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For the longest time, if you wanted modern drivetrain technology on the cheap, you had to wait. As in, you would have to wait for that race technology to trickle down to the more affordable component groups — which could take years. Or even decades.
Shimano’s new CUES ecosystem is the result of thinking, “ maybe we could engineer something better now, “ rather than waiting for the latest tech to reach the point where it’s considered affordable. More importantly, Shimano points out that its new group is designed for the actual use of mid-tier bikes rather than obsolete race tech, which means a lower cost of entry for real MTB performance.
CUES, or Create Unique Experiences, is Shimano’s answer to an all-new mid-tier lineup that’s set to replace multiple existing groups. Gone are the Alivio, Acera, Altus, and the 10- and 11-speed Deore groups, with Shimano CUES rising up to take their place. (Shimano notes it is not cutting support for legacy groups.) 9, 10, and 11 Speeds on a Single Chain
How will a single component family replace multiple separate groups? It all comes down to a single chain. Even though CUES will be offered in 9-, 10-, and 11-speed variants, all of the CUES groups will use the same 11-speed chains (better still, the groups use any existing 11-speed chains). Why 11-speed? Shimano states that while 11- and 12-speed chains […]
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