My Dilemma this weekend

Philinmerthyr

New Member
Apr 1, 2021
4
2
Wales
New to the forums so this is my first post.

I have a dilemma for the next few days.

I have the potential of getting one of 2 bikes. I have a Halfords C2W voucher for £2k which needs to be used by end June. I was let down on a bike so I have already had the voucher (early March) have started having deductions from my pay so can’t cancel.

Option 1 is a Giant Fathom E+ 2 that I can collect on Monday. The pros are that it is in stock, is a solid bike and the dealer is 1 hr away with a local giant dealer 5 mins from my house. The cons are some concerns my local dealer raised around water getting into the motor in wet and muddy conditions, the need to upgrade from the Suntour coil fork fairly soon after purchase and only a 500wh battery.

Option 2 is a Cube Reaction Hybrid Race that has been delayed with a current date of May with a risk of it being pushed back further. The pros are the Rockshock Judy air forks, Bosch Gen 4 625 motor and battery. The cons are that it is at least 6 weeks before delivery, there is a risk of further delay, the dealer is over 200 miles away.

I have an issue with my back and nerve damage in my foot so am struggling with my normal bike and need pedal assist. I’m keen to get a bike asap but the Giant is quite a downgrade but is a certainty while the Cube is a better bike with a risk over delivery.

Sorry for the long post. Not looking for you to make the decision for me as it’s my dilemma but writing this has helped me reason out the pros and cons. ?
 

neiloxford

Member
Jul 8, 2020
120
82
UK
I would go for the cube if at all possible. I would look for a second source of the cube in the hope that one of them gets it in stock in May.

I would phone dealers rather than using the internet. You will get better information about expected delivery times.
 
Last edited:

steve_sordy

Wedding Crasher
Nov 5, 2018
8,429
8,676
Lincolnshire, UK
I am not being facetious by suggesting this; toss a coin!

But do it is this way: Do all your research and evaluation to ensure that you are fully informed. Still can't make a decision? Assign the Giant to one side of a coin. Toss the coin (no cheating). Whatever the result ask yourself "am I pleased?" If not, go for the other one! Decision made.
 

B1rdie

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Subscriber
Feb 14, 2019
834
1,034
Brazil
I would choose the giant, ride it as it is and trade it for a new one at the dealer when the state of the art bikes get to the shop floor again within a year or less.
 

Shy Ted

Member
Aug 20, 2019
95
76
Inbed
There’s a lot to be said for using a local dealer. You get a problem with the Cube and have to package it up and send it away the turn around time isn’t going to be less than a week. I’d go with B1rdie’s advice: any warranty problems are easier to resolve when you can look the dealer in the eyes.
 

Philinmerthyr

New Member
Apr 1, 2021
4
2
Wales
New to the forums so this is my first post.

I have a dilemma for the next few days.

I have the potential of getting one of 2 bikes. I have a Halfords C2W voucher for £2k which needs to be used by end June. I was let down on a bike so I have already had the voucher (early March) have started having deductions from my pay so can’t cancel.

Option 1 is a Giant Fathom E+ 2 that I can collect on Monday. The pros are that it is in stock, is a solid bike and the dealer is 1 hr away with a local giant dealer 5 mins from my house. The cons are some concerns my local dealer raised around water getting into the motor in wet and muddy conditions, the need to upgrade from the Suntour coil fork fairly soon after purchase and only a 500wh battery.

Option 2 is a Cube Reaction Hybrid Race that has been delayed with a current date of May with a risk of it being pushed back further. The pros are the Rockshock Judy air forks, Bosch Gen 4 625 motor and battery. The cons are that it is at least 6 weeks before delivery, there is a risk of further delay, the dealer is over 200 miles away.

I have an issue with my back and nerve damage in my foot so am struggling with my normal bike and need pedal assist. I’m keen to get a bike asap but the Giant is quite a downgrade but is a certainty while the Cube is a better bike with a risk over delivery.

Sorry for the long post. Not looking for you to make the decision for me as it’s my dilemma but writing this has helped me reason out the pros and cons. ?


I just found the ideal solution. I found a Cube Reaction pro 625 in stock with a dealer that does Halfords C2W. It has the Bosch Gen 4 with 625 kwh battery but the same suntour coil fork that was on the Giant. It is £250 cheaper than the Giant so I’ll put that towards a fork upgrade when I can get one ? SRAM instead of Shimano group set but I’m happy with that. I had decided to wait for the cube but this is a great solution ??‍♂️?
 

Beekeeper

🍯Honey Monster🍯
Aug 6, 2019
1,745
2,194
Surrey hills
Yep, I have Cube reaction race 2019 edition with the old Gen 2 motor.
pretty much bullet proof. 2000 miles so far and no issues. Rockshox Judy forks.

other half has basically same bike but with Suntour coil forks. A world of difference. The coil forks are terrible off road. For commuting on smooth roads they are ok.
 

Planckus

Member
Jan 21, 2021
69
59
Denmark
Cube is bulletproof, Giant is bulletproof too but Nukeproof is nukeproof;-) Get the Cube at the LBS, and start saving some money for a fork upgrade, which could be around 250 GDP. My wife have that exact same bike, and it just runs without any issues, and low on maintenance. The Bosch motor just works! Giant and Cube are both BIG players, so quality is not a worry.
 

7869hodgy

Well-known member
Jul 15, 2020
395
627
Reading
There’s a lot to be said for using a local dealer. You get a problem with the Cube and have to package it up and send it away the turn around time isn’t going to be less than a week. I’d go with B1rdie’s advice: any warranty problems are easier to resolve when you can look the dealer in the eyes.

I’d agree with that. Having bought my last three bikes from a shop, albeit only 20 miles away, it’s a right faff if there’s an issue which I had last year with a dodgy dropper post.
 

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