After a long wait, Shimano recently unveiled the drop-bar components for its entry-level CUES groupsets.
According to Shimano, CUES will eventually replace its existing budget road and gravel groupsets, such as Tiagra, Sora and Claris.
When it officially announced CUES drop-bar components in late January, Shimano confirmed it would offer 1x drop-bar groupsets for 9-, 10- and 11-speed bikes and 2x options for 9- and 10-speed bikes.
The new drop-bar components are designed to pair seamlessly with existing CUES derailleurs, cassettes and so on, and are built around the same LinkGlide (rather than HyperGlide) standard, which is claimed to offer greater durability.
Following that launch, we got a sneak peek at some of the new parts at the 2025 iceBike* trade show, so let’s take a closer look and see what we’ve learned about these new groupsets.
CUES is coming for road bikes
Shimano CUES FC-U6040-2 crankset
The crankset is always a centrepiece of any groupset and CUES is no different.
The new chainring combination of 50/34t, which was launched alongside a 48/32t combination for gravel bikes, makes it clear CUES will make its way to road bikes in the coming months.
To our eye, the FC-U6040-2 crankset we saw offers a clear step up in aesthetic terms compared to Shimano’s existing budget cranksets.
As with the existing range of CUES flat-bar groupsets, the new drop-bar parts take clear inspiration from Shimano’s existing, higher-end gravel and mountain bike groupsets, such as GRX and Deore.
The new 2x crankset, in particular, appears to use an almost identical design to GRX ones, with a 110mm BCD (Bolt Circle Diameter) for the outer chainring and a smaller, likely 80mm, BCD for the inner chainring – enabling the use of chainrings smaller than 33t.
As on GRX, the CUES cranks, spider and chainrings feature a matt black finish with subtle Shimano branding, while the big chainring also has six cut-outs – presumably to save a little weight.
A rear view of the crankset shows the familiar 24mm steel spindle Shimano has stuck doggedly to for many years now, which offers compatibility with practically every bottom bracket on the market.
We can also get a good view of the various ramps and pins Shimano uses on its big chainrings to aid its class-leading mechanical front shifting.
Shimano CUES ST-U6030 dual-control lever
As we suspected, since they were leaked in late 2024, Shimano’s new CUES drop-bar shifters are almost identical in shape and size to Shimano’s latest 12-speed 105 R7100 shifters.
This includes the ergonomic upgrades to the brake lever, which see the lever scoop closer to the bar. According to Shimano, this reduces the reach to the brake lever, making it easier to access for those with smaller hands.
As per Shimano’s spec, the ST-U6030 levers can be used with 10- or 11-speed rear derailleurs in both 1x or 2x form (although, as already noted, there are only 2x configurations available for 10-speed drivetrains).
Shimano CUES RD-U6020-10 rear derailleur
In line with Shimano’s desire to streamline its entry-level offerings for itself and bike shops, the CUES RD-U6020-10 rear derailleur is an existing part of the CUES line-up, which will now be pressed into use on drop-bar bikes.
This is possible because the new drop-bar shifters use the same cable-pull ratio as the flat-bar versions.
The CUES derailleur features a design reminiscent of Shimano’s Deore MTB rear derailleurs, as opposed to GRX or 105, and uses a matt grey finish.
According to Shimano, it has buckets of capacity, being able to wrap enough chain for a massive 11-39t cassette when paired with a 2x crankset up-front.
This means CUES 2x groupsets will offer even greater range than Shimano’s higher-end road and gravel groupsets, which top out at 36t on the widest cassettes designed for 2x drivetrains.
The RD-U6020-10 rear derailleur includes a clutch and Shimano’s Shadow RD design, which sees the body of the derailleur hug the bike more closely. Shimano says these features help ensure “smooth and silent performance” in “rough riding conditions” and reduce the likelihood of the derailleur getting bumped or knocked while riding.
When will CUES start appearing on drop-bar bikes?
All these new components certainly look the part, then, but many riders will doubtless be asking “when will these parts start showing up on bikes I can buy?”
While we usually see a flurry of brands promoting their bikes whenever new groupsets launch, so far, almost no major brands have revealed CUES-equipped bikes.
Rather than this being an indication brands will be skipping CUES, we suspect this may have something to do with the overstocking crisis the bike industry has been facing in the past few years.
Already this year, for example, iconic brands such as Brompton and Raleigh have reported tumbling profits as demand for new bikes has waned in the post-pandemic era.
Anecdotally, brands have suggested to BikeRadar that they’ll be holding off launching CUES-equipped bikes until they’ve sold more of their existing stock.
As the biggest component manufacturer in cycling by far, though, no bike brand can ignore Shimano for long. Given this, we expect it won’t be too long before we start seeing CUES components making their way to new or updated road and gravel bikes.
