I read somewhere Shimano was going to make some changes. I just read yesterday they were coming out with a new Tiagra groupset. That means not everything will be replaced with CUES. So does anyone have any predictions what they might do? I suspect they might come out with a new Alivio groupset. How about an Alivio 3600 (like M3600 and T3600).

So rim brakes is truly and finally dead.

Appears so. In 2027.

Shimano’s new Tiagra groupset answers questions CUES could not | BikeRadar

Does anyone think Shimano started giving away the lower-end business with their decision to go with CUES? I mean I've seen more low-end bicycles with Microshift now.

Shimano has made tons of low end crap and will continue to make low end crap. Yes nothing is going change on that front. If you really think things are changing they aren't Yes CUES is a great thing but it won't stop the bottom end from still coming out. Yes Microshift is growing because Shimano took it hard during the pandemic as they had factories shut down completely as well as some at 60% capacity or lower. They are still recovering from that like the entire industry is doing.

fixed

I predict they will continue to make great big piles of money for the foreseeable future.

That's a good business model

Cues isn't a road bike group. Tiagra is a road bike group. So after having a very long run with Tiagra 4700 as a 10 speed group. With 105 and higher tiers now 12 speed, why wouldn't Shimano update it to the new 11 speed R4000 series?

Cues also has brifters, compact 50/34 crankset for 68mm BB shell, and FD. So it's for road bikes too. Cues is like their universal 'do-it-all' groupset.

Tiagra is the new 105 at old Ultegra pricing.

All my bikes have rim brakes. If I somehow must buy a new bike and it doesn't have rim brakes, then I will be an ex-cyclist.

Saul

Rim brakes are fine, but as I posted upthread, going forward they will be NICHE.

I am hoping to buy one more new road bike in a few years (I am 60) and unclear if it will be rim.

Yep. Pulled this off of a Wal Mart bike a few years ago. I’m betting the parts cost was about three dollars.

^ not even the worst derailleur Shimano has made by a long shot.

They have a pretty fun little deathmatch at the bottom to which one is worse. It is weird to see a company that makes Dura-Ace and XTR which has won countless races and then make something like that under the same name. I know it is business but it just feels so odd.

It's like Joël Robuchon who had 31 Michelin Stars (and currently after passing still has 23 at his restaurants) also.running that fake Burger King in Pittsburgh but calling it Joël Robuchon's Burger King and serving the same really super poor quality food in "a dirty bus station".

Oh please.

If I buy a car and it doesn't have just an AM radio then I will be an ex-driver. if I go to see a new movie and Cary Grant isn't in it then I will be an ex-movie watcher.

I don't get this sort of attitude. I understand loving a bike you have had but the beauty of cycling is it ever evolves and gets better in a lot of ways and some ways don't always seem that way when you haven't tried them. Electronic shifting and hydraulic disc brakes are really good and giving up on something you love because they are doing what everyone does, move ahead in time and evolve, then you aren't really committed or interested. I know back in the day I said Square taper is the best and why would I want more than 9 speeds but having tried a lot of bikes the new stuff can be quite nice in a lot of ways. Not perfect and not a reason to completely get rid of vintage bikes and equipment but having a more comfortable ride I can go faster on and shift and brake more easily with less maintenance is pretty nice.

If that's how you feel, then I don't think you ever really were a cyclist.

I rode a recumbent for two decades due to a back injury. If my balance goes, I'll ride a trike. If my vision goes, I'll buy a tandem and pay someone to captain. If I lose a leg, I'll ride with one. I told my daughter when it's time to take my car, take it. But if she takes my bike I'm going to disappear.

Style of Brakes? Well that's a different kind cycling enthusiast, for sure.

Since when is 50/ 34 a COMPACT?? LOL >>> It's 46/ 30 eh.
It's just fricking bizarre why anybody wants 10 kinds of deFAILeurs. LOL I thought the low end was just 20 year old new stuff.
I have NO clue what or where Cues is supposed to be for. I don't think they know either. I'm soooo glad I'm DONE with defaileurs. LOL
After 7 years with my new car I still don't know how to do plug in music. Neither do I have a loaded plug in. Gimme my 6 track CD player back.

I thought that Cues was a cheaper/low end option, allowed for plug and play of multiple "speeds" or something like that. The road/gravel 1x11 is $800+/-. They have some MTB options in the $300 range, I think this is very low end stuff...

But - always a but with me - perspective. For $800 on can get a complete Trek Marlin 7 MTB. Groupset - Shimano Deore, frame, from suspension, tires, wheels - the whole lot, shipped and assembled.

A lower end 1x gravel groupset vs and entire bike - with a better groupset.

A Marlin 7 costs $1400. Its right there on Trek's website.

A Marlin 5 costs $850 on Trek's website.

I understand your comment from a sheer cost perspective- if you only have $800 to spend, then obviously buy the complete bike(for $850, per the website).
But I dont understand your comment from a quality and value perspective- that Suntour XCT 30 coil suspension is entry level and heavy, those tires are entry level and heavy, those wheels are entry level QR and heavy, and you get a CUES 9 speed drivetrain.
https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/b.../57363/5337015

I think the biggest problem with the CUES groupset, is that they made the derailleur pull ratio different than their well established 10-11 speed road groupsets, or their 10-11 MTB groupsets. It's just mind boggling why they would introduce a third set of pull ratios totally incompatible with the two existing road or MTB universes.
The thinking behind using the same 11 speed cog spacing to create 9 and 10 speed variants, was totally valid. It was just hobbled by the derailleur pull ratios.