side — differences highlighted.
| Spec | Editor (Alfine 11) | CurrentEditor One / One FE | CurrentEditor Race / Race FE | CurrentEditor Pro / Pro FE | CurrentEditor SLX / SLX FE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 2020 | 2025 | 2025 | 2025 | 2025 |
| Frame | Aluminium Superlite double-butted, alloy+carbon-leg fork | Aluminium Superlite Urban + C:62 full-carbon fork | Aluminium Superlite Urban + carbon fork | Aluminium Superlite Urban + carbon fork | Aluminium Superlite Urban + C:62 full-carbon fork |
| Drivetrain | Shimano Alfine 11-speed hub + Gates CDX belt | Gates single-speed belt drive (50T/22T) | Shimano derailleur chain drivetrain (geared, not belt) | Shimano Nexus 8-speed hub + Gates belt | Shimano Alfine 11-class hub + Gates CDX belt |
| Brakes | Shimano Deore hydraulic disc 160/160 | Shimano MT200/UR300 hydraulic disc 180/160 | Shimano hydraulic disc | Shimano MT200/UR300 hydraulic disc 180/160 | Shimano hydraulic disc 180/160 |
| MSRP | €1,559 | €999 | €1,299 | €1,499 | €1,799 |
| Purpose | Flagship | Value | Value | Balanced | Flagship |
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