Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Panaracer

 Panaracer Announces New ZX Gravel King Tires:

Panaracer's Gravel King range of tires has an addition now with the latest racing focused Gravel King ZX.  

The ZX features a slick center section for speed. The shoulders have elongated tread blocks for cornering and braking traction. The Gravel King ZX also has a rounded casing which should promote riding on the center section for straight line speed and then as the rider leans into corners those side lugs come into play for stability in corners. 

The ZX version of the Gravel King will have Panaracer's proprietary ZSG Gravel compound developed specifically for gravel. This single compound will lend great ride characteristics and promote long-term durability. The Gravel King ZX tires also will have other Panaracer technologies utilized such as BeadLock and TufTex. 

Coming soon in sizes from 700 x 35mm,  700 x 40mm, 700 x 45mm, 700 x 50mm, and 700 x 55mm with the 45mm tire weighing a claimed 510 grams and the 50mm weighing 600 grams each. Price for each Gravel King ZX tire is set at $84.99 USD. Availability on the 45mm and 50mm tires is May 2026 with the 40mm scheduled for July, the 50mm scheduled for August, and the 35mm tire slated to be available in October 2026. 

Comments: The profile of this tire, with a flattened top section where the slicker part of the tread is, reminds me a lot of the old, original WTB Vulpine. The air pressure settings you used on that old Vulpine really were critical to the performance of the tire. Too much and the tire felt odd when leaned over in a turn. Too little and you started dragging those shoulder knobs into contact with the ground on straight sections, which kind of defeats the intentions of the design, I would be wary of the Gravel King ZX being similar in this vein.  

Confluence CUES 11 (Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles)

Salsa Cycles Announces Confluence CUES 11

Salsa Cycles has released a new version of the Confluence e-gravel bike. This Sea Foam Green bike features Shimano CUES 11 speed and a Mahle hub motor for an extra boost which Salsa claims can last up to 45 miles. 

Check out this bike at Salsa Cycles site HERE.  

A Viral Post:

I know most of you have heard the term "it's gone viral" or some form of this term. One thing I never thought I'd see is one of my social media posts going viral. I mean, most of what I post is either very cycling specific or just downright goofy. The latter was what my April 1st Instagram post could be defined as being. 

Here's the text I posted with the accompanying image. "When a steel bicycle frame reaches maturity it splits open and releases its reproductive spores into the atmosphere. These spores the settle in frame building shops where they bond with other frame spores to become new bicycles again."

I misspelled "then" by omitting the "n", but I did not care at the time because I figured hardly anyone would see this off the cuff April Fools post. But I was wrong.

So wrong!  

24,260 views and counting! It's kind of crazy. I cannot say why this took off, but "The Algorithm" must have thought it was funny, I guess.  

From Shimano social media

Shimano Offers Larger GRX 1X Chainrings, Shorter GRX Cranks, & New CUES 11's Rear Mech:

Shimano offered a few tweaks to GRX, its gravel going component group, recently. The trend toward shorter cranks and larger drive rings were addressed with the addition of a 44T and 46T 1X GRX rings coupled with a couple of shorter crank arm choices in GRX. 

Nothing crazy there, but a nice option for those who have a desire to follow this trend with their gravel set ups. 

The CUES thing is a bit more interesting, in my opinion. CUES has been out for a while now and while it was ballyhooed as a versatile, lifestyle group for the average cyclist, enthusiasts have largely ignored it. This is because CUES was designed in its own ecosystem which rendered it incompatible with other Shimano products past and present. 

CUES RD U6030 (Image courtesy of Shimano

Recently Shimano upgraded its lower tier Tiagra group from ten speed to eleven speed and in this upgrade they introduced an 11-36T cassette. Interestingly, CUES, which previous to this new CUES derailleur was designed for LinkGlide technology, has this new derailleur working with HyperGlide, which is what the Tiagra cassette technology is based upon. 

This raises some questions. Is CUES switching over to HypeGlide? What is the hierarchy placement for this new CUES versus Tiagra? Reports say the new CUES rear mech is actually lighter than other CUES derailleurs and the new Tiagra 11 speed rear mech. 

According to reporting online, Shimano has said this new CUES introduction is more about gravel bikes and Tiagra is for sport road riding, citing slight differences in chain line and Q factor between the two groups. 

So, this then leaves us with a question about CUES and Shimano's GRX groups. Shimano, at GRX's introduction, made the top tier GRX 800 an eleven speed group and the lower tiered GRX 400 was ten speed. Is this new CUES derailleur a precursor to a lower tiered GRX eleven or twelve speed group because GRX is going to 13 speeds at the top of the range?  

Maxxis 32" range. (Image poached off social media)

The 32" Watch: Maxxis Delivers On Rumors:

Yesterday at Sea Otter Maxxis showed a full range of MTB tires in 32" size. This was a rumor for months and now it has become a reality. 

This points to OEM acceptance of 32" wheels as a viable retail product. I will be very surprised if most top-tier brands do not have 32"ers in their ranges by 2027, (this Fall). 

In other 32"er news, there was the Fargo and Teravail tire intros yesterday. (See yesterday's post on these things for more details) Velo Orange showed a 32" rim in silver. Also, a couple of prototype bicycles were shown. One was from Esker Cycles and was based on the Lorax. The other was from Revel Bikes and was a 32"er titanium hardtail. Revel also had a "mullet 29"/32" bike in titanium as well.  

In perhaps the biggest news and sign that 32"ers are here to stay, at least for a while, was the spotting of a prototype 32" Fox fork on an Ari Bikes 32"er FS model. You know what this means? It means Fox has an OEM on the hook for production, or thinks it will soon. My bet is XC MTB bikes from one of the bigger brands will be the model type this shows up on.  

Image courtesy of Open Cycles

Open WI.DE 2.0 Announced:

Open Cycles sent a press release showing off its upcoming OPEN WI.DE 2.0 carbon adventure drop bar frame and fork.  

Claiming an amazing tire clearance of  29" x 2.6" (700 x 66mm)! To get this to work OPEN had to use a double-dropped chain stay design. OPEN claims that going from a 50mm to the 66mm tire doubles air volume. This will allow the rider to tackle even rougher terrain. 

To get this all to work, OPEN had quite a challenge on their hands. The result was still lighter, by only a little bit, than the outgoing model. Additionally only 1X drive trains are supported while retaining gravel group set compatibility.  

The OPEN WI.DE frame and fork is going into production now with a promised late Summer 2026 delivery.  

That's a wrap for this week. Get out there and ride a bicycle this weekend! 

A Follow-Up On The Make-A-Wish Post

 Earlier in the week I posted a list of wishes for the 2026 cycling season and I invited you, the readers, to chime in with any suggestions for wishes. I did get a few great ideas, and so I wanted to share those here in this follow-up post. 

I'll post these in no particular order, but I will say I think these ideas for wishes from my readers are brilliant. So, settle in for some thought provoking suggestions from the audience! 

Plastic Packaging: In an industry which prides itself on health benefits and being "green", you'd think we'd have eliminated waste in packaging. Especially plastic waste. But while things have gotten better in some areas, we've still a long, long way to go. 

Cardboard is being leveraged to be more versatile in packaging, and this has been a great development. However, when you receive a part from an online cycling retailer and it has several folds of those air-pocket packing materials in plastic, you have to just shake your head in despair.

Probably the worst offender here is new bicycle packaging. I know some companies are making an effort to reduce plastic packing materials, but a new bike generates a boatload of waste in the form of plastic zip ties, plastic sheet and coatings on components, and wheel/drop out protection. Not to mention the sheer amount of zip-loc type baggies you can accrue while building a bicycle.  

I agree with this idea. The bicycle and aftermarket retail segments need to do better here.  

Shimano Parallax hub set. (Image poached from the internet)

Serviceable, High-Quality Hubs: In terms of new bicycles for recreational and enthusiasts, many times companies use inferior, cheaper hubs, (and many other components not usually noticed by consumers). This causes issues when these hubs let in moisture and dirt. Many times these hubs are over-adjusted from the factory. They typically slip by in the build process at bike shops and big box retailers because adjusting bearings takes time. Accountants don't like it when labor costs are high. Then again, try finding an assembler who even has the slightest idea how to adjust cup and cone bearings. Between those two things, these cheap, cup and cone hubs can become quite a liability to the owner of any bicycle equipped with them. 

On top of this, parts to service these hubs are usually not available. Due to how many bicycles do not get ridden much, harvesting these hard to get bits at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective usually nets me a score when I am overhauling a Far East manufactured hub. Thanks to our generous donations we get, I can keep these hubs rolling. But this isn't the case everywhere. 

So, why not just make nice, decent quality Shimano Parallax hubs forever? The tooling can remain the same. Make some decent amount of replacement parts for service shops, and boom! Use these on every entry level to mid-tier bike with QR type drop outs. And then make through axle variants. 

Silver Components: While some efforts have been made to release limited edition ($$$!) silver and polished components recently, there are no really great options for riders looking for silver finished components. 

Obviously, how the stuff works is most important, and looks come second, or third, or.... But the point is, all this black, industrial design non-sense is not beautiful. And bicycles used to be an art-form. Now days, with the focus on aero, carbon fiber, and performance above all else, we have descended into making bicycles with a techno-edginess which, to be honest, is a bit dehumanizing and uninspiring.  

I'm not asking for a ban on black anodized components, or black fishes on components, but look at an original 1992 XTR group,, or any older road groups in a brand's top range, and tell me it is ugly. You cannot. It is beautiful stuff. A SRAM RED AXS crank looks like something spat out of a digital machine, rendering it with no line or surface worth caressing with the eye. You simply just ride the thing into oblivion and spend exorbitant amounts of cash to buy a new chain ring set when it wears out. Soul-sucking, it is. 

 On Shimano CUES: Someone also brought up Shimano CUES in the comments in the post from earlier in the week. While it was an interesting concept, Shimano kept this group-set idea from being great by manufacturing most of its bits for the group at an Acera/Alivio type level. 

This was not what I was hoping for when it was introduced. I was hoping it would be a forged alloy component line with compatibility with all legacy shifters and derailleurs. But Shimano went with a more entry-level approach and then saddled consumers with having no options outside of its ecosystem due to Shimano's choice to make the cable pull ratio specific to CUES.  

So, CUES, while interesting, is "not quite it" when it comes to a group which could have had a major influence in the used bicycle market, OE entry to mid level bikes, and with enthusiasts who want to tinker with bicycles. Instead Shimano made it a closed system and the air was sucked out of the room because of this.  

So, I wish Shimano would reconsider their philosophy in regard to CUES and redesign it with more upscale, all-aluminum bits with an eye to versatility and compatibility with older Shimano parts.  

As always, thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions. If you'd like to comment on any of this, please leave a comment in the comment section.  

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of the UCI. From the 2024 Gravel World Championships

Gravel Season Ending On The Professional Level:

This weekend and next weekend mark the end of the Pro gravel season for the riders of Life Time Grand Prix and for the UCI Gravel World Series. 

Up this weekend we have the UCI event, held in the Netherlands. We will see the women and all age group riders set off on Saturday while the Men's Elite category will tackle 111 miles in 3,5 laps of a loop course. The women and age group riders will do less miles with only 2.5 laps. 

Meanwhile, next  weekend  in Bentonville, Arkansas, the Big Sugar Classic will end the Life Time Grand Prix series with a 100 mile course in the Ozarks. Of course, the Grand Prix isn't all gravel events, but it is seen as one of the bigger gravel series from a Pro perspective regardless, mostly due to the wealth of the prize purse for participation and getting good results.  

Trans Iowa v14 Image by Celeste Mathias

Pro Events Are "Watered Down Gravel":

As I peruse what the UCI, Life Time, and even events like the much vaunted Traka 560 have for courses, I am left wanting. Why? Because most of these events have less than 3/4's of the distances as "gravel" and several are barely over 50% "gravel". And I use the term "gravel" in quotes because what many of these events have to use for courses just do not measure up to the same level as what is on offer in the USA.  

This is why you'll notice several European riders who come to Unbound say it is an amazing, tough course, because it is mostly gravel. I know, for many of you dear readers this seems silly to even think about, but a gravel event, in my opinion, should be at least 80% gravel, or more, to be considered a "true gravel event". 

Maybe you think this is a harsh judgement? Well, what if we had a UCI XC MTB course which was 45% paved? Does this even make sense? Or how about a UCI DH MTB course which was 50% flat? You'd hear about this, and people would say it was a farce. 

Well, I'm pretty much saying the same about these "big time" gravel events which feature LOTS of pavement. You might counter with something like, "Well, they have to put a lot of pavement in to connect the gravel sectors.". Well, that is true. Maybe those places are not all that great for actual gravel events which would challenge Pro riders on courses which were 80% gravel or more. 

Good, Pro-level events deserve the best courses. Not a compromised version of gravel racing. There are places this could be done. You know.....like they do at Gravel Worlds in Nebraska? (And elsewhere) 

Image courtesy of Shimano

 Shimano Offers Limited Edition CUES 10/11 Speed Components:

Shimano released news earlier this week concerning a new hue for CUES components. Silver polish will now be offered for a limited time in their 11 speed and 10 speed  range for CUES. 

Previously Shimano had done a limited run of silver anodized GRX components. The CUES signals a less expensive way to get in on some silver components. 

The limited silver edition CUES includes a crank, levers, the rear derailleur, hydraulic flat mount calipers, a front derailleur, and a cassette. (Standard  CUES cassettes are black)

Comments: Is Shimano now going to start offering silver anodized/polished parts more often? This bears watching from a fashion standpoint. I can see older, aging cyclists digging it as it would remind them of bicycles of days gone by. 

But younger folks will drive the market, and from what I have been seeing, younger folks are not showing as much interest in cycling as they once had when silver was common for components. Maybe if Shimano made electric scooter parts in silver..... 

Image courtesy of Ari Bikes

Ari Bikes Shows Off Shafer V3 Gravel Bike:

Ari Bikes (Formerly Fezzari Bikes), the direct-to-consumer brand, has just released their version 3 of the Shafer gravel bike. Boasting revised geometry, room for 29" x 2.2" tires, and in-frame storage, the new Shafer is on-point with regard to today's gravel bike trends. 

The Shafer can be configured in several ways to suit most budgets. There are plenty of accessory mounts and Ari has also boosted the stack height on the Shafer per customer requests. 

The head tube angle is a slack - for garvel bikes - 69° and the bottom bracket drop is a healthy 78mm, which means the Shafer is not a good choice for skinny tires or 650B wheel sets.  Interestingly, the chain stays are size-specific on the Shafer, which you do not see normally, especially in carbon fiber. 

Starting with prices for complete bikes at $2,549.00 and topping out with the Shafer Pro at $8,499.00, there are several ways to get into this bike. You can also purchase a frame set for $ 1,999.00. 

Comments: This trend for fatter tires and slacker angles up front now is getting to the point where we are entering Fargo/Cutthroat territory. In fact, the new Shafer is very much like a Cutthroat. The main difference is the Cutthroat's 8mm higher bottom bracket, lack of in-frame storage, and larger, 2.4" tire clearance. 

And Just Because It Is Beautiful.....

Singular Kite Ti which will be at the Bespoked Dresden Show this weekend. (Image courtesy of Singular(

  Gotta give a shout-out to Sam Alison Singular Cycles for this special Kite Ti which will be at the Brooks booth for the Bespoked Dresden bicycle show this weekend. 

That is a wrap for this week! Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions! Get out and do some Fall bicycle rides! 

Friday News And Views

Welcome To November's First FN&V!

Norpine Valley Fat Bike Classic:

The fat biking season is just around the corner and fat bike racing is right on its heels. The Norpine Fat Bike Classic is an event happening up in Lutsen, Minnesota at the Cascade Lodge. The event will take place on January 10th and 11th, 2025. 

Two course options exist with the "Short Pine Course" being 14 miles and the "Long Pine Course" being 25 miles in length. Registration is open now and cost $110.00 until November 24th when the registration fee will jump to $150.00 until the day of the event. The field is limited to 150 riders, so make sure you hop on this sooner than later if you are interested. Stick around on Sunday after the race and hit up a group ride for more casual fat biking on groomed trails. 

It's all put on by the Superior Cycling Organization. Check it out if you need some real fat bike conditions to race on this Winter.

End Of Year Schedule For Guitar Ted Productions:

As is my tradition on this blog, November will be the month that I close down all my reviewing activities. December will bring on the end of year reviews which I traditionally do here and which take up most of the dates in that month.

I may even start doing some of the end of year stuff after Thanksgiving. That is yet to be determined. But I also want to point out, speaking of Thanksgiving, that I will be asking you readers to join me on the "Virtual Turkey Burn Ride Challenge". This will be the fourth year for the VTBRC and I will be posting a full reminder later in the month. 

If you are interested and want to start making plans now, see this link.  There you will find all the parameters and requirements for this challenge. (Dates will be adjusted to reflect 2024 Thanksgiving) Check it out! 

Finally, N.Y. Roll and I will be recording our final episode of the Guitar Ted Podcast for season 2 soon. If you have any final requests, or anything you'd like to hear us rant about, now is the time to let us know! We will resume podcasting in January to start season number 3. Thanks for checking it out, if you choose to. 

Image courtesy of Shimano

Shimano CUES Q-Shift Auto-shifting Set For 2025 Debut:

Several reports have been floated during this Fall with news that Shimano is going to have an auto-shifting drive train which will be available on several OE bike offerings in 2025. 

Called "Q-Shift", this technology will store data on users performance traits and use this information to allow its self-energized servos to shift a derailleur based drive train up and down an 11 speed cassette. 

I rode an early version of this technology in 2007 when Gary Fisher pulled me aside to try out a bike outfitted with a 27 speed drive train that shifted automatically according to cadence and speed. Another version of this technology was actually produced for consumers in the late 2000's when Shimano introduced the short lived Coaster group. That was an internal 3 speed hub with a front hub generator that energized a servo mounted on the seat tube when the bike was in motion. The servo would switch gears in the hub as you rode based upon speed. 

Shimano hopes that auto-shifting will enable riders to use bicycles without concern for learning how to shift and when to shift, as the automated technology inside the system will do all that for you. This, Shimano hopes, will be a less expensive alternative to eBikes with mid-drive motors, and it should prove to be lighter weight as well. 

Comments: Neat. It will work as advertised, I have no doubt. However; if what I am observing in the average populace here is any indicator of mass appeal, it won't be all that successful as a pedal-platform only offering. Most folks I see want to pedal less, if at all. Just the other day I was passed on the bike path by what amounts to a full-suspension motorcycle powered by a battery and it had no pedals. E-scooters are al the rage amongst the youth here. Pedaling? Really? I don't see it as being something that will attract anyone to cycling with all the alternatives that only require the body to be able to sit or stand upright. 

2025 Trek FX Sport 6 (Image courtesy of Trek Bicycles)

Did Trek Just Release A Flat Bar Gravel Bike?:

Trek is starting to roll out 2025 models this Fall. (They are also using "Generation" numbers in an attempt to leave the model year scheme, but...) Is this Trek FX Sport 6 a flat bar gravel bike? Trek is marketing it as one of this model's uses. 

Of course, you can ride any bicycle on gravel and call it a "gravel bike". Take for instance the Trek 830 steel 1990's era MTB I saw on Facebook Marketplace recently that had gravel tires, a drop bar fitted, and an upgraded drive train with an asking price of 1K. Listed as a "gravel bike", of course. 

So, take the following with a grain of salt. 

My take? Sure! This could be a great flat bar gravel bike, but..... Why did Trek spec it with quick release wheels and their goofy 5mm through bolts? The frame is carbon. It could easily have the now standard through axle sizes of 100 X 12mm and 142mm X 12mm, but noooooo! Then there is the geometry. 

This is a bike aimed at the fitness geek that wants the best fitness bike out there. Why on Earth spec this bike with a 65mm bottom bracket drop? That's insane. The bike would have made so much more sense with a lower bottom bracket which would support stability and ease of getting on/off versus a cyclo cross high bottom bracket. 

But what do I know? By the way, this carbon fiber fitness rocket sells for $2,999.00. That's a lot of cabbage. 

Gravel Grinder News

USAC Announces Junior's Series of Grave Events:

Well, it had to happen at some point, and maybe this is the way USAC gets its mitts on the pulse of the elite racing side of the gravel scene. It was announced recently that USAC has a five gravel event series for junior aged racers which includes SBT GRVL and Unbound Gravel. 

The ultimate goal for USAC is encapsulated in this statement about the series from their website:

"Top-ranked riders from the series will be invited to a USA Cycling Junior Talent Identification Camp in October 2025. This new, invitation-only camp provides young athletes with a dedicated pathway into elite-level road racing and an Olympic discipline. "

Sounds pretty "inclusive" and just what the original organizers of gravel events were thinking of when they started this whole thing in motion. (Sarcasm Alert)

Thankfully there are a ton of gravel events that are not focused on the few. But guess what cycling media wants to tell you? You know the answer to that.....

Meanwhile, in other gravel series news: Gravel Worlds has aligned itself with the Gravel Earth Series, a world-wide gravel series which now will have a "world championship" event in direct competition with the UCI's. This should prove interesting.... Especially since the UCI has no currently announced US based events and this series includes the Grasshopper Adventure Series, Gravel Worlds, The Oregon Trail Gravel event, and CORE 4 in Iowa.  It's a bit confusing, as I'm not sure in what way the Gravel Earth Series is aligned with all these events, but stay tuned as I learn more. 

Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame Noms Open Today: Wednesday the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame announced that nominations for the fourth class of nominees to be inducted into the GCHoF will open today. The format to nominate someone worthy of the hall has been tweaked slightly. Now the GCHoF will require two well written paragraphs on the person being nominated. Anyone submitting a nomination without two paragraphs, (or with lists or what have you) will be thrown out. 

Nominations will close November 30th.

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions. Get out there and ride this weekend!

Gravel Grinder News: Shimano Introduces ESSA 8 Speed Components

Today Shimano announces a new component parts name in ESSA. This will be a designation for a new rear derailleur and crankset that will be seen on many "affordably priced" new bicycles in the marketplace. ESSA will be compatible with all current Shimano Hyperglide 8 speed parts with the exception of CUES, which is its own standard. 

ESSA will also be paired with Acera, Altus, and Tourney TX systems. The rear derailleur will have a maximum capacity of 34T and a maximum low cog size compatibility of 45T. The ESSA rear derailleur will use the Shadow profile developed for MTB rear derailleurs. There is no clutch, but Shimano claims that the derailleur spring tension has been optimized for 1X drive train operation.

Image courtesy of Shimano

In other news Shimano also has introduced a new CUES shifter which has been optimized for smaller hands called S-Reach. The throw of the triggers has been reduced by 11% and the triggers have been placed to be more on the same plane to enhance ergonomics for smaller hands. 

Finally, Shimano has also revamped it's non-series hubs for more robustness and better sealing to adapt to the needs on eBikes. 

Comments: While not really gravel specific, ESSA and the new S-Reach CUES probably will find their way onto many youth bikes which may see gravel use. Additionally, CUES S-Reach shifters may see spec on some lower priced flat bar gravel offerings in the youth and women's bike ranges of some companies. 

It is hard to imagine that 7 speed components will be left behind, but with no mention of ESSA working with 7 speed, it may mark the beginnings of Shimano finally leaving 7 speed components behind for good. In this old mechanic's opinion, I have found it hard to believe 6 and 7 speed stuff still exists as new parts on bicycles. It would make sense from a business standpoint for Shimano to cut those SKU's and focus resources on 8 speed and above. Perhaps this ESSA introduction marks that this time has arrived. 

Note: Images and information used in this post were provided to Guitar Ted Productions by Shimano.

Thoughts On Shimano CUES

CUES should revolutionize mid-priced cycling (Image courtesy of Shimano)

Yesterday Shimano introduced a new group range which eliminated a slew of its former hierarchy of components from the mid-range on down to the entry levels. 

You've probably seen a bunch of reporting on the CUES (Create Unique Rider ExperienceS) elsewhere, so I won't delve into all the technicalities. I want to share my thoughts on what this does to cycling in retail and in practice. 

The nuts and bolts of this are that Altus, Acera, Alivio, and the 10spd and 11spd elements of Deore are now retired. CUES will cover this range now with the 11 speed only U8000, the 10spd and 11spd U6000, and the 9spd U4000 ranges of components. While, on the surface of it, that may seem like it is three new component ranges, it really isn't. 

That is because everything in CUES is based on 11 speed and a single cable pull ratio, (Shimano didn't say what that was in its presentation), so you can mix any 11 speed crankset, even non-Shimano stuff, in with a 11, 10, or 9spd CUES drive train. Any CUES derailleur will work on any CUES Cassette, theoretically, as long as it has the correct range. You don't need a special chain. Any 11 speed one will do, but of course, you should use a Shimano one. Any CUES shifter will work with any of the CUES rear derailleurs. (You may have to "limit out" a rear derailleur in certain circumstances or relinquish a few cogs in other circumstances that would not be available due to shifter/derailleur/cassette combinations that don't match in speed.) So, in a pinch, you could "get someone going" as a shop mechanic again even though they may have a broken 9 speed CUES shifter and all you have is 11 speed shifter.

All the CUES stuff is claimed to be super-durable, but the key is in the cassette. (Image courtesy of Shimano)

So, in many ways this reminds me of how things used to be with regard to 7,8.and 9 speed stuff that was semi-interchangeable and road and MTB was compatible with each other. While I did not get a specific confirmation that drop bar levers were going to be part of CUES, well they are going to be. You can pretty much count on that to happen very soon. 

Combine all of that tantalizing news and possibilities with the claimed durability of LINKGLIDE cassettes, and well, you've got something cooking here. These LINKGLIDE cassettes have something  which reminds me a whole lot of 7 speed HyperGlide cassettes in that the cogs in each cassette are thicker, taller, and have deeper ramps for shifting than other Shimano cassettes. That should make for great shifting for longer times than with typical cassettes. 

AND this stuff is mechanical. Many were lamenting that the possibility that mechanical shifting stuff was going to become extinct, especially on the road side in light of the Di2 105 group announcement. Well, this should quiet that down. 

U4000 CUES rear derailleur (Image courtesy of Shimano)

I can see myself using U8000 CUES stuff, maybe the U6000 11 speed stuff, especially for day-to-day gravel riding. Gravel accelerates wear, but if I'm using CUES cassettes and drive line gear, I should get more miles and better shifting for a longer time with CUES.

The wide-range cassettes are lending themselves to 1X at this point, but we were told "more is coming" later this year, next year, and the following year. So, I see a full range of cassette options and especially so if the OEM brands get a hold of this and push CUES heavily, which I feel is going to happen. 

One of the other things that slipped in a bit under the radar with the CUES announcement was the new hubs which point to a sea change with Shimano. Formerly they were not about cartridge bearings or swappable axle standards. But that has changed and furthermore; you can swap freehub bodies in a tool-less manner. That makes Shimano hubs a lot more versatile, and therefore attractive, to build wheels with. 

Drop Bar Shifters? Shimano intimated that drop bar compatible CUES was going to happen and that it likely will eliminate Claris, Sora, and some options within the current Tiagra group set. This is awesome, and it would allow a wide range 9, 10, or 11 speed "mullet" set up, (only it wouldn't really be "mullet" since it would be intentional and part of one group, but...). This only brings up the question of what will become of GRX 10 and 11 speed. 

Well, you are going to see 12 speed GRX, that's what. (My opinion, I have no official word here) 

There are a lot more details to the CUES announcement, and a lot more to come, but I think it is an exciting announcement, and a good move by Shimano.

Thoughts On Shimano CUES

CUES should revolutionize mid-priced cycling (Image courtesy of Shimano)

Yesterday Shimano introduced a new group range which eliminated a slew of its former hierarchy of components from the mid-range on down to the entry levels. 

You've probably seen a bunch of reporting on the CUES (Create Unique Rider ExperienceS) elsewhere, so I won't delve into all the technicalities. I want to share my thoughts on what this does to cycling in retail and in practice. 

The nuts and bolts of this are that Altus, Acera, Alivio, and the 10spd and 11spd elements of Deore are now retired. CUES will cover this range now with the 11 speed only U8000, the 10spd and 11spd U6000, and the 9spd U4000 ranges of components. While, on the surface of it, that may seem like it is three new component ranges, it really isn't. 

That is because everything in CUES is based on 11 speed and a single cable pull ratio, (Shimano didn't say what that was in its presentation), so you can mix any 11 speed crankset, even non-Shimano stuff, in with a 11, 10, or 9spd CUES drive train. Any CUES derailleur will work on any CUES Cassette, theoretically, as long as it has the correct range. You don't need a special chain. Any 11 speed one will do, but of course, you should use a Shimano one. Any CUES shifter will work with any of the CUES rear derailleurs. (You may have to "limit out" a rear derailleur in certain circumstances or relinquish a few cogs in other circumstances that would not be available due to shifter/derailleur/cassette combinations that don't match in speed.) So, in a pinch, you could "get someone going" as a shop mechanic again even though they may have a broken 9 speed CUES shifter and all you have is 11 speed shifter.

All the CUES stuff is claimed to be super-durable, but the key is in the cassette. (Image courtesy of Shimano)

So, in many ways this reminds me of how things used to be with regard to 7,8.and 9 speed stuff that was semi-interchangeable and road and MTB was compatible with each other. While I did not get a specific confirmation that drop bar levers were going to be part of CUES, well they are going to be. You can pretty much count on that to happen very soon. 

Combine all of that tantalizing news and possibilities with the claimed durability of LINKGLIDE cassettes, and well, you've got something cooking here. These LINKGLIDE cassettes have something  which reminds me a whole lot of 7 speed HyperGlide cassettes in that the cogs in each cassette are thicker, taller, and have deeper ramps for shifting than other Shimano cassettes. That should make for great shifting for longer times than with typical cassettes. 

AND this stuff is mechanical. Many were lamenting that the possibility that mechanical shifting stuff was going to become extinct, especially on the road side in light of the Di2 105 group announcement. Well, this should quiet that down. 

U4000 CUES rear derailleur (Image courtesy of Shimano)

I can see myself using U8000 CUES stuff, maybe the U6000 11 speed stuff, especially for day-to-day gravel riding. Gravel accelerates wear, but if I'm using CUES cassettes and drive line gear, I should get more miles and better shifting for a longer time with CUES.

The wide-range cassettes are lending themselves to 1X at this point, but we were told "more is coming" later this year, next year, and the following year. So, I see a full range of cassette options and especially so if the OEM brands get a hold of this and push CUES heavily, which I feel is going to happen. 

One of the other things that slipped in a bit under the radar with the CUES announcement was the new hubs which point to a sea change with Shimano. Formerly they were not about cartridge bearings or swappable axle standards. But that has changed and furthermore; you can swap freehub bodies in a tool-less manner. That makes Shimano hubs a lot more versatile, and therefore attractive, to build wheels with. 

Drop Bar Shifters? Shimano intimated that drop bar compatible CUES was going to happen and that it likely will eliminate Claris, Sora, and some options within the current Tiagra group set. This is awesome, and it would allow a wide range 9, 10, or 11 speed "mullet" set up, (only it wouldn't really be "mullet" since it would be intentional and part of one group, but...). This only brings up the question of what will become of GRX 10 and 11 speed. 

Well, you are going to see 12 speed GRX, that's what. (My opinion, I have no official word here) 

There are a lot more details to the CUES announcement, and a lot more to come, but I think it is an exciting announcement, and a good move by Shimano.