Bike test: Cube Nuroad Pro FE

The Cube Nuroad is an all-roads bike that could cover a multitude of disciplines, from commuting to touring on poor surfaces and even the occasional off-road excursion. This FE version comes fully equipped out of the box, with rack, mudguards, kickstand and dynamo lighting. 

Frame and fork 

It’s what you’d expect at this price: an aluminium frame and a full-carbon fork. It’s all neatly done and it’s good to see that Cube has specified thru-axles, which make the most of the hydraulic disc brakes. 

The frame has three pairs of bottle bosses and there are low-rider mounts on the fork. I’m particularly impressed with how well Cube has integrated the mudguards and rack. It looks like the package was conceived as a whole rather than the extras being an afterthought. The bottle cage threads even came already greased, something I’ve only encountered on bikes from Cube. 

The geometry is longer than a road bike’s, with a wheelbase of 1,055mm; a tourer might be a few centimetres longer, a road bike around 5cm shorter. This puts the Nuroad Pro FE firmly in all-roads/light tourer/gravel bike territory. One bike for all seasons and various reasons. 

While I’m not generally a fan of huge shouty logos on bikes, I would have preferred Cube’s logos to have been a bit larger as they’re reflective. With the tyres not having reflective strips, more nighttime conspicuity would have been useful. 

Components 

This is the first time I’ve used Shimano Cues, which the Japanese giant has introduced to replace a whole swathe of its lower- to mid-tier groupsets. And just as with the groupsets it’s superseding, Cues works very well and without fuss. 

The single 40t chainring is paired with a super-wide 11−50t cassette for a 22−102in gear range. There are always going to be trade-offs with a 1× setup, but I think Shimano has hit the gear-range sweet spot for most of us, most of the time.

There are inevitably some biggish jumps as the sprockets reach the size of side plates, and in the two largest the more extremely angled chainline results in a little chain noise. Yet in spite of my deliberate efforts at clunky, ungainly gear changes and rapid back-pedalling, I could never get the chain to unship – and that’s without a chain guide. The Cues derailleur has a clutch, while the chainring uses Shimano’s ‘Dynamic Chain Engagement’ – teeth that are broader and taller and with a hooked leading edge. This is designed for ‘superior chain retention’ and a ‘lower driving sound’. Well, one out of two isn’t bad! 

The braking is excellent, offering control and power with minimal effort, and there was no squeaking or squealing in the rain. 

The FE part of the Cube Nuroad’s name denotes that it’s fully equipped, and it really does have the lot: chunky kickstand, tough mudguards and a rear rack that’s as solid as a rock, albeit incompatible with a rack-top bag. All these products bear the name of Cube’s component brand ACID. (The same bike is available as the Nuroad Pro without the extras for £1,199.) 

The lights are powered by a front hub dynamo. The front is bright enough for urban riding but you’ll need assistance on unlit routes. Both lights stay lit when you stop, the rear staying on longer than the front. The neat-looking bell could have been louder, but that’s a very minor gripe! 

Ride 

Hit your cruising speed and you’ll be in a good place – as you will be in pretty much every situation. The riding position is quite upright, putting no strain on your lower back, and the contact points are good, contributing to excellent long-distance comfort. I liked the shortish saddle, the slightly ovalised bar tops and the grippy bar tape. I was a little surprised there wasn’t more flare to the bar on a bike with touring and gravel in its sights, but it’s not a deal-breaker. 

Apart from in the bigger sprockets, the drivetrain is smooth and silent when you’re pedalling, and the freewheel isn’t that loud when you coast. The bottom gear is low enough for seated climbing. If you do get out of the saddle, the frame is stiff and efficient, so you could even use it for training. It’ll never be super-fast and you’ll spin out eventually on the 102in top gear – though at a cadence of 100 you’ll be doing 30mph. 

I tested the Nuroad Pro FE on poor tarmac (all too easy to find…), light gravel, canal towpaths and more, and it took them all in its stride. The tyres feel like they major on toughness over suppleness, and were unmarked after a month of riding. Their 40mm width still helps to take the sting out of everything, as well as offering reasonable rolling resistance on the road and decent grip away from it. 

The Cube also boosts confidence on descents, where it offers great control and first-rate braking.

Verdict 

Well-priced and versatile all-rounder that covers a lot of cycling bases. If you’re looking for one bike for commuting, leisure rides, weekends away and credit card touring, this could be it. It’s great on bad roads, towpaths and not-too-rough unsurfaced routes. While I wouldn’t take it on challenging gravel as specified – with stand and guards – those components come into their own the rest of the time. 

The bike has very good long-distance comfort, yet is surprisingly lively when you put the hammer down. The components are well chosen, the gearing low enough for all but very heavily laden touring, and the braking is excellent.

Other options

Boardman ADV 8.9 - £1,200 

Aluminium-framed all-rounder that covers a lot of the same bases. While lighter at 10.5kg, once you factor in guards, rack, lights and kickstand it’ll be much the same. boardmanbikes.com

Trek Checkpoint ALR 3 GEN 3 - £1,400

Aluminium-framed, Shimano Cues-equipped adventure bike that comes set up tubeless. At 10.4kg it’s a very similar weight to the Boardman. trekbikes.com

First published in Cycle magazine, December 25/January 2026 issue. All information correct at time of publishing.