The recently released Shimano CUES drivetrain and the LinkGlide system is a game changer for the sport of mountain biking. With most publications and cycling news fixated on the latest innovations at the top end of the sport, inflation and rising retail costs only serve to create a perception that cycling is an activity reserved for certain income brackets or folks with a high level of disposable income. With a new level of affordability and durability, the “budget” LinkGlide drivetrain standard could make the sport of mountain biking for more accessible for all levels of income and demographics.
What is Shimano CUES Drivetrain system?
Shimano CUES is a lower-cost drivetrain system that replaces the entry-level drivetrains for both road and MTB. Normally, we wouldn’t be that excited about entry-level components, but we changed when we dug in and we learned that CUES was designed and built around the LinkGlide system.
Ok, but what is CUES, exactly? CUES stands for “Create Unique Experiences”, and is designed to replace the mid tier components in the lifestyle/hybrid, and entry level MTB and road lines and consolidate it into one system. Developed and positioned as a mid-tier component group, the goal was to provide smooth shifting, cross-compatibility, and most importantly, durability.
Available in 9, 10, and 11-speed configurations, the Shimano CUES drivetrain brings a new level of cross compatibility. Interchangeable parts are a big deal for new riders with budgets limiting them to entry level bikes, allowing for a level of upgradeability that previously wasn’t an option.
The heart of the system is the new cassette standard; 9, 10, and 11 speed cassettes feature unified sprocket spacing across the line up and utilize Shimano’s HG freehub body. This means the 9, 10, and 11-speed shifters pull the same amount of cable, which will allow for a new level of mixing and matching that wasn’t available previously. In addition, the HG cassette freehub has been around for years now, which also makes it possible to restore older bikes with updated components at a reasonable cost.
LinkGlide makes it all work
Designed around the LinkGlide drivetrain technology, the goal with CUES was to provide smooth shifting, durable components, and cross-compatibility. Note that they do leave out “lightest”, and “fastest”. This is after all, the “budget” oriented product line, designed to be affordable, and get more folks onto reliable performing bicycles.
For a lot of riders though, reliable shifting, durability, and a wide gear range is all you really need.
A lot of our local trails are loaded with features like jump lines, drops, and berms, and are accessible by shuttling or road climbs. Having a durable setup is more important than anything, especially given that many of us ride year round. And if you’ve made the jump to e-bikes in order to self shuttle, durability becomes even more important.
Last year, Shimano introduced the LinkGlide 11-speed drive train system as a solution to eBike durability issues. The new cassette standard features more durable sprocket teeth that could boast 3x the durabity of a 12-speed Hyperglide cassette.
Plus having one less gear means a thicker, stronger chain. We were stoked to hear about the development, as we’ve always been a fan of fewer gears. (see this article about 10-speed Shimano Saint for example) However, we also have grown to like having a low gear for climbing up mountains, so finally getting a wide-range 11-speed (or 10-speed) drive train that features a wider and stronger (than 12 speed) chain was an exciting proposition. The downside was that with the pandemic, getting parts to try LinkGlide has been almost impossible… to the point it’s almost been “vaporware”.
With the CUES rollout, many of Shimano’s supply chain issues have been addressed; this meant you could finally find all the parts to buy a complete LinkGlide drivetrain.
Which we went out and did.
Our new budget workhorse drive train utilizes a Shimano LinkGlide Shifter and derailleur paired with a CUES 11-speed cassette and chain. The chain is the most frequently replaced part of any bicycle drive train, and at $22.99, the Shimano EP8, AKA CN-LG500 10/11 Speed LinkGlide chain is the crossover star, being compatible with both LinkGlide and 11-speed HyperGlide systems. This means its worth having an extra one in the tool box, which makes even more sense to me personally as I still have several bikes running 11-speed XT HyperGlide drivetrains.
However, it’s the LinkGlide Cassette that’s the heart of the system. Like the chain, cassettes are a wear-and-tear item that need to be replaced regularly on your bike. And while chains are relatively inexpensive, cassettes will set you back considerably more. At $131.00, the CS-LG700 isn’t the cheapest model in the lineup, but at the time it was all I could locate. However, its still considerably less than the HyperGlide equivalent – and far less expensive than upper-end SRAM options.
Shimano XT 11-speed Linkglide – the new workhorse drivetrain
- XT RD-M8130 11-speed rear derailleur — $122.00
- SL-M8130 11-speed shifter — $77.00
- Shimano LG500 10/11-speed chain $22.99
- CUES CS-LG700 11-50 T 11-speed Cassette — $131.00
I’ve paired the CUES chain and cassette with the LinkGlide XT shifter and derailleur, and after a few rides, my first impressions have been great. The main challenge was finding all the bits – if you’re looking to make the switch over and already have an HG freehub rear wheel, the drive train is relatively inexpensive. I did have to go to a few different spots to hunt all the parts down though; you’ll also want to make sure everything is the correct model number, and is “LinkGlide” specific. (Backcountry.com often has discount codes available, and I used some of my REI rebates to track down mine. Our local shop also had some of the components in stock as well)
I’m excited to log some time on the LinkGlide System. I’ve installed it on my e-bike, so it’ll be getting put through the wringer. It’s also going to be interesting to watch as entry-level 2024 series bikes are rolled out; hopefully, the CUES drivetrain and brake options help deliver a level of performance, durability, and accessibility that enhances the experiences of new riders to the sport.
