Cube Fritzz review

Marathon descent monster that climbs well too

Our rating

4.5

3578.21
2099.00

Seb Rogers

Published: February 1, 2008 at 12:00 am

Our review
As at home on the climbs as it is on the descents, the perfect hardcore all mountain machine

The Fritzz is Cube’s new marathon downhill rig that is built with races like the Mega Avalanche in mind. It’s here you need a bike that will descend with confidence, yet have a stable pedalling platform to attack the infamous uphill sections.

This bike is perfect for trail centres such as the ones in Wales and Scotland where versatility is a must. It’s great to see Cube slowly building a bigger UK dealer network and we look forward to seeing more and more of them out on the trail.

Ride: perfect pedaling uphill; descends like a sled

One of the most important features of an all-mountain rig is how well it pedals, and there were no disappointments here. This is where the Cube’s Dual Trail Control system really shines. Once you’re sat down and on the power, the rear end just doesn’t move, but allows great traction on climbs.

The Fritzz makes you charge to the top, and then jump straight back on the gas all the way back to the bottom. Once again, the Fritzz surprised us with its performance. With such a great climbing ability and high standover we thought it would pogo stick through the rough stuff, but all those hours of perfecting the suspension linkages has paid off because it rockets through berms and pedals over rough stuff like a full-on downhill rig.

Over jumps and drops the Fritzz feels confident and secure while still being nimble and lively. Even with the shock set on a stiff setting, the linkage manages to keep the wheels firmly planted on the ground meaning great traction and cornering whatever the trail conditions may be.

Frame: hydroforming keeps stiffness up, weight down

The mainframe is made from hydroformed alloy tubes, which offer massive stiffness and strength for little weight. At just 2.86kg (6.3lb), the frame builds to an admirable 13.7kg (30.2lb) for the full bike.

The Fritzz has 152mm (6in) of rear travel via Cube’s Dual Trail Control suspension system. This works by using a single pivot, with a rocker to manipulate the shock. As a result, pedaling forces are isolated, creating a great pedaling platform with no chain growth and being really plush through the travel.

Equipment: great value set-up

Our Fritzz had a 170mm (6.7in) travel Fox 36 Talas up front – the 60mm adjustable travel made a big difference on the climbs. The Fox RP23 rear shock has a three-stage ProPedal adjustment system that works in perfect harmony with Cube’s suspension linkage.

A Shimano Deore XT group and lightweight wheels, featuring DT 5.1D rims and Schwalbe tyres made up a neat package, and the Maxle rear end keeps things sturdy out back. Topping off the build are the amazing Formula The One brakes, making this a hell of a lot of bike for £2.1k.

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