New Shimano Cues drop bar levers now convey the identical inexpensive and sturdy LinkGlide drivetrains to gravel, street, and each journey bike in between. Together with each 1x and 2x potentialities paired to 9sp, 10sp & 11-speed cassettes, dropbar Cues opens up numerous extra inexpensive construct choices, whether or not you might be on the lookout for a funds all-road commuter bike or an extra-tough gravel journey setup which you could shift below load.
Plus, there’s new Cues for youths… or possibly commuters? A brand new quick cage Cues derailleur for improved 20″ wheel floor clearance, and a brand new “child-sized” brake rotor.
And it’s not Cues, however Shimano can also be including a set of drop bar shifters for his or her tremendous inexpensive entry-level Essa 1x8sp drivetrain, too.
Shimano Cues 9, 10 & 11sp LinkGlide Drop Bar drivetrains
Developed to convey inexpensive efficiency and longer drivetrain sturdiness, bringing Cues to drop bar bikes was an apparent subsequent step.
Frankly, I’m type of stunned that it took nearly 2 years since Shimano ‘reinvented‘ (renaming all the things under Deore) all of their mid-tier mountain bike groupsets as Cues, to doing a little bit of the identical for the mid-tier street & gravel teams. I’ve 11sp LinkGlide on a killer metal all-mountain hardtail I constructed, and it’s nice!
Why Cues & LinkGlide within the first place?
In my view, Shimano Cues may simply be the perfect, underrated drivetrain on the market. Including Drop Bar levers with hydraulic disc brakes simply makes it even higher. I believe Cues doesn’t actually get the like it deserves due to the identical branding concern that plagued LinkGlide with confusion from the beginning. Since there are a number of gearing choices below the identical identify – providing 9- & 10-speed on the outdated HG freehub spacing or 11-speed on the broader MicroSpline freehubs.
However the important thing right here is that in a time of ever-thinner cassettes (& chains) to squeeze extra gear into the identical area, Cues, and LinkGlide took the alternative tack – utilizing that very same extensive rear spacing to supply thicker, extra sturdy cassettes. The result’s cassettes that final for much longer. Ans on the similar time, cassettes can genuinely be shifted below load with out injury. That final bit doesn’t appear that vital to the skilled bike owner, nevertheless it’s a giant assist to new riders. And it’s an absolute necessity as soon as ebikes enter the combination, the place you’re more likely to wish to shift whereas the motor remains to be chugging alongside.
And Cues retains it easy, will all three speeds (cassette spacing choices) utilizing the identical 11-speed chain, which Shimano assures are stronger and longer-lasting than earlier 8-, 9-, or-10-speed chains and likewise nearly at all times cheaper than any 12-speed chain.
What’s really new?
To make Cues work on drop bar bikes, and now 2x as properly, Shimano solely had so as to add a number of elements: shifters, flat mount brakes, a entrance derailleur, and a few new crankset configurations.
The mixed shifters & brakes are the costliest half, promoting for ~$280-300 per aspect together with brake calipers. They’re, in spite of everything, just about functionally the identical because the newest 105 mechanical twin controls, simply fewer gears shifted. They usually look to get the identical ergonomics. However apparently, these ST-U6030 twin management levers really work for each 10- or 11-speed, so it will even be fairly low-cost to change from one to the opposite later (so long as you aren’t going between 1x & 2x).
New flat mount brakes are most likely probably the most distinctive of the brand new Shimano Cues Drop Bar setup.
Similar to Campagnolo brakes, the brand new Cues hydraulic disc brakes have a particular entrance caliper for 160mm rotors on the flat mount commonplace with out an additional adapter bracket. (That additionally means it’s not appropriate with 140mm rotors, and forks with a FM160 mount would require a 180mm entrance rotor.)
Cues really does the identical factor out again – no flat mount adapter wanted to run a 160mm rotor (once more, not appropriate with 140m rotors, and the a lot rarer FM160 would require a 180mm rotor.)
There’s additionally a separate and cheaper 9/10-speed set of mechanical shift twin management levers to be used with mechanical disc brakes (ST-U3030). These additionally work for both gearing unfold out again, however are available in 1x or 2x particular pairs, as properly.
The ultimate new-to-Cues bits are entrance derailleurs for 2x 9- or 10-speed setups. Obtainable for braze-on or clamp mount, one entrance derailleur can work with all Cues 2x drivetrains, every with +2.5mm chainline offset designed to assist with wider tire clearances.
Up to date configurations
New 2x builds imply a number of new Hollowtech alloy Cues cranksets, too. However actually they’re the identical cranks as earlier than, simply with new 46/32T and 50/34T chainring combos on a 110×4-bolt spider. And the 1x cranks are additionally up to date, once more with 40T & 42T chainrings extra appropriate for gravel and street driving.
20″ Cues for youths & commuters, as properly
This one’s easy. To be used on small 20″ & 24″ wheeled bikes, Shimano Cues provides a brief cage 9/10-speed Shadow derailleur that may nonetheless work with as much as an 11-39T cassette unfold. For 20″ wheels, Shimano says it means 30% extra floor clearance.
And for braking, a 140mm 6-bolt Cues stage brake rotor ought to present a extra acceptable stage of stopping energy for smaller & lighter riders on youngsters’ mountain bikes kitted out with these extra inexpensive drivetrains. Bear in mind, an excessive amount of braking energy will make it more durable for youths to modulate their brakes.
Essa Drop Bar levers, too
Carrying on the inexpensive pattern, the inexpensive Essa 1x8sp group additionally will get its personal twin management drop bar levers, as properly. Once more, it seems like trendy Shimano mechanical shift ergonomics, trickled down for low-cost 1x setups paired to that big selection 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 various manufacturing bikes, from a number of OEM companions, together with bikes from Cannondale, Fuji, Large, Marin, Salsa, Specialised, Surly, and Trek to call a handful. Anticipate these OEM Cues Drop Bar spec’d bikes to begin popping up later in Spring 2025.
Like I discussed above in why Cues issues, there are actually a ton of various combos now obtainable. Sept. 11-speeds of mechanical shifting, 1x or 2x, and mechanical or hydraulic disc brakes. So it’s simple to get a bit confused, and watch out when increase your individual setup. With that stated, aftermarket availability will come at across the similar time as OEM. Shimano gave us an thought of what a few the most-expensive full Cues Drop Bar construct kits would price at retail.
A whole 1×11-speed Cues U6000 equipment with levers, hydraulic brake calipers & rotors, 1x crankset, rear derailleur, cassette, and chain would retail for $896. A whole 2×10-speed Cues U6000 equipment could be nearly precisely the identical 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 count on to see the identical efficiency you’d see within the earlier era of Shimano’s top-tier street racing teams, now obtainable for lots much less below this unified Shimano Cues Drop Bar naming. Hopefully, we’ll get an opportunity to strive a few of it out on one among these as-yet-unreleased inexpensive OEM bike builds.