Want to get more out of the trails that you ride? The Reaction Hybrid Pro’s fourth-generation Bosch CX drive unit, Purion controller, and high-capacity Powertube battery will surpass your expectations. Combined with SRAM’s legendary Eagle 1×12 transmission – including a wide-ranging 11-50 cassette – it’s your ticket to exploring further, higher, and more often than before. Powerful Shimano hydraulic disc brakes and grippy Schwalbe tyres put you firmly in control, and a Suntour fork with 100mm travel and lockout takes the sting out of the trail. What’s stopping you?
The Cube Reaction Hybrid Pro is a great first-time e-mountain bike. Well, to help you find that out and make an informed decision. Your cycling background need not be lengthy. A layman will get this just as much as an experienced cyclist. It consists of commuting, road riding, touring, and bikepacking; after those rides, I came home wanting my off-road bike, but I felt overwhelmed by all of the options. So, I hope this article will help you decide if this bike is the right one for you.
For whom is the Cube Reaction Hybrid Pro 500 29 suitable?
For the sporty electric biker. E-bikes have long since overcome their formerly lousy reputation. Meanwhile, top athletes also use these bikes to ride a trail during training, which you might not have climbed without support. The usual sporty, but robust technology, coupled with the latest motor and battery technologies, makes these bikes everyday companions. Whether on an extended tour or a fast ride through the trail – with drive, it goes faster and further!
In most e-mountain bikes, you’re looking at either a mid-drive or rear hub motor. The reaction pro uses a mid-drive motor that has some benefits when off-motor riding. First, it helps keep the weight low down on the bike, which keeps the handling predictable. It also keeps the centre of gravity low for a stable feel.
Mid-drive motors are usually more sophisticated and will respond to your pedalling input giving you power when you need it. This means less chance of spinning out on steep hills in a smooth and controlled manner because there are no unexpected surges in power.
Frame and equipment
You’ll barely notice the Reaction Hybrid’s high-capacity Bosch Powertube battery and sophisticated, fourth-generation CX motor, so sleek is its frame design. But you’ll notice the power. The Agile Ride Geometry and 1.5in head tube deliver impeccable handling wherever you ride. Internally routed cables reduce maintenance and keep gear shifts clean and precise. A trapeze option means there’s a Reaction Hybrid to suit everyone, and the All-road version adds a full complement of practical accessories so your weekend bike can be your everyday bike, too. There’s even routing for a stealth dropper post upgrade, so your Reaction Hybrid can stay with you as your riding skills develop.
Want to get more out of the trails that you ride? The Reaction Hybrid Pro’s fourth-generation Bosch CX drive unit, Purion controller and high-capacity Powertube battery will surpass your expectations. Combined with Sram’s legendary Eagle 1×12 transmission – including a wide-ranging 11-50 cassette – it’s your ticket to exploring further, higher and more often than before. Powerful Shimano hydraulic disc brakes and grippy Schwalbe tyres put you firmly in control, and a Suntour fork with 100mm travel and lockout takes the sting out of the trail. What’s stopping you?
The Bosch Powerline CX motor on the reaction also has an e-mountain bike mode. This helps modulate how much torque is applied depending on the terrain you’re riding. This gives better control on the trail as it switches between torque and turbo modes for you to concentrate on the ride and let the bike deliver the torque you need for the situation. For example, when climbing a loose rocky ascent, it would give a bit less power and more grip than when riding a smoother trail. I could push hard on the cranks, and it would deliver more power.
The Bosch power tube battery on this bike is 625 watt-hours. It’s one of the larger capacity models out there, and if you want to find out the range you can expect from it, bosch has a neat app online. It calculates your estimated range after you input things like how much you weigh, the type of riding you do, the terrain, and even the weather. The motor and battery are housed inside an aluminium frame that helps keep the weight down compared to something like steel carbon would make things lighter but a lot more expensive.
Even though this has electric support gearing. It is still essential to keep a decent cadence wherever the terrain you’re riding is. This model uses a Scram Six Eagle 12 speed groupset. Except for the brakes, it’s an entry-level groupset. But, by no means is it a subpar product.
The advantages of 29-inch tires
29 inch has been and still is the trend of the last few years, which was able to assert itself in the end. Initially viewed critically by mountain bike purists and equipped with some teething troubles, the bike industry has recognized the trend and made it the new standard through continuous improvements. The advantage of the 29″ tyres is the enormous running smoothness, which brings significant benefits and saves power on long tours and uphill and downhill. Obstacles are easier to overcome due to the wheels’ larger circumference, and a greater distance is covered by turning the bottom bracket. By improvements and adjustments in the frame construction and the component selection, initial problems with the agility in the trail and smaller frames’ optics were optimally balanced. Whether fully or hardtail, a 29 will take you far away.
Technical Specifications
MSRP: £2549.99
- Frame: Aluminium Superlite, Gravity Casting, Agile Ride Geometry, 1.5 Headtube, Internal Cable Routing, Full Integrated Battery, Kickstand/Fender/Carrier Mounting Points
- Colour: Gray and Yellow
- Size: S (15″), M (17″), L (19″), XL (21″), XXL (23″), Trapeze: S (15″), M (17″), L (19″)
- Fork: SR Suntour XCM34 Coil, Tapered, 15 x 110 mm, 100 mm, lockout
- Headset: ACROS AZX-1030, Top Zero-Stack 1 1/2″ (ZS 56 mm), Bottom Zero-Stack 1 1/2″ (ZS 56 mm)
- Stem: CUBE Performance Stem E-MTB, 31.8 mm
- Handlebar: CUBE Rise Trail Bar, 720 mm
- Grips: CUBE Performance Grip
- Rear Derailleur: Sram SX Eagle™, 12-Speed
- Shifter: Sram SX Eagle™ Trigger, Single Click
- Brake: Shimano BR-MT200, Hydr. Disc Brake (180/180)
- Crankset: ACID E-Crank, 38T, 175 mm
- Cassette: Sram PG-1210 Eagle™, 11-50T
- Chain: Sram SX Eagle™
- Rims: CUBE EX30, 32H, Disc, Tubeless Ready
- Hub Front: Shimano HB-MT400-B, 15 mm, Boost, Centerlock
- Hub Rear: Shimano FH-TX505, QR, Centerlock
- Tires: Schwalbe Smart Sam, Active, 2.60
- Pedals: CUBE PP MTB
- Saddle: Natural Fit Sequence
- Seat Post: CUBE Performance Post, 30.9 mm
- Seat Post Clamp: CUBE Varioclose, 34.9 mm
- Drive Unit: Bosch Drive Unit Performance CX Generation 4 (85Nm) Cruise (250Watt)
- Battery: Bosch PowerTube 500
- Charger: Bosch 2 A
- Display: Bosch Purion
- Weight (KG): 23,9 kg
- Bike Type: E-Bike, Mountainbike Hardtail
- Display Type: Bosch Purion
- Target Group: Unisex
- Material: Aluminum
- Wheel Size: 29 inch
- E-Bike Engine: Bosch Performance CX
- Battery capacity: 500Wh
- Model year: 2021
The cassette has an extensive range of gears from 11 teeth right up to that 50-tooth cog, combined with a single 38 tooth chainring on the front. This means you should be able to find just the right gear to keep your legs spinning. Having a single on the front also keeps things simple. Especially when changing gears, you only have to think about one shifter, and your bike is easier to clean. Which I think is something we can all appreciate.
The reaction is a 29er, meaning it has large 29-inch wheels. The advantage of the larger wheel is increased efficiency, which makes overcoming obstacles that little bit easier. They’re combined with some beefy 2.6-inch swab tyres. These larger tyres give extra grip and stability, which beginners would appreciate.
The extra volume also does a great job helping absorb some of the lumps and bumps when off-road riding. They have an aggressive tread, but they are on the thin side, which keeps things light but ups the chances of a puncture, which is relatively standard. You can always be running this bike with tubes, but these wheels are tubeless-ready, so if I were thinking about upgrading this bike, some more rigid tires and the conversion to tube would be high on my list.
The brakes are Shimano’s entry-level MT-20, two-piston hydraulic models with oversized 180 mil rotors to give loads of stopping power. The great thing about disk brakes is they offer reliable braking in wet and dry conditions. They also require a lot less strength to act, so when long descents are easier on the hands and with a minimum reach of 75 millimetres, they are perfect for someone with small hands.
A little tip: you’ll want to make sure your brakes are set up to align the lever inbound this way; you only need to use one finger for breaking; this helps maintain your grip on the bars and use that braking power wisely.
Lastly, we have the entry-level rumour coil fork. It is 100 millimetres long and can be locked out for when you’re riding on smooth surfaces. They do take some of the stings out of bumps. But being on the lighter side, they can be a bit harder to adjust. They’re a bit on the rigid side for my own personal taste.
Something that’s not uncommon for lighter riders of forks is that a bike has to have some compromises at this price point. I think this is one of them. It won’t stop you from having an absolute blast, but it could be a possible upgrade in the future.
What I love most about cycling is getting out and exploring the world, and not having to stick to paved roads opens up so many more places to adventure. The cube reaction is billed as being for explorers and adventurers, which is perfect as this means a combination of off and on-road bits—having a hardtail with suspension that you can lockout has been great for this type of riding. One thing is for sure, though, and you will get a natural feel for how the 29-inch wheels can help overcome more considerable obstacles and smooth out smaller trail chatter.
Moreover, tire pressure started too high and has been gradually decreasing since. 20 psi seems to be a familiar sweet spot, but being so light, I think you can still go lower. Despite this, the traction on this bike is exceptionally good, and combined with the large volume tires; I had the confidence to roll over or through most things in my path.
But I bet you’re all wondering what about that motor? Well, it makes off-road riding a lot of fun when exploring? If I see a path and don’t know exactly where it goes (which is pretty much all the off-road riding around me), You don’t have to worry about being surprised by a steep hill; the bike has this e-support mode, and if you do have to walk, you can use walk support mode to push three and a half kilograms worth of cycle uphill.
When riding less technical off-road trails, you’ll be making the most of the motor’s power and brains, and you will use e-mountain bike mode a lot unless you need to go down to eco to conserve the battery.
The brakes work well. The oversized 180 mil rotors give good stopping power. So, you would have plenty of confidence in being able to control the bike on the descent. The scram gearing was crisp, and the range of gears has plenty to work with over the terrain; I’ve been riding on a few things I would upgrade first up the pedals. They are surprisingly grippy for pedals that came included with a bike better than any I’ve come across before, but I know there are better ones out there, and it’s not an expensive thing to change.
The next thing would be a dropper post. For those who aren’t familiar, a dropper post is a seat post with a mechanism that allows you to quickly and easily drop the saddle height to get it out of your way. For technical sections, this would help me learn more of the technical skills involved in e-mountain biking. As mentioned previously, the forks are something I’d look at upgrading further in the future. It may not be an issue for heavier riders, but overall, the money spent could result in the best returns for you as there’s a lot to love about this bike.
Conclusion
Beginners would find it to be an excellent choice for almost any type of riding. The 1×12 gearing keeps things simple, and the 29er wheels combined with the large volume tires make it easier to tackle significant obstacles. The support will allow you to go to new and further afield places without having to worry about getting stuck or totally out of your depth on the climbs. Finally, the rims are tubeless-ready, and you can upgrade to a dropper seat post, so as you progress with your skills, this bike will be capable enough to keep around.