All use 11 speed chain. You need to change cassette, mech and shifter to linkglide/cues.
Review Shimano Linkglide 10 speed drivetrain.
- Thread starter Spin
- Start date
Perryqhill
Member
I thought it was 11 speed. There's a train of thought on here and elsewhere that the derailleur is less important though (as above) and that the 10/11 speed shimano derailleurs are compatible because its more about cable pull from the shifter (despite what Shimano say) and may even be of better quality than the CUES one.
Hence It would be easier for me to pick off the shifter, cassette, chain gradually and try it and then buy the derailleur if absolutely necessary. I'm really trying to pick the brains of those that have mixed and matched.
Amber Valley Guy
Active member
Just ordered the 10 speed Linkglide with the XT 11 speed shifter:
LG 400 cass 11-43 (as I realised I don't and won't ever need 50T)
M5130 Deore derailleur
M8130 XT shifter
LG 500 chain.
All in £160.. BUT those nice people at Nationwide Building Society are giving me a £100 for being a mortgage holder with them. Or in other words cost to me £60. Ive been umm-ing and arrrr-ing over going for the 11speed XT Linkglide but to be honest I just don't think I'll ever use the larger sprockets on the cass. (I cleaned the 12speed SRAM that's on the bike this morning and the largest 50t has never been touched and the next one down 42 (I think) doesn't show any wear, but I know I have used it (maybe twice), so the new 11-43 should be bang on for my needs, and there's always Turbo anyway.
LG 400 cass 11-43 (as I realised I don't and won't ever need 50T)
M5130 Deore derailleur
M8130 XT shifter
LG 500 chain.
All in £160.. BUT those nice people at Nationwide Building Society are giving me a £100 for being a mortgage holder with them. Or in other words cost to me £60. Ive been umm-ing and arrrr-ing over going for the 11speed XT Linkglide but to be honest I just don't think I'll ever use the larger sprockets on the cass. (I cleaned the 12speed SRAM that's on the bike this morning and the largest 50t has never been touched and the next one down 42 (I think) doesn't show any wear, but I know I have used it (maybe twice), so the new 11-43 should be bang on for my needs, and there's always Turbo anyway.
Perryqhill
Member
I guess it depends what you do. I've ran a 11 46 in the 11 months or so I've had mine and I do use it. Mine is an e7000 with 60nm and at 50 I'm reasonably bike fit for my age.
I don't do ridiculous techy climbs as you would see on EMBN but I do like finding some steep areas and seeing if I can't get up them. I'd quite like an extra few gears incase but to be truthful I've never really needed them - on occasions when I've found myself on something really steep I may go into boost and then into the lowest two cogs (possibly 46 and 42), but really it's rare I actually use boost.
Perryqhill
Member
Oh and I run the standard deore 11 46, think it's done 500 miles now and I put a new chain on three weeks ago with no slippage. I know some get mega miles out of chains and cassettes but in the slop and the gritty crap its been running in, along with the stick it's had from me as an e-bike learner, I'm quite pleased with it.
Amber Valley Guy
Active member
I'm on a EP8, live near the Peak District (so plenty of steep climbs) and I'm 60 in a few months. And I've never used the 50t, ever.
Perryqhill
Member
Done a few rides before over there (Doncaster based) on a normal MTB. Likely to have my first try on EMTB there over the next couple of weeks - maybe Ladybower Classic.
Although different terrain I've done Dalby Forest on EMTB and that's quite hilly and to be fair I don't think I used the lowest gears that often.
Amber Valley Guy
Active member
I think it all depends on your preferred riding style, some people prefer a higher cadence with less effort, others lower cadence more effort (power) and others can do both, like the lycra boys, I can't spin for long as my knees are shagged.
Certainly glad of the 48t on my 10 speed linkglide today grinding to the top of okeford bikepark after 15 runs.
No way would I be getting up there with smaller cogs.
Different requirements for different people doing different riding.
No way would I be getting up there with smaller cogs.
Different requirements for different people doing different riding.
steve_sordy
Wedding Crasher
It's not about the gears, it's about the strength in your legs or the wear and tear on your knees.
When arthritis first struck my knees, I went from a 36 driving a 36 to a 30x51 and still struggled on the same trails! I went down the medication route, painkillers, anti-inflammatories, physio, kinaesthetic tape; finally, all at the same time. The only thing that worked was getting an emtb! It took a month or so for my knees to partially recover, because they were now being stressed less.
I now have a 34x51 plus an 85Nm motor and Volterol full strength on my knees and there are still some short and steep climbs that I cannot get up 100% of the time. Pre-arthritis, I used to fly up them on my ordinary mtb.
When arthritis first struck my knees, I went from a 36 driving a 36 to a 30x51 and still struggled on the same trails! I went down the medication route, painkillers, anti-inflammatories, physio, kinaesthetic tape; finally, all at the same time. The only thing that worked was getting an emtb! It took a month or so for my knees to partially recover, because they were now being stressed less.
I now have a 34x51 plus an 85Nm motor and Volterol full strength on my knees and there are still some short and steep climbs that I cannot get up 100% of the time. Pre-arthritis, I used to fly up them on my ordinary mtb.
Amber Valley Guy
Active member
Yes mines arthritis of the knees, I find higher cadences can trigger the knee ache, but I don't run around in Turbo, hell Trail feels like Mad Max turning on the nitro sometimes, I'm mostly in Eco to keep the leg strength up and the heart rate elevated.
Amber Valley Guy
Active member
Im a trail rider, if you get to the top of some crazy climb, you know you won't be doing the same climb again the same day, as you said different requirements
Amber Valley Guy
Active member
Hey I forgot to ask, how do you find the LG 10 speed, are you overall happy with it?
Brilliant so far, not that I've got a huge amount of riding in so far this year as the weather has been shocking.
I especially like the dorky shift window! Ive never seen the need before but it's super useful on the start ramp of the bikeparks I ride to know it's in the 13t cog before I pedal off. Saves craning the neck round.
The short cage mech with the 11/48 cassette is the one for me. But I did see another post talking about the steel freehub getting gouged by these cheaper cassettes, so I will be keeping an eye on that.
Last edited:
Yesterday I installed a new rear wheel on my Trek Rail 7...one of those carbon rimmed, straight pull spoke, Bontrager models. Not installed because of failure of the OEM rim, I just know how my J-Bend spoked rear wheels usually end up breaking spokes.
Anyway, as I mentioned in my earlier post, I've been running a complete CUES, 9-spd, setup, and it had 750 miles on all the original components. I've had not one hiccup with this setup, and I had planned on running it longer until this new rear wheel deal popped up. I went back with a new, identical CUES 9-spd cassette and chain, retaining the previous CUES shifter and derailleur. This allowed me to have a complete spare rear wheel on hand when/if needed to be ready to plug and play.
This bike has been pounded in very rough, rocky terrain with lots of ups and downs. Maybe it being 9-spd makes it more forgiving or such...don't know. Also we don't have a lot of rain and mud here like some of you folks do, so that may be another reason why this inexpensive drivetrain has worked so well. For my application I'm not seeing a huge benefit in buying some of the more expensive drivetrains that can cost several times more. And trust me, I'm not easy on this bike. Durability has been quite surprising.
Anyway, as I mentioned in my earlier post, I've been running a complete CUES, 9-spd, setup, and it had 750 miles on all the original components. I've had not one hiccup with this setup, and I had planned on running it longer until this new rear wheel deal popped up. I went back with a new, identical CUES 9-spd cassette and chain, retaining the previous CUES shifter and derailleur. This allowed me to have a complete spare rear wheel on hand when/if needed to be ready to plug and play.
This bike has been pounded in very rough, rocky terrain with lots of ups and downs. Maybe it being 9-spd makes it more forgiving or such...don't know. Also we don't have a lot of rain and mud here like some of you folks do, so that may be another reason why this inexpensive drivetrain has worked so well. For my application I'm not seeing a huge benefit in buying some of the more expensive drivetrains that can cost several times more. And trust me, I'm not easy on this bike. Durability has been quite surprising.
Amber Valley Guy
Active member
I read that about his HG driver getting gouged, this could be the cassette ..but more likely not using a torque wrench to tighten the cass and it's been chattering when on and off load.
Currently testing the :-
Measuring it up, its .2mm wider than the 11 speed linkglide chain ive just removed that had hit the .5 wear indicator. Im slightly concerned about the Shimano press in pin, but of course an 11 speed quick link is too small. Will order a few anyway just in case it all pops apart.
Will report back.
Shimano E6090 E-Bike SIL-TEC Chain - 10 Speed
On my 10 speed linkglide as they are only £18.50 at merlin.Measuring it up, its .2mm wider than the 11 speed linkglide chain ive just removed that had hit the .5 wear indicator. Im slightly concerned about the Shimano press in pin, but of course an 11 speed quick link is too small. Will order a few anyway just in case it all pops apart.
Will report back.
I see your location is Mexico, so maybe there's some kind of exchange rate difference or such. That chain sells for $29 at our shop full retail and you can find them all over the internet for about $24. Most at that price are 126 links, but it looks like even that 138 link is only $30. I use that 116 link chain on the Trek Rail 7 and 9-speed Cues components mentioned a few posts back. They've been bullet proof so far at over 800 miles and chain still showing good life with the chain checker. I'm actually pleasantly shocked for how inexpensive this whole drivetrain is.
- Thread starter
- #50
I buy the chains and cassettes from AliExpress. About $40 USD for both.
Chain
Cassette
My Linkglide drivetrain has now done 2000kms. The shifter and derailleur have been consistent and faultless. I have been replacing the chain at 1000kms and am about to replace the cassette at 2000. To be fair , neither really needs replacing , shifting is still very good!
Chain
Cassette
My Linkglide drivetrain has now done 2000kms. The shifter and derailleur have been consistent and faultless. I have been replacing the chain at 1000kms and am about to replace the cassette at 2000. To be fair , neither really needs replacing , shifting is still very good!
Never used AliExpress, always assumed it to be full of fakes and scams.
How on earth can a genuine chain be £3.50 instead of £30? Thats a pre tax price im seeing and without creating an account i cant tell how much it would be once it gets to my door.
Thats silly cheap. And you are happy they are not fakes?
I dont log my rides, so no idea how long a chain lasts., 3 months maybe?
All my rides are at bikeparks, so 20 runs and around 7200ft climbing most weekends.
Previously with HG or sram, it would be the 13t or 12t that wore and skipped with a new chain, but the linkglide cassette is doing superbly so far.
- Thread starter
- #54
Yeah , the current chain with 1000kms on it was an Ali special. It has just enough wear on it now that it will squeeze into the first indicator of the chain checker.
Bear in mind , 95% of my rides are in dry conditions and I keep the chain well cleaned and lubed.
My theory with the Ali stuff is , it's out of the same factory as the real stuff but it either doesn't pass QC or it slips out the back door.
Bear in mind , 95% of my rides are in dry conditions and I keep the chain well cleaned and lubed.
My theory with the Ali stuff is , it's out of the same factory as the real stuff but it either doesn't pass QC or it slips out the back door.
When CUES was fixing to come out, our Shimano rep gave the whole spiel about the design, engineering reason, and the marketing reason about CUES and Linkglide. It is or was supposed to replace several categories of other product from the marketing and financial end...Acera, etc.
The Linkglide part of the design was to offer a longer lasting chain and cassette without raising the price and to a large degree lower the price. The upside would be that shifting and gear/chain engagement integrity would be increased, but the downside would be slower shifting. It was also deemed to stand up to ebike abuse better than HG, etc.
From my extended time with CUES and Linkglide up to this point on emtb use only, I'm impressed that this seems to have actually turned out to be true and not just corporate hogwash. I think lightning fast, seamless shifting is very critical for pedal-only MTB racers and even just those who pedal-only ride recreationally but need to conserve every millisecond of climbing momentum on many trail conditions.
I haven't found my emtb's to need that laser, high speed shifting issue because the pedal assist and a little overrun power seems to sail right by the shift without critical loss of momentum on climbs or elsewhere. I also find the shifts to be more positive when coming in or out of cogs, though not as fast as other more expensive drivetrain groups. But again, with the full power emtb, not really an issue for me.
I'm finding the Linkglide system to be very emtb applicable, and it's extremely surprising to find it at a lower pricepoint and yet still perform as well and maybe a bit better than many higher priced setups...at least for emtb. That almost never happens.
The Linkglide part of the design was to offer a longer lasting chain and cassette without raising the price and to a large degree lower the price. The upside would be that shifting and gear/chain engagement integrity would be increased, but the downside would be slower shifting. It was also deemed to stand up to ebike abuse better than HG, etc.
From my extended time with CUES and Linkglide up to this point on emtb use only, I'm impressed that this seems to have actually turned out to be true and not just corporate hogwash. I think lightning fast, seamless shifting is very critical for pedal-only MTB racers and even just those who pedal-only ride recreationally but need to conserve every millisecond of climbing momentum on many trail conditions.
I haven't found my emtb's to need that laser, high speed shifting issue because the pedal assist and a little overrun power seems to sail right by the shift without critical loss of momentum on climbs or elsewhere. I also find the shifts to be more positive when coming in or out of cogs, though not as fast as other more expensive drivetrain groups. But again, with the full power emtb, not really an issue for me.
I'm finding the Linkglide system to be very emtb applicable, and it's extremely surprising to find it at a lower pricepoint and yet still perform as well and maybe a bit better than many higher priced setups...at least for emtb. That almost never happens.
WasBXT
Member
Hey guys just upgraded from 12s Sram NX to Shimano 10s Linkglide….just putting the chain in and wondering how many links to run? I have the 11/43 cassette & a 36t chain ring.
I had 116 for the old 11/50 36T setup but unsure for the 10s and smaller cassette.
Bike is a 2021 Cube Stereo Hybrid 160 for reference. Cheers
I had 116 for the old 11/50 36T setup but unsure for the 10s and smaller cassette.
Bike is a 2021 Cube Stereo Hybrid 160 for reference. Cheers
Chain lenght is easy to measure. Put the derailleur to the smallest ring, put the chain on and measure the cutting point so that there`s some tension in chain left when it`s cut and quick link is installed. Then you have longest possible chain that will work with biggest ring but not too long. No more calculating links. Works for hardtails and fullsuspension.
Agree...I think my OEM chainring on my Trek Rail 7 is a 34, but the 116 link Linkglide chain still had several links requiring removal. Most any time you buy a new chain you'll need to remove links. Besides, one should always have a simple, light chain tool and a spare quick link in their pack or in the bike's tool kit in case you break a chain. I've only had to repair one chain trail side in all my years of MTB'ing, but it would have sucked to not be able to make a quick field repair.
Perryqhill
Member
Just changed from my 10-speed Deore drivetrain which was a bit worn and the derailleur had seen better days after taking a few hits to a Linkglide 10 speed.
RD U6000 rear derailleur.
CS-LG400 11-48T Cassette
CUES SL-U6000 CUES shifter
CN LG-500 chain
And a FSA megatooth 34t chainring (same as standard) for the Kona Remote.
All picked up from wherever I could get the best deal
Not sure on the quality of the derailleur and the shifter, but given how mine were working its an improvement at the moment. See how we get on with this.
RD U6000 rear derailleur.
CS-LG400 11-48T Cassette
CUES SL-U6000 CUES shifter
CN LG-500 chain
And a FSA megatooth 34t chainring (same as standard) for the Kona Remote.
All picked up from wherever I could get the best deal
Not sure on the quality of the derailleur and the shifter, but given how mine were working its an improvement at the moment. See how we get on with this.
- Thread starter
- #60
My experience with the 5130 shifter and derailleur (first post in this thread) has been nothing but positive. Not the most exciting looking products but they have both been set and forget. I'm still on the original shifter cable and haven't had to adjust anything!Just changed from my 10-speed Deore drivetrain which was a bit worn and the derailleur had seen better days after taking a few hits to a Linkglide 10 speed.
RD U6000 rear derailleur.
CS-LG400 11-48T Cassette
CUES SL-U6000 CUES shifter
CN LG-500 chain
And a FSA megatooth 34t chainring (same as standard) for the Kona Remote.
All picked up from wherever I could get the best deal
Not sure on the quality of the derailleur and the shifter, but given how mine were working its an improvement at the moment. See how we get on with this.
I'm now on the 3rd Linkglide chain and cassette , I have been replacing them every ~1000kms which is overkill to be fair. But given the cost of these 2 items , why not!
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