Interesting Aliexpress finds! - good deals, interesting stuff, new products etc!

[toxin]

Sensah dropped mechanical 12 speed Team Pro shifters that are compatible with 11 speed R7000/R8000 RDs and I'm sure the R7100 105 12 speed RD.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806444984632.html

I wonder if Sensah will go electronic shifting this year? Wheeltop doesn't ship to North America, so that only leaves LTwoo with worldwide distribution. It'd be nice have more competition.

CC Joe has a sensah elec in testing

[toxin]

https://youtu.be/au5PHjQg59M?feature=shared&t=103

Anyone see these new offset oversized jockey wheels that allow you to use them on stock pulley cages? I think these are actually pretty cool.

If you want them for perfomance reasons and not aesthetic reasons they're probably a waste of money as any chain efficiency gains will probably be offset by the larger bearings

[jonathanf2]

CC Joe has a sensah elec in testing

I'll be curious which Chinese groupset manufacturer comes out on top. Even though LTwoo was first to electronic road shifting, they lost a bit of consumer confidence getting there. I feel Sensah has done a better job with quality assurance on their mechanical groupsets and Wheeltop solely focused on electronic from the beginning, though they're having a global distribution issue. I think if one of them secures OEM status for a major bike manufacturer that might be a determining factor.

[jonathanf2]

If you want them for perfomance reasons and not aesthetic reasons they're probably a waste of money as any chain efficiency gains will probably be offset by the larger bearings

I'm surround by hills where I live. I tested both regular jockey wheels and oversized jockey wheels on the same climb. I found the oversized wheels made spinning a bit more easier on the same uphill grind.

[toxin]

While I'm extremely sceptical you were actually able to percieve a difference that wasn't placebo, these have much larger bearings than is usual even for OSPWs (excluding the shitty absolute black one). That means there is more surface area making contact inside the bearing and with the seals, leading to higher friction losses.

[pushpush]

I switched to an OSPW and while the efficiency benefits are unverified and debatable, the reduction in drivetrain noise is very real. I have no plan to go back. IMO this benefit alone is worth the change. Silence is golden.

[kbernstein]

Has anyone tried this reusable rubber bartape stopped instead of electrical tape?
https://aliexpress.com/item/1005006080137242.html

[Greenred]

A question regarding UNO Stem users with integrated frames:
How is that stem covering your spacers? Or how do you do it?

Especially if it’s a frame for fully internal cable routing like the vbr 168, 177 or GF002, I assume that the spacers would be misaligned with the stem on top, as in not perfectly overlapping/covering the spacers probably.

My plan is to use the Uno stem, drill 2 holes into the stock spacer on top  and then route the cables through the drilled  holes into the frame.

Alterntively, maybe sth like this could work? https://www.bike24.com/p2532375.html?sku=1819122

[Confused]

Has anyone tried this reusable rubber bartape stopped instead of electrical tape?
https://aliexpress.com/item/1005006080137242.html

They seem like they will work. My experience was I managed to get the shifters mounted, brake cables routed, and everything positioned well to start wrapping the bars. I even bled the brakes. At that time I noticed that the rubber stoppers were still on the workbench.

[kbernstein]

They seem like they will work. My experience was I managed to get the shifters mounted, brake cables routed, and everything positioned well to start wrapping the bars. I even bled the brakes. At that time I noticed that the rubber stoppers were still on the workbench.

lol i'll make sure to put them on the bars first before doing any work. do you think they stretch enough for integrated aero bars?

[coffeebreak]

A question regarding UNO Stem users with integrated frames:
How is that stem covering your spacers? Or how do you do it?

Especially if it’s a frame for fully internal cable routing like the vbr 168, 177 or GF002, I assume that the spacers would be misaligned with the stem on top, as in not perfectly overlapping/covering the spacers probably.

My plan is to use the Uno stem, drill 2 holes into the stock spacer on top  and then route the cables through the drilled  holes into the frame.

Alterntively, maybe sth like this could work? https://www.bike24.com/p2532375.html?sku=1819122

I have not used Uno stem on internal routing frame (GF002) but I can imagine its going to be a pretty ill fit. For one, the spacers are kinda rectangular shaped to accommodate for the cables to go thru them. Are you trying to not route cables through the stem but still hide them somehow? Look at FSA SMR ACR stem and Kocevlo spacers underneath to almost fully conceal the cables.

[jonathanf2]

While I'm extremely sceptical you were actually able to percieve a difference that wasn't placebo, these have much larger bearings than is usual even for OSPWs (excluding the shitty absolute black one). That means there is more surface area making contact inside the bearing and with the seals, leading to higher friction losses.

I spend more time in my lowest gears than my high gears. I find the bigger jockey wheels much more beneficial for spinning and slow grinding up 15-30% plus road and dirt climbs. A lot of the local MTB/gravel dirt climbers do the same here in SoCal. I don't even care if I'm using ceramic or steel bearings, it's more about getting that smoother chain line for me.

[jonathanf2]

Used them today on a 125km gravel ride. All is well... 

I tried them yesterday. I think I'll need to ride them a few more times to really bed in the pads and rotors. They didn't bite as well on the steep downhills, so I had to take it easy.

[kbernstein]

Used them today on a 125km gravel ride. All is well... 

How often do you brake in belgium? 

[jonathanf2]

How often do you brake in belgium? 

Whoa, I just looked it up. The max elevation for Belgium is 697m or 2287 feet. That's like doing a local climb in my neighborhood!