Shimano's AI gearstick in the big test: How Shimano's Q'Auto gearstick works

The classic bike is considered to have evolved. Above all, trends such as gravel or wider tyres are to thank for the dynamism of recent years. So we were all the more surprised when Shimano presented the first major innovation in a long time shortly before Eurobike: The first automatic derailleur gear system for bicycles without a motor.

One thing is clear: electronic shifting is the trend. On racing bikes, even the "people's group" 105 Di2 now uses servos instead of shift cables. And for mountain bikes too is Sram's AXS drivetrain on almost all high-end bikes. Shimano's new XT and XTR Di2 are now following suit. The argument: electronic gearsticks are particularly quick and crisp to operate and can offer additional features such as an automatic system.

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Dynamo-Di2: No more battery charging

But there is also a big annoying issue: the constant charging of the shifting batteries. Shimano has now come up with a solution that is as simple as it is ingenious. The Q'Auto shifting system is the first e-shifting system specifically for trekking and urban bikes and relies on a small hub dynamo in the rear wheel as a power source. This means that the e-gear is always supplied with power and you are never without energy.

Shimano Q'Auto in detail

• 1 x 11 gears
• Electronic derailleur gears
• Cues Di2 group with Linkglide technology
• Power supply via dynamo and capacitor
• Range of use: Urban, Trekking, Gravel
• Additional weight approx. 400 grams

The function of the Q'Auto gearstick on the bike

Gears are shifted using a wireless e-trigger. If desired, the Cues Di2 can also shift the eleven gears completely automatically. The fact that the gears only have eleven instead of twelve gears is due to Shimano's Linkglide technology. The cassettes and chains are optimised for smoother shifting under load and durability. In view of the automatic functions of Q'Auto, this choice makes perfect sense.

The Shimano gearstick is controlled via the in-house algorithm, which has long been used in automatic shifting systems for e-bikes. However, Shimano has adapted the software again especially for Q'Auto. In automatic mode, three riding profiles can be preselected for fast, medium and slow cadence. The automatic system can be manually overridden by the rider at any time. If desired, it can learn to adapt to the rider's preferences in terms of cadence and shifting times.

In the test: Cues Di2 with Q'Auto

So has Shimano finally solved the problem with the empty shifting batteries? And what about the automatic gearstick from Japan? When we tested our Test bike from Rose out of the box, the gears are of course empty. Sure, after all, the bike hasn't travelled a single metre yet. But after barely two wheel lengths of rolling, the gears are already responding. Click, click, click, the Shimano trigger crisply shifts the gears back and forth. We would never have thought that it would work so quickly without having to "charge" the dynamo first.

Out of curiosity, we connect directly to Shimano's E-Tube app, which can also be used to fine-tune the gears. If you move the rear wheel, the components are found reliably and immediately by the app. However, the Q'Auto battery must first be charged to 80 per cent by the dynamo in order to make the connection. A short spin is enough for this, or you can hang the bike on the assembly stand like we did and let the rear wheel spin a few times. In the app, you can set the various automatic parameters or enter relevant information such as the wheel circumference. This helps the automatic algorithm to make better decisions for the automatic shifting.

The automatic function in practice: never have to change gear again?

So much for the theory. In practice, the Cues Di2 impresses with the crisp and intuitive E-Trigger of XT and XTR. A third button on the trigger can be used to switch the automatic system on and off. A mini display in the form of a coloured LED on the trigger would perhaps be desirable to indicate whether the automatic is switched on or off. But even so, you can of course quickly recognise whether the automatic is currently active or not.

And indeed: whether sporty or leisurely, you can rely on Shimano's automatic transmission on tours and in the city. The algorithm reliably shifts through the eleven gears and rarely seems hectic or overwhelmed. As with any automatic transmission, Shimano prefers to leave the gears a little longer instead of annoying the rider with unnecessary back and forth when the cadence is not ideal. It takes some getting used to. However, if you want to, you can simply shift up to the next gear yourself at the push of a button.

It's worth trying out

Trying out at least the three presets for fast, medium and slow cadence in the app is crucial for the success of Q'Auto. We started with the medium preset and often ended up with gears that were a little too heavy for our liking. The fast preset suited our personal preferences better. This is also crucial in that the automatic system is otherwise unbalanced.

For example, if the gearshift setting is set to a cadence that is too slow, it shifts up too quickly when accelerating and reacts too late on climbs. If the setting is too fast, you have the feeling that you have to crank for a very long time and quickly when accelerating until the automatic shifts up to a higher gear. If the setting is right, however, you don't have to intervene much manually on normal tours. So little, in fact, that we started to wonder. Does Q'Auto actually exist without a trigger? That would make the system even more affordable for lazy drivers.

Disadvantages? No shifting possible when rolling

Q'Auto has hardly any serious disadvantages. Thanks to the Linkglide cassette, gear changes remain relatively smooth even if the automatic system changes gear at a moment when there is a lot of load on the chain. Overall, the algorithm seems relatively sophisticated. Although the gears only detect the cadence via rear wheel revolutions and gear selection and can only react, not look ahead, gear selection in automatic mode works surprisingly well. The technology makes our Test bike from Rose not overly heavy or expensive. In contrast to some front hub dynamos, the rear wheel of the Q'Auto runs almost completely free. This means that not much energy seems to be lost here.

The system still has a central weakness: unlike an e-bike with a separate freewheel at the front, Q'Auto can only shift gears as long as the crank is turning. It is therefore not possible to shift gears while rolling with the crank stationary. If you simply brake in front of the traffic lights with the pedals stationary, you will end up with a gear that is too hard to start off with. From a technical point of view, there is no other way. For the best driving flow, you should therefore get used to pedalling lightly when braking in automatic mode. After all, you would have to do the same for gear changes without automatic mode, and preselecting a low starting gear then works quite reliably. Only when braking hard is the automatic sometimes not quite fast enough.

Unsurprisingly, like all electronic gearsticks, Q'Auto relies on the technology being optimised. Inconsistencies in the setup cannot be compensated for with sensitivity on the gear lever. Then the gearstick will crack. And because of the fixed number of teeth, the gear does not always match the cadence perfectly. Not an exclusive Q'Auto problem. In automatic mode with unpredictable gear changes, experience has shown that such problems are more noticeable than when you take control yourself. Minor detail or no-go? That remains a matter of taste.

Shimano Q'Auto derailleur gears: Rating

Strengths

• Energy self-sufficient thanks to dynamo
• Good switching algorithm
• Crisp shifting feel

Weaknesses

• No shifting without pedalling
• Automatic requires clean adjustment and some getting used to

Shimano Q'Auto: The MYBIKE verdict

Nobody needs an electronic gearstick or even an automatic. Nevertheless, Q'Auto impressed us at MYBIKE. The idea of using the hub dynamo as an energy source is as simple as it is effective and elevates the Shimano drivetrain from a gimmick to a genuine innovation. Without a separate power source, the bike is finally more of a bike again, despite the e-gear, according to the motto: just sit on it and ride off!

The automatic mode works so well after a little familiarisation that we could even imagine the system without the manual gear lever. But one thing is clear: good results can only be achieved with the right target cadence and optimum settings. And Q'Auto cannot look ahead or shift gears without pedalling. Ideally, you should try out for yourself how well you can live with small imperfections when shifting gears. - Adrian Kaether, Test Manager MYBIKE