Test: With the Cube Axial WLS Pro Disc, we took a close look at an affordable entry-level racer for women. Disc brakes and a carbon fork are even available here for under €1000. Of course you have to make a few compromises in view of this price - but in practice these turned out to be smaller than we initially thought.
In our test, we examine the Cube AXIAL WLS Pro Disc, which aims to give ambitious riders an affordable entry into the world of road sports. Maximum yield with as little investment as possible, that's what you want to achieve when you spend hours studying websites and forums to find out which bike is best for you. With an RRP of €899, the Cube women's racer is way ahead of the competition, at least in terms of price. But what can you expect from a disc racer under €1000?
Cube Axial WLS Pro Disc: frame and geometry
As already mentioned, the Axial WLS is intended to be an entry-level racer – and the geometry turns out accordingly. Not too racy, not too comfortable, but somewhere in between, the aluminum racer fits in and should be well received by most riders in the target group. The slightly more upright seating position is comfortable on the flat and more relaxed on the climbs. Even several laps in the saddle are not too big an obstacle - if your legs play along.
Cube Axial WLS Geometry
47 | 50 | 53 | 56 | |
seat tube (in mm) | 430 | 460 | 490 | 520 |
Top tube horizontal (in mm) | 510 | 517 | 537 | 560 |
head tube (in mm) | 120 | 130 | 152 | 182 |
chainstay (in mm) | 415 | 415 | 415 | 415 |
Wheelbase (in mm) | 985 | 985 | 995 | 1009 |
Steering angle (in °) | 70.6 | 71.5 | 72 | 72.5 |
Seat angle (in °) | 74.6 | 74.6 | 74 | 73.5 |
Reach (mm) | 365 | 369 | 376 | 385 |
Stacks (in mm) | 525 | 537 | 561 | 591 |
The high-quality aluminum 6061 T6 Superlight frame, paired with the carbon fork and in combination with the 28 mm wide tires, creates an amazing amount of comfort and safety, making it really ideal for beginners. Thanks to the corresponding holes on the frame, mudguards can also be mounted if desired. If desired, the training bike can also be turned into a sporty companion for everyday use. The protective film already attached to the down tube at the factory is a nice touch, protecting the frame and paintwork from small stones flying around.
The internally routed trains are not a matter of course for this price range. Slim tubes and consistently clean welds underline the high quality impression and show once again that it doesn't always have to be carbon. If you still prefer carbon fiber as a frame material, you can use the Axial WLS GTC or the top model, the Axial WLS C:62. The price is also between a fair €1999 and €2899, which is still extremely fair given the carbon frame and the good equipment with the 105 group (WLS GTC) and Ultegra (WLS C:62).
Cube Axial WLS Pro Disc: Features
frame | Aluminum 6061 T6 super light |
suspension fork | CUBE CSL Race, carbon |
Wheels | CUBE RA 0.8 Aero Disc |
Tubes | Conti Ultra Sport 2 |
derailleur | Shimano Sora |
Gear levers | Shimano Sora |
Crank | Shimano Sora 50/34 |
Front derailleur | Shimano Sora |
Brake | TRP Spyre 160/160 |
Seat post | CUBE performance post |
Saddle | CUBERP 1.0 |
Stem | CUBE Performance Stem Pro |
Links | CUBE Compact Race Bar |
The Sora group is a beginner group from Shimano. Anyone who is not a gram fox and gets by with nine sprockets and the somewhat coarser gear steps associated with them will have little to complain about here. In terms of functionality, the group is almost alarmingly close to its higher-quality counterparts, and visually you don't necessarily have to hide anymore.
With a 50 and 34 chain ring, the compact crank offers a sufficient range to master longer climbs as well as longer speed phases beyond 30 km/h without having to pedal like a sewing machine.
Disc brakes are on the rise on racing bikes and offer great advantages, especially for beginners, such as more forgiving metering and consistent braking behavior in rain and wet conditions. A Tektro Spyre MD-C610C with 160mm discs was installed on the Cube. You still have to do without hydraulics in this price range, but experience has shown that the Spyre is one of the best mechanical discs, even if it can't quite keep up with the hydraulic competition in terms of feel and pressure point. The in-house wheels were equipped with 28 mm wide Conti Ultra Sport 2 tires, which create contact between the wheel and the road, poor grip was never an issue here, whether wet or dry the Contipneu sticks to the asphalt, which also conveyed a lot of security. In addition, the slightly larger volume also allows a lower air pressure to be used and you get a little more comfort.
Cube Axial WLS Pro Disc: On the road
We tested the Cube Axial WLS Pro Disc on the roads of the Bavarian Forest for four months. Short, crisp rides over the constant ups and downs of East Bavaria alternated with longer rides beyond 100km. The inexpensive entry-level racer had to prove both its climbing abilities and its long-distance suitability.
An extremely positive surprise was the good performance of the Sora drive. Sure, you can't expect Dura Ace level here and with nine sprockets the gear steps are slightly larger than with the high-performance groupsets, but the gear changes are almost as reliable and smooth. This should easily suffice, especially for an entry-level bike. The brakes also gave a good picture: The grip is not quite as comfortable as with hydraulic discs or high-quality rim brakes, but the braking power is more than sufficient for all areas of use of this bike. The stoppers performed particularly well when it got wet: The braking power remains almost the same and, above all, there is almost always complete silence – no squeaking and no howling. Even significantly more expensive brakes can often not do this so well.
The only real shortcoming we noticed during our testing period was the tires' lack of puncture protection. Even a slightly sharper stone is enough to slit open the coat, whereupon it says goodbye with a loud bang. It's a pity, because the Conti tires were convincing in terms of grip and rolling resistance.
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