April 4, 2019 - When asked to review the Cube Town Hybrid Sport 400 e-bike, I jumped at the chance to ride with easier effort, as a nagging hamstring injury had kept me off my bike and away from my cycling friends for far too long.
This e-bike is ready to ride in all kinds of conditions and comes stock with mudguards, rack mount, front and rear integrated lights, hydraulic disc brakes, a Suntour 50mm suspension fork and Cube’s own suspension seatpost, offering comfort for long tours and rough roads. With four levels of power-assist and a nine-speed Shimano drivetrain, there are plenty of options for how hard or easy to ride.
I took the Cube Town Hybrid Sport 400 north of the city to test how it fares on the hilly dirt roads of Mono, Ont. The initial swift-paced ride of the e-bike was revitalizing. With the extra boost of the Bosch-powered drive system, the range of gears is just enough. There wasn’t as much of a boost at the lowest Eco level, but the cruise control dialed in with one pedal stroke on its Tour setting, and there was a noticeable kick into overdrive in the Turbo mode with its extra 250 watts.
The Bosch PowerPack battery sits snugly behind the e-bike’s seat-tube, so the steering and handling felt quite good and there was even weight distribution. The battery’s range is up to 110 kilometres and it charges fully in just 2.5-3.5 hours, so you can be up and ready for a long countryside haul within a few hours.
Off-road on the easier trails of Mono Cliffs Provincial Park tested the Cube Town Hybrid Sport 400’s suspension and its 47mm Schwalbe Range Cruiser tires, and it impressively soaked up the terrain. This e-bike can definitely handle an adventure on a rail trail and country touring on dirt roads.
When some of my cycling friends happened by while on an epic gravel ride, I jumped in and rode with them for a bit to see how the Cube Town Hybrid Sport 400 would stack up against their gravel and cyclocross steeds.
A black swan riding in a summer dress with this Spandex-clad group of serious riders, I was dropped on the first descent, pedaling hard even in Turbo mode, but knew I would whiz by them once the road turned upward again. Predictably, as the gradient increased, I easily cruised by each rider, dropping words of encouragement on the way. Though I still had to shift down to the lowest gear and put in some effort, with its Turbo-assist, I barely broke a sweat. We rode on at a steady pace for a while longer before parting ways, with me happy to have been out riding again with friends.
Cube has been at the forefront of the booming e-bike industry, offering more than 100 different models from hybrid commuters to Enduro e-MTBs and suitable for any type of rider, ability and terrain. Riding the Town Hybrid Sport 400 e-bike was a great confidence-booster and a fun, non-invasive way to return to riding while still injured.
At $3,199, the urban features and practicality of the Cube Town Hybrid Sport 400 allow for fun rips around town and long comfortable rides out in the countryside. For more information, visit Cube Bike here. – LS
