There was a time, long before XT, Ultegra or Cues, when bicycle sprockets were as flat as pizza slices and the Bowden cable hadn't even been invented yet. The early heroes of the Tour de France literally had to stir the gears with two metal rods. In the heat of the moment, the chain sometimes flew off the sprockets! The first modern cable-operated gears were a revolution, but another innovation deserves just as much attention.
No less important for shifting: better cassettes with defined climbing aids and shifting lanes. These have only been around since the late 80s. Shimano still calls this technology Hyperglide today. And anyone who has always wondered why the teeth are actually so crooked and skewed on the sprockets: Smoother, safer and faster shifting, even under load. That's the reason! A few years ago, the next evolutionary stage followed with the Linkglide.
Linkglide and Cues: Shimano tidies up its portfolio
With the Linkglide technology (here the new introduction) Shimano has responded to the increasingly higher loads placed on e-bikes. More material and one gear less should result in better reliability. That is commendable. And: Everyday bikers without an E will also benefit from the greater durability of the new chains and cassettes. The new technology was also THE opportunity for Shimano to finally tidy up its portfolio. Instead of Sora, Altus, Claris, Alivio and Acera, there will only be a single product family in future. The Cues.
Information about the new group was sparse at first, but since its launch at the Eurobike 2022 pandemic a lot has finally become clearer. With a focus on durability and ease of use, the Cues are intended to cover all applications from e-bikes and trekking bikes to affordable mountain bikes and and now even cheap racing bikes. Will it work? We have already been able to ride the cues extensively in various versions.
Not all cues are the same
So everything is quite simple? Specialised gears for high-end bikes and only Shimano cues for everyone underneath? Unfortunately, it's not quite that simple. Because the cues are also available in at least three different versions, some with extremely different levels of quality. If you are interested in a bike with the new all-round gear system, you need to take a close look. The top-of-the-range Cues U8000 groupset is more than twice as expensive as the entry-level Cues U4000.
Unfortunately, Shimano doesn't exactly make it easy for bikers to distinguish between the different quality gear systems. Whether premium class or entry-level is only recognisable by the somewhat cryptic number combinations in the model designation - U4000, U6000, U8000. And there are even differences within the groups. Ten or eleven gears, with or without Shadow Plus - this causes confusion, especially with the Cues U6000.
The most obvious difference between the three groupsets is the number of gears. The entry-level Cues U4000 groupset only shifts nine sprockets on the rear wheel. The mid-range Cues U6000 already has ten or even eleven sprockets at the rear. The top-of-the-range Cues U8000 groupset always shifts eleven gears at the rear and is even available as a Di2 version with electronic control. For experts: The numerical logic of the Cues roughly follows the mountain bike gears. The 6000 corresponds roughly to the Deore twelve-speed level, the 8000 to the XT. The 4000 is lower.
How to ride the Shimano Cues gearstick
First of all, it must be said that all modern Shimano drivetrains apart from the very cheapest variants are functionally at a very high level. This also applies to all cue variants. When properly adjusted, they change gears quickly and reliably. If this is not the case, it is almost always due to worn or incorrectly adjusted hardware - the shifting system itself cannot do much about this. The simple fact is that the technologies of the former top groupsets have long since arrived on the entry-level market.
Shimano Cues U4000 - The entry-level groupset
With nine gears on the e-bike, the 4000 cues from Shimano are clearly in the entry-level segment. The RRP for the rear derailleur is just over 50 euros. The biggest drawback of the "small" Cues is the poor gear gradation. In order to achieve a wide range with nine gears, you have to use a cassette with 11 to 46 teeth, especially on an e-bike. The gear steps are quite large with the small gears. As a result, the right gear for the ideal cadence is sometimes missing on hills.
Otherwise, the favourable cues also work reliably and can make everyday users quite happy. Typical for shifting with Linkglide technology: The shifting operations are very smooth but not as fast as you are used to from the classic models with Hyperglide technology. Outside of a racing context, this is unlikely to be a problem; the shifting speed is easily sufficient for everyday use. However, the low price of the 4000 Cues is noticeable elsewhere. The crank is not hollow-forged and is heavy, the levers look careless and cheap. The chain rattles noticeably on rough surfaces. Unlike the cheaper Deore drivetrains, the inexpensive Cues do not have the Shadow Plus derailleur damping, which is optimised for off-road use. We would therefore not recommend the Cues 4000 on an (e-)mountain bike.
Shimano Cues U6000 - Solid middle class
The Shimano Cues 6000 is an upgrade both visually and haptically. The slightly more expensive eleven-speed version in particular offers much more defined gear changes than the 4000 Cues. With ten or eleven gears, relatively homogeneous gear steps with a wide gear range can also be realised with a single crank at the front. But here too, caution is advised. Only the more expensive versions of the Cues 6000 come ex works with Shimano's Shadow technology to prevent chain chatter. This can be recognised by the small on/off lever for additional damping on the rear derailleur. We can clearly recommend these variants to demanding users and trail fans. The cheaper 6000 cues without rear derailleur damping are more suitable for trekking and everyday bikes.
Shimano Cues 8000 - Rare high-end option
In terms of quality and shifting feel, the Cues 8000 is very close to the popular XT groupset. However, this also applies to the price. The expensive Cues is therefore very rarely used. When in doubt, manufacturers prefer to use the XT label. The "want-to-have" factor is simply greater here. Like the cheaper Cues drivetrains, the Cues 8000 also relies on the durable Linkglide cassettes. The shifting speed is therefore somewhat reduced. On the other hand, the Linkglide groups should not be as susceptible. Naturally, the Cues 8000 comes as standard with the powerful Shadow Plus damper to prevent chain rattling.
Shimano Cues, Deore, GRX, XT: Which gearstick is better for whom?
Shimano actually wanted to tidy up its portfolio with the Cues. So far, this has not been entirely successful. Firstly, the many different cue variants are causing new confusion. And secondly, there are currently still some obvious overlaps in the portfolio if you look purely at the value of the different drivetrains. The Deore, GRX 600 and Cues 6000 drivetrains are at the same price level as the XT, GRX 800 and Cues 8000, so which one should you choose?
Trekking and everyday cyclists can buy the Cues with Linkglide cassettes without hesitation. The Cues 4000 offers a pleasantly favourable option here. The Cues 6000 is a solid mid-range model. We would also advise e-mountain bikers to use Linkglide gears. But then at least the 6000 Cues with Shadow Plus derailleur damping. If you want to be on the safe side, go straight for Deore Linkglide and XT Linkglide. Both shifting systems offer more space on the handlebars without a gear indicator and a better feel with a crisper shifting sensation.
Sporty bikers without a motor are still best off with the Hyperglide groupsets. They are somewhat lighter than their Linkglide counterparts and offer more gears and therefore a finer gear gradation across the range. The Deore twelve-speed in particular stands out positively here with its good function and favourable price.
Caution when retrofittingDue to different chain lines, not all groupsets are compatible with each other. For MTB groupsets and cues in particular, first check whether the frame is compatible with the other system.
BIKE conclusion on the Shimano Cues gearstick
Inexpensive and good? The Shimano cues deliver solid performance. In our opinion, the cheaper groupsets in particular are a step up from Acera and Altus. The Linkglide approach for more durability suits the bike well as a means of transport for sport and everyday life. You can buy it without hesitation! It's a shame that the portfolio is so confusing. Especially the better models with Shadow-Plus levers can also convince demanding bikers. Unfortunately, it is often not clear from the data sheet alone whether such a model is fitted. - Adrian Kaether, BIKE Magazine
Adrian Kaether
Editor
