Shimano has finally unveiled CUES components for drop-bar bikes.
The new parts consist of drop-bar shifters with hydraulic disc brakes for 10- and 11-speed bikes, as well as drop-bar shifters for 9- and 10-speed bikes with mechanical disc brakes.
CUES drop-bar components will be available in 1x form for 9-, 10- and 11-speed bikes and 2x form for 9- and 10-speed bikes.
As hinted by leaked photos last year, the new drop-bar components will be compatible with the existing CUES ecosystem of derailleurs, cassettes, chains and so on.
Shimano has also announced new 8-speed Essa components for drop-bar bikes, positioned as its most affordable option for road and gravel bikes.
At the time of writing, Shimano has yet to confirm full details of weights or availability for the new CUES components. However, these groupsets are expected to replace Shimano’s cheaper road bike groupsets – Claris, Sora and Tiagra – and we expect to see them specced on bikes at similar prices.
Versatility and durability
While Shimano’s more expensive road and gravel groupsets, such as 105 R7100 and GRX, focus on performance and low weight, CUES puts its emphasis on intercompatibility and durability.
Key to this is the use of identical cable-pull ratios for all CUES shifters and Shimano’s LinkGlide technology, which sees thicker cassette teeth used to combat drivetrain wear.
According to Shimano, LinkGlide cassettes offer three times the durability of the Hyperglide cassettes used on its high-end road, gravel and mountain bike groupsets.
ST-U6030 CUES dual-control levers
As per last year’s leak, the new CUES components take clear design inspiration from Shimano’s existing range of drop-bar components.
The new ST-U6030 dual-control levers, for example, appear almost identically shaped to those in Shimano’s 105 R7100 groupset.
Shimano says these shifters are compatible with both 10- and 11-speed CUES drivetrains, and they cost £219.99 each with the corresponding brake caliper included (more on these below).
FD-U6030-F/B front derailleur
The new FD-U6030-F/B front derailleur, designed for 2x 9- and 10-speed drivetrains, appears almost identical to a mechanical GRX version, with the same adjustment points and cage profile.
In the UK, the FD-U6030-F/B front derailleur is set to cost £29.99.
Cranksets
The cranksets are a carry-over from the existing CUES ecosystem, although Shimano has announced a new option with compact chainrings, likely intended for use on road bikes.
There are options for both 1x drivetrains, with 40 or 42t chainrings, or 2x form with 46x32t or 50x34t chainrings.
Although the cranksets appear visually identical at a glance, there are two tiers – the FC-U6040-1 and FC-U6040-2 cranksets feature Shimano’s premium Hollowtech II construction, while the FC-U6030-1 and FC-U6030-2 cranksets don’t.
FC-U6040 cranksets are available in 170, 172.5 and 175mm lengths, with FC-U6030 cranksets offering an additional, 165mm option.
The Hollowtech II cranksets will cost £119.99, while the standard versions are priced at £99.99.
BR-U6030 brakes
The new BR-U6030 hydraulic brake calipers feature a distinct design, however. Designed for flat mount and exclusively for 160mm rotors, Shimano says they use a “lightweight 2-piston construction” that “provides reliable braking performance under all conditions”.
Their integrated design negates the need for flat-mount adaptors, at the expense of eliminating compatibility with smaller 140mm rotors.
As previously noted, the brake calipers are bundled with the new shifters and cost £219.99. The SM-RT64 Deore rotors are priced at £26.99 each.
9- and 10-speed mechanical
Alongside the components for bikes equipped with hydraulic disc brakes, the ST-U3030 shifters will cater for 9- and 10-speed bikes with mechanical disc brakes.
The shifters use an “ergonomic design” that appears inspired by the rim-brake shifters for Shimano’s previous-generation road groupsets, such as Dura-Ace R9100 and Ultegra R8000.
These are options for 2x and 1x drivetrains, with the BL-U3030-L brake lever forgoing shifting internals.
Shimano says the brake levers use its “New Super Shimano Linear Response”, which is curiously named because it’s not, in fact, new (given it seemingly debuted with Shimano’s Tiagra 4700 rim brakes).
According to Shimano, this technology “makes use of a friction-reducing mechanism in the caliper, lever and cable that improve response and modulation”.
The ST-U3030 shifters cost £109.99 for the right hand shifter and £99.99 for the left hand one.
Everything else
These components are then paired with existing CUES parts to form complete groupsets.
The strong inter-compatibility within the CUES ecosystem means brands and riders are free to mix and match many components to suit specific riding styles.
Mullet builds – featuring an MTB-style rear derailleur and wide-range cassette, plus drop-bar shifters – are now a viable option at long last, for example.
Shimano CUES weights, pricing and availability
At the time of writing, Shimano has yet to confirm information regarding weights and availability for Shimano CUES drop-bar components.
As per our earlier reports on this topic, though, it appears Shimano is working with brands to have CUES-equipped drop-bar bikes in time for Spring 2025.
As noted, CUES is intended to replace Shimano’s lower-tier groupset options (Claris, Sora and Tiagara for road, and Alivio, Acera and Altus for off-road) and offer new, lower-priced entry points for gravel bikes.
Given this, we expect complete bike prices to land below what bikes specced with Shimano 105 or GRX groupsets currently cost (all else being equal).
Cube confirmed its upcoming, CUES-equipped Nuroad Pro gravel bike – the same alloy gravel bike that leaked these components last year, which has an 11-speed 1x drivetrain – will cost £1,199 / €1,199.
In comparison, Cube’s Nuroad EX, which is specced with a 1x, 12–speed GRX groupset, costs £1,399 / €1,399, making the CUES-equipped version £200 / €200 cheaper.
