Reaction Race

mtb700–1100 EUR

Origin

The Cube Reaction is the German brand's long-running aluminium XC/trail hardtail line, sold since the mid-2000s and built on a Lite aluminium AMF frame with Cube's Agile Ride Geometry. 'Race' was the mid-volume suffix Cube applied across many of its families; on the late-2010s acoustic Reaction it denoted a well-specced alloy build — around 2019-2020 a RockShox Judy Silver air fork with a full SRAM GX Eagle 1×12 drivetrain at roughly £1099. Cube retired the acoustic 'Race' suffix after about 2020, reorganising the line into Pro/SLX/SLT/TM alloy trims and the C:62 carbon family, so today 'Reaction Race' survives mainly as a used-market model and as a carbon (C:62 Race) and e-MTB (Reaction Hybrid Race) name.

The verdict

+Strengths

Full SRAM GX Eagle 1×12 (10-50T) plus a RockShox Judy Silver TK Air 100 mm — a real air fork and top-tier-adjacent drivetrain on a ~£1099 alloy hardtail, strong value for the trim
Aluminium Lite frame with AMF, tapered head tube, internal routing and PressFit BB — refined, quiet ride with excellent cable management (MBR)
Hydroformed aluminium frame is clearly a step up from CMPT-frame Acid/Aim — better silhouette, lighter, more refined welds
Boost, internal routing, dropper-ready — modern standards on a mid-tier bike, headroom for upgrades
Cube dealer network in Baltic states (Hawaii Express EE, Sportland EE among others) — warranty and spare parts accessible
Trim ladder Pro/Race/SLT on shared frame — upgrade path without buying new frame

−Weaknesses

Frame geometry is borrowed/compromised for XC: long 447 mm chainstays paired with short 440 mm reach put the rider too far forward — MBR found the position awkward on longer rides and wanted a dedicated XC frame
RockShox Judy Silver TK Air is a basic entry XC fork — competent but flexy and limited in damping for anything beyond smooth XC/light trail
Stock rigid seatpost despite dropper-ready frame — €100-180 add-on cost to unlock trail capability
Continental Cross King / Schwalbe Smart Sam 2.25" stock tyres are XC-fast but not trail-grippy — upgrade if riding rooty/rocky
Reaction line is huge — easy to confuse Race / Pro / SLX / SL / SLT / C:62 / Hybrid year by year. Used buyers often misread spec.
The acoustic 'Race' alloy trim was DISCONTINUED after ~2020 — current Cube acoustic Reaction hardtails are Pro/SLX/SLT/TM (alloy) and C:62 (carbon). A new 'Reaction Race' acoustic bike cannot be bought today; only used examples exist, which complicates spare-spec matching.

Did you know

01Reaction Race is Cube's volume gateway into the MTB line — the trim that most riders move to once Acid feels too entry-level but a full-suspension Stereo is overkill or out of budget. Step up from Acid, step down from Stereo. Acid → Reaction Race → Stereo: where are you on the ladder?
02Reaction Pro / Race / SLT share the same hydroformed aluminium Reaction frame — trims differ by drivetrain (Acera/Altus → Deore M6100 → SLX/XT), fork (Suntour XCR → RockShox Recon → RockShox SID), brakes and finishing kit. Buying Pro and upgrading parts is a known path to Race-level spec.
03The Cube Reaction nameplate has been in continuous production since around 2007. Few aluminium hardtails in this price bracket have that kind of brand-and-name continuity — it is one of the most-sold hardtails in continental Europe.
04Shimano Deore M6100 1x12 (10-51T cassette, hydraulic Shimano brakes) on a ~€999 bike is unusually strong value — it is the same drivetrain family found on bikes €300-500 more expensive in less competitive brands.
05Cube is a German brand from Waldershof, Bavaria, founded in 1993. Frames designed in Germany, manufactured in Taiwan/Cambodia.

Who it’s for

intermediatefirst_real_mtb_buyervalue_buyerweekend_trail_riderxc_ridercommuter_who_wants_trail_too

Buyer’s notes

№ 01

Reaction Race vs Acid: Reaction Race is a real step up — different frame (hydroformed, not CMPT), Shimano Deore M6100 1x12 instead of SRAM NX Eagle / lower Shimano, better fork. Worth the €200-400 jump if you ride any trail beyond gravel paths.

№ 02

Reaction Race vs Reaction Pro: same frame, different parts. Pro saves money on fork (Suntour XCM/XCR vs Rockshox Recon) and drivetrain (Acera/Altus vs Deore M6100). If you want to upgrade gradually, Pro + later Deore upgrade gets you to Race spec for similar total cost.

№ 03

Reaction Race vs Reaction SLT: SLT is the top alloy trim — SLX or XT drivetrain, better fork (Reba / SID Select), sometimes a stock dropper. €300-500 premium over Race. If budget allows and you ride often, SLT is the better long-term keeper.

№ 04

Stock rigid 31.6mm seatpost — frame is dropper-ready, add a Brand-X / PNW / OneUp dropper for €100-180. Biggest single trail-feel upgrade you can make on this bike.

№ 05

Stock tyres (Schwalbe Smart Sam / Continental Cross King 2.25") are XC-fast. For Baltic forest trails swap to Maxxis Ardent 2.4" / Schwalbe Magic Mary 2.35" for real grip — €60-100 well spent.

№ 06

Used 26" Reaction Race (2010-2013) at €250-400 is fine as a path/commuter bike but is not a trail bike by 2026 standards. For real trail use, target 2022+ or wait for 2-year-old Boost models.

№ 07

Don't confuse Reaction (analogue) with Reaction Hybrid (e-MTB). Used listings sometimes mix them up — Hybrid has a Bosch motor and weighs 22-25 kg, Reaction Race is 13-14 kg analogue.

№ 08

Cube serial number is stamped under the bottom bracket (same as Acid). Format WOW + digits + MMYY + M (hardtail). Register on bikeindex.org — Reaction Race is a known theft target due to brand recognition.

№ 09

Baltic dealers: Hawaii Express (EE) and Sportland (EE) stock Cube in volume. For Latvia/Lithuania, check regional Cube dealers via cube.eu dealer locator. Buying via dealer gets you warranty + first-year service + frame-fit consultation.

№ 10

SizeSplit: 27.5" wheels on XS/S frames, 29" on M and above. At rider height 168-175 cm you are on the boundary — if you ride more singletrack and value manoeuvrability, take S 27.5; if you ride more distance/gravel, take M 29.