New Shimano Cues drop bar levers now carry the similar reasonably priced and sturdy LinkGlide drivetrains to gravel, avenue, and each journey motorbike in between. Together with each 1x and 2x probabilities paired to 9sp, 10sp & 11-speed cassettes, dropbar Cues opens up a large number of extra reasonably priced construct choices, whether or not you might be in search of the cheap all-road commuter motorbike or an extra-tough gravel journey setup that you’ll shift underneath load.
Plus, there’s new Cues for children… or possibly commuters? A brand new brief cage Cues derailleur for stepped forward 20″ wheel floor clearance, and a brand new “child-sized” brake rotor.
And it’s now not Cues, however Shimano could also be including a suite of drop bar shifters for his or her tremendous reasonably priced entry-level Essa 1x8sp drivetrain, too.
Shimano Cues 9, 10 & 11sp LinkGlide Drop Bar drivetrains
Evolved to carry reasonably priced efficiency and longer drivetrain sturdiness, bringing Cues to drop bar motorcycles was once an obtrusive subsequent step.
Frankly, I’m roughly stunned that it took nearly 2 years since Shimano ‘reinvented‘ (renaming everything below Deore) all of their mid-tier mountain bike groupsets as Cues, to doing a bit of the same for the mid-tier road & gravel groups. I have 11sp LinkGlide on a killer steel all-mountain hardtail I built, and it’s nice!
(Pictures/Shimano)
Why Cues & LinkGlide within the first position?
(Photograph/Cory Benson)
For my part, Shimano Cues may simply be the most efficient, underrated drivetrain available in the market. Including Drop Bar levers with hydraulic disc brakes simply makes it even higher. I feel Cues doesn’t actually get the find it irresistible merits on account of the similar branding factor that plagued LinkGlide with confusion from the beginning. Since there are more than one gearing choices underneath the similar title – providing 9- & 10-speed at the outdated HG freehub spacing or 11-speed at the wider MicroSpline freehubs.
However the important thing this is that during a time of ever-thinner cassettes (& chains) to squeeze extra equipment into the similar area, Cues, and LinkGlide took the other tack – the usage of that very same broad rear spacing to provide thicker, harder cassettes. The result’s cassettes that final for much longer. Ans on the similar time, cassettes can in fact be shifted underneath load with out injury. That final bit doesn’t appear that essential to the skilled bike owner, but it surely’s a large assist to new riders. And it’s an absolute necessity as soon as ebikes input the combo, the place you’re a lot more more likely to wish to shift whilst the motor remains to be chugging alongside.
And Cues assists in keeping it easy, will all 3 speeds (cassette spacing choices) the usage of the similar 11-speed chain, which Shimano assures are more potent and longer-lasting than earlier 8-, 9-, or-10-speed chains and in addition nearly at all times less expensive than any 12-speed chain.
What’s in fact new?
To make Cues paintings on drop bar motorcycles, and now 2x as neatly, Shimano best had so as to add a couple of parts: shifters, flat mount brakes, a entrance derailleur, and a few new crankset configurations.
The blended shifters & brakes are the costliest section, promoting for ~$280-300 according to aspect together with brake calipers. They’re, in the end, just about functionally the similar as the most recent 105 mechanical twin controls, simply fewer gears shifted. They usually glance to get the similar ergonomics. However apparently, the ones ST-U6030 twin keep watch over levers in fact paintings for each 10- or 11-speed, so it could even be lovely cheap to change from one to the opposite later (so long as you aren’t going between 1x & 2x).
New flat mount brakes are one of the most distinctive of the brand new Shimano Cues Drop Bar setup.
Identical to Campagnolo brakes, the brand new Cues hydraulic disc brakes have a different entrance caliper for 160mm rotors at the flat mount same old with out an additional adapter bracket. (That still method it isn’t appropriate with 140mm rotors, and forks with a FM160 mount will require a 180mm entrance rotor.)
Cues in fact does the similar factor out again – no flat mount adapter had to run a 160mm rotor (once more, now not appropriate with 140m rotors, and the a lot rarer FM160 will require a 180mm rotor.)
There could also be a separate and more economical 9/10-speed set of mechanical shift twin keep watch over levers to be used with mechanical disc brakes (ST-U3030). Those additionally paintings for both gearing unfold out again, however are available in 1x or 2x particular pairs, as neatly.
The overall new-to-Cues bits are entrance derailleurs for 2x 9- or 10-speed setups. To be had for braze-on or clamp mount, one entrance derailleur can paintings with all Cues 2x drivetrains, each and every with +2.5mm chainline offset designed to assist with wider tire clearances.
Up to date configurations
2x 50/34T U6040 cranks
1x 42T U6030 cranks
New 2x builds imply a number of new Hollowtech alloy Cues cranksets, too. However actually they’re the similar cranks as sooner than, simply with new 46/32T and 50/34T chainring combos on a 110×4-bolt spider. And the 1x cranks also are up to date, once more with 40T & 42T chainrings extra appropriate for gravel and avenue driving.
20″ Cues for children & commuters, as neatly
This one’s easy. To be used on small 20″ & 24″ wheeled motorcycles, Shimano Cues provides a brief cage 9/10-speed Shadow derailleur that can nonetheless paintings with as much as an 11-39T cassette unfold. For 20″ wheels, Shimano says it method 30% extra floor clearance.
And for braking, a 140mm 6-bolt Cues point brake rotor will have to supply a extra suitable point of forestalling energy for smaller & lighter riders on children’ mountain motorcycles kitted out with those extra reasonably priced drivetrains. Keep in mind, an excessive amount of braking energy will make it more difficult for children to modulate their brakes.
Essa Drop Bar levers, too
Sporting at the reasonably priced development, the reasonably priced Essa 1x8sp staff additionally will get its personal twin keep watch over drop bar levers, as neatly. Once more, it looks as if trendy Shimano mechanical shift ergonomics, trickled down for cheap 1x setups paired to that wide variety 11-45T cassette out again.
Shimano Cues Drop Bar – Pricing, choices & availability
Shimano says that each one of those new Cues Drop Bar drivetrain setups are already being constructed onto numerous manufacturing motorcycles, from a number of OEM companions, together with motorcycles from Cannondale, Fuji, Large, Marin, Salsa, Specialised, Surly, and Trek to call a handful. Be expecting the ones OEM Cues Drop Bar spec’d motorcycles to start out stoning up later in Spring 2025.
Like I discussed above in why Cues issues, there are actually a ton of various combos now to be had. Sep 11-speeds of mechanical moving, 1x or 2x, and mechanical or hydraulic disc brakes. So it’s simple to get a little bit puzzled, and watch out when increase your individual setup. With that stated, aftermarket availability will come at round the similar time as OEM. Shimano gave us an concept of what a few the most-expensive entire Cues Drop Bar construct kits would price at retail.
A whole 1×11-speed Cues U6000 package with levers, hydraulic brake calipers & rotors, 1x crankset, rear derailleur, cassette, and chain would retail for $896. A whole 2×10-speed Cues U6000 package could be nearly precisely the similar with levers, hydraulic brake calipers & rotors, a 2x crankset, entrance & rear derailleurs, cassette, and chain promoting for $891.
However the mechanical disc brake Cues Drop Bar (9 or 10sp) and mechanical disc brake Essa Drop Bar 1x 8sp setups will price only a fraction of that.
We predict to look the similar efficiency you’d see within the earlier era of Shimano’s top-tier avenue racing teams, now to be had for lots much less underneath this unified Shimano Cues Drop Bar naming. Confidently, we’ll get an opportunity to take a look at a few of it out on this type of as-yet-unreleased reasonably priced OEM motorbike builds.
motorbike.Shimano.com
