First time dipping into Chinese components

[fantomx11]

I have this old entry level Fuji that I don't ride anymore, and I thought it might be a nice platform to start trying out some of the stuff I've seen on YouTube. Also, this will be my first foray into building/upgrading bikes on my own, so any pitfalls to watch out for would be great.

The bike currently has an 8-speed Claris on it with rim brakes. I was thinking of upgrading to an 11-speed. Looking at either Sensah or Ltwoo. I can't tell from AliExpress which are mechanical and which are hydraulic. So, I need help figuring that out.

Also, do I need to upgrade the cranks/chainrings? It seems like I probably would. If so, how do I figure out what kind of bottom bracket I need to get?

[carbonazza]

Click the Home link on the top left.
To get a global search.

And then in the top right search box, type either LTWOO or SENSAH, and you'll get quite a few interesting posts about both.

[jonathanf2]

I have this old entry level Fuji that I don't ride anymore, and I thought it might be a nice platform to start trying out some of the stuff I've seen on YouTube. Also, this will be my first foray into building/upgrading bikes on my own, so any pitfalls to watch out for would be great.

The bike currently has an 8-speed Claris on it with rim brakes. I was thinking of upgrading to an 11-speed. Looking at either Sensah or Ltwoo. I can't tell from AliExpress which are mechanical and which are hydraulic. So, I need help figuring that out.

Also, do I need to upgrade the cranks/chainrings? It seems like I probably would. If so, how do I figure out what kind of bottom bracket I need to get?

I prefer mixing-n-matching. For example if you get Sensah Shimano compatible shifters such as the Team Pro 11 speed shifters, you can stick with a Shimano rear/front derailleurs. I'm currently running a 1x road bike with Sensah shifters and a 105 RD. LTwoo road groupsets 10/11 speed shifters are compatible with Shimano Tiagra 4700/105 R7000/Ultegra R8000/Dura Ace 9000 and GRX 11 speed. I do feel Shimano mechanical levers have better brake modulation though. Plus I like trying different things on my bike. It's a bit boring seeing the same assembly line bikes on the occasional group ride!

[fantomx11]

Click the Home link on the top left.
To get a global search.

And then in the top right search box, type either LTWOO or SENSAH, and you'll get quite a few interesting posts about both.

Thanks, I tried searching, but I didn't see any results that help me to tell which ones on AliExpress are hydraulic and which are cable-actuated. None of the listings I've seen specify either way. Since the bike frame is rim brake only, cable-actuated braking is a requirement (at least as far as I know).

I think I have a good answer on the bottom bracket.

[TidyDinosaur]

The price is a clear indicator
Cable can be had for about 100€. Hydraulic will be 300 plus.
Most is cable. Only Ltwoo has hydraulic for now as far as I know.

[s3si1u]

Thanks, I tried searching, but I didn't see any results that help me to tell which ones on AliExpress are hydraulic and which are cable-actuated. None of the listings I've seen specify either way. Since the bike frame is rim brake only, cable-actuated braking is a requirement (at least as far as I know).

I think I have a good answer on the bottom bracket.

There's no Sensah hydraulic groupset for sale yet (to my knowledge) so you should be safe to get just about any Sensah parts you're interested in!

You can also check out the official Ltwoo store: https://www.aliexpress.com/store/1101522220?spm
You can see the mechanical groupsets right at the top of the home page The hydraulic ones are pretty easy to weed out by price alone.

[KalviDj]

There's no Sensah hydraulic groupset for sale yet (to my knowledge) so you should be safe to get just about any Sensah parts you're interested in!

You can also check out the official Ltwoo store: https://www.aliexpress.com/store/1101522220?spm
You can see the mechanical groupsets right at the top of the home page The hydraulic ones are pretty easy to weed out by price alone.

Soon