do you think it's possible Shimano might have thought to not bother competing with Sensah at this price point? I mean these Chinese groupsets go for half the price and most of the performance and although they don't advertise we still find out about them through cycling media. Seems to me like the big component manufacturers have lost their grip on the entry level market and went all in on electronic hydro disc.
Heard about Shimano Sora? I mean, if you are alone in the road it is fine with 9-speed cassett wich is also lighter than a 12-speed steel-cassett. Chain is cheaper to and the shifters have Shimanos better system with a small lever inside the breakleaver.
@@MarkusFolkesson Sora is pretty great and Tiagra is excellent, but all I see is people saying that if it's not 105 or higher it's useless. And it's not Shimano saying it, it's the actual cyclists. I'm more into Mountain Bikes and around here everyone goes crazy for Shimano XT, and while it's are great, there's absolutely nothing bad about Shimano Deore and Alivio, even the lower end stuff is great when built properly and no recreational rider needs more than those. If you can afford the fancier stuff by all means get it, it helps the technology trickle down to the cheaper groups but if you cannot afford the fancy stuff you're not missing much.
There is a reason this is only sold direct from China....this stuff all most likely infringes on multiple patents. Also, if these components fail in a way in which you get hurt what is your recourse? None. This companies dont develop any technology they just copy existing tech and make it as cheap as possible.
Niiiiiiiiiice!!! Glad you enjoyed using the groupset dude. So i'm well versed in the Sensah Empire 11 speed, but have never actually tried the 12 speed version.... Might have to give it a go after seeing this. But I know what you mean about the cable runs for mechanical brakes. I had trouble getting them to co-operate on a frame with an externally cabled headset, so I'm not surprised that a fully integrated headset posed some problems. Just an fyi, that Jagwire KEB-SL compressionless housing is probably going to be an absolute b*itch on that frame. It's MUCH stiffer than regular cable housing, so _really_ doesn't play nice on sharp corners. Good luck tho, can't wait to see what else you have in the works!!!!
The price of ALL groupsets have gotten insane..! TBH, the cost of cycling stuff has gotten insane in the past few years....remember when you could get a road bike with a full 105 gruppo for £1000..! full Ultegra for£1800-£2000....smh.
@@markb9488 Makes me sad as I have gotten into commuting by bike and now want to get a mountain bike for some dirt jumping and trail riding, but my god it's all so much..
I really like the focus you are putting on these less known brands. The fact you have this on a super high end frame is brilliant! When will these bike brands start to do the same?! Down with the Monopoly SRAM and Shimano have over is. I like also that you don’t BS us either. You do call out what isn’t good, where to be safe.
Zerofriction doesn't sell YBN because of the grease. They sell them because they make some of the fastest and most durable chains available. They are not a low cost brand - their flagship SLA line will set you back Campagnolo levels of coin for example.
Rumour has it that not only hydro but electronic is on the horizon for both Sensah and L-TWOO. I understand they were supposed to unveil at the Shanghai bike show this year, before it got canceled due to the lockdown
Sometimes you can't only consider only remium bikes/bikers/budgets. Some of us have limited budgets and comparing those good Chinese stuff to top notch super premium componentes is just unfair. Some of my friends ride cable activated Nutt (and ZTTO) hydraulic brake calipers and it's just a lot better than mine traditional mechanic stock Shimano ones. Sometimes, it's about paying less to get something a little bit better, feel better and cycle better. Specially when you consider that in some countries you gotta convert the currency 5 to 6 times the price tag. Keep up the good work I just love what you do.
@@core2zero true lol here where i live if it says shimano (especially 105 to dura ace, even if it's 3-4 generations older) the selling price of 2nd hand items are close to original. the second hand market here really sucks to the point that i would just consider buying new.
Here in Chile, A USED shimano claris 2x8 Mini groupset (Shifters, FD, RD chain and cassete) Costs 2 or even almost 3 times as buying the 2x11 sensah groupset from aliexpress
The best thing about sensah is that you can actually get all possible gearing combinations covered: 2x7 up to 2.x12. I'm currently happy running 2x8 for the much higher durability and easier maintenance. For the terrain I'm living in this is more then sufficient.
Analysis? This is more of a Bob and Ray skit...sorry but 1,000 miles isn't enough to find failures. An actual analysis would provide watts, Kg-Nm's and failure modes, not this one is smooth and this one feels like sand paper. Entertaining vid but you're probably getting what you pay for.
I ran Sensah 11 for two years and have been happy with it. For someone who wanted to update his very old (17 year old) groupset it was a big upgrade, for an amount of money that didn't feel wasted on an older bike. Combine that with the fact I could actually buy it (Unlike most of the 105 groupsets, not having the crank length I wanted, wrong casette, etcs) there was little to complain. Switched to a different bike now that came with Ultegra, and instantly missed the loud clicky feedback on the shifting, also shifting method actually super intuitive. Downsides: Mine also came with some (rim) calipers which are not good. Changing out the horrendous including pads made them serviceable at least. Other downside not talked about often: Low resale value. If I build up another disc bike Ill probably just move my Sensah 11 over and get some of those Juin Techs, seems like a solid combo Also im that crankset aesthetic wise looks quite nice, better than the CVR one included with my sensah 11 set.
The breaks are great with ceramic pads and Kaktus Ultralight disks. There are cassettes from ZTTO which are steel and called ULT for ultralight weighing in at 168gr for 11 speed 11 to 25, last long enough. The compressionless housing helps somewhat. Kaktus also have nice pressfit bbs with ceramic bearings.
I’m running Juin Tech brakes on my bike and fully agree with your assessment of the internal/external routing comment. My back brake route is internal but super straight and the braking is excellent. The front brake route is much tighter through the front fork and the braking is spongey as a result. I’ll need to re-route and swap to compressionless outers at some point. However, I have been able to go back to 105 rim brake shifters and they are so much smaller and nicer in my hands than 105 hydraulics I was running.
I have several Sensah groupsets(SRX Pro, Empire and Ignite) in use. One thing that appeared on two was, that the reach adjustment screw started to tighten itself and started to close the brakes more and more. That easy to fix when you are at home, but on the road most multitools won't work, because you need a long hex wrench. That is why I've removed these screws on all of my levers, if you use them put some thread lock on, and you will probably be fine as well.
Big one up to YBN chains and Zero Friction Cycling. I've been using a YBN chain on my R7000 groupset with wax for probably the last 7000kms and have only now needed to change the chain. Well worth it and Adam from Zero Friction Cycling is always happy to answer questions! This definitely shakes things up in the groupset game... when I upgrade my bike these Ali Express kits might have to take the cake. Thanks as always for great content Francis!
AliExpress YBN ones are very good. Much cheaper than KMT or Shimano for the lighter ones. Good value. All mine were greased (4) so Francis's might have been a factory error.
YBN is a proper chain brand. My LBS highly recommends them and he's a bit of a brand name snob. He reckons another few years and they will be the new KMC.
I have the original Sensah Empire rear derailleur for the past 3 years. I think it compares well with Ultegra, since it is about the same weight. Shifts well, has held up to 1000’s of miles, racing and all. Worth the price.
When you look at what Shimano are charging for groupsets now it would certainly have a lot of people seriously reconsidering upgrade choices. My brother in law(who lives in China) has heard a whisper that they are working on electronics as well.
I've been using Sensah 11-speed shifters with Shimano 105 front & rear mechs for over a year and I can report that they have been flawless. The micro adjustment clicks on the front is brilliant at eliminating chain rub when you're in high/low and low/high. The tactile clicky feel is nicer than Shimano shifters, but the single lever long/short movement takes a bit of getting used to at first, especially when you're used to Shimano. I haven't used Sensah deraillerurs but I expect they would also be very good. After all, the derailleur is just a moving trapezium, so as long as the pivots are free from play and the castings are rigid enough then there's nothing really to be wrong with them. For the price they are an absolute no-brainer, unless you're a bike snob ;-)
Personally, I would call it a Sram killer, not a 105 killer. Different shifting mechanism/method. I prefer Shimano style shifting, therefore Microshift gets the nod as a less costly sub for me. Appreciate your channel! 👌
I'm willing to make a bet, that Jagwire compresionless housings (if installed properly) will make a huge difference. Looking forward to that video. They are stiff and they need to be installed carefully especially at the ends, where cable pops out of the housing, so that it doesn't rub on the housing metal inner part. Other than that, it's night & day upgrade from basic stock brake housings. Done it to two of my bikes and results always pleasantly surprise me.
I agree. I have Jagwire outers on Juantech brakes the same as Francis is just about to do. The only issue is that the outers are less flexible and really hard to route through bars and stem etc.
I'm running Jagwire Pro (compressionless) with Juin Tech F1 and had hydraulics before. I'm pretty happy with it. It's not as good, but it's definitely very decent and it means I don't have to live with clunky shifters if I want to stay on mechanical shifting.
Bear in mind that the Jagwire compression-less are not 100% compressionless, as they're made from kelvar, a 100% compressionless housing are the Yokozuna Reaction. Also recently I have fitted mechanical disc brake to a Specialized Tarmac with it's internal cable routing, it can be done, just need careful bending of the housing to ensure the back brake feel as good as the front.
I just recently installed a Sensah SRX Pro 1x 11 groupset on my bike and I really like it. Shifts are very precise and 'clicky'. I am also using hybrid caiipers on my bike and can confirm that they don't feel spongy at all with full external cable routing.
Nicee, coming back to the sport after 15 years, this review is a life saver. This wil go on my 2013 TCR ADVANCED RABO is have been waiting to restore for a long time.
I'm running 105 10 speed and have been hankering to upgrade to 11 (or maybe 12) speed but the prices of the groupsets are astronomical, even used ones, so this is something I would very much be interested in. Thanks for the review!
Keen to try the compressionless housing. I predict it will be difficult/impossible to route through this frame though, might need something with external cabling for best results.
I went from an 8spd to 10spd,my 8spd was Shimano, i wanted 10spd shimano but the cost for an entire groupset was way above my budget, decided to go for the sensah phi 10spd group set, only issues i had is that its rear derailleur was crap and had to change it, but its front derailleur is excellent and how it shifts and gives you the option to prevent chain rub is impressive. Ended up pairing the 10spd sensah with a 10spd shimano rear derailleur and all is working well. Once my fingers adjusted to how to make the shifts, that was it.
Yeah I hope we see more amateurs competing with this. Competition in the market is good. Especially with Shimano’s move to make 105 Di2 only it’s only going to get more expensive.
They said in a Chinese interview that they are developing electronic hydraulic disc brake groupset equivalent to Ultegra Di2. From your review, they seem promising. Will definitely keep tracking them.
I've ridden the rim brake version of Sensah Empire Pro for 4000km. Is pretty good but I don't quite like the front derailleur. It's hard to shift from the small to the big ring when on a little bit of incline. Overall great value for money. I installed it on a black and red carbon bike and it looked sick.
@@xenonzer it’s been done before, both China Cycling and Trace Velo have done it. The derailleur width is fine, it’s like any 10 or 11 speed twin chainring crankset. I personally have used Shimano 105 front mech with SRAM levers, the pull ratio is fine.
Shimano doesn’t manufacture a lot of their cycling equipment. Wellgo and others manufacture for them and Wellgo also has its own brand of its pedals. So it is quite possible that brands you’ve never heard of enter the market after manufacturing for Shimano, Campagnolo and others. Taichung is full of such manufacturers.
As Jimmy was noting that SRAM (now Sensah) positive click was what sold me on my old Red setup. Shimano definitely had easier shift action, but something about the SNAP-BANG of the SRAM system just felt/sounded better. Whenever, I switched to my bikes with Shimano Dura or Ultegra, the shifting was just too quiet. It is something I really feel is missing from electronics groups, the buttons need more positive feedback.
Yeah, that was interesting. I've basically had much the same experience with the shifters. Everything just works, and doesn't really feel better or worse than the R7000 105 I had previously. Guess it's a bit more clicky while 105 felt a little softer, but... I really don't care. I honestly only have two complaints - the throw on the "long" shift could stand to be a bit shorter for those of us with small hands but it's still easy enough to shift even from the hoods. The lever reach adjustment screw also kept slipping, but some low-strength threadlock took care of that. Now, if Senicx (or whoever else) started making
@@nb_rebecca Yeah the clicky thing is kinda normal since Sensah is "inspired" (to stay polite) by Sram and Sram feels indeed a lot more more mechanic compared to Shimano who has a much more supple feeling.
@@necrodefecator Yeah, fair enough. I do prefer how Shimano feels, but this feels like a really dumb point to raise given the price difference even to 105.
My entry level Roadbike uses 8 speed version of the Sensah Reflex and it's really convenient for a beginner (since 2021) like me. Since then I've built up my own DIY carbon frame Roadbike using Shimano 105 groupset with the Sensah Empire shifters, since I've gotten used to the shifting mechanism of the Sensah. It's pretty tricky to set up but it's ok except for the occasional jumping on the cassette during shifting. But now I've noticed the price has gone up a bit on the Sensah groupsets in general, and beginning to look for the LTWOO 12 speeds since I'm on a tight budget. I hope you could do a review on the LTWOO carbon groupset you've purchased previously.
I'm a very happy owner of this groupset, the price point in relation to the overall quality is insanely good compared to Shimano, Sram and Campy. IMHO the actual entry level of 11/12 speed groupset for road bike is without any doubt Sensah. I paired my groupset with compressionless alligator housing (a lot cheaper than jagwire), hi-end anti-friction cables and Onirii BR-05 brakes which are specifically designed to reduce the compression of the cable when it comes out of the frame and it all works fine and definitely not spongy
Compressionless break housings make all the difference for hydro-mechanical brakes like the Juintech F1 - Been there done that. ;-) With standard housings you will have a very spongy undefined feeling. But full internal routing will be difficult due to the radius in the handlebar, resulting in higher resistance operating the brakes. So I chose to go external around the handlebar on my latest build.
Guys if you want the best groupset for the money, there is actually a lot of Ultegra R8000 11speed rim brake on aliexpress right now for ~450€ right now, there won't be alot of them since shimano is not making this groupset anymore, sadly...
Juin Tech calipers are utterly amazing. But if you're on a major budget try Zoom cable actuated hydraulic calipers because they're excellent especially given the price. As for Ali Express, you can trust them as much as you'd trust Amazon! In fact Ali Express runs a loyalty scheme so the more you buy the better perks you get like super fast refunds for example. I've bought loads of Chinese bike stuff so you're welcome to ask me whether I've experienced a product before buying one yourself.
It is interesting when you are talking about the internal routed frame, your Scott is a FULLY internal cabled frame where everything goes in the headset , stem, and handlebar. this forces that 90° kink at the stem to headset junction. there are better frames for cable actuated everything that are internal on the frame and the cables insert into the front of the head tube and into the frame. this gets rid of the kink and makes replacing the headset possible without completely tearing out all of the cabling. So while the Foil and other fully internally cabled bike look great (don't get me wrong, I like the look) they make otherwise simple jobs (replacing a headset) a complete nightmare. Oh, and have fun getting that stiffer compression-less brake cable housing routed through the fully internal cockpit.
Im using the sensah team pro mixed with “all set” shimano 105 except the brifter I like the clicky shifting feeling of the sensah rather than 105, but i have 1 problem with the shifting mechanism when in the biggest and smallest sprocket. When in the smallest sprocket, you only need 1 click to shift up, but in the next gear, you need 2 clicks, something that won’t occur in the 105 brifter When you in the biggest sprocket and you don’t care that much, one click can easily shift down your derailleur, and you need another 2 clicks to recover. Thing that also won’t occur in 105 Other than that, i recommend this groupset *sorry for the bad english
I have Juin Tech brakes, and they are sensitive to routing and housing. I also put on SRAM rotors and they now work really well- but my bike is fully external (swapped the bars to get better routing). Clean routing with decent compression less housing and they work well and are NOT spongey! Deffo more linear feel compared to Campagnolo Super Record rim brakes on alloy wheels.
Thanks Francis...I am in a different place , OAF, retired , fixed income . I can't afford issues or problems with my drive trains . I know parts are still scarce , which compounds the cost risk to me . I would worry that the "off brand " stuff would not work properly . So , I will not buy it for that reason alone ! I do trust yours did , BUT....you are a known entity , and probably get the best quality from any vendor as a matter of course .??
Yep fair reasoning, I haven't seen enough examples of these parts to be able to comment. I'm pretty sure the vendor didn't know who I was when I ordered this though.
I have a Sensah Empire 11 speed groupset (which is an older model). I've ridden it for 5000 km. It hasn't failed me yet. You should be fine as long as you know what you're buying and doing. People like Francis Cade and Trace Velo help quite a lot in making us more informed.
Compressionless outers from jag wire , make a massive difference ... get them fitted :) .... great video .... I happily run the Sensah srx pro group set on my gravel bike with cable hydro brakes and I'm very happy with it :)
Awesome review! Keep up the good work, and looking forward for more. I`m really thinking about the Sensah Empire Pro 1x12 for my bikepacking rig. 40t chainring and 11-52 cassette will give me the gearing for almost everything. Running this gearing as a flatbar mix Rival/GX at the moment and are super happy. But wanting gravel handlebars there`s not many choises, if any, on the market in mechanical groupsets. Greetings from Norway
Jimmy needs to be in way more videos dammit. Your review here is awesome. I always look for reviews, and so many people open the box, spew whatever comes to mind, and I end up staring at the floor wondering who these people are that open a box and think this is a review. 1000 miles, no cleaning, bike packing ect is a real review. More Jimmy dammit. Also, hats. No I didn't look, just blathering off the top of my head.
After watching the video today, I decided to purchase my first Atticus kit. Thanks for the Summer discount and looking forward to wearing it in the blistering Texas heat! Cheers.
There are double sided ferrules to let you run normal brake housing through the twisty bits through the headset, then compressionless for the long run from the head tube to the rear brake.
Molten Speedwax also exclusively sells YBN chains. In my experience the sla-11 last much longer than a Dura Ace 11 speed chain(stretch) and slightly longer than an Ultegra. Not bad for a hollow pin, slotted face chain.
The Jagwire housing will make a big difference, but if you have an entirely internally routed frame, just going full hydraulic is the right move. Cable disc and cable-actuated-hydraulic disc just don't perform as well and I'd much rather have rim brake instead in that case. Just easier to set up and less fuss as well.
Are you going to be keeping the groupset on the bike for a while. It will be interesting to see how it copes with one of our winters, with all the road grime and salt. Purely out of curiosity, as it will be a toss up between Sensah Empire pro and shimano Tiagra for my winter bike when I upgrade the groupset after this winter as they are currently roughly the same price.
Used it for 1yr 1/2 and my longest ride is from Manila to Pangasinan. Still good till this days. Except for the Crank as it is now loose thread after doing a daily climb practice.
I can confirm, even with compressionless housing, even just a front internal fork routing, cable disc brakes like Juin Tech don’t feel great. WAAAAY more squeeze effort than a front rim brake with external cables.
great idea for content, trying to go cheaper, but still good. Now onto what I'd love to see...a dreambuild that will break the bank. How expensive can u go?...luv' it. Go ham on it, mate! Spare no expense!
All be it I don't have internally routed handlebars but I've been running the JuinTechs on my Synapse with compressionless housing, had to change the rear brake cable to get it to work, and it's been fine.
My Sensah Pro 12 spd actually rides better and shifts faster than my R8000. I'd be using all Sensah Pro 12 if the brakes are unusable with all internal cockpit. Waiting for Sensah to release hydraulic briefters compatible with Shimano calipers then UA-cam will explode with everyone saying Sensah is the new 105 which I would agree. Love the crisp SRAM shifting of the Sensah!
I have 2 sets built on my spare road bike and Indoor trainer bike for Zwift, WahooRGT ... for brakes I used TRP SLC Carbon disc mech brakes which are satisfactory but I believe that the Juin-Techs are better. The trick to flawless shifting and braking is to use JagWire Compressionless Housing and cable kit. To be honest, they are correctly tuned for me that I have barely any shifting error and they are nice to hold because of the smaller hoods. However the hood cover can be close to attorciously loose. Sensah has recently released colour coded hoods so hope they are a much improved fit version. The good part is it is very competitively priced and the carbon bits are really nice. They are not shabby at all and really is the best bang for the buck if you want to build a 12-speed mechanical racing bike.
Atleast my lever hoods are tight and well secured into the lever, And with the same material in Both ones hahaha, I guess It may be the first batches of hood covers that may be too big or something? And I need to look into the color hood covers, a Bianchi Green one would be awesome Edit: there is not the color I wanted, Sad day to me
I use the same brand shifters but i got sensah ignite. They're alloy and the empire and ignite shifts the same i love it!! Still have no problems with it I've been using it for a while.
Had to laugh on the "front trim never works properly" thing because that's actually exactly how my 105 groupset rolls, pretty much every time out of service, no matter if new cables or not, it usually starts to rub late into the first ride when hitting a big gear on the first long descent and you're trying to fix it on the barrel adjuster while riding. So, I think its more about cables, cable routing and weather conditions than the actual front mech design, anyway.
I think with 105 going electronic and more videos like these popping up more people will use good Chinese brands like Sensah and LTWOO. Also availability of mainstream parts like Sram/Shimano being such a problem more people will be swayed to go this way. Good video, keep up the Aliexpress reviews👍
That bar taping 🙈😬 Wondering if you did it Francis? You like me - in a previous video - wrap it the opposite way. (i wont mention the rucks and the finishing tape 😉) Hope you are well mate 👍🏼
I have a State Bicycle 4130 all road which came with Sensah components and yea, I was pleasantly surprised how good it was even though it was a 1x, but the "sunshine" cassette that it came with was trash. I replaced it with a Sram 1130 cassette, and it is cross compatible.
Shockingly good for the money. It's basically the same as Seiko in the watch market. Every Ali Express brand is far cheaper (expected) and often better (not expected).
Nokon housing would really help with all the tight bends. Compressionless housing sometimes is too stiff to make tight bends. eBay is the place to find it now.
Sensah's 11 speed group was awesome so it's not a big surprise that their 12 speed group is even better! When I first purchased the empire 11 group it was just over £100 on offer at the time!!! Bet that's no longer the case now!
I switched single pot cable disc brakes to dual pot with compressionless cable and I would say its nearly as good as hydraulic, night and day difference
YBN are some of the best chains out there, there's a bunch of chain comparison reviews out there, I run them on all of my bikes now and have had no trouble with them.
Surely the hydraulic is an inevitability. Be very interesting to see that happen and potentially have them manufacture/brand everything the same so it feels more like a complete set for people like when they buy from the big players. It feels like an industry ripe for someone to come in with a high quality cheaper option.
i put a set of juin tec brakes on my cross bike a years ago .i thought i read somewhere that they were a spanish make really impressed with them . also just ordered a pair of sensah 9 speed shifters for it . will be interesting to see how they go compared to the sora on it at the moment .
I am not a Satanist. But thanks for caring. ✌🏼
Sounds suspiciously like something a Satanist would say.....
That's disappointing.
Symbols are very powerful. You should be careful with that one. Cheers from New Zealand 🇳🇿
@@roddas26 symbols are only powerful if humans let them be.
@@Jimmidoesstuff yeah that only shows how little you actually know. But you carry on mate. Take care.
Hope this takes a lot of people toward Sensah, and they polish their groupsets. At the same time, I hope Shimano gets a reality check from this move.
do you think it's possible Shimano might have thought to not bother competing with Sensah at this price point? I mean these Chinese groupsets go for half the price and most of the performance and although they don't advertise we still find out about them through cycling media. Seems to me like the big component manufacturers have lost their grip on the entry level market and went all in on electronic hydro disc.
@@sduffydoze5692 i agree, the big companies cater to the higher classes and pros more.
Heard about Shimano Sora? I mean, if you are alone in the road it is fine with 9-speed cassett wich is also lighter than a 12-speed steel-cassett. Chain is cheaper to and the shifters have Shimanos better system with a small lever inside the breakleaver.
@@MarkusFolkesson Sora is pretty great and Tiagra is excellent, but all I see is people saying that if it's not 105 or higher it's useless. And it's not Shimano saying it, it's the actual cyclists. I'm more into Mountain Bikes and around here everyone goes crazy for Shimano XT, and while it's are great, there's absolutely nothing bad about Shimano Deore and Alivio, even the lower end stuff is great when built properly and no recreational rider needs more than those. If you can afford the fancier stuff by all means get it, it helps the technology trickle down to the cheaper groups but if you cannot afford the fancy stuff you're not missing much.
There is a reason this is only sold direct from China....this stuff all most likely infringes on multiple patents. Also, if these components fail in a way in which you get hurt what is your recourse? None. This companies dont develop any technology they just copy existing tech and make it as cheap as possible.
Niiiiiiiiiice!!! Glad you enjoyed using the groupset dude. So i'm well versed in the Sensah Empire 11 speed, but have never actually tried the 12 speed version.... Might have to give it a go after seeing this. But I know what you mean about the cable runs for mechanical brakes. I had trouble getting them to co-operate on a frame with an externally cabled headset, so I'm not surprised that a fully integrated headset posed some problems. Just an fyi, that Jagwire KEB-SL compressionless housing is probably going to be an absolute b*itch on that frame. It's MUCH stiffer than regular cable housing, so _really_ doesn't play nice on sharp corners. Good luck tho, can't wait to see what else you have in the works!!!!
2.5 hours of cursing will get the KEB-SL routed though. Done it on more than one occasion.
Hi Luke, does the 11 speed sensah empire brifter, and the SRX brifter, have the 'stop function' when you run out of gear?
Same Sigma it is an unnecessary pain
@@littleduckschildcare120 Correction! It’s a beautiful pain! Aesthetics are never necessary 😂
@@Fatbutnotflat Yep they both do which is cool 😀
The price of Shimano groupsets has gotten insane. Glad to see there are still some affordable options out there
The price of ALL groupsets have gotten insane..!
TBH, the cost of cycling stuff has gotten insane in the past few years....remember when you could get a road bike with a full 105 gruppo for £1000..! full Ultegra for£1800-£2000....smh.
@@markb9488 Makes me sad as I have gotten into commuting by bike and now want to get a mountain bike for some dirt jumping and trail riding, but my god it's all so much..
I really like the focus you are putting on these less known brands.
The fact you have this on a super high end frame is brilliant!
When will these bike brands start to do the same?! Down with the Monopoly SRAM and Shimano have over is.
I like also that you don’t BS us either. You do call out what isn’t good, where to be safe.
I'm in the market for a group set and like saving a dollar . Thanks for the info.
Zerofriction doesn't sell YBN because of the grease. They sell them because they make some of the fastest and most durable chains available.
They are not a low cost brand - their flagship SLA line will set you back Campagnolo levels of coin for example.
I heard they last way longer than Shimano chains as well, as Dura-ace chains comes pre-stretched, but not these ones.
You definitely have to use compressionless housing. It takes them from basically unusable to near-hydraulic.
Rumour has it that not only hydro but electronic is on the horizon for both Sensah and L-TWOO.
I understand they were supposed to unveil at the Shanghai bike show this year, before it got canceled due to the lockdown
The rumours were true!
Sometimes you can't only consider only remium bikes/bikers/budgets.
Some of us have limited budgets and comparing those good Chinese stuff to top notch super premium componentes is just unfair.
Some of my friends ride cable activated Nutt (and ZTTO) hydraulic brake calipers and it's just a lot better than mine traditional mechanic stock Shimano ones.
Sometimes, it's about paying less to get something a little bit better, feel better and cycle better. Specially when you consider that in some countries you gotta convert the currency 5 to 6 times the price tag.
Keep up the good work I just love what you do.
Or just buy second hand. Its not sustainable to produce endless amounts of tech
@@karigrandii 2nd hand Sora brifters still sells for twice the price of a 9 speed sensah pair
@@core2zero true lol here where i live if it says shimano (especially 105 to dura ace, even if it's 3-4 generations older) the selling price of 2nd hand items are close to original. the second hand market here really sucks to the point that i would just consider buying new.
Here in Chile, A USED shimano claris 2x8 Mini groupset (Shifters, FD, RD chain and cassete) Costs 2 or even almost 3 times as buying the 2x11 sensah groupset from aliexpress
The best thing about sensah is that you can actually get all possible gearing combinations covered: 2x7 up to 2.x12. I'm currently happy running 2x8 for the much higher durability and easier maintenance. For the terrain I'm living in this is more then sufficient.
I switched to unbranded Chinese frameset with mostly Ali parts on it. Super happy to ride 3 bike (TT, full-sus 29" and rigid 29") at a price of 1.
You should then realise that sensa and l-too are actually well known brands.
Delihea rest frame set,Sensah empire 11 and elite rim brake 50s before they were popular,love it
I agree with Jimmy. Aluminum brake surface only with rim brakes. Anything else is dangerous, especially when it gets wet.
My 2015 zipp 303 are no worse than alu runs in the wet
Try the newest Farsports carbon rims. They have excellent braking.
I was considering this group set for my next build. Thanks Francis for your detailed anaylsis, keep up the great work!!
Analysis? This is more of a Bob and Ray skit...sorry but 1,000 miles isn't enough to find failures. An actual analysis would provide watts, Kg-Nm's and failure modes, not this one is smooth and this one feels like sand paper. Entertaining vid but you're probably getting what you pay for.
I ran Sensah 11 for two years and have been happy with it. For someone who wanted to update his very old (17 year old) groupset it was a big upgrade, for an amount of money that didn't feel wasted on an older bike. Combine that with the fact I could actually buy it (Unlike most of the 105 groupsets, not having the crank length I wanted, wrong casette, etcs) there was little to complain. Switched to a different bike now that came with Ultegra, and instantly missed the loud clicky feedback on the shifting, also shifting method actually super intuitive.
Downsides: Mine also came with some (rim) calipers which are not good. Changing out the horrendous including pads made them serviceable at least. Other downside not talked about often: Low resale value. If I build up another disc bike Ill probably just move my Sensah 11 over and get some of those Juin Techs, seems like a solid combo
Also im that crankset aesthetic wise looks quite nice, better than the CVR one included with my sensah 11 set.
The breaks are great with ceramic pads and Kaktus Ultralight disks. There are cassettes from ZTTO which are steel and called ULT for ultralight weighing in at 168gr for 11 speed 11 to 25, last long enough. The compressionless housing helps somewhat. Kaktus also have nice pressfit bbs with ceramic bearings.
I’m running Juin Tech brakes on my bike and fully agree with your assessment of the internal/external routing comment. My back brake route is internal but super straight and the braking is excellent. The front brake route is much tighter through the front fork and the braking is spongey as a result. I’ll need to re-route and swap to compressionless outers at some point. However, I have been able to go back to 105 rim brake shifters and they are so much smaller and nicer in my hands than 105 hydraulics I was running.
Ooh yeah I hate how those massive hydraulic shifters feel
I have several Sensah groupsets(SRX Pro, Empire and Ignite) in use. One thing that appeared on two was, that the reach adjustment screw started to tighten itself and started to close the brakes more and more. That easy to fix when you are at home, but on the road most multitools won't work, because you need a long hex wrench. That is why I've removed these screws on all of my levers, if you use them put some thread lock on, and you will probably be fine as well.
Big one up to YBN chains and Zero Friction Cycling. I've been using a YBN chain on my R7000 groupset with wax for probably the last 7000kms and have only now needed to change the chain. Well worth it and Adam from Zero Friction Cycling is always happy to answer questions!
This definitely shakes things up in the groupset game... when I upgrade my bike these Ali Express kits might have to take the cake. Thanks as always for great content Francis!
Another shoutout to Adam and ZFC. Unbelievable service/support and great brands. Francis - you should interview Adam for one of your videos!
AliExpress YBN ones are very good. Much cheaper than KMT or Shimano for the lighter ones. Good value. All mine were greased (4) so Francis's might have been a factory error.
YBN is a proper chain brand.
My LBS highly recommends them and he's a bit of a brand name snob.
He reckons another few years and they will be the new KMC.
I have the original Sensah Empire rear derailleur for the past 3 years. I think it compares well with Ultegra, since it is about the same weight. Shifts well, has held up to 1000’s of miles, racing and all. Worth the price.
I'll be well impressed if Sensah is able to release a fully hydraulic groupset.
When you look at what Shimano are charging for groupsets now it would certainly have a lot of people seriously reconsidering upgrade choices.
My brother in law(who lives in China) has heard a whisper that they are working on electronics as well.
It would probably suck at first, but knowing Sensah they'll eventually make it better over time
I asked Sensah and they replied that hydrolic and electronics are on the way... Perhaps around October.
@@glennicol1361 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOh
@@glennicol1361 cant wait haha, r7020+caliper price is damn high
I've been using Sensah 11-speed shifters with Shimano 105 front & rear mechs for over a year and I can report that they have been flawless. The micro adjustment clicks on the front is brilliant at eliminating chain rub when you're in high/low and low/high. The tactile clicky feel is nicer than Shimano shifters, but the single lever long/short movement takes a bit of getting used to at first, especially when you're used to Shimano. I haven't used Sensah deraillerurs but I expect they would also be very good. After all, the derailleur is just a moving trapezium, so as long as the pivots are free from play and the castings are rigid enough then there's nothing really to be wrong with them. For the price they are an absolute no-brainer, unless you're a bike snob ;-)
Personally, I would call it a Sram killer, not a 105 killer. Different shifting mechanism/method. I prefer Shimano style shifting, therefore Microshift gets the nod as a less costly sub for me.
Appreciate your channel! 👌
I bought a bucketload of Attacus gear during the sale, thanks Jimmi! Daisy was super helpful as well, shoutout!
I'm willing to make a bet, that Jagwire compresionless housings (if installed properly) will make a huge difference. Looking forward to that video. They are stiff and they need to be installed carefully especially at the ends, where cable pops out of the housing, so that it doesn't rub on the housing metal inner part. Other than that, it's night & day upgrade from basic stock brake housings. Done it to two of my bikes and results always pleasantly surprise me.
I agree. I have Jagwire outers on Juantech brakes the same as Francis is just about to do. The only issue is that the outers are less flexible and really hard to route through bars and stem etc.
I'm running Jagwire Pro (compressionless) with Juin Tech F1 and had hydraulics before. I'm pretty happy with it. It's not as good, but it's definitely very decent and it means I don't have to live with clunky shifters if I want to stay on mechanical shifting.
Bear in mind that the Jagwire compression-less are not 100% compressionless, as they're made from kelvar, a 100% compressionless housing are the Yokozuna Reaction.
Also recently I have fitted mechanical disc brake to a Specialized Tarmac with it's internal cable routing, it can be done, just need careful bending of the housing to ensure the back brake feel as good as the front.
I just recently installed a Sensah SRX Pro 1x 11 groupset on my bike and I really like it. Shifts are very precise and 'clicky'. I am also using hybrid caiipers on my bike and can confirm that they don't feel spongy at all with full external cable routing.
Nicee, coming back to the sport after 15 years, this review is a life saver. This wil go on my 2013 TCR ADVANCED RABO is have been waiting to restore for a long time.
I'm running 105 10 speed and have been hankering to upgrade to 11 (or maybe 12) speed but the prices of the groupsets are astronomical, even used ones, so this is something I would very much be interested in. Thanks for the review!
Have ridden the Juin Tech brakes for years. They almost require stiff compressionless housing to work well.
Keen to try the compressionless housing. I predict it will be difficult/impossible to route through this frame though, might need something with external cabling for best results.
I went from an 8spd to 10spd,my 8spd was Shimano, i wanted 10spd shimano but the cost for an entire groupset was way above my budget, decided to go for the sensah phi 10spd group set, only issues i had is that its rear derailleur was crap and had to change it, but its front derailleur is excellent and how it shifts and gives you the option to prevent chain rub is impressive.
Ended up pairing the 10spd sensah with a 10spd shimano rear derailleur and all is working well.
Once my fingers adjusted to how to make the shifts, that was it.
Not first, but excited to hear your thoughts. Been running Empire 11-speed for about 2500km here...
Yeah I hope we see more amateurs competing with this.
Competition in the market is good. Especially with Shimano’s move to make 105 Di2 only it’s only going to get more expensive.
They said in a Chinese interview that they are developing electronic hydraulic disc brake groupset equivalent to Ultegra Di2.
From your review, they seem promising. Will definitely keep tracking them.
I've ridden the rim brake version of Sensah Empire Pro for 4000km. Is pretty good but I don't quite like the front derailleur. It's hard to shift from the small to the big ring when on a little bit of incline. Overall great value for money. I installed it on a black and red carbon bike and it looked sick.
Well known issue. Just buy a Tiagra R4700 front mech, and it’s perfect.
@@patrickparisienne1917 Wont tiagra front mech be too wide for 12 speed chain? Will it work properly? How's the cable pull?
@@xenonzer it’s been done before, both China Cycling and Trace Velo have done it. The derailleur width is fine, it’s like any 10 or 11 speed twin chainring crankset.
I personally have used Shimano 105 front mech with SRAM levers, the pull ratio is fine.
Jimmi is THE MATRESS KING! This is the future of advertising.
I asked permission to go full yank. Was denied. 😂
@@Jimmidoesstuff "septic special"
Shimano doesn’t manufacture a lot of their cycling equipment. Wellgo and others manufacture for them and Wellgo also has its own brand of its pedals.
So it is quite possible that brands you’ve never heard of enter the market after manufacturing for Shimano, Campagnolo and others. Taichung is full of such manufacturers.
I have a YBN chain and put 1800w through it recently. It survived. I've broken a chain before so I'm not disappointed.
As Jimmy was noting that SRAM (now Sensah) positive click was what sold me on my old Red setup. Shimano definitely had easier shift action, but something about the SNAP-BANG of the SRAM system just felt/sounded better. Whenever, I switched to my bikes with Shimano Dura or Ultegra, the shifting was just too quiet. It is something I really feel is missing from electronics groups, the buttons need more positive feedback.
YBN actually tests as well as Dura Ace chains on durability and friction
Yeah, that was interesting. I've basically had much the same experience with the shifters. Everything just works, and doesn't really feel better or worse than the R7000 105 I had previously. Guess it's a bit more clicky while 105 felt a little softer, but... I really don't care.
I honestly only have two complaints - the throw on the "long" shift could stand to be a bit shorter for those of us with small hands but it's still easy enough to shift even from the hoods. The lever reach adjustment screw also kept slipping, but some low-strength threadlock took care of that. Now, if Senicx (or whoever else) started making
The reach adjustment slipping is a very interesting thing, I've set up 2 bikes with Sensah and I had no issues. Do you ride in the wet a lot?
@@dan_lazaro Nope! It never stayed put to begin with. Slipped on the very first ride.
@@nb_rebecca Yeah the clicky thing is kinda normal since Sensah is "inspired" (to stay polite) by Sram and Sram feels indeed a lot more more mechanic compared to Shimano who has a much more supple feeling.
@@necrodefecator Yeah, fair enough. I do prefer how Shimano feels, but this feels like a really dumb point to raise given the price difference even to 105.
I second the
My entry level Roadbike uses 8 speed version of the Sensah Reflex and it's really convenient for a beginner (since 2021) like me.
Since then I've built up my own DIY carbon frame Roadbike using Shimano 105 groupset with the Sensah Empire shifters, since I've gotten used to the shifting mechanism of the Sensah. It's pretty tricky to set up but it's ok except for the occasional jumping on the cassette during shifting.
But now I've noticed the price has gone up a bit on the Sensah groupsets in general, and beginning to look for the LTWOO 12 speeds since I'm on a tight budget.
I hope you could do a review on the LTWOO carbon groupset you've purchased previously.
I'm a very happy owner of this groupset, the price point in relation to the overall quality is insanely good compared to Shimano, Sram and Campy. IMHO the actual entry level of 11/12 speed groupset for road bike is without any doubt Sensah. I paired my groupset with compressionless alligator housing (a lot cheaper than jagwire), hi-end anti-friction cables and Onirii BR-05 brakes which are specifically designed to reduce the compression of the cable when it comes out of the frame and it all works fine and definitely not spongy
Compressionless break housings make all the difference for hydro-mechanical brakes like the Juintech F1 - Been there done that. ;-) With standard housings you will have a very spongy undefined feeling.
But full internal routing will be difficult due to the radius in the handlebar, resulting in higher resistance operating the brakes. So I chose to go external around the handlebar on my latest build.
Guys if you want the best groupset for the money, there is actually a lot of Ultegra R8000 11speed rim brake on aliexpress right now for ~450€ right now, there won't be alot of them since shimano is not making this groupset anymore, sadly...
if they make a full hydro groupset, I'm converting my old MTB to drop bars. Because I can.
Also, Jimmi should feature in each review 👌
TRP makes some great mechanical calipers that offer great modulation and power
Juin Tech calipers are utterly amazing. But if you're on a major budget try Zoom cable actuated hydraulic calipers because they're excellent especially given the price. As for Ali Express, you can trust them as much as you'd trust Amazon! In fact Ali Express runs a loyalty scheme so the more you buy the better perks you get like super fast refunds for example. I've bought loads of Chinese bike stuff so you're welcome to ask me whether I've experienced a product before buying one yourself.
Fantastic review. Looking forward to your L-TWOO review.
It is interesting when you are talking about the internal routed frame, your Scott is a FULLY internal cabled frame where everything goes in the headset , stem, and handlebar. this forces that 90° kink at the stem to headset junction. there are better frames for cable actuated everything that are internal on the frame and the cables insert into the front of the head tube and into the frame. this gets rid of the kink and makes replacing the headset possible without completely tearing out all of the cabling. So while the Foil and other fully internally cabled bike look great (don't get me wrong, I like the look) they make otherwise simple jobs (replacing a headset) a complete nightmare.
Oh, and have fun getting that stiffer compression-less brake cable housing routed through the fully internal cockpit.
Amazing mate that is just what I needed to hear with a full rim brake group on the way 😁
Im using the sensah team pro mixed with “all set” shimano 105 except the brifter
I like the clicky shifting feeling of the sensah rather than 105, but i have 1 problem with the shifting mechanism when in the biggest and smallest sprocket.
When in the smallest sprocket, you only need 1 click to shift up, but in the next gear, you need 2 clicks, something that won’t occur in the 105 brifter
When you in the biggest sprocket and you don’t care that much, one click can easily shift down your derailleur, and you need another 2 clicks to recover. Thing that also won’t occur in 105
Other than that, i recommend this groupset
*sorry for the bad english
That's basically SRAM "double tap", nothing wrong with that
@@hkchew03 yes, true, nothing wrong for someone familiar with sram
0:14 Kind of a Gandalf-esque answer to a Bilbo-esque question.
Hahaa
I have Juin Tech brakes, and they are sensitive to routing and housing. I also put on SRAM rotors and they now work really well- but my bike is fully external (swapped the bars to get better routing). Clean routing with decent compression less housing and they work well and are NOT spongey! Deffo more linear feel compared to Campagnolo Super Record rim brakes on alloy wheels.
I put a sensah 1x11 on my gravel bike and it's super smooth and has taken a beating. Highly recommend it.
Totally happy with rim brakes with swiss stops and 105 specs ,, Great vid 🙂
Thanks Francis...I am in a different place , OAF, retired , fixed income . I can't afford issues or problems with my drive trains . I know parts are still scarce , which compounds the cost risk to me . I would worry that the "off brand " stuff would not work properly . So , I will not buy it for that reason alone ! I do trust yours did , BUT....you are a known entity , and probably get the best quality from any vendor as a matter of course .??
Yep fair reasoning, I haven't seen enough examples of these parts to be able to comment.
I'm pretty sure the vendor didn't know who I was when I ordered this though.
@@Cade_Media Francis… everybody knows you ! Anybody that does anything with bikes definitely does
@@Cade_Media also. What did you do with the hair ?
I have a Sensah Empire 11 speed groupset (which is an older model). I've ridden it for 5000 km. It hasn't failed me yet. You should be fine as long as you know what you're buying and doing. People like Francis Cade and Trace Velo help quite a lot in making us more informed.
@@zenpsalm1036 that’s a seperate issue. I’m not long to cycling , so I do not know much !
Great content Francis, you read our mind. Looking forward to that Juintech F1s on compressionless cables and shimano pads... those should work wonders
Compressionless outers from jag wire , make a massive difference ... get them fitted :) .... great video .... I happily run the Sensah srx pro group set on my gravel bike with cable hydro brakes and I'm very happy with it :)
Awesome review! Keep up the good work, and looking forward for more.
I`m really thinking about the Sensah Empire Pro 1x12 for my bikepacking rig. 40t chainring and 11-52 cassette will give me the gearing for almost everything. Running this gearing as a flatbar mix Rival/GX at the moment and are super happy. But wanting gravel handlebars there`s not many choises, if any, on the market in mechanical groupsets.
Greetings from Norway
Jimmy needs to be in way more videos dammit. Your review here is awesome. I always look for reviews, and so many people open the box, spew whatever comes to mind, and I end up staring at the floor wondering who these people are that open a box and think this is a review.
1000 miles, no cleaning, bike packing ect is a real review. More Jimmy dammit. Also, hats. No I didn't look, just blathering off the top of my head.
After watching the video today, I decided to purchase my first Atticus kit. Thanks for the Summer discount and looking forward to wearing it in the blistering Texas heat! Cheers.
👍👊
Alright, at this point, I'm sold; this groupset is going on my next "bad weather" bike build.
To what I can say. Jagwire compressionless cable improve the trp hy/rd that I ride
There are double sided ferrules to let you run normal brake housing through the twisty bits through the headset, then compressionless for the long run from the head tube to the rear brake.
Molten Speedwax also exclusively sells YBN chains. In my experience the sla-11 last much longer than a Dura Ace 11 speed chain(stretch) and slightly longer than an Ultegra. Not bad for a hollow pin, slotted face chain.
The Jagwire housing will make a big difference, but if you have an entirely internally routed frame, just going full hydraulic is the right move. Cable disc and cable-actuated-hydraulic disc just don't perform as well and I'd much rather have rim brake instead in that case. Just easier to set up and less fuss as well.
Agreed
Built mine last week first time riding it yesterday on my first road bike. Shifts so smooth making me question my Duraace di2 lol
Nice review. Their gear is looking like it's shaping up nicely.
So I just finished a gcn documentary about saddle height. Day after I saw your video about fitting. makes me wonder if they watch your channel.
Are you going to be keeping the groupset on the bike for a while. It will be interesting to see how it copes with one of our winters, with all the road grime and salt. Purely out of curiosity, as it will be a toss up between Sensah Empire pro and shimano Tiagra for my winter bike when I upgrade the groupset after this winter as they are currently roughly the same price.
nice, I wish the same review for sensah SRX pro gravel groupset
Used it for 1yr 1/2 and my longest ride is from Manila to Pangasinan. Still good till this days. Except for the Crank as it is now loose thread after doing a daily climb practice.
I can confirm, even with compressionless housing, even just a front internal fork routing, cable disc brakes like Juin Tech don’t feel great. WAAAAY more squeeze effort than a front rim brake with external cables.
great idea for content, trying to go cheaper, but still good. Now onto what I'd love to see...a dreambuild that will break the bank. How expensive can u go?...luv' it. Go ham on it, mate! Spare no expense!
All be it I don't have internally routed handlebars but I've been running the JuinTechs on my Synapse with compressionless housing, had to change the rear brake cable to get it to work, and it's been fine.
My Sensah Pro 12 spd actually rides better and shifts faster than my R8000. I'd be using all Sensah Pro 12 if the brakes are unusable with all internal cockpit. Waiting for Sensah to release hydraulic briefters compatible with Shimano calipers then UA-cam will explode with everyone saying Sensah is the new 105 which I would agree. Love the crisp SRAM shifting of the Sensah!
I have 2 sets built on my spare road bike and Indoor trainer bike for Zwift, WahooRGT ... for brakes I used TRP SLC Carbon disc mech brakes which are satisfactory but I believe that the Juin-Techs are better. The trick to flawless shifting and braking is to use JagWire Compressionless Housing and cable kit.
To be honest, they are correctly tuned for me that I have barely any shifting error and they are nice to hold because of the smaller hoods. However the hood cover can be close to attorciously loose. Sensah has recently released colour coded hoods so hope they are a much improved fit version.
The good part is it is very competitively priced and the carbon bits are really nice. They are not shabby at all and really is the best bang for the buck if you want to build a 12-speed mechanical racing bike.
Atleast my lever hoods are tight and well secured into the lever, And with the same material in Both ones hahaha, I guess It may be the first batches of hood covers that may be too big or something?
And I need to look into the color hood covers, a Bianchi Green one would be awesome
Edit: there is not the color I wanted, Sad day to me
I use the same brand shifters but i got sensah ignite. They're alloy and the empire and ignite shifts the same i love it!! Still have no problems with it I've been using it for a while.
Had to laugh on the "front trim never works properly" thing because that's actually exactly how my 105 groupset rolls, pretty much every time out of service, no matter if new cables or not, it usually starts to rub late into the first ride when hitting a big gear on the first long descent and you're trying to fix it on the barrel adjuster while riding. So, I think its more about cables, cable routing and weather conditions than the actual front mech design, anyway.
it also depends on how tight you clamp your cable in my experience. too tight, messes trim up.
I think with 105 going electronic and more videos like these popping up more people will use good Chinese brands like Sensah and LTWOO. Also availability of mainstream parts like Sram/Shimano being such a problem more people will be swayed to go this way. Good video, keep up the Aliexpress reviews👍
For a 2x11 road rim brake bike project, which groupset would you choose? Sensah Empire or Ltwoo R9? I'd be using either with Shimano or Sram brakes
That bar taping 🙈😬
Wondering if you did it Francis? You like me - in a previous video - wrap it the opposite way. (i wont mention the rucks and the finishing tape 😉)
Hope you are well mate 👍🏼
I suspect top-quality compressionless housing will actually make a difference. It certainly did on my TRP Spyre brakes.
Great video there are new players coming in the groupset market?
Thanks Francis, good and interesting content once again.
would like to see in the future a compression between aliexpress shimano group set you can buy against a real shimano group set
11:25 if you are on a budget, you don't choose fancy high end frame with (stupid) internal cable routing
YBN is actually quite big company. Mostly they produce chains for motorcycles, but they are making quite good chains for cycling.
I have a State Bicycle 4130 all road which came with Sensah components and yea, I was pleasantly surprised how good it was even though it was a 1x, but the "sunshine" cassette that it came with was trash. I replaced it with a Sram 1130 cassette, and it is cross compatible.
Not sure if I would buy this group set as this days 105 cost around 500$ full set , I found Ultegra R8000 for 600$ on sale
Shockingly good for the money. It's basically the same as Seiko in the watch market. Every Ali Express brand is far cheaper (expected) and often better (not expected).
Nokon housing would really help with all the tight bends. Compressionless housing sometimes is too stiff to make tight bends. eBay is the place to find it now.
Sensah's 11 speed group was awesome so it's not a big surprise that their 12 speed group is even better! When I first purchased the empire 11 group it was just over £100 on offer at the time!!! Bet that's no longer the case now!
When Shimano went electronic and disk brake only, I was done with them. That is after 35 years of using Dura Ace.
I switched single pot cable disc brakes to dual pot with compressionless cable and I would say its nearly as good as hydraulic, night and day difference
Claris has the brake lever position adjustment my more knowledge friend didn't know this and my sister appreciates it a lot
YBN are some of the best chains out there, there's a bunch of chain comparison reviews out there, I run them on all of my bikes now and have had no trouble with them.
Surely the hydraulic is an inevitability. Be very interesting to see that happen and potentially have them manufacture/brand everything the same so it feels more like a complete set for people like when they buy from the big players. It feels like an industry ripe for someone to come in with a high quality cheaper option.
i put a set of juin tec brakes on my cross bike a years ago .i thought i read somewhere that they were a spanish make really impressed with them . also just ordered a pair of sensah 9 speed shifters for it . will be interesting to see how they go compared to the sora on it at the moment .