Shimano CUES Upgrades

Are your e-bike gears skipping? Worried about excess chain and cassette wear? Want to save money whilst keeping your bike out of the bikeshop?

E-bikes are awesome fun and owners ride them more often and further than normal bikes. But with great power comes great responsibility

The new Shimano CUES drivetrains featuring Link Glide technology have been designed from the ground up to handle the power and wear e-bikes inflict on your gears. Designed to last *three times* longer than other drivetrains, with quieter shifting and much lower cost to install and maintain, upgrading to CUES is a no-brainer.

Recently I did a full CUES drivetrain upgrade for a customer who enjoys riding his Cube hybrid every day (see photos). With over 8,000 miles on the bike, everything needed replacing. Total upgrade cost was around £300, and he can now enjoy many thousands of miles of quiet, smooth and cost-effective cycling.

And when it’s eventually time to maintain his drivetrain, the cost will be lower than replacing non-CUES components.

CUES components are all cross-compatible, so the chance of being caught out by more supply chain shortages in the future are far lower than in the past.

There are three levels of CUES componentry depending on your budget and need - from the value-conscious CUES 4000 for 9-speed city bikes up to the 11-speed CUES 8000 for extreme off-road and hilly use. CUES 8000 with an 11-50T cassette is the equivalent quality and function of Shimano Deore XT - so no drop in quality for the more-sportily-minded. And yes, 11 speeds / 50T is all you need for the toughest Scottish black-trail riding. Don’t be fooled, 12 or 13 gears on an ebike are a silly idea as with the power on tap, keeping a specific cadence is much less of a factor. 12/13-speed systems use thinner cogs, and are therefore more prone to wear and damage from the extra e-bike forces.

But CUES isn’t only for e-bikes. The benefits of lower component prices, greater longevity and future-proof compatibility extend to analogue bikes too. CUES is just as easy to pedal as your existing drivetrain.

I can also set you up with Silca Synergetic chain lube, and show you how to use it. It’s a no-faff, no-nasty-chemicals, no-degreasing no-mess chain lube that is genuinely awesome and extends the life of your new CUES drivetrain even further. Everything else is snake oil.

If you love riding your bike, and love saving money, talk to me today about whether a CUES upgrade makes sense for you, now or in the future.

And please SHARE with any ebike-owning friends, relatives or colleagues - help get the word out about lowering the cost of maintaining e-bikes.

(Yes, I want to sell you something that means I will make *less* money as a bike shop, because I won’t see you as often, because your parts will last longer. I’m a big fan of sustainability, reducing our impact on the planet and keeping people cycling instead of worrying about cost or repairs. The fact all that saves you money is a bonus)