For 2022 German bike maker CUBE has reshaped their popular AMS full-suspension MTB platform into two new lighter carbon bikes. Sharing the same adjustable geometry front triangle, the short travel ZERO99 is your new XC race bike, and a slightly longer & more aggressive ONE11 becomes more downcountry or a light trail bike…
2022 Cube AMS mountain bikes get lighter, more capable
The popular XC & Marathon-focused AMS family has been around for more than a decade, tweaking its long-running Horst-link four-bar suspension & geometry over the years. But outside of a Trail Motion build that swapped in a longer fork a few years back, it’s topped out at 100mm of travel front & rear.
Now as XC racing has gotten more technical and their Stereo all-mountain & enduro bikes have gotten bigger, it was time to Boost the AMS family as well in ZERO99 or ONE11 modes…
Tech details
The heart of both new 29″ Cube AMS mountain bikes is a new lighter carbon frameset they share, with smaller diameter tube shapes, and an upgrade to Cube’s top-tier carbon material.
In fact, the bikes share the same front triangle, while the longer travel version gets a suitably longer rear end.
Moving from C:68 carbon to C:68X keeps the same high 68% carbon/32% resin ratio, but swaps in spread tow as the primary carbon fibers for lighter, thinner & more refined layup. The result according to Cube is significant weight savings, getting either bike down to a claimed 1600g for a frameset.
The shared AMS C:68X front triangle features an integrated 1.5″ tapered, angle adjust Acros headset that allows either bike to change its headtube angle by 0.6°.
The frame also gets two sets of cage mounts inside the main triangle (a triple set for a primary water bottle low in the frame & a second set higher on the downtube for a second smaller bottle or a toolkit mount). The new AMS features Boost 148 spacing, modular cable routing ports on the front sides of the headtube (to prevent cable rub), a PressFit bottom bracket, 30.9mm seatpost, and a replaceable UDH hanger.
The difference between the two bikes comes down to 7.5mm longer chainstays for the trail bike (which also gets a molded-on chainstay protector) and matching longer set of seatstays. That means less tire clearance for the Zero99 at just 2.25″ (on 30mm internal rims), but up to 2.4″ for the One11.
Keeping the same shock linkage then, the AMS Zero99 gets 100mm of rear wheel travel (maybe 099mm?) and a matching fork, while the trail AMS One11 gets 110mm of rear wheel travel (not 111mm?) and 120mm forks.
All-new AMS Zero99
With the shorter rear end & 100mm forks, the new Cube AMS Zero99 gets more race-oriented geometry, yet still plenty slack and capable for technical trails.
Starting with a 68° head angle, you can always slacken in back to 67.38° by flipping the headset cups around for more technical riding.
Three builds of the 100mm AMS Zero99 will be offered, all sharing the same top-spec C:68X carbon frameset. The 2022 Cube AMS Zero99 C:68X Race 29 is the lowest-priced at 4100€ with an XT group, Fox Float Elite suspension & alloy Newmen wheels at 10.7kg complete.
The 2022 Cube AMS Zero99 C:68X SL 29 at 5100€ steps up to SRAM X01 Eagle, RockShox SID Ultimate suspension & carbon Newmen wheels at 9.7kg complete.
And the top-spec 2022 Cube AMS Zero99 C:68X SLT 29 at 7000€ goes XX1 Eagle AXS with Fox Float Factory suspension and carbon Newmen wheels for a claimed weight of just 9.3kg.
All-new AMS One11
Cube says the longer AMS One11 was all about turning their new light XC frame into “the ultimate lightweight trail bike”. With more room in the slightly longer rear triangle for up to 2.4″ tires and an extra 10mm of rear wheel travel, the One11 gets longer travel forks to slacken out the adjustable head angle even further, smoothing out more technical trails only adding a bit more weight in more burly components.
Just two complete 110mm rear/120mm front AMS One11 bikes will be offered, again with the same C:68X carbon front triangle and the longer rear end. The 2022 Cube AMS One11 C:68X Pro 29 is the most affordable of any of the new AMS bikes at just 3300€ with GX Eagle, RockShox Recon Gold/Deluxe Select+ suspension & alloy Fulcrum wheels at 12.4kg.
Then, the top-spec trail 2022 Cube AMS One11 C:68X TM 29 at 4600€ goes back to an XT group, Fox Factory suspension, alloy Newmen wheels, and a weight of 11.5kg.
