From my initial review, it actually makes a fair bit of sense. All use 11-speed chains and some other common parts to reduce SKUs and inventory for shops at least.
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Wondering if this was the change I had heard whispers of and asked about here: Shimano changes
Wondering if there is any more to come. I would think from a number of actual bikes on the shop floor today, this is a pretty big change.
Yeah, I have a strong guess this is related to the rumors you heard, and that’s why I replied with the news under your thread.
Could be a one and done, but I suspect this gives hints to what might happen in the longer term at higher tiers over time.
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I am a moron. Didn’t realize it was the same thread. 
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LOL, I figured you might have missed that 
It’d be interesting to see whether Shimano discontinues older groupsets: a lot of “cross bikes” come with previous-gen SLX rear derailleurs. (My wife has a 3x10 speed setup with Acera shifters and front derailleur and SLX rear derailleur.)
It seems to me CUES is made for this market segment plus the touring market. For drop bar bikes the question is whether they’d use the same derailleurs and simply different shifters. Or if Shimano sticks to its playbook and uses dropbar-specific components with different pull ratios.
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They said parts will be available for current groups for 7 years.
Sure, but I was thinking about new bikes.
Oh, then yes…older groups will likely not be available for OEM use.
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On the whole the Cues move seems great. Biggest disadvantage I can see so far is the end of the 9-speed chain, which could be worn to 0.75 instead of 0.5. That seemed like a significant maintenance advantage over the higher tier stuff. For a non-cyclist with a town bike, it meant you could cover the thing in wet lube any time it got dry and otherwise ignore maintenance until replacement, still getting decent life out of it. An 11-speed chain certainly won’t be as forgiving.
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Is it such a big disadvantage, though? In my experience, the biggest disadvantage of cheap Shimano groupsets is the lack of rust protection. Here in Japan, chains and rear cassette become a brown mess. Most bikes are kept outdoors, and even if they are under a roof, they see plenty of rain and are not babied.
Yeah in Japan, a bicycle is a consumable, ride it until it gets stolen or broken, then buy a new one. I would guess that >90% of bikes never get to see fresh lube, even the ubiquitous 3 seater ebikes.
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I really hope they move away from that, there is no good reason for this, and it would make it so much easier for them and shops if all the parts just work with the drop bar shifters. From that perspective it is a pretty exiting move in the lower Group set space.
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Was listening to the Geek Warning podcast today where they discussed the CUES stuff….gotta say the ex-product development guy in me was bummed that I never had access to this concept.
It is gonna be a massive product playground for product managers, working out different product combos to find new ways to spec interesting bikes.
Very cool concept.
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Couple the huge number of SKUs across the low end range to maintain and competition from china at the ultra low end, it’s a move that had to happen eventually.
Still waiting on 12/13 speed GRX and Di2 XTR/XT for non-ebikes.
One reviewer explained that Shimano engineering in more durability was to make this drivetrain more suitable for ebikes. And I think that is a very good argument. The interoperability is due to heightened competition from Chinese groupset manufacturers on the low end.
Does anyone have a clue when the road version is due to come out? Sounds perfect to update one of my old steel Bianchis…
Yep, you can buy a new bike for the price of an AXS chain. It will be terrible, of course.
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Not much point in releasing road CUES yet. If you want 11s mechanical, there is still 105 R7000 mech in production (for the time being).
I can see Shimano wanting to get 12s GRX released this year, and the rumoured 105 12s mechanical.
At which point a CUES 11s drop bar groupset starts to make sense to fill the gap below 105. But probably about 12 months from now.