Until now, fully automatic shifting was only possible with advanced e-bikes. However, Shimano’s newest shifting Q’Auto technology takes that concept and turns it on its head and combines the joy and simplicity of riding a mechanical bike with battery-free, automatic shifting.
“Q’AUTO offers a unique joy distinct from e-bikes: with automatic shifting, it maximizes your hidden potential, allowing you to experience the ease of riding in the perfect gear. Discover how effortless cycling can be with Q’AUTO. With no need to worry about charging, you can rediscover the pure pleasure of cycling. We’ve continued to evolve our internationally renowned bicycle components for all types of leisure and performance cycling, with over a century of innovation, starting with a single gear, and can now offer a fully automatic, battery-free Di2 shifting experience. Q’AUTO is the ultimate evolution in comfort and lifestyle. Its battery-free design and adaptive learning software allow for an entirely new type of bike that keeps riders in the right gear and adapts to your riding style. Allowing the rider to focus solely on the road ahead,”boasts Shimano.
No Charge Required
Q’AUTO is designed to work with Shimano’s CUES FH-U6060, a FREEHUB specifically designed for automatic shifting, featuring a dynamo function inside its body that will generate its own power with each pedal stroke. Inside the FREEHUB, there are three sensors to track speed, cadence and slope, allowing the intelligent Q’AUTO to collect power while riding and storing the electricity needed for performing shifts.
Additionally, Q’AUTO is designed for easy integration, and long-term reliability. Its cutting-edge hardware and software create a whole new style of bike that provides advanced automatic shifting without a battery to worry about.
Launching alongside the Shimano CUES FH-U6060 FREEHUB are the CUES RD-U8050-SGS/GS rear derailleur and the SW-EN605-R wireless shift switch. Avid cyclists will want to note that the rear derailleur is compatible with Shimano’s entire range of wireless Di2 switches and shifters – from flat bar to drop bar – covering the widest range of riders and riding styles.
Adaptive Learning
Q’AUTO takes the guesswork out of shifting and automatically keeps riders in the right gear, learning as you shift, and monitoring the relationship between the rider and the riding conditions they are experiencing.
With the Di2 shift switch, riders can provide immediate feedback, so as not to disrupt their riding flow. By tapping the switch to adjust to a different gear, the system will select that gear and remember this setting for similar situations. With over 6,500 possible algorithmic patterns to choose from, Q’AUTO will adapt to each riding style and any challenge it encounters.
“Over time the bike becomes uniquely yours—shifting for you when you prefer—from (almost) the very first pedal strokes. The more you ride, the more in-tune the rider and their bike becomes,” ensures Shimano.
FH-U6060: Automatic Shifting Dynamo FREEHUB
RD-U8050-SGS/GS: LINKGLIDE Wireless communication Di2 Rear Derailleur
SW-EN605-R: Wireless communication shifting switch
Shimano has yet to provide pricing on the new Q’AUTO, with the first systems being rolled as OEM components on complete bikes from various brands.
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