Bike Check: Gustav Wildhaber's Prototype 170mm Cube - EWS Val di Fassa 2019

Jun 29, 2019
by Mike Kazimer  
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Gustav Wildhaber put up his best result of the season with a 10th place finish at EWS round 4 in Val di Fassa, Italy. The Cube Action Team rider was aboard an aluminum 29"-wheeled prototype, one that had been stickered with a bright orange and blue camouflage pattern. According to Gusti, the new bike has 170mm of travel, 20mm more than the Stereo 150 he'd been racing previously. Along with that extra travel, the bike has a longer reach and a slacker head angle.

Gusti has only had the bike for three weeks, but he says it, "Gives me the confidence to go harder, and be more relaxed. It's also super good for pedaling.” Those sound like all the ingredients you'd want for an enduro race bike - we'll see if he can keep working his way up the results sheet when racing resumes next weekend in Les Orres, France.

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Rider Name // Gustav Wildhaber
Age: 30
Hometown: Walenstad, Switzerland
Instagram: @gustiwildhaber

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Gusti doesn't run inserts of any kind due to the extra weight, and the fact that it's still possible to flat if a rock slices the tire's casing. If that happens, he's prepared with a plug that's hidden inside his crankarm spindle.


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The Schwalbe Magic Mary tires are inflated to 1.45 and 1.75 bar (21 and 25 psi).


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Four volume bands have been installed in the Fox Float X2, which is inflated to 200psi. The Fox 36 has two tokens, and 85-90 psi.

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Newmen E.G.30 aluminum wheelset.

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A short stem, a healthy stack of spacers and a 35mm rise Race Face handlebar creates a fairly high front end.

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Shimano XTR brakes, drivetrain, and pedals.


Posted In:
Reviews and Tech Bike Checks Enduro Racing Enduro Bikes Cube Cube Stereo Gustav Wildhaber Enduro World Series EWS Val Di Fassa 2019


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72 Comments
  • 133 2
 Not ugly enough for a Cube.Not convinced.
  • 87 0
 They saw the bike was going to have some nice lines so they had to throw that wrap on last minute to save the day
  • 53 0
 I think the bike looks cool and the decals go nicely with the new PB labels.
  • 12 3
 Don't worry. It'll be unbelievably short with seat tube that should be called seat tower
  • 7 8
 Looks like a session?
  • 4 0
 I actually really like the design of the Cube 150. Way too short for me though at 6'5 / 196cm.
  • 2 1
 The Cube Stereo 150 looks pretty good.
  • 5 0
 I guess I'm the only one who thinks the Cube DH frame is sexy
  • 5 2
 @trumbullhucker55: Yep!
  • 3 1
 @trumbullhucker55: Confirmed.
  • 2 0
 @trumbullhucker55: Nah, me too!
  • 2 0
 @trumbullhucker55: Me too :-)
  • 38 0
 Have to rebrand to rectangle to capitalize on the long and low movement.
  • 3 0
 Cuboid
  • 4 1
 Prizm
  • 3 0
 Rhombus |____\ or whatever this is
  • 19 3
 I actually find that orange-blue camo pattern pretty cool. Am I the only one who would love this as a (neatly done) paint job?
  • 18 0
 Newmannn!!
  • 2 0
 paul
  • 2 0
 Hello, Jerry.
  • 21 7
 doesn't run inserts of any kind due to the extra weight but rides a 170mm travel alu 29er
  • 39 4
 Rotational mass has a completely different impact on ride feel
  • 3 13
flag zyoungson (Jun 30, 2019 at 2:11) (Below Threshold)
 @colincolin: Not a xc bike
  • 5 0
 @zyoungson: yes even more so, try to whip a bike with 2.2kg wheels or 1.8kg the difference is massive, also inertia during braking, exit corner sprints and so on.
  • 9 0
 @colincolin: with thesidewall support, strength and rebound of sg schwalbes you can get away without inserts
  • 3 0
 @zyoungson: hey just saying that removing 7 pounds per wheel can make the car feel like it has lost 600 pounds so it makes a huge difference.
  • 1 1
 @Balgaroth: didn't know you had to whip a bike when racing enduro? an extra 80g per wheel with a huck norris won't make a blind bit of difference.
  • 1 0
 @zyoungson: dam ur good
  • 7 0
 @mtb-scotland: well during enduro racing especially if you are fast like those guys you need to be able to flick your bike around, not a whip per se but same idea, tosing around like. And you probably won't feel much of the 80g of a Huck Norris simply because it is pretty much useless. Racer running insert run proper ones not flimsy camping mat. And if you run a DH casing, on top of having a better feeling and more grip, having an insert is pretty much made useless unless you are DH racing maybe.
  • 3 6
 @Balgaroth: huck norris does well at protecting the rim and it is significantly easier to fit/remove compared to a cushcore. I take it you have extensive experience of the HN to say it is pretty much useless?
  • 2 1
 @mtb-scotland: nope because I fail to see how something I can squeeze with my fingers is supposed to protect my rim. So I had the product in my hands but certainly wouldn't spend my money for it. In comparaison a proper double ply DH casing is very hard to bend/pinch by hand and yet it still fail sometimes so no. Maybe the ARD or Smooth of I was to get to touch them but then again I run enough pressure with the right casing to not destroy rims and be happy with tire folding/grip for my level of riding.
  • 4 4
 @Balgaroth: well I have huck norris so can speak to its effectiveness. you clearly don't have a clue how these inserts work.
  • 1 1
 @mtb-scotland: neither will a carbon frame
  • 4 1
 They're still insisting on those bottle cage mounts that are so high they ram the bottle into the head tube. Hey Cube, how about moving that down a few cm? There's plenty of room!
  • 3 0
 Actually there isn't too much space to move it down a few cm. The shock will rotate towards the bottle quite a lot and with a shock like the X2 that needs a lot of space it is comming pretty close to the bottle.
  • 5 1
 Real question is will it have threated BB or press fit...
  • 6 1
 cube session
  • 2 1
 In actually like the color scheme, but that pic with the rear shock shows the shotty wrap peeling away... WTF. How about that dudes wrap a few days ago with all the music album covers, that was impressive.
  • 3 0
 Make it 203mm travel and call this whole enduro movement „downhill”
  • 1 1
 result of a crazy Friday night party ...
Anyone else seeing a mondraker dune, trek remedy, and transition scout ??

Sounds like a pretty good mashup, just not exactly diggin the wrap
  • 6 4
 That awful wrap would drive me insane.
  • 7 7
 A cube with proper geo? ? Next you will be telling me it doesn't come apart after 5 mins and has proper sized pivot axles and bearings
  • 13 0
 Been riding on a stereo 160 the last three years. Solid build. Not a single problem with frame and bearings. No creaks or play. I'm not riding everyday but when I do I ride rough terrain with roots and rocks. Also have done a couple of races. Only issues I've encountered has been with the reverb and guide brakes that came with it....
  • 8 0
 @Isey:
Riding a Cube Stereo with Reverb and Guide brakes: living on the edge!

Disclaimer: I ride a Cube Stereo 160 C:62 Race myself without problems so far (knock on wood).
  • 3 3
 @Isey:
All my mates warrantys in 4 years on Cubes. With some cr@p treatment by cube.
X1 gtc (lasted 2 days)
X2 fritz tm alloy
X3 carbon stereos
Plus countless bearing replacements.
  • 2 0
 With that stack height, seems like Cube still can't figure out front end height. Reminds me of Nico Lau super height cockpit years ago.
  • 4 1
 Friend was ripping his 12 year old Cube with 140mm in Saalbach- while overtaking the Troy lee kitted Yeti and SC bikers. Bike held up fine to lot of abuse.
  • 1 0
 Does anyone know what kind of tire repair kit that is that fits in the xtr crank?
  • 1 0
 he did it himself
  • 1 0
 Try Maxalami Twister!
  • 2 1
 Cube and radon seems to use pivot bearings designed for wrist watches. Please make them bigger and more durable.
  • 2 0
 Front End: Mondraker Foxy.
Back End: Trek Slash.
  • 5 4
 Doesn't run inserts due to weight...adds 4 tonne of hack frame wrap!
  • 3 0
 Well most people dont Care about 750ml water bottle on their leightweight carbon bike. And rotational mass makes a way bigger difference than non rotational
  • 1 0
 How tall is he? Looks like a pretty playful bike.
  • 1 0
 It’s actually a proto Process 136. Too clean.
  • 2 0
 hideous
  • 1 0
 a 170mm cube...

why not call it the 4,913,000mm (170mm cubed)
  • 1 0
 Just when you thought manufacturers were done with shit colour schemes
  • 1 0
 Trek should make one like that
  • 1 0
 Dog turd in the tube, classy move man, classy.
  • 1 0
 the power of wrap.....like an chicken wrap on KFC
smell looks good Smile
  • 1 0
 Nice Transition !
  • 1 0
 Nice looking frame
  • 2 2
 FM. Trek should of really patented their designs.
  • 2 0
 should of, really?
  • 1 0
 I know, right? I blame the internet. And 29ers.
  • 1 2
 You can never polish a turd, and glitter never works, if it looks shit then its shit.
  • 1 0
 trials riders n shit
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