The media circus around bike races, particularly big, tech-heavy ones like the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (previously the Critérium du Dauphiné), is quite amusing sometimes, so indulge me for a second and I'll lift the lid.
Some bikes we spot through nouse, tip-offs, and a bit of sneaking. The new Specialized Tarmac Sl9 is one of those, but sometimes we just get told a bike will be available to come and photograph in advance of the race. The new Cube Litening Aero prototype is one such bike.
I turn up at a pre-arranged time along with several other media outlets (unbeknownst to one another), all shoot the bike en-masse, and then get told we can't use the images "until tomorrow", so have to form a gentleman's agreement, because this is a small industry and it doesn't pay to sour relations over something like this.
We aren't told anything about the machine because it's a prototype, beyond a distant muttering of a 2028 release (which sounds too far off to be true) so have to glean things just from what we see. Then the bike is promptly whisked away and we disperse again to hotel rooms across Grenoble to ponder and mull over a chilled rosé (in my case, at least).
Anyway, here's a new Cube prototype; let's see what we can see, shall we? It's certainly a new form compared to the current Litening Aero, though I will caveat this with the fact that general angles of the frame are compact due to it being a size 50 machine, i.e. very small.
Here is the new Litening Aero. It's quite similar in form to the old one, but with some significant changes. The curved seat tube remains, but the head tube and fork junction is more sculpted. The seat cluster has had the top lopped off it though in a way very reminiscent of the Cervélo P5 TT bike. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Here's the current one, as a handy reference point. (Image credit: Cube)
The cockpit, another new addition, is absolutely whopping. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The tops are VERY deep. Not quite as wide as the runway fitted to the old Dare V.A. of Uno-X, but not far off. Paired with what is quite a short stem it's quite an unbalanced aesthetic. (Image credit: Will Jones)
While the fork is all pretty colours, it's only a little deeper than the current model. The rear of the crown flows into the head tube and down tube much more elegantly though. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Theres a ridge in the head tube, much like the new Ridley lightweight machine I also saw at the race. Tyre clearance in those forks is big enough for standard 28c or 30c race tyres, but it's not enormous. (Image credit: Will Jones)
These Newmen Streem wheels have hidden valves for an aero advantage, and by our testing it isn't just marketing fluff, though it does make pumping them up a bit more of a chore. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The truncated seat cluster features a pretty standard 'compensation triangle' underneath. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The bottom bracket remains narrow for most of its volume, but is much wider where the stays intersect. It's more like the stays join to the sides of the BB shell, rather than the rear of it. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The curved seat tube stays going forward. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The seatpost is clamped by two bolts in the rear of the seat tube, a well established system at this point. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The back side of the fork legs is your classic truncated aerofoil profile. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Here's a close up of that seat cluster. (Image credit: Will Jones)
While the aesthetics are similar, with a pretty consistent design language, I actually think it's quite a good looking bike. Also, having turned the bars, the steering lock that was quite annoying on the last one was nowhere to be seen. It may return for production models, though. (Image credit: Will Jones)
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Will joined the Cyclingnews team as a reviews writer in 2022, having previously written for Cyclist, BikeRadar and Advntr. He’s tried his hand at most cycling disciplines, from the standard mix of road, gravel, and mountain bike, to the more unusual like bike polo and tracklocross. He’s made his own bike frames, covered tech news from the biggest races on the planet, and published countless premium galleries thanks to his excellent photographic eye. Also, given he doesn’t ever ride indoors he’s become a real expert on foul-weather riding gear. His collection of bikes is a real smorgasbord, with everything from vintage-style steel tourers through to superlight flat bar hill climb machines.
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