The competition had better be ready. Our high-end cross-country race machine is as subtly understated as it is uncompromisingly fast and performance-orientated - truly a wolf in sheep's clothing. The Cross Race SL is also surprisingly light and comes equipped with hydraulic disc brakes. It's just a shame the cross season is so short...
The Cross Race SL's double-butted Superlite Advanced 6061 aluminium frame is totally geared for performance. Thanks to our elaborate mechanical forming process, a tapered head tube and cold forged 3D dropouts, the frame is exceptionally torsionally stiff. To add a dose of comfort, we specified a 27.2mm seat post and disc-specific carbon fork with tapered aluminium steerer. Race-ready geometry means the Cross Race SL gets precisely the right blend of performance-orientated ride position and agile but safe handling that a great crosser needs. And, of course, all the cables are routed internally.
No doubt about it: the equipment highlight here is the complete Shimano Ultegra transmission, with 2x11 gearing and the perfect shift precision you'd expect from this manufacturer. Aksium Disc system wheels from Mavic aren't just fast and good-looking, they're also tough enough to stand up to the demands of this sport. Shimano's brnd new BR-RS785 hydraulic disc brake system - with 160mm rotors at front and rear - ensures precise braking before a running section or into a corner. And Schwalbe's X-One Cross tyres are new and built for the purpose, too.
With our Advanced Mechanical Forming technology we can mechanically transform different frame tubes and thus optimize them without material-wearing welding work for the respective requirements. Along the obtained organic look, the production method is primarily motivated by functional reasons. Multiple converted tubes enable us to manufacture lighter and also stiffer aluminum frames.
Extremely high tensile strength heat-treated 7005 aluminium alloy is developed for the highest requirements. It is very stiff, fatigue resistant, corrosion resistant and has high elongation. Our Superlite tubes are double butted, giving very light tubesets with a high level of stiffness.
To protect our high-end aluminium frames from damage, they are built with the CUBE Frame Save System replaceable derailleur hanger. The mounting thread is in the hanger and not in the frame as usual. In case of a crash, this hanger can be easily and quickly replaced by a new one.
Internally routed cables offer many advantages. Cables are protected from dirt for longer life, weight is saved thanks to the absence of external housing and the bike has a clean, sleek appearance.
Welded joints in our high-quality aluminum frames are specially finished via this method and create the impresssion of seamless tube design. This generates the visual effect of moulding and ensures high load bearing capacity.
This steerer tube design is stiffer than a conventional straight steerer and yields a more secure ride feel even in difficult terrain. Minimal flex at the front of the frame means the greatest possible steering precision. With the larger steerer, the forks become more rigid. At the same time weight is saved due to the absence of bearing shells as the lower bearing is fully integrated into the head tube. On all of our CUBE carbon models the upper bearing shells are also directly in the frame, so that once more a few grams are saved and the energy transfer is very direct.
On polished, brushed aluminium and all HPC frames, the logos and graphics are applied in multi-layer wet paint. We use this surface treatment technology mainly to save weight.
