Inside Cube Bikes
If you are living on the left-hand side of the Atlantic, there is a good chance that Cube are the biggest bike company you have never heard of. Like most German brands, their roots lie in offering value and features to a market who are far more interested in this than having the 'right' name on their headtube. Yet while many of the other German brands fighting for these consumers have gone down the direct sales route, Cube have eschewed this and built their business around the traditional dealer-based model. While their model may be traditional, that doesn't mean their approach is and they manage to keep their prices within a few percent of their direct sales competitors. They have never been big fans of marketing either, their marketing department is tiny compared to their size, as owner, Marcus Puerner, has built their company on the ethos that their best advertisements are the bikes themselves.
These days they aren't just competing with the established, American brands on price either, their bikes perform at the highest levels - as Nico Lau and Greg Callaghan proved, riding their Stereo full suspension platform to victories at the Enduro World Series. This mix of performance and value has made them the biggest bike manufacturer in Europe today - selling half a million bikes a year, without selling a single bike in the largest market in the world, the US. We took a look inside their headquarters in Waldershof, Germany to get a feel for the scale of this quiet giant.
Cube's current headquarters are this relatively modest building in the small town of Waldershof, just a few kilometres away from the Czech border.
The top floor of the building is where you will find Cube's development, product, sales and marketing departments - for a company like Cube, it's a very small setup indeed - the emphasis for Cube is firmly on the making of the bikes, and the business around them is kept as simple as possible.
All of Cube's bikes are designed by this small team in this office. In fact one man, Michael Prell, is responsible for the geometry and suspension on every bike Cube make today. This makes him one of the most prolific designers anywhere in mountain biking and we have an in-depth interview with him on bike and suspension design coming soon.
The wallchart in the sales office shows just how far globally Cube is spread - the blue pins represent the markets where Cube currently sell bikes, and the yellow pins where they are thinking about heading. If you are reading this in America and are keen to get your hands on a Cube bike, then it's bad news for you - while they are looking at the US, they aren't the sort to rush into something, so the chances of seeing Cube on sale in the immediate future are pretty slim.
Downstairs, on the first floor is Cube's testing lab - it is here they exhaustively test not just their frames, but the components they build their bikes with and the various combinations of frames and components they use together. This means that when they sell a bike they know precisely how every element of the bike should perform and can be confident their buyer is getting a reliable bike.
While this may look like the bastard offspring of a mountain bike and a torture chamber, it is Cube's geometry mule. They can change every element of the bike's geometry to dial in every measurement to the millimeter in the ever elusive hunt for the perfect riding position.This is only used for fully rigid bikes though, because full suspension bikes have constantly changing geometry, so the only way to figure them out is to get people out and riding them.
On the same floor as the testing lab is the prototype and development area - here they have the equipment to produce small prototype parts, like linkages or dropouts, plus they do a lot of 3D printing to test the form and fit of parts before they request the larger prototypes from their manufacturer.
On the next floor up is assembly - this is where it all begins for the 800 bikes per day that Cube currently produce. It all begins with quality control - each frame is carefully inspected, measured and its conductivity checked to test the quality of the metal or carbon. Every Cube bike comes with this note on the top tube, which is the control document from the checks, so you can be sure your bike meets their high standards.
Before assembly of the bike itself can begin each component needs to be checked and prepared to be sent to the assembly line. This is broken down into a series of teams, so there is one team who prepare the cockpit - bars, stems, shifters and brakes - another team who prepare the cables and hoses and the largest team of all for the wheels.
Because Cube build their own wheels, aside from the factory wheelsets they use, their wheel process is so involved it is split into several smaller teams - together they put out 1600 wheels per day. The first team mount the spokes onto the hubs ready for assembly, a second team then laces the spokes and hub to a rim before it is run through the machine wheel builder. Finally tyres, cassettes and discs are mounted on the wheels and they are ready to be sent to the main assembly line. 
From the initial prep of the frame, the bikes follow a number of steps on their way to being ready for shipping. The marked difference between Cube and the direct sales brands is the level of detail on the final steps - working with dealers mean that those final steps are done by the dealers, rather than Cube. That is always one of the strong arguments for buying from a local bike shop - that your bike will be checked by someone you know and it can be set to your personal preferences ready for you, rather than a factory default.
While Cubes headquarters right now are relatively modest there is a big shift coming in the near future. Just over the road from their current headquarters is their new facility which they are just in the process of building. It is on an entirely different scale to their setup today and with a planned production capacity of up to 3,000 bikes per day those kind of numbers and their consistent year-on-year growth would put them close to the rarefied air currently shared by industry giants like Trek and Specialized in the none-too-distant future.
MENTIONS: @cubebikesofficial
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Thats just my opinion, and im not hating, and i know theres more to a bike than looks, but if it doesn't excite you then why would you investigate further?
Loved the piece by the way and good luck Cube.
Is it still a bit tall though? Haven't checked the numbers.
Look at Rocky Mountains take on almost exactly the same layout and you will notice one hell of a contrast...
I think they need to work on their identity and brand image though. As i previously said, never rode one but since german i don't doubt the quality or ride, more that they don't appeal or communicate well. 'Cube' might be iconic but i am not sure what kind of values it transmits. I think Trek has a similar problem by the way so they bought gary fisher only to manage to hollow out that one. I think the only german brand with steedz and that communicates well and has an own identity is nicolai. Think of the valued 'liteville'. What is it supposed to mean? Is it french? Or an asian trying to google translate something into american english? It can be so easy. Nike paid for the damn 'swoosh' 15$. Sure that was a ripoff but with a vision. German brands don't have an inspiring vision on mtbing, they have the vision of engineers and salespeople.
Not meant negatively in any way. Just an analysis.I would be very happy if german brands rocked, then i would not need to but US and canadian frames.
another typical german target audience are those guys who ride the steepest switchbacks down at walking pace just to make it while having exactly no fun at all.
Do you have a problem with me @jzPV?
Like the bikes but they do come up short even the new 2016.
but that's just me. I'm pretty happy that we're getting more brands known today. I just hope merida chimes in the Enduro/DH disciplines then we're talking
As for being ideally informed, it seems like you're aware of this new thing called "internet"? We didn't have it when I was young, but it is a really great way of getting as much information as you can consume from the comfort of your...well wherever. Being a bit older, I have owned quite a few bikes too. Older is normally wiser.
So you're telling me people who ride on the weekends, me included as a Uni student don't know if a bike is fun? Check yourself....
Insight into different bikes yes, not into whether a bike is good.
The pulse of what? We're talking about knowledge. Football is football and riding is riding. Exactly how much do you think it's changed?
A couple of degrees head angle? An inch extra reach? 12mm higher hub? Hardly groundbreaking.
Furthermore it is up to anyone to decide how heavy recent changes in geometry or components weight and if you have not ridden such a bike you should not relativize it and if you have and find there is no difference then say so and accept if for someone else the difference is tangible.
My dad was a paratrooper and spent 20 years shooting and hitting people with blunt objects. That has about as much relevance to riding bikes as being a surgeon does.
As for bikes, there is a difference. But it is a very small one.
Interestingly, around here most middle aged, middle class parents ride santa cruz and yetis (I don't though)
well, let's say i got used to dutch ways of communication which is in your face direct but not intended rude but i know what you mean. For me it is from the start about what I see as an unclear brand identity for cube and other german brands and out of professional interest it bugs me. The classic cool identity are the US brands with a history in the earlier years of the sport. They have an authentic history, part of a scene and that image works well. In Germany you cannot replicate that so what would work as a brand image for brands with the history of german brands? Where do they come from? Classic sales? Engineering? Roadie? The consequence of all that is that in germany there is a certain stereotype which was discussed above and which does not say anything about the quality of the bike yet could be more ideal. I don't know any of my 'cool' - meaning experienced - german friends who would ride any of those brands, they all go for S, SC and the likes. YT is doing it well with the events and rider they sponsor and the image they are creating, and yet, YT, spelled out that it Young Talent. I could imagine a better name. As i said, Nicolai is the only story that works for me. Sort of industrial, hardcore in the sense of heavy machinery, with that name, works, the bikes also work. But then the guy was just called that and had nothing holding him back like some other history in road bikes, sales&distribution.
Found a UK thread on the cube stereo : )
"It's a munter."
" that bike is a minger even to my twisted perception."
"hurts my eyes"
"that is minging"
"Pretty ugly"
"honkin. "
For those not familiar with Uk slang, these aren't compliments....
I think I confused some people though, I was asking @sonnyy what Canyon's rep was like in Germany (in a Cube thread). This may sound like heresy on Pinkbike but I also ride road and the Canyon CF SLX looks awesome!
I would have liked a Kona Process 153 but it didn't come near the Cube for value.
As a 30 yr old single male I find YT has a terrible name and an even worse image! But I don't have any tattoos or piercings and I seldom, if ever consume energy drinks, so I may not be their target audience.
Canyon's Shape Shifter Geometry interests myself as it isn't another Funnybot German value company with 4-bar linkage.
That Mojo-Nicolai with the Pinion Gearbox is so effing on point though!
PS Cube Stereo is running Boost 148
@gonecoastal, agree with you on the YT marketing and branding. Doesn't appeal to me and im 25, but i still bought one, because for the money, it was the best looking frame with the angles and parts list to match.
I did find your comment on the Canyons interesting though, when the shapeshifter first came out it screamed reliability issues to me and low and behold, they're dropping like flies and canyon cant back them up. I dont think this is an age thing, maybe just a representation of profession or education? (meaning what you're educated in, not whether you're educated or not)
Nice save!
Nice save!
I can't say I require travel reduction during very many of my rides, but I'm sure certain people in certain areas do. Saying that if I was offered the chance to take a Strive or Scott Genius LT for a proper demo I wouldn't say no to either one.
Also, whilst the shock you can see on the bike isn't propriety, the shapeshifter canister is, which is basically a small reverb attached to a link, this is the part that seems to be the issue, and it seems canyon are struggling to keep up with the failures.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/12990313
So we had that article "The Rise of the German Mountain Bike Industry - Opinion ".
One day later the "Cube Global Squad-Team" is presented.
One day later the "Inside Cube Bikes"-""""Report""" is shown.
...accompanied by large Cube Global Squad banner on top of PB's website.
I am curiuos what Step 5 will bring us.
Amazig to see a hard and expensive marketing campaign start from the earliest beginning.
Oh wait...
If you had read the article yesterday, you would know that this is part of a series which includes Canyon, Rose and YT.
You could be right - true, clean journalism is probably out there and the wider world is much too big to make the generalization I did - but asking for it 100% pure wouldn't be sustainable in this small industry in my opinion. Should we start by burning every MTB magazine we've ever bought with a cover featuring bikes or products from companies paying for ads within?
Also we're only talking about the coverage of riding bikes for leisure... All harmless fun!
Wouldn't a bit more of transparency be interesting? I don't mean it in a scary fundamental way, more in 'we are all on the same boat'. Wouldn't it be nice if in a collegial way the article introduction could read something like: "our new friends at brand x who by the way were so kind to buy us nice things in exchange for getting acquainted with you guys because they want in on the mtb party in the US so enjoy our show as we take the shots from their chocolate side - yet we still like you guys too so doctoring of shots was kept to a minimum." Just a bit more in tone with how we would deal with other guys on the trail, less attackable because it is out in the open and you have a chance to decide how to deal with it and in a way added information as well: as mtb enthusiast i love the gossip, no? You feel exclusive and part of the scene if they let you in a bit more. Better than being treated like a pack of sheep, no? I see it as an opportunity for companies to make a splash.
But instead of taking it as negative criticism or bashing - which it isn't - I would prefer a discussion about brands and marketing and what we as the audience would like to have.
Your first sentence is exactly the misconception that I am trying to address: I believe it would benefit the industry as well. It would cause a stir because it is still unheard of, it would project trust and ultimately, say something did not go as planned and would expose your 'insecurities', why not be open about it? Why not avoid making claims altogether? Sooner or later it will surface anyway, you still have to make up for it, maybe it will have staid it under the blanket a little longer and let you sell a bit more but your reputation will have been harmed long term. Be proactive instead, state your ambitions and you will get sympathy points instead of being the ice cold perfect untouchable superhuman whom nobody can stand. Say it as it is is I think the attitude with a future.
Anyway, I am happy you are making steps in my direction and are so open to say that you prefer to be helpful and effective for the industry rather than funny and interesting for the readers. Very interesting! It was not that hard. I like your newfound verve ; )
- Hello, what's the name of your company.
- Cube
- You like Hip hop?
- Ummm yes
- So you like Vannilla Ice
- No
- Ice Cube?
- emm what? aaaah yes I like Ice Cube
- doesn't it bother you that your 2016 bikes look like they are 2 years old?
- ... eeeh kheh hehe, no, they are not, actually...
- the reach on your bikes is shorter than my dads Heimlich, can you comment on that?
- I...
- Don't bother, do you have something on your Strava that could impress me?
- depends, I rode Anaconda trail at Garda lake under 7 minutes, also when in Whistler, travelling with our EWS team, I scored the best...
- boring, freaking BORING! What is this?! (hits the man with March edition of 2007 DirtMag)
- emmm, I think we should end this interview, I don't want to...
- from which part of Germany are you?
- Emmm, Hanover, but I was born in Munich
- Can you say Strudel?
- Yes I can, off course, what does it... it's an Austrian cake anyways
- I don't care. While we're at it - Didn't you annex them in 1939?
(silence)
- Do you know that Specialized Rockhopper is faster than your DH bike?
(man leaves the room)
EXCLUSIVE
Value isn't the first word that comes to mind...
you simply can't compare like for like across the atlantic.
CDN dollar has plummeted in the past year. Many bike prices are up double digits compared to last year on same component specs.
Why people are surprised that the first article in that series is a bit of a fluff piece is a mystery to me, however. When was the last time that you read a profile on a brand, any brand, whether on PB, or on bikemag, or dirtragmag, or anywhere, that wasn't? Factory visits always have a bit of a gee wiz component to them. Those tend to be impressive places, with lots of awesome visuals, and indeed the people working in the bike industry tend to be really into what they're doing - it's self-selecting that way (say you're a mechanical engineer in Germany - there's a plethora of opportunities for you if you're any good - working for a bike company will only make sense then if you're into bikes, otherwise you'd be better off in cars, or machines, etc. Same with marketing people - they'd probably make more in pharma or consumer goods marketing than in bikes.)
PB and the rest of the MTB media are not investigative journalists. There are no huge conspiracies (well, other than wheel sizes and hub standards, of course...
I like seeing "how it's made" type of stuff. It's fun, and tickles my inner geek. I'm sure I'm not alone in that, and yes, those things will be fluff pieces most of the time, unless the writers happen to uncover dumping toxic materials behind the factory during their visit, or forced labor, or some other unlikely scoop. Where the MTB media could actually earn some journalism merits is in reporting on supply chain issues and what they mean for the industry. There's a lot of lively debate about whether direct sales will, over the long term, benefit the consumer or not. So a bit of analysis on that sort of thing would provide a lot of good material. Alternative (outside LBS) service models. What it truly takes to get warranties processed when dealing with central distributors. What each of these companies do for the sport as a whole (sponsoring events, trails access and stewardship, etc. - I can see the direct impact of LBSs in my local community; the big direct sales players all are passionate about their sport as well, so perhaps it would be interesting to see how/if they follow through on that and support the sport the same way, or perhaps even better, than the traditional model). Again, there's a lot of material there, if anybody in the "MTB media" wanted to go all journalist...
Good job Germany bike industry !
Will definitely be buying Cube again.
I started beeing a cube dealer back in 1997, almost everything was better then. Service, communication and availabillity of the bikes was tremendously good.
Today it's diffrent thing, and has been for the last eight.
Far to many bikes, simular in specs and looks. The production quote for one year is achieved with the pre-order of the dealers alone. And that even before Eurobike. That means there is basically no time for post-production of certain models if someone orders it after november/december of the current year. So you won't be able to buy your bike in the actual season it is for. And that means: If you wan't one, you have to order it blind and without testriding it at the local shop OR ...
... you buy that f*cking thing online. And that is the whole destination where CUBE is heading. They just don't care anymore if the local bikeshop has there bikes or not. They are available online, somewhere... and remember: There financial goal for the year is already achieved throu the pre-order. Everything else is bonus.
The sad thing is they don't have the guts to tell everyone were they are heading. Instead they take what they get until the smaller dealers (who made them what they are now) ending the contracts from there side. In 5 years CUBE will be a direct seller, with a few conceptstores, such as YT, Radon, Rose and Canyon.
Ah, and all that in-house building? Never had so much trouble with any other manufacturer in the last 15 years. Pour bearings, poor assambly, especially with the wheels build by Cube themself. The "first-check" of the components is a joke as well. Eight out of ten Brakes (mostly Shimano and Magura) have got some grease or lube on the rotors, or/and the pads. Another classic are poorly assembled cable housings and cheap shifting cables. Never had so much trouble with noisy, creacking bikes as well.
There's more were that came from ...
I have only one issue..the graphics..why put a hundred of symbols lines numbers fades writtens and not a one tone flat paint and a simple write ??!! That would be thounsand ways simpler and better..
you've got a point. what puts me off cube bikes is their target audience: the middle aged, not very fit dad who, at best, rides at the weekend. therefore their bikes are pretty lame. they feel strange (short and high, kind of like a roadbike) and can't be pushed very hard.
Looks like it's being pushed pretty hard in this vid?
www.pinkbike.com/news/live-to-ride-rob-williams-video-2016.html
As for the bearings, if you look after it and and do not belt it with a pressure washer there are no problems. A pressure washer will kill any bearing regardless or size or the bike manufacturer.
Across most of the range you get an awful lot of bike for you money.
They always had that were producing a better product but once that's matched?
Surprised by this: "industry giants like Trek and Specialized in the none-too-distant future."
I thought Giant was the largest, both by self-branded volume, and the volume they make for other manufacturers.
flag velociraptor-clintthrust (1 hours ago)
Pinkbike suddenly has a hard on for cube... They do make some nice bikes though
What do you think the new wear house is for, I didn't see any 3000 pd bike assembly factory. They'll bring them in boxed from asia like everyone else.
The new 140/160/200 bike look good enough to recommend / ride.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/12989720
JUST TAKE MY AMERICAN MONIES ALREADY!!!
flag keystonebikes (1 hours ago)
its refreshing to see a bike factory that isnt in asia for a change.
Kind of a mixed Kona Stinky/Stab with Giant ATX.
maybe this rig rips, but in my honest opinion it looks far from amazing.
Cheers
Why do we need another frame, is it just for another name?
Tell you what, I will get a decal with another name and paste it on an old frame and call it Cube, yeah!