The trickle down of tech from top end road groupsets to lower tier ones, and even onto the best commuter bikes is well established. More uncommon is tech that is pioneered at the more sensible end of the cycling spectrum, but today Shimano has launched what is quite an exciting tech proposition in the form of its new Q’AUTO automatic, electronic shifting system for commuting, trekking, and gravel bikes.
The premise is relatively simple. Inside the rear hub sits a dynamo, which powers the rear derailleur, as well as an array of sensors which take information about the terrain and, with input from your shifting habits, learns when you’d normally shift so it can simply do it for you.
This is not Shimano's first foray into auto shifting, with a handily-named ‘AUTO SHIFT’ system already available for e-bikes based around the electronic Cues, Nexus, and Deore XT Di2 groupsets. But this is the first time it’s been ported over to a non-e-bike system.
How does it work?
Within the rear hub, sensors track your speed, cadence, and the gradient over which you are riding. Using these metrics, it automatically shifts the Cues rear derailleur to keep you riding at the optimum cadence. This is similar to the AUTO SHIFT system, though this also considers torque from within crank-based motor systems.
The system is totally autonomous and needs no charging thanks to the dynamo held within the rear hub, but like many autonomous systems, there is a manual override setting. Bar-mounted Di2 gear switches mean you still have the option of shifting whenever you like, and over time, the system will learn your own personal preferences, to the point that you should need the shifter buttons less and less. According to Shimano, there are over 6,500 algorithmic patterns for the system to choose from, based on your historic inputs.
There will be hard limits on what the system will allow. If you are a particularly forgetful shifter, waiting until you are grinding a hard gear at a very low cadence before you shift, the system will simply take over before this point. This should make life easier for everyday riders, as well as reducing wear and tear on the components, several of which are brand new to the Cues range.
The rear derailleur also has a selector button, which allows the rider to select from three modes. These modes aren’t outlined in the material we have seen, but it is reasonable to suggest that it is probably fully auto, fully manual, or a semi-automatic middle ground while it learns your style.
New components
The main event is, of course, going to be the new hub, with the ever-memorable Shimano designation FH-U6060. Without this, the system does not function, and it needs to be paired with the new, Q’AUTO-compatible Cues RD-U8050 rear derailleurs, which will work with either 10 or 11-speed LINKGLIDE cassettes.
There is also a new bar-mounted flat bar shifter, which features up/down shift buttons and an auto/manual selection button too. The rear derailleur is, however, compatible with all Di2 shifter switches, both flat bar and drop bar.
Pricing and availability
Pricing has yet to be provided, though it is likely that the system will be primarily be specced as stock on bikes at point of sale, rather than being sold as an upgrade package as many higher-end road groupsets are.
