LTWOO ER9 & ERX - Electronic groepsets

[Serge_K]

i used to use a battery pack thinking it was charging, it wasn't really. I've been using a wall socket, works much better. I wouldn't charge less than once a week though, the battery doesn't last that long (I did use $hit batteries, to be fair, i tested their capacity at 320-380mah each).

[amacal1]

I can already see that the non-proprietary battery pack is going to be both a blessing and a curse for this system. Occasionally, there will be some electronics issues with either the battery pack, wiring, or derailleurs that users (and Ltwoo) are going to have to deal with, but I imagine that much more commonly there will be issues with cheap, garbage cells that fail or are DOA. Savvy troubleshooters may zero in on the root cause quickly enough, but some are going to struggle. I'm no expert on lithium cells, but when I bought mine on Amazon for this setup I was really put off by the number of terrible reviews almost all of the make/model cells had on Amazon in the US. There wasn't a single product that had over 3/5 reviews that had sold more than a dozen units. I opted to go through a site dedicated to selling flashlight batteries, as they at least had some more quality offerings.

[hubertus]

The repeated issues with this groupset are almost pushing me towards disregarding the groupset entirely and move to shimano. As a final and desperate move, I will try it with higher quality batteries. Thanks for the input all.

[Tijoe]

The repeated issues with this groupset are almost pushing me towards disregarding the groupset entirely and move to shimano. As a final and desperate move, I will try it with higher quality batteries. Thanks for the input all.

WheelTop! WheelTop, WheelTop EDS...

[hubertus]

The repeated issues with this groupset are almost pushing me towards disregarding the groupset entirely and move to shimano. As a final and desperate move, I will try it with higher quality batteries. Thanks for the input all.

Not sure if this prognosis is exhaustive, but there is probably a problem with 1 of the 14500 batteries I had on my bike. Just compared two "new" 14500 batteries which were giving ±4 volts. The ones installed were giving ±3v (which apparently is the cutoff?) and ±3.5v.

[TidyDinosaur]

Not sure if this prognosis is exhaustive, but there is probably a problem with 1 of the 14500 batteries I had on my bike. Just compared two "new" 14500 batteries which were giving ±4 volts. The ones installed were giving ±3v (which apparently is the cutoff?) and ±3.5v.

4,2V = fully charged. 3V is definately empty and very low

[TidyDinosaur]

These look OK at first sight: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005871463985.html
Reviews are good and people seem to have measured them. Capacity even looks higher than stated.

[Serge_K]

The repeated issues with this groupset are almost pushing me towards disregarding the groupset entirely and move to shimano. As a final and desperate move, I will try it with higher quality batteries. Thanks for the input all.

If you want to nerd out, you can buy a lithium battery tester. I have an EUC i use to ride around town, and i've had extensive problems with its battery, so i've become pretty knowledgeable about lithium. Testing cells is often step 1.
In Europe there's a reputable shop that sells 14500 batteries that's been recommended here several times. I bought mine locally and they're shit, in the sense they have low capacity, but they do work.

To be fair to LTWOO, lithium on planes is such a ridiculous ordeal that it makes sense that as a direct to consumer brand, they have the option to sell groups w/o batteries. It's also in line in spirit with right to repair and all that. Regulations around carrying even the smallest of batteries is stupidly strict, not unlike limiting ebikes at 25kmh. Laws that defy all common sense.

[jonathanf2]

Contrary to other bad experiences, my ER9 groupset has been working really well. It took a few rides to iron out the kinks, but right now it's running near perfect. I'd almost be tempted to buy another ER9 set! Though I bought it with really low expectations, with the belief it will fail on me at any given moment. If you want race ready equipment with money spent on R&D, extensive customer support and quality assurance, no one should be buying any components from AliExpress!

[amacal1]

I didn't mean to give the wrong impression, because I'm very much a fan of their over-the-counter solution to the battery pack. The $150+ battery pack for the Di2 system is no doubt using exactly the same cells in the same setup as the Ltwoo pack. The only difference is that when the Di2 pack dies, you throw it away and buy a new one from Shimano for another $150+. If you are able to source quality cells, then this pack by Ltwoo is amazing. I chose to buy from a flashlight website because the flashlight consumers have been buying and reviewing and having high expectations of their lithium cells for many years now. They seem to give in-depth accounts of various cells' capacity, quality, current handling, etc.

[SillyMochi]

Which 14500 type is actually the right one for the battery pack? With or without IC Protection/PCB? And do they require a raised pole or the flat type (height differs between 49 - 51mm)?

[jonathanf2]

I'm using Skywolfeye 14500 Battery 1200mAh Li-ion 3.7V Rechargeable batteries and they've been working great.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/155465836365

I do wonder if batteries make a difference with some of these bad ER9 groupsets? It's the only major variable besides environmental conditions and riding style (race, commuter, etc.). Perhaps bad batteries could cause RDs to fail?

[hubertus]

I'm using Skywolfeye 14500 Battery 1200mAh Li-ion 3.7V Rechargeable batteries and they've been working great.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/155465836365

I do wonder if batteries make a difference with some of these bad ER9 groupsets? It's the only major variable besides environmental conditions and riding style (race, commuter, etc.). Perhaps bad batteries could cause RDs to fail?

Yes, I can confirm the batteries are an important part. The issue of not being able to charge for more than 10 seconds immediately changed after replacing them. During the fixing process, it was also quite obvious that the charger is quite important. I had multiple rides in a row where the derailleur died mid-ride (even though charging them during the night). I will circle back after the next couple of rides to see whether the issues continue.

[Sebastian]

I'm based in Germany. I used cells from German company (reseller?) PATONA. They do all kinds of batteries including big ones for e-scooters and e-bikes. They were slightly more expensive - something like double the price of the cheap stuff on Amazon. But they're working reliably. I guess you really shouldn't save money on the battery.

[hubertus]

On a different topic, does anybody know which OSPW is compatible with this groupset? Not too long ago, I placed LTWOO's OSPW on an indoor bike, and the difference in sound is dramatic. Can we use the same one, and if so, which version specifically?