If you like a bit of bling on your bike, and find that the current selection of popular road bike groupsets are a bit too black or grey for your taste, then Shimano’s new limited edition run of the 10-speed, 1x version of its versatile CUES groupset should be right up your street, avenue, lane and bridleway! The polished silver parts celebrate Shimano’s long heritage in metalworking, bringing a bit of traditional style to your bike.

Fittingly, the unveiling will be this week at the Bespoked show in Dresden, Germany, which is one of the biggest handmade bicycle shows. 

The new components will be shown off on two specially-commissioned bikes – and although you perhaps wouldn’t immediately associate a show called ‘Bespoked’ with the world’s largest manufacturer of bicycle components, the mix of traditional custom bikes and innovative engineering on display, across all cycling disciplines, suits the versatility of CUES, as well as the classic aesthetic that silver components can bring. 

CUES Polished Silver Brake Levers
CUES Polished Silver Brake Levers (Image Credit: Shimano Europe)

A selection of special edition polished silver CUES components will be available for riders to mix and match, and to achieve the look that they’re after. You can choose between drop bar hydraulic or mechanical disc brake setups, or pair the polished silver parts with existing CUES flat bar components, to suit your riding style. 

The new polished silver edition adds a distinctive visual statement to this versatile and value-driven component group. So road, gravel, mountain, commuter and town riding are all covered. This versatility of purpose is one of CUES key features. Interchangeable components, including common derailleur pulleys, cassette sprockets, and chains simplify maintenance too.

CUES Polished Silver Rear Derailleur RD-U6000
CUES Polished Silver Rear Derailleur RD-U6000 (Image Credit: Shimano Europe)

The core components, all polished silver, that can be used in each setup include: a rear derailleur (RD-U6000), cassette (CS-LG400-10), a 1x crankset (FC-U6030-1), and a pair of hubs (HB / FH-QC400).

CUES Polished Silver Rear Caliper BR-U6030
CUES Polished Silver Rear Caliper BR-U6030 (Image Credit: Shimano Europe)

Then for a hydraulic disc brake setup for drop bars, you could add the hydraulic dual control levers (ST-U6030-R & -L) which are compatible with both 10- and 11-speed drivetrains. Paired with them would be the hydraulic flat mount disc brake callipers (BR-U6030).

A drop bar mechanical disc brake setup would use the dual control lever (ST-U3030-10R) and brake lever (BL-U3030-L). These can be paired with existing BR-RS305 brake callipers, however these callipers have a black finish.

Finally a flat bar bike mechanical disc brake setup would pair the existing CUES SL-U6000-10R shifter with the brake levers (BL-T4000) and V brake callipers (BR-T4000), both available in a silver painted finish. Alternatively for a hydraulic flat bar setup the BL-MT401 levers and BR-MT410 callipers (hydraulic post-type) could be used, however they are both black components.

At this point we’re unsure of the pricing, as Shimano hasn’t announced it yet. Whether there is a premium over the black components or not remains to be seen. As soon as we know the cost of this special edition, we’ll let you know of course.

We welcome the addition of a more traditional polished silver finish in a world dominated by black finishes. It gives more options for riders who want a classic looking bike with modern functionality. Bravo, Shimano!