![]() Performance was in fact faultless, with none of the wandering bite point issues that are a common complaint with Shimano’s premium brakes. The Shimano XT brakes are certainly the standout component here, and although we had zero complaints with the lower tier Shimano brakes on the other three bikes, the XT’s offer easier adjustment and slightly more power. ![]() ![]() There’s also a genuine Shimano chain, which is a real plus point as it helps provide slick shifting and a quiet life, even in wet and filthy riding conditions. ![]() It’s a full house of Shimano, with a mix of 12-speed Deore and XT for the drivetrain, including the stout two-piece Shimano chainset. If you’re hunting down a bike that’s packed full of quality hardware, then the Reaction Pro will certainly stand out on the showroom floor. The PopLoc lever is plasticky and takes more effort to activate than Scott’s bespoke RideLoc remote, and as a result we used it much less frequently. So for year-round UK riding, the quick release Judy is definitely a compromise.Ĭube has equipped the Judy fork with a handlebar mounted remote, this time from RockShox itself. With the slimmer stature, the Judy fork on the Cube had noticeably less tyre clearance around the arch, and we were reminded of this when the rain arrived and we had to squeeze a front fender into the available space. Cube has mirrored the rear end of the frame in the fork, with quick release dropouts and narrower 100mm hub spacing. SuspensionĪlthough cosmetically very similar, the RockShox Judy fork fitted to the Reaction Pro is built around a different chassis to the forks on the Trek and Scott. On the plus side, the Cube has good standover clearance and a nice low BB height. With the Giant there’s potential to down size, but with a reach a measurement that’s actually shorter than the chainstay length, you’ll definitely want to upsize on the Cube to try and improve the fit. Jump on the Cube straight after riding the Giant and although both are marked as XL frame sizes, the difference in fit is remarkable. And while size-specific chainstay lengths are starting to appear on trail hardtails, they are still a rare sight on hardtails from mainstream brands.Īnd while the chainstays are long, reach measurements are short. It’s a sound move as the lengthy 447mm chainstays on this XL are replicated on all of the 29in wheel options and would be way too long for smaller riders. With five frame sizes available, Cube has taken a similar approach to Trek and designed the size small around 27.5in wheels, with the four larger bikes all benefiting from the improved roll over of the bigger 29in wheel. In that respect the frame shows its age, which makes it even more surprising to see that it has a flat mount standard for the rear brake, something that only recently arrived on mountain bikes. Its sleek silhouette accentuated by the slender 27.2mm diameter seatpost – a rare sight now, as are the traditional quick release rear dropouts with 135mm hub spacing. The frame has a clean, minimalist finish, without the visual bulk of some aluminium frames. The Reaction Pro is offered in two colours the stealthy black finish that we have on test and a sparkling Switchblue ’n’ Black. With the same frame pitched against three hardtails with a definite XC focus, where headline weights and long, fast-paced rides are near the top of the design brief, would the Reaction Pro make more sense? Before we answer that question, let’s take a closer look at the bike. Yes it was well finished and had a stellar build kit, but the sizing and geometry both felt very dated. To bring you up to speed, we had mixed feelings about that bike. But drill down on the details and it quickly becomes apparent that this bike shares the same aluminium frame as the £1,149 Attention SL hardtail that we tested back in the summer of 2022. With that in mind, you could be forgiven for thinking that the Reaction Pro is an out and out, lightweight XC focused aluminium race hardtail filling the same niche – and price point – as Giant’s XTC.
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