Cube gravel bike comparison test: Aluminium or carbon? - Test: Cube Nuroad C:62 SL vs Nuroad Race

At less than eight kilos, the carbon Nuroad C:62 SL sets an exclamation mark. For a gravel bike in this price range, that's great. Cube also follows its line with the new carbon frame: clear shapes without frills, classic stem, simple round seat post; the bike is pleasantly simple. The frame and fork are light, and the other technical values are top. What is striking is the extremely sporty riding position, which differs greatly from the comfortably designed original Nuroad. In the top version tested, the bike is equipped with SRAM's electric Force eTap gear system with one chainring and a wide-spread Eagle twelve-speed cassette. The lightweight carbon rims are fitted with 45 millimetre wide WTB tyres; carbon is also used in many of the add-on parts, right down to the saddle frame.

When you get on the bike with the aluminium frame, it quickly becomes clear how different the two Nuroads are. On paper, the aluminium frame still looks sporty, but you sit much more upright on it than on the carbon racer, which is mainly due to the rather short stem. The handlebars are wider, but the tyres are narrower. If you tackle the terrain on which the Nuroad SL was previously so much fun, you suddenly find yourself struggling. The narrower G-One tyres from Schwalbe, which also turn out to be rigid clincher tyres when dismounted, struggle more with loose surfaces; the bike, which weighs a good ten kilos, is nowhere near as nimble around tight corners and over crests as the SL. It rolls better on paved and unpaved roads, and Shimano's 2 x 11 GRX drivetrain also fits better here. The rather high weight is then a minor matter. The gearing is finely graduated and offers mountain gears that make it easy to tackle even steep climbs.

You can read the complete test in TOUR 10/2020.

Weight Nuroad C:62 SL (carbon) 7.8 kg

Weight Nuroad Race (aluminium) 10.1 kg

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