Pistons Then Pedals

Repairability has always driven my buying decisions, particularly when it comes to bikes. Over the past three months, that mindset led me into a full overhaul of my Fuji Jari, a steel gravel bike I’ve owned for about eight years

Why A Mechanical Overhaul Of My Bicycle Was Needed

It had an entry-level Shimano Sora drivetrain which served admirably. I estimated that I rode it for about 7,000-8,000 miles. In December, the bike’s shifting finally decided that it was time to retire. The rear shifter would suddenly lose responsiveness altogether. The cable still had tension, but the shifter’s mechanism would become entirely slack. I’d hit the shift button about a dozen times and then it would shift.

I tried replacing the cable and the housing. I also checked all the rear derailleur settings, like the limit screws and the cable tension, with no success. My final repair attempt was to fully flush the shifter with isopropyl alcohol. Nothing made a difference.

Shimano CUES – The Cost and Installation

So, after about a month of research, I ordered a full Shimano CUES 2×9 groupset. This bike is jokingly named the apocabike (short for apocalypse bike), because I’ve built it to be as durable and readily repairable as possible.

I stayed with mechanical shifting and opted to keep mechanical disc brakes, too. This kept the price about $300 lower than the kit with hydraulic brakes and calipers. For the gearing nerds out there, the rear cassette is 11-36 and the front crankset is 170mm 46/32T.

The overall price was about $550. This included the cassette, crankset, front and rear derailleurs, both shifters, and a new LinkGlide chain. I also bought new brake cables and housing.

The bike didn’t have a front derailleur mount, because the old Sora was a clamp style. Fortunately, Shimano makes a clamp adapter which allowed me to install the new braze-on style.

The installation was relatively straightforward for a home bike mechanic like me. Shimano is great about making all of their procedures and documentation available online. As with any garage project, having the right tools makes all the difference. A torque wrench, a proper bicycle brake cable cutter, and chain quick link tool are essential.

What’s Next For The Fuji Jari?

For now, I haven’t reattached the dynamo lighting. I’m not sure that it provides as much light as I’d like for riding in Phoenix. So, I just have the hub’s wiring port capped and covered to protect it. I might opt for a new wider wheelset and tires eventually, but I’m waiting to see what the global economy does over the next few months first. I’m still running the Schwalbe Green Marathons in 700×35. The Schwalbe Aerothan TPU tubes have been an excellent way to offset some of the tires’ added weight. 

Initial Thoughts About Shimano CUES

I’m pretty excited about this new CUES groupset. Shimano is consolidating their product offerings. This will reduce costs for them, but it should also make it easier to find parts in the future. It also uses an 11-speed chain. The shifter doesn’t have the same quality shift feel as the Shimano 105 groupset on my Canyon, but it’s noticeably better than the Sora one that I replaced on this bike.