Cube Acid Hybrid One 500 e-Bike Review

The Cube Acid Hybrid One 500 not only gives good control and power when needed but also adaptability.

Cube Acid Hybrid One Specs Summary (basic)

Riding The Cube Acid Hybrid One

This Cube e-bike model has been designed with the urban setting in mind. It combines elegance for city commuting with enough roughness for touring adventures.

What strikes me is the way it incorporates modern technologies in a fairly traditional yet lightweight frame.

Frame

The Cube acid hybrid One 500 impressed me with its agile geometry.

One nice thing I found was the variety of sizes. The men’s frame comes in all dimensions from 38 to 58 centimetres (15″, 17″, 19″, 21″ and 23″), whereas women (and anyone who prefers the trapeze frame) can pick from 38, 43, or 48-centimetre frames (15″, 17″and 19″).

All sizes come with 29-inch wheels designed to provide smooth rides on all terrains.

But the true highlight to me was the lightweight aluminum frame, weighing 22 kg.

I particularly liked that the brand used advanced hydroforming technology in the manufacturing of this model.

I also praised the agile ride I experienced, a feature designed to provide intuitive handling both on and off the road.

I really liked how the internal routing of the cables was done. It basically enhanced safety when riding on downhill tracks.

Although this model didn’t come with any accessories, at least the frame has integrated mudguard mounts. I think it’s great that it can be adapted for a commuter approach.

Battery

The beating heart of an e-bike is undoubtedly its battery, and this model comes with a strong one.

This e-bike’s battery is manufactured by Bosch, a giant renowned worldwide for its utmost precision and durability.

I’m talking about the Power-Pack 500. It was developed to output a whopping 500 watts/hour and provide a line cruise run-time of up to 115 km, of course, in ideal conditions.

Another thing I truly liked was the frame battery design, which doesn’t take up space.

The performance of these batteries is given by the power management system that detects shortages and protects the cells from overload. Moreover, it even comes with a fast charger that replenishes the juice in only 3.5 hours.

Motor Efficiency & Performance

The motor is the most critical part of an e-bike. Cube didn’t cut corners and decided to use Bosch as the brand to propel this Acid Hybrid.

I liked the low center of gravity with the motor in the middle. While riding, I felt really balanced and agile.

Performance was also ensured by the use of Shimano for their braking and gear system. The 9-speed gear system was well-tuned, and each of the shifts I made was precise. I was also impressed with the reaction and smoothness of the hydraulic disc brakes, providing me a sense of safety when arsh braking.

Controller

To control the battery, motor, and overall performance of the Cube acid hybrid One 500, it comes with a minimalist on-board Bosch Purion controller.

This controller provides four (4) pedal assistance levels:

• Eco: Provided gentle support for any ride, saving your battery power.
• Tour: Gave a bit more power than the eco mode, helping me on long rides.
• Sport/eMTB: It was clearly much more powerful than the eco mode, but I also noticed that the battery was depleting quickly.
• Turbo: This PAS was indeed powerful enough to take a hill without issues.

As is, this model responded well with the current controller, however I would love to see how it will go with the new Smart Bosch system.

Cube Acid Hybrid One 500 2019 Pros & Cons

• A lightweight aluminum frame ensures a smooth ride in the no-assist mode.
• Suntour suspension fork enhances comfort on bumpy terrains.
• An easy-mount kickstand provided solid support.

On the flip side:

• This Cube acid model may not reach outstanding speeds as it wasn’t built to be fast.
• You will have to buy the fenders or a suitable rack separately if the idea is for commuting.

What to Consider Before Buying the Acid One 500

I think the Cube Acid is outstanding, but it doesn’t mean that it’s the right bike for you.

If you’re aiming to reach Bolt’s top speed while riding, just move on.

This Cube e-bike model wasn’t built to drive you but rather to assist you on challenging terrains.

Its 29-inch wheels and various frame sizes (for men and women) make it suitable for most riders. It’s also lightweight compared to other city commuter electric bikes in its class, a great feature if you want to stay fit and use it without assisted pedaling.

From my perspective, the Cube Acid Hybrid One 500 was undoubtedly one of the nicest electric bikes for gravel roads I’ve ridden so far (at the time of this review). However, if this is the purpose, it still needs to be brought up to speed for commuting. If so, I’d suggest checking out Giant Explore E+ 1 (2023).