Shimano CUES elements have been obtainable for flat bar bikes, electrical bikes and mountain bikes for a few years now, however Shimano’s announcement of a brand new set of elements lastly extends CUES gear to drop bar highway and gravel bikes.
CUES gives one frequent part set that can work with 11, 10 and 9-speed drivetrains and throughout the completely different disciplines, providing bike makers and riders a a lot easier vary of merchandise to select from. It additionally permits riders to swap just a few elements so as to add additional speeds to their drivetrain, slightly than needing to exchange their groupset in its entirety.
It does this by way of frequent sprocket spacing in cassettes, no matter their pace, and the identical pull ratios for mechanical gear cables for all speeds and disciplines, one thing that Shimano elements lacked up to now.
CUES relies on Shimano’s Linkglide tech, slightly than its fancier 12-speed Hyperglide+ tech which is utilized in Dura-Ace, Ultegra and 12-speed GRX gravel elements and Hyperglide utilized in 12-speed 105, 105 Di2, and 10/11-speed GRX gravel bike elements.
Linkglide enamel have a wider profile than Hyperglide enamel, which Shimano claims can improve part longevity as much as threefold. It says that it discovered that much less skilled cyclists typically keep in a single gear, placing a number of torque by the sprocket, notably when using electrical bikes. In addition, they have an inclination to shift underneath load. Both behaviours can result in extreme sprocket put on, which Linkglide is designed to handle.
1x and 2x choices with hydraulic or mechanical disc brakes
CUES consists of hydraulic disc brakes for 11-speed and 10-speed bikes (Image credit score: Shimano)
The new drop bar CUES merchandise embrace U6000 sequence 11/10-speed shifters which pair with a brand new flat mount hydraulic disc brake calliper. They have an analogous form to Shimano’s 12-speed highway bike shifters and can be utilized with a CUES 10 or 11-speed cassette, a brand new CUES 50/34t or 46/32t crankset and a brand new CUES entrance derailleur to offer a variety highway or gravel drivetrain.
In addition, there are single chainring 40t and 42t cranksets, providing another for gravel bikes. There’s additionally a brake-only drop bar lever to match.
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9-speed and 10-speed bikes additionally get a mechanical disc brake possibility (Image credit score: Shimano)
Below the U6000 sequence elements, sit the brand new drop bar U3000 sequence 9 and 10-speed elements, that are designed for mechanical disc brakes (there’s no CUES rim brake possibility, by the way in which).
There’s a pair of twin management levers for this configuration, once more with the choice of recent 50/34t or 46/32t cranksets. There are additionally 40t and 42t 1x cranksets to select from as properly.
Childrens bike particular elements
A brand new quick cage derailleur is designed for smaller wheeled bikes (Image credit score: Shimano)
In addition to the mainstream CUES merchandise, there are two specialist merchandise for smaller wheeled commuter bikes and children’ bikes. The new quick cage 9/10-speed CUES derailleur is claimed to extend floor clearance by 30 % over a typical cage and can deal with an 11-36t 9-speed or 11-39t 10-speed cassette.
While CUES is standardised on 160mm brake rotors, there’s a brand new 140mm 6-bolt rotor launched for youths’ bikes.
8-speed isn’t lifeless
ESSA brings 1×8-speed shifting to drop bar bikes (Image credit score: Shimano)
CUES covers 11, 10 and 9 speeds, so there’s no direct substitute for 8-speed Claris. This has been a stalwart of finances highway bikes and has steadily trickled upwards in direction of the £1,000/$1,000 mark as bike worth inflation has taken maintain.
But under CUES, Shimano launched the 8-speed ESSA part vary in 2024 for finances flat bar bikes and MTBs. It’s now prolonged ESSA to drop bar bikes, though solely in 1x configuration. New ESSA drop bar elements embrace a twin management lever and an identical brake-only left lever.
The ESSA groupset provides an 11-45t cassette. It continues to make use of Hyperglide shifting tech, to keep up compatibility with Shimano’s present 8-speed elements.
