Shimano’s all-encompassing CUES drivetrains were meant to be the one-stop solution for all affordable bikes. Out would go Acera, Altus, Alivio, Claris and Sora, said the brand in 2023, and it sounded as if even Tiagra’s days could be numbered (though perhaps not those of Shimano’s forgotten child, Essa).
I had my reservations. The idea of one ‘family’ covering everything from commuting bikes to gravel, mountain and road bikes, in 1x and 2x iterations, across nine, 10 and 11 speeds, seemed a tall ask. While I understood Shimano’s business decision to simplify a sometimes-mystifying array of named groupsets, the problem I saw was more about aspirations.
If I were buying my first serious road or gravel bike, I’d want a groupset that looks like it has some pro tour or…
