CUBE TRAVEL PRO TRAPEZE – PRODUCT FEATURE

Let’s open this product feature with some questions; do you want to ride your bike more but are short on time? Are you put off by the potential for having to spend time cleaning and maintaining your bike? Do you want to commute to work, leaving the car at home and need a practical, no-nonsense bike that includes everything you need to make your journey as user-friendly as possible? If you’re looking for ways to simplify how you travel and want to enjoy your time-pushed free time more, with almost no barriers to stop you riding then the Cube Travel Pro Trapeze is the perfect bike for you; this belt-drive commuter is quite possibly THE most practical bike we’ve ever stocked!

So what makes the Cube Travel Pro Trapeze so user-friendly? Let’s summarise with some quick bullet points before we go into a little more detail:

• Convenient step-through trapeze alloy frame
• Durable water-proof Belt Drive means no chain to lube and maintain
• Internal 8-speed hub gear protects all workings from the elements
• Powerful hydraulic disc brakes keep braking safe and consistent in all weathers
• Hub-dynamo-powered front and rear lights mean you’ll always have lighting when you need it
• Full mudguards help protect you from road spray
• Rear pannier rack for carrying duties – work stuff and / or shopping
• Kickstand allows you to park your bike easily

The Cube Travel Pro Trapeze is probably THE most practical bike we’ve ever stocked…

The Cube Travel Pro features a lightweight alloy frame and fork that includes internal headset bearings that are stowed within the frame, shielding them from the elements and prolonging the life of the bearings. The step-through configuration of this frame means that dismounts and remounts are really easy; there’s less potential for any mishaps getting on and of the bike and this is a nice confidence-inspiring feature, particularly if you find your self constantly stopping and starting at traffic lights and the like within an urban environment.

The lightweight alloy step-through frame make dismounts and remounts easier…

The Gates Belt Drive is definitely the big headliner on the Cube Travel Pro Trapeze; this brilliantly practical configuration does away with a traditional bicycle chain and replaces it with a Gates Carbon Drive Belt which combines super-tough carbon cords with an engineered polymer body to form a toothed belt which drives the bike’s rear wheel when you pedal. This belt can be closely compared to a fan belt in the engine of a car, in fact it uses the same technology proving just how durable and reliable the belt drive system is. So what are the key advantages of this system? Well, you don’t have to clean and lube a chain to stop it rusting, you don’t have a dirty chain to potentially spread oil on your clothing and the system is completely silent and unaffected by wet riding conditions. The teeth on the belt seamlessly mesh with the intricately machined teeth on the front crankset and rear sprocket, the system is set so that the belt is at a constant and secure tension so there’s no risk of it being unshipped from the crankset; this really is a brilliantly simple but effective way of propelling the bike.

The Cube Travel Pro Trapeze does away with a conventional chain…

The Gates belt drive has proven itself as a durable alternative to the bicycle chain over the past decade…

Belt and crankset mesh seamlessly to efficiently drive the bike…

The Cube Travel Pro’s Gates Belt Drive system drives a Shimano Nexus SG-C6001-8D 8-Speed rear hub; this system replaces a chain / cassette / rear derailleur setup that you may be more familiar with. If you consider the cassette and rear derailleur setup you normally find on most commuter bikes you’ll recognise the potential for increased wear and tear from everyday use in all weather conditions and the need to maintain the system to ensure it stays efficient. With the Shimano Nexus hub gear those factors are not a concern, this clever system stows away 8 gears within the hub, fully enclosed and protected from the elements. Shimano have fitted a good range of gears within the hub so you’ll be able to get over hilly terrain with no problems, even when you’re carrying a load on the rear pannier rack. So that’s no chain and no external gears to worry about, making the Travel Pro perfectly suited to the rigours of riding in unpredictable British weather. Gear changes are made from an easy-to-use trigger shifter on the right of the handlebar with every gear change being crisp and consistent.

A Shimano Nexus hub gear system works brilliantly and shields all working parts from the elements…

If you’re committed to riding to and from work or to the shops on a regular basis, inevitably you’ll soon encounter adverse weather; even wet roads on sunny days after the odd rain shower can really affect how effective your bike’s braking is. There’s been a real revolution in braking technology for bicycles over the past 20 years or so; hydraulic disc brakes are now well established on a range of bikes including mountain bikes, road bikes, gravel bikes and practical commuter bikes such as the Travel Pro that we’re looking at here. The advantages of disc brakes are superior braking power and better consistency in all riding conditions; the Travel Pro’s disc brakes are activated by a hydraulic brake lever and brake caliper, so there’s no traditional brake cable to stretch or get contaminated from grit and grime, it’s basically a closed unit that delivers powerful and consistent braking with zero maintenance. Another benefit of a disc brake setup is that the braking surface is moved away from the rim of the wheel to the centre of the wheel, located on the hub, this means that the braking surface (of the disc rotor) stays drier further adding to the consistent feel of these brakes; braking is immediate and controlled making for a much more confidence-inspiring riding experience.

Hydraulic disc brakes deliver powerful, consistent braking in all weathers…

Compact Shimano hydraulic calipers and 160mm disc rotors provide ample braking power…

Shimano hydraulic brake levers deliver consistent braking regardless of hand-strength as you’re not pulling a conventional brake cable…

To keep you rolling Cube have spec’d the Travel Pro with fast and efficient 29” alloy wheels that make it easy to accelerate away from traffic lights and then hold your speed once you’ve got going. These Cube wheels come fitted with tough Schwalbe Marathon Almotion Performance tyres that include Kevlar reinforcement within the rubber to help your bike be less susceptible to punctures. The tread pattern on these Schwalbe Marathon tyres provide just the right amount of grip on mixed road surfaces and on wet corners, but at the same time the tread pattern isn’t excessively knobbly like a typical mountain bike tyre tread so you won’t be working against a heavy tyre tread on the road.

Schwalbe Marathon Almotion Performance tyres roll fast…

The Schwalbe Marathon tyres include Kevlar reinforcement to help prevent punctures…

Another great feature of the Cube Travel Pro Trapeze bike is the front and rear bike lights which are powered by a front hub dynamo; this means that when the bike is moving the front hub generates its own power to light the lights. Having bicycle lights on at all times, day or night is a good thing as they will catch the eye of other road users and alert them to your presence. During twilight hours or in total darkness this clever dynamo front light will light your way producing 40 meters of visibility in total darkness and helping you be seen by other road users from as far away as 2500 metres. Cube have also included a rear dynamo light which is installed on the rear pannier rack which produces 120 metres of visibility.

An AXA Compactline 20 dynamo front light provides 40 metres of visibility as you ride… 

A Shimano DH-3D37 Dynamo Hub produces all the power you need to light your way…

The Travel Pro is so well considered that the Cube designers have also included a rear pannier rack and mudguards as standard; these additions are also really practical and user-friendly. The rear rack is light but strong, being made from aluminium and will easily carry either a single pannier bag, two pannier bags or just a rack-top bag depending on your journey and luggage-carrying needs. Front and rear Cube Acid mudguards mean that you’ll remain splatter-free in damp weather when there’s a fair bit of road spray, so in most cases you won’t need to be taking a change of clothes with you to work.

The rear pannier rack means you can conveniently carry a load…

Cube’s own Acid front and rear mudguards provide ample protection from road spray…

Cube recognise the importance of designing and producing a bike that features comfortable contact points so that you don’t feel beaten up at the end of your journey. The Cube Travel Pro Trapeze comes fitted with a Sequence saddle which features a versatile shape that should suit most cyclists. This supportive saddle is well padded making it comfortable even on longer bike trips; a hard-wearing finish means that the saddle is durable and easy to keep clean. Cube have also spec’d a pair of Natural Fit Comfort handlebar grips which feature a flared out portion at the end of the grip to provide enhanced support for your wrists; this is another great little detail that has been included to make riding the Travel Pro more enjoyable to ride.

A Cube Sequence saddle features a versatile, supportive and user-friendly profile…

Natural Fit Comfort handlebar grips feature a flared out portion to provide extra wrist support…

One final detail to note on this brilliantly practical commuter bike is the kickstand that comes fitted as standard. This is no afterthought; it’s not a case of a kickstand just being clamped onto the frame, the CUBEstand Pro is intrinsic to the Travel Pro’s frame and is bolted directly into a specific frame fitting. A kickstand is a great addition to this bike, making it easy to park up quickly and securely even when you’re carrying a load on the rear pannier rack.

The CUBEstand Pro is a welcome addition to the Travel Pro…

So there we have it, as we described at the beginning of this feature, the Cube Travel Pro Trapeze bike could just be the most practical bike that we’ve ever stocked. If you’re looking for a bike that’s capable of taking on the daily commute, to and from work in all weathers with the minimum of fuss and with almost no maintenance required then the Travel Pro is a fantastic option. Packed full of user-friendly features and practical considerations the real headliner on this trusty town bike has to be that brilliant belt drive system and internal gears, which removes the efforts required to maintain a bike chain, rear derailleur and external gears found on a conventional bike. The Travel Pro’s drive train is durable, waterproof and dependable helping you to focus solely on your daily bike journey; while a lightweight alloy step-through frame puts you in an upright, confidence-inspiring position enabling you to negotiate busy streets in total control. Hydraulic disc brakes slow you down quickly and effectively making your ride more predictable even when the weather and road conditions take a turn for the worse. If you’re a time-pushed cycle commuter then the Cube Travel Pro Trapeze is the perfect bike for you.

The Cube Travel Pro is perfect for daily commuting duties…

The Cube Travel Pro Trapeze is available in store and online now…

 

Written by Johnny Dodgin

Photos by James Vincent

 

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