Shimano CUES with LinkGlide – the future of shifting comfort. I have been riding with Shimano CUES from 9-speed to 10 and 11-speed for some time now – and I am absolutely thrilled. The combination of the new CUES group and LinkGlide technology has completely transformed my shifting experience. Those who have previously used Altus, Acera, Alivio, or even Deore and SLX will immediately feel the difference: it’s simply on a whole other level. What makes LinkGlide special is what happens beneath the surface: Shimano has redesigned the tooth profiles of the cassette – with flatter, more stable teeth and optimized shifting edges. The result is an extremely smooth gear change – even under load. You ride, shift – and the chain noticeably glides quietly and smoothly into the next gear, almost by itself. No jerking, no grinding, no delay. Just "clean." One point that I find disappointing: All CUES groups use LinkGlide, but Shimano offers them in different quality levels, marked with designations like U4000, U6000, or U8000. U4000 is the 9-speed version that does use LinkGlide, but is made from cheaper materials and simpler processing. U6000 (10-speed) and U8000 (11-speed), on the other hand, come with significantly higher quality components – essentially on the level of Deore or even XT. For me personally, it would be ideal if Shimano offered a 9-speed CUES group in U8000 quality (i.e., virtually XT quality). I don’t need 11 gears; even with my 45 E-bike, 9 is absolutely sufficient, but I don’t want to compromise on material quality. For everyone who needs fewer gears but values first-class craftsmanship, that would be the perfect solution. Unfortunately, there is currently no 8-speed version with LinkGlide – there is still potential for improvement there. Shimano CUES with LinkGlide is primarily designed for mountain bikes, trekking, touring, and e-bikes, not for road bikes or gravel bikes.

Originally posted on Galaxus