Gear systems for touring (e-)bikes: Which one comes out on top in the test?

BIKE's verdict on touring gear systems

Our recommendation: Choose the gear system that suits your riding style! Shimano Hyperglide (Deore, XT, GRX) for sporty riders, Linkglide (Cues) for e-bike riders. Derailleur gear systems offer universal advantages when it comes to maintenance. If you only ride on flat terrain, you don’t need a mountain bike gear ratio. Occasional cyclists don’t necessarily need to opt for premium options designed for long-term durability. And: even the best derailleur will shift poorly if it’s poorly adjusted or worn out. If you’re unhappy with how your gears are shifting, this is the first thing you should look at.

We have tested the following circuits:

Gear systems for traditional bicycles

• Shimano Cues 6020 2x10
• Shimano Cues 8020 2x11 – Tip: Range
• Shimano Deore 5100 1x11 – Tip: Great value for money
• Shimano GRX 400 2x10
• Shimano Alfine 7001 1x11
• Rohloff 500/14 1x14

Gear systems for e-bikes

• Shimano Cues 4000 9R 1x9
• Shimano Cues 6000 10R 1x10 – Tip: E-bike
• Shimano Nexus Inter 5E 1x5
• Shimano Deore XT 8130 Linkglide 1x11
• Pinion MGU E1.12 1x12
• Enviolo HD continuously variable

Note: In this article, we’ll be looking specifically at the most common drivetrains for touring bikes and e-bikes. We’ll therefore be leaving out road bike and gravel bike drivetrains. We’ll also be excluding pure MTB systems such as SRAM’s Transmission, as these are rarely fitted to touring bikes. Specialized is the only brand so far to have recognised the potential of this drivetrain for touring bikes as well. You can find all the information on the latest MTB systems here:

>> Shimano or Sram: Who makes the best MTB groupset?

>> Buying guide: Gravel bike gear systems – single or double, and which is best for whom?

Chain or belt drive?

Most bikes – especially budget models – come with a chain drive. It’s a tried-and-tested system; spare parts are cheap and easy to come by. What’s more, chains are easy to repair on the go, provided you have the right tools. You can’t do that with a belt. But the chain has clear drawbacks. Maintenance is more labour-intensive and can be a real nuisance for beginners or those with little interest in the technical side of things. Furthermore, ongoing costs for lubricants and cleaning are inevitable.

>> 20 chain oils put to the test

None of this applies to bikes with belt drives. They are available either as single-speed bikes without gears for city use, or are fitted with a derailleur or in-hub gears. The belt requires hardly any cleaning or oiling, makes almost no noise and lasts considerably longer than a chain. However, the high cost of spare parts can put this into perspective to some extent. A wear kit comprising a belt and sprockets easily costs 300 euros – even very expensive chains and cassettes are cheaper.

Gear system or derailleur?

Derailleur gears are affordable and incredibly versatile. That’s why they’re standard on most touring bikes. Even basic models now shift through many gears smoothly and reliably. The combination of weight and gear range is unrivalled. Cyclists appreciate the direct pedalling feel, the high efficiency and the gear changes without any interruption in power delivery. However, derailleur gears wear out quickly with constant use and require a lot of maintenance and care. Derailleur gears are available in mechanical versions with cable control, or more recently, with electronic control. In the latter case, they can often shift gears automatically. The operating logic has become second nature to many cyclists, but it is not intuitive per se.

This is where manual gearboxes come into play. The entire mechanism runs completely wear-free and requires hardly any maintenance. Unlike derailleur systems, gear solutions allow you to change gears even when stationary. However, gear systems are expensive and heavy, and do not offer the same level of efficiency and range, with the exception of high-end solutions from Rohloff and Pinion.

Expensive = Good?!

Ever since its triumph in the 1980s, Shimano’s XT has been synonymous with premium quality – and is also often associated with durability. However, recommending it as a matter of course would be nonsense. Expensive derailleurs in particular are often designed for the crispest possible shifting performance and low weight. This comes at the expense of durability. A wide gear range and fine gear spacing can also drive up the price and contribute to wear and tear.

>> Why e-bikes need special gear systems: technology and buying advice

500 per cent – what’s behind this range?

The gear range indicates the difference between the highest and lowest gears in a drivetrain. So if you often ride on steep terrain or carry a lot of luggage, but still want to pedal hard on the descents, you’ll need a drivetrain with a wide gear range. This ensures you won’t run out of gears, whether on a steep climb or a fast descent. For this reason, trekking bikes long featured three chainrings at the front to bridge this gap. However, Shimano has now phased out triple drivetrains. Models such as the Cues 8000 with 2x11 gears offer an even wider gear range of up to 650%, compared to the older triple drivetrains with around 600%.

Of course, a wide gear range also has its drawbacks: the technology tends to be more expensive, heavier and more prone to faults. Anyone aiming for a wide range with just a few gears risks large gaps between the individual gears, which can also be problematic. For this reason, the gear systems are finely tuned to their respective applications. The Cues 8000 relies on a wide gear range and many gears. Similarly, Pinion and Rohloff in the gear system sector. With the GRX derailleur, the gear range is not as wide, so that the gears can be more finely graduated for sporty use. Systems developed primarily for e-bikes, such as the Nexus 5E or the Enviolo, make do with a narrower range. In the gear system sector in particular, this simply saves money.

Development: The significance of mountain hiking

In addition to gear range, a second factor plays a major role, particularly on steep climbs with luggage: gear ratio. This describes the minimum distance the bike travels forward with each turn of the crankset. To illustrate this, we have plotted the values for the lowest gears of typical derailleurs below.

It’s worth noting that many derailleur systems, such as Cues and Deore, as well as Rohloff and Pinion, also offer very low gears. In these, the bike moves forward by only around 1.5 metres per crank revolution. At a relaxed 70 pedal strokes per minute, this equates to about 6 km/h – slow enough for steep climbs. Enviolo, Alfine and the Trekking-Nexus, on the other hand, have a gear ratio of over two metres, which equates to 10 km/h and more. As these gear hubs require fixed gear ratios with large chainrings at the front and small sprockets at the rear, the value cannot be reduced. In practice, this often means one or two easy gears are missing for steep terrain or when riding with luggage.

A quick guide to circuitry: what you need to bear in mind

• The scope of application
• E-bike? – Choose between Linkglide (Cues) transmission or a gearbox!
• No motor? – In that case, Deore, XT and GRX (Hyperglide) are also recommended
• Route profile
• City streets and flat terrain – here, a few gears and a narrow gear range are sufficient
• Steep climbs or heavy luggage – make sure you have a wide gear range and low gears
• Annual mileage
• Frequent drivers (3,000 km or more): Consider a manual gearbox
• Occasional cyclists (under 1,000 km): Basic derailleurs or hub gears are sufficient
• Price
• More expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better; it might just mean lighter
• Check the shelf life and suitability for the intended use