Chinertown
Chinese Carbon Road Bikes => Cyclocross Frames, Wheels & Components => Topic started by: dirus on August 20, 2024, 03:44:14 AM
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I just got a response from Wheeltop representative regarding the launch of their gravel groupset. It could be useful information for other forum members so I am sharing it.
We are preparing the upcoming EDS gravel version-- EDS GeX. It's still unavailable for sale, so we can only provide with limited information.
As for the compatibility of the GeX, please see the attachment
You could choose cable brake hand shifters/ hydraulic disc brake hand shifters for different cage length versions.
We also offer a new version of brake calipers for hydraulic disc brake system to choose, BR-RA7800 with newly developed CNC one piece modeling.
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What does "shock absorber" mean? RD clutch? Are they developping an electronic clutch? Or bundling a gravel (coil) fork with the groupset which will have an electronic version?
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Honestly I have no idea. I was more or less asking them if certain Aliexpress sellers who are already selling EDS GEX are official distributors to which they replied that they are not and that they advice against buying from them and telling me the group will be available from September and attached the above mentioned specs
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Wheeltop has officially stated that they would not honour the warranty on any group that isn't bought directly from them. This was talked about on the forum a few weeks ago with screenshots and so on.
Bearing in mind pretty much all of these groups are bought via resellers.
So...
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I just got a response from Wheeltop representative regarding the launch of their gravel groupset. It could be useful information for other forum members so I am sharing it.
Hmmm how on earth are weights the same for mechanical and electronic derailleurs
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https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1QS411A7u1/?vd_source=04018a1f9ea601de7e1ec2b5b1f912c3
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Nb42177U8/?vd_source=04018a1f9ea601de7e1ec2b5b1f912c3
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1iaWUeUE8u/?vd_source=04018a1f9ea601de7e1ec2b5b1f912c3
some of the unboxing video and first impression (if you understand chinese)
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Looks like the release will be on 20.9.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007581590549.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.1.51a11biC1biCTH&algo_pvid=421746f8-aaa7-4615-b1e5-7a31daf6a4f5&algo_exp_id=421746f8-aaa7-4615-b1e5-7a31daf6a4f5-0&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21EUR%211037.37%21539.43%21%21%211118.34%21581.54%21%4021038dfc17260648740201550e1d26%2112000041381814778%21sea%21SI%21806683107%21X&curPageLogUid=2ogvCtWqKJLV&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A
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https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1QS411A7u1/?vd_source=04018a1f9ea601de7e1ec2b5b1f912c3
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Nb42177U8/?vd_source=04018a1f9ea601de7e1ec2b5b1f912c3
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1iaWUeUE8u/?vd_source=04018a1f9ea601de7e1ec2b5b1f912c3
some of the unboxing video and first impression (if you understand chinese)
To my eyes, the LTWoo eGR stuff looks better finished overall v/s EDS from those videos.
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Honestly I have no idea. I was more or less asking them if certain Aliexpress sellers who are already selling EDS GEX are official distributors to which they replied that they are not and that they advice against buying from them and telling me the group will be available from September and attached the above mentioned specs
F+ckheads...
why do they sell to aliexpress seller in the first place..
It seems that wheeltop has the same shitty style as ltwoo...they do not understand, that aliexpress will just kills the brand if you want to have distributors on board. these factories have a dozen backdoors where the products legally or not being sold out of production...
this is one of the major differences with succesful chinese companies we have worked with....they trusted their start up partners, listened to special needs for the different markets, r+d got help
well...
I wish you best of luck...i wonder if they have interest in distributor for europe?
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To my eyes, the LTWoo eGR stuff looks better finished overall v/s EDS from those videos.
i am not sure about the brake calipers, wheeltop seems to violate the shimano paterns, i wonder if they have a license agreement?
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F+ckheads...
why do they sell to aliexpress seller in the first place..
It seems that wheeltop has the same shitty style as ltwoo...they do not understand, that aliexpress will just kills the brand if you want to have distributors on board. these factories have a dozen backdoors where the products legally or not being sold out of production...
This looks like an easy way for them to avoid having to honour any warranty... They know most people will buy from Aliexpress, so they sell to resellers and deny any warranty afterwards... And they tell you it's your own fault because you bought off Ali...
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Found this on Taobao, looks very similar to the GeX in the video https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?abbucket=16&id=821778355114 (https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?abbucket=16&id=821778355114)
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This looks like an easy way for them to avoid having to honour any warranty... They know most people will buy from Aliexpress, so they sell to resellers and deny any warranty afterwards... And they tell you it's your own fault because you bought off Ali...
interesting idea..
at least they claim that officially on their website or facebook account.
Ltwoo does basically the same with just ignoring distributors.
we will see if they are interested in establishing distributors the traditional way.
one big advantage with selling via ali...they do not have to care about all certificates which are needed to sell to europe for instance, patent infringements will also hardly be detected by authorities because of the overwhelming quantity of parcels passing customs..
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4midWye0pXM
First video about it I believe
Also probed joe about sensah/magene groupsets and he said he is waiting for embargo to end
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Interesting that this is max 51t cassette, whereas the mtb version is 52t.
Looking forward to reviews and pricing. I've seen Sram mullet mini groupsets for $750... however this Wheeltop would allow the keeping and using of 11sp cassettes, chains and freehub bodies, which is additional cost saving initially, but with options to uprade to more gears later.
Update, Wheeltop website (https://wheeltop.com/products/wheel-top-eds-gex) is around $675, so not a big difference from Sram..... Sram comes with the comfort of local support (I'm in the process of replacing an chinese power meter crank on warranty, local support would've been easier and quicker, even though the manufacturer was very helpful)
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Weird that there is no carbon disc version
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4midWye0pXM
First video about it I believe
Also probed joe about sensah/magene groupsets and he said he is waiting for embargo to end
Did Joe say anything about when the embargo will be lifted? I am very much interested in the Magene groupset.
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Did Joe say anything about when the embargo will be lifted? I am very much interested in the Magene groupset.
No sorry no word on dates. wheeltop GEX releases oct 8 but no word on sensah, magene or updated ltwoo
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I have a UDH frame. Do I need a UDH to direct mount adapter like this for the rear derailler to work? https://wheelsmfg.com/derailleur-hanger-562.html
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I have a UDH frame. Do I need a UDH to direct mount adapter like this for the rear derailler to work? https://wheelsmfg.com/derailleur-hanger-562.html
No - you have a UDH already. You don't need anything further. The linked mount will not work - you already have the correct mount.
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No - you have a UDH already. You don't need anything further. The linked mount will not work - you already have the correct mount.
Thanks. It's so confusing!
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First ride feedback video
https://youtu.be/huFUB6sJ304?si=Gj7jAWggkvTQDM1u
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It's pretty suspect that their 19 reviews all appear to be fake. A bunch of them even seem to feature pictures from the same bike :o
All reviews were added on between 25th and 29th of September. I received the marketing email with the announcement of the groupset on the 8th of October and there has been no reviews on their website since.
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I certainly wouldn't be making a decision based on reviews on their website. The video review was interesting but just a first ride, and many social media influencers will give anything a good review as opposed to an honest review. I think Wheeltop has given a number of groupsets free to online reviewers, eg. Ribble Valley Cyclist's 2nd GeX Vid (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK-Ov0fbiFA/). Not saying the reviews are honest.
Time will tell, more real reviews, durability feedback, etc. Also, when things do go wrong, how good is the support. Everything might be wonderful until it's not ;)
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Another video which I think hasnt been posted
https://www. youtube. com/watch?v=6Xm4Gajv9c8
On paper this looks really nice:
fully wireless SRAM-style derailleur
hydraulic oil Shimano-compatible braking
shifting logic can be set as either Shimano- or SRAM-style within the app
compatible with basically any cassette no matter the gear count, even futureproof with 14 aswell
With good QC/longevity this could potentially be the best 1by groupset to date
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Another video which I think hasnt been posted
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Xm4Gajv9c8
On paper this looks really nice:
fully wireless SRAM-style derailleur
hydraulic oil Shimano-compatible braking
shifting logic can be set as either Shimano- or SRAM-style within the app
compatible with basically any cassette no matter the gear count, even futureproof with 14 aswell
With good QC/longevity this could potentially be the best 1by groupset to date
I wonder why I never see videos on this forum? Switched abdlock off and nothing changed so it wasnt it. Anyone has a solution?
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With good QC/longevity this could potentially be the best 1by groupset to date
The same could be said for any Chinese groupset so far ;D
Reliability / post-sale support still seems to have a way to go before it's anywhere near the larger western brands. Hopefully I read less failures of story over time, but on the Wheeltop owner's group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/237554719011888) there's enough stories of failure to keep me away for the moment, at least for any bike where reliability is a key factor.
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I contacted Wheeltop with a couple of questions that may (or may not) be of interest:
- I asked why the groupset maxed out at 51t and not 52t which is more common. They stated that with most frames a 52t cassette works, but they've found some where it doesn't work well, so they made the specs 'max 51t' to be safe
- I asked if the GeX or TX shifters were compatible with the OX mtb groupset for a mullet setup, but they said 'no, they are not compatible'.
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I wonder why I never see videos on this forum? Switched abdlock off and nothing changed so it wasnt it. Anyone has a solution?
Got the same issue aswell on this forum
Edited the youtube link above so you can c&p it in a browser, remove the spaces and watch it
The same could be said for any Chinese groupset so far ;D
Probably true ;)
But jokes aside: so far the main argument for chinese groupsets has been pricing… and while the EDS GeX is still a little cheaper than compareable SRAM/Shimano sets, I think its main argument is innovation/compatibilty/interoperability
Being able to run different speed cassettes, fiddeling around with jumps for every single sproket and combining SRAMs (superior) AXS shifting logic with Shimanos (superior) breaking are standout features you just cannot get from the big brands.
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What does "shock absorber" mean? RD clutch? Are they developping an electronic clutch? Or bundling a gravel (coil) fork with the groupset which will have an electronic version?
Since they are just ripping off Srams RD, it has a fluid rear dampener in it to mitigate chainslap.
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Interesting that this is max 51t cassette, whereas the mtb version is 52t.
Looking forward to reviews and pricing. I've seen Sram mullet mini groupsets for $750... however this Wheeltop would allow the keeping and using of 11sp cassettes, chains and freehub bodies, which is additional cost saving initially, but with options to uprade to more gears later.
Update, Wheeltop website (https://wheeltop.com/products/wheel-top-eds-gex) is around $675, so not a big difference from Sram..... Sram comes with the comfort of local support (I'm in the process of replacing an chinese power meter crank on warranty, local support would've been easier and quicker, even though the manufacturer was very helpful)
roughly $700 for this group with sketchy warranty vs another $250 for grey market Force AXS with sketchy warranty...I think most people shopping for stuff like this would just fork out the extra $250.
Curious about weights on this group/parts.
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roughly $700 for this group with sketchy warranty vs another..........
Interestingly here in OZ you can get a SRAM mullet upgrade kit (Force shifters, Eagle derailleur and Force brakes) for the same price as the Wheeltop. Yes the Sram requires XD hub and Cassette to get the 10-52t. However, it enables a bigger spread of gearing, bought locally with Sram quality and support.
Makes for a tough choice.
Someone mentioned the wheeltop ability to tune individual gears/sprockets. I see the benefit of this, but I can imagine that once you start you never stop tinkering until it drives you made, whereas the Sram should 'just work' out of the box.
I'm interested in the Wheeltop, very interested, but I would have expected 33% cheaper than Sram electronic. I have an Xcadey power meter and top end Chinese wheels, both are great, the companies are great, but when things go wrong it still takes 2-4 weeks to xchange info and actually get any new parts from the time I raise an issue..... not necessarily the fault of the company but the geographical and communication logistics. I'm not complaining here because the products were somewhat cheaper than local mainstream alternatives...... and this is without talking about going into a local bike shop for help, and the look they will give you when they realise you have an unknown groupset for which nobody has been trained or carries parts.
All food for thought, I was super excited for the Wheeltop groupset, but the price has put a damper on that excitement.
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I heard from one of shop reselling this groupset that there will be a price drop this November. Hopefully this will be around 400~ range to make it really competitive with shi/sram
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I heard from one of shop reselling this groupset that there will be a price drop this November. Hopefully this will be around 400~ range to make it really competitive with shi/sram
Since my last post, with help from a Chinese work colleague, we found the groupset components on Tmall but at a slightly lower price..... and the first 11 days of november are the 11.11 annual sales, so I'll be watching for discounts.
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First a disclaimer: I don't own one of these (yet?) but am doing some research and it seems to be evolving in interesting ways, at least for the US market.
1) You can now buy via a US store https://wheeltop.us/products/wheeltop-eds-gex?variant=49584537895227. The price isn't quite as low as I saw on AliExpress a month ago but it is with warranty, a return option and free shipping. (Sorry to readers outside the US
2) Since the early videos and other reviews, they are now offering a double configuration of cage length and lever material. So you can get 51t compatible or not and/or CF levers or not. Cage doesn't change pricing but levers do at $40 (not bad if you have to have CF levers :) )
3) There appears to be growing confirmation that the battery pack CAN be changed out. Not field swapped but replaced if there is an issue. Still haven't seen the part, but the fact that the mount is there and the latest instructions refer to doing so is encouraging. (I don't care how good it is, batteries fail and/or wear out and not being able to replace in any way was a dealbreaker for me)
4) The most important thing to ME is that it supports an 11s configuration in addition to 12s (and more). This adds a lot of flexibility for retrofit. SRAM and Shimano electronic systems demand 12s setups. Since I'm putting it on a bike that has two wheelsets, each with 11s 50t cassettes, that's a huge extra cost (two expensive cassettes and one wheelset doesn't support a 12s freehub so...) to go even a Rival AXS setup. FWIW, I'm not finding a Rival shifter, GX MTB RD AXS setup for less than $800 just for those parts.
For some context,
I have 12s 2x Force D1 on a road bike and like it a lot. (And I stole the full groupset for $1k a year ago as a closeout) If I were building from scratch and didn't have to deal with 11s legacy, I'd be happy to build with that or the new Rival. I'm assuming the MTB RD works well given the experience they have. So no complaints other than price
I've also been running LTWOO eGR this season on the gravel bike. Same ability to support 11s and at the time was half the price of Wheeltop's current price so worth a punt. The good: Setup is fairly simple in general. BUT the calipers don't mount quite the same as Shimano and require an adapter plate that wouldn't fit on my frame. Some Shimano calipers fit instead though and work well with the LTWOO levers. Also, because LTWOO uses a Di2 power model (battery in the frame), and the frame I'm installing it on is not set up that way, I've had to frankenbike the setup. Battery status is a pain to monitor because the integration to the head unit is faulty (always at 'critical') and it is easy to fail to charge due to weak magnets and strange indicator lights. If you're interested, I've written more here https://trbike.blogspot.com/2024/05/ltwoo-egr-results-writeup.html
I'd love to read from someone who's actually installed the Wheeltop.
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Oh, and I see that they bought Rotor. Interesting for long term viability and completeness of groupset eventually. I've heard that it gives them US and EU distribution as well.
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Tempted by the 2025 model deals currently on AliExpress, but no carbon lever option. Need to convince myself that is not necessary, or maybe I am better to wait for holiday deals?
Edit. Reached out to the store and they said it's the carbon levers option, which with the full packaging and using up some coins came to £420, which I think is a great deal.
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I was in the same position but on Taobao. I went with the aluminium levers which were part of the package. When I looked into it the difference was something tiny like 20g total..... although 'carbon levers' does sound good. I got mine for exactly the same price, lets hope it works out OK.
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I heard from one of shop reselling this groupset that there will be a price drop this November. Hopefully this will be around 400~ range to make it really competitive with shi/sram
If you don't want their disc brake calipers (which are ugly anyway) this comes out to be US$387 all inclusive (after coins, coupons)
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807839605011.html
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You really sure you wanna risk it with that seller?
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Just linking to the price that previous poster mentioned bro. Its up to you whether you want to do it or not.
Its Aliexpress. Stores with near 100% positive feedback also doesn't guarantee you much.
Here is one with exact same price and 100% positive feedback if you are worried:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807839528218.html
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Interestingly here in OZ you can get a SRAM mullet upgrade kit (Force shifters, Eagle derailleur and Force brakes) for the same price as the Wheeltop. Yes the Sram requires XD hub and Cassette to get the 10-52t. However, it enables a bigger spread of gearing, bought locally with Sram quality and support.
That's cool! does it require xd though, i mean will it explode if you run it with a generic AE 11-50 12-sp?
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That's cool! does it require xd though, i mean will it explode if you run it with a generic AE 11-50 12-sp?
No, you can use it with HG hub bodies, my friend has just fit it with a SRAM 12 speed HG cassette. The benefit of going XD hubs is that you can run a smaller sprocket (10t) to get wider gearing.
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Does anyone have both wheeltop and ltwoo? I'm swapping out ltwoo for wheeltop and would like to leave the ltwoo calipers (makes life easier). The ltwoo with the wheeltop calipers will then go on my winter bike.
Any issues doing this? Anyone with both have a view on which calipers are better?
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I have Twitter Gravel X, that come with GeX EDS for only 1,2k USD for a whole bike.
It works fine with 13 and 12sp cassetes using 13sp SUMC chain. But i was only been able to test it on a direct drive trainer yet.
I dont see any difference how it shifts(fine) compared to my MTB SRAM AXS.
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Does anyone have both wheeltop and ltwoo? I'm swapping out ltwoo for wheeltop and would like to leave the ltwoo calipers (makes life easier). The ltwoo with the wheeltop calipers will then go on my winter bike.
Any issues doing this? Anyone with both have a view on which calipers are better?
An indirect answer to your question: I'm running Shimano calipers with LTWOO (because they LTWOO ones wouldn't fit on my frame with their weird bracket). They work well. I've also read that Wheeltop work fine with Shimano (or other oil based) calipers. In fact, in China some sellers offer a kit without calipers (not the US store). So, I see no reason why it wouldn't work.
That said, I'm wondering how the swap would be easier than moving over fully? Internal routing issues?
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[off]
Speaking of Twitter.
Their road full carbon bike, R15 Pro, with WheelTop road set, is 1040 USD. The WheelTop itself is 700 USD on the website or AliX. Yeah yeah, I know when you're a company selling complete bikes, all components go chipper. But this? You guys really enjoy being part of this overpriced paid beta-test?
[/off]
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That said, I'm wondering how the swap would be easier than moving over fully? Internal routing issues?
I can leave the hoses in and just swap the levers and the RD. Sure it's just a time and effort thing.
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R15 Pro, with WheelTop road set, is 1040 USD. The WheelTop itself is 700 USD on the website or AliX.
Yeah, it's mind blowing. I have no Idea how they do that: full carbon bike including wheels, electronic shifting and integrated carbon handleber for just above 1000 USD... I see no reason to buy this without a complete bike.
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I got full GeX groupset for 630 AUD ($411 USD) + postage from Taobao.... so would be even cheaper for wholesale or bulk purchase.
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Interestingly here in OZ you can get a SRAM mullet upgrade kit (Force shifters, Eagle derailleur and Force brakes) for the same price as the Wheeltop. Yes the Sram requires XD hub and Cassette to get the 10-52t. However, it enables a bigger spread of gearing, bought locally with Sram quality and support.
Makes for a tough choice.
Someone mentioned the wheeltop ability to tune individual gears/sprockets. I see the benefit of this, but I can imagine that once you start you never stop tinkering until it drives you made, whereas the Sram should 'just work' out of the box.
I'm interested in the Wheeltop, very interested, but I would have expected 33% cheaper than Sram electronic. I have an Xcadey power meter and top end Chinese wheels, both are great, the companies are great, but when things go wrong it still takes 2-4 weeks to xchange info and actually get any new parts from the time I raise an issue..... not necessarily the fault of the company but the geographical and communication logistics. I'm not complaining here because the products were somewhat cheaper than local mainstream alternatives...... and this is without talking about going into a local bike shop for help, and the look they will give you when they realise you have an unknown groupset for which nobody has been trained or carries parts.
All food for thought, I was super excited for the Wheeltop groupset, but the price has put a damper on that excitement.
I read your reply and couldn't believe it, but you're right! Absolute no-brainer here in Aus, I'd go SRAM any day of the week.
The reason I chose L-TWOO a while back was because of how much cheaper it was than the GRX equivalent.
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Yeah, I was close to buying the Sram outfit, but went with wheeltop. https://thebrig.com.au/products/sram-mullet-upgrade-kit-x01-force-etap-shifters?Title=Default+Title. (https://thebrig.com.au/products/sram-mullet-upgrade-kit-x01-force-etap-shifters?Title=Default+Title)
Only time will tell if it was the correct decision, at the moment I'm still working through the initial gear indexing which has been slow and frustrating.... note that the frustration may be from my lack of skills and learning as I go, I've only ever fit and tuned mechanical before.
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That's crazy cheap - I wish I'd known about before I started my recent gravel build!
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[off]
Speaking of Twitter.
Their road full carbon bike, R15 Pro, with WheelTop road set, is 1040 USD. The WheelTop itself is 700 USD on the website or AliX. Yeah yeah, I know when you're a company selling complete bikes, all components go chipper. But this? You guys really enjoy being part of this overpriced paid beta-test?
[/off]
with carbonwheels shipped to Germany 1200 Euros? man , that is very cheap....
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with carbonwheels shipped to Germany 1200 Euros? man , that is very cheap....
Well, there is this:"Customers are responsible for understanding and complying with their country's importation rules. This includes any customs clearance fees, duties, or taxes, even when free shipping is provided."
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with carbonwheels shipped to Germany 1200 Euros? man , that is very cheap....
It was a price of a local reseller in Russa, converted to USD. (yeah, delivery and customs are included)
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Yeah, I was close to buying the Sram outfit, but went with wheeltop. https://thebrig.com.au/products/sram-mullet-upgrade-kit-x01-force-etap-shifters?Title=Default+Title. (https://thebrig.com.au/products/sram-mullet-upgrade-kit-x01-force-etap-shifters?Title=Default+Title)
Only time will tell if it was the correct decision, at the moment I'm still working through the initial gear indexing which has been slow and frustrating.... note that the frustration may be from my lack of skills and learning as I go, I've only ever fit and tuned mechanical before.
I clicked through and was like "uh, that's a grand, not that cheap". Then I noticed the .au :) That IS a good deal. If only SRAM would support at least an 11s alternate configuration (it's only software). :( This is one of the key things for the Wheeltop and LTWOO options. They aren't forcing a full 12s upgrade but can be installed on an existing (and hardly obsolete) 11s cassette and wheelset. By the time I replace a 10-50 cassette (2 in my case with two wheelsets), the price goes WAY up for the full upgrade. And one of the wheelsets has a freehub that doesn't support 12 so another wheel. Ugh.
So for a fresh build, I'd be looking at what the shipping and import costs from Australia to me are. But as an upgrade, it sadly doesn't work.
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These are the reasons I went Wheeltop, I intend to upgrade one wheelset to 12sp and leave the other as 11sp. I hoping that wheeltop, in the future, add a wheel/bike profile feature where you can setup different indexing for different wheels and then swap between easily.
With this flexiblity the Wheeltop isn't just cheaper, but it's also technical ahead of Shimano and Sram..... in this specific area. Downside of flexible configuration of indexing and gearing is that it can take a lot of work to get it perfect - as I am finding with my GeX ATM, some learning on my part. So for Sram and Shimano, if they want a great customer experience and minimize support calls, having it 'just work' Apple style is important for the wider consumer market.
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These are the reasons I went Wheeltop, I intend to upgrade one wheelset to 12sp and leave the other as 11sp. I hoping that wheeltop, in the future, add a wheel/bike profile feature where you can setup different indexing for different wheels and then swap between easily.
With this flexiblity the Wheeltop isn't just cheaper, but it's also technical ahead of Shimano and Sram..... in this specific area. Downside of flexible configuration of indexing and gearing is that it can take a lot of work to get it perfect - as I am finding with my GeX ATM, some learning on my part. So for Sram and Shimano, if they want a great customer experience and minimize support calls, having it 'just work' Apple style is important for the wider consumer market.
An excellent example.
The setup issue you mention is one thing that gives me a moment's hesitation with the Wheeltop. Only per-sprocket tuning is powerful but a challenge. I'm hoping that normally it's just basically right in the first place. The SRAM model of only a meta setting works ok. But if you have any sort of glitch for whatever reason, there is no way to adjust it. LTWOO's approach is pretty good IF you read the instructions ;D I did not read carefully and started tuning each sprocket. Yeah, no. They do it right and you are supposed to set it on a mid sprocket and only tune the separate ones if needed. But I don't see a profile capability like you ask for there either. (It's a good idea)
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These are the reasons I went Wheeltop, I intend to upgrade one wheelset to 12sp and leave the other as 11sp.
There are aftermarket cassete options for 12sp that will work on your 11sp HG freehub. You dont have to buy new wheels for that.
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There are aftermarket cassete options for 12sp that will work on your 11sp HG freehub. You dont have to buy new wheels for that.
Yes, I realised that, I've gone with a Spedao lightweight 11-50t cassette which is 25% the price of an equivalent weight sram cassette. I'm still thinking of going XD on my road bike wheel in order to go down to a 10t cassette.
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order to go down to a 10t cassette.
10t cog is not that efficient. Quadratish, not praktish, not good. :)
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10t cog is not that efficient. Quadratish, not praktish, not good. :)
What you lose in efficiency you gain in flexibility, especially if you are 1x and limited by chainring size.
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10t cog is not that efficient. Quadratish, not praktish, not good. :)
LOL
But you're not wrong. I have a 10t and it always horrifies me when I turn it on the stand and FEEL what seems like grinding in the drivetrain. Eeeek yuk. But, on the road/trail, it's really not noticeable and having 10% more range is nice when you need it. But honestly, I have few rides where I spend a lot of time in the 10t
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LI have a 10t and it always horrifies me when I turn it on the stand and FEEL what seems like grinding in the drivetrain.
It's ok for MTB: when you need that exrta speed on a descent for a small amount of time. But for the road, i think its not worth it...
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FWIW - I got stung with significant customs charges for my groupset from TWITTER Bicycle Factory. I order a lot from Aliexpress and nearly all of it gets through no problem with no charges. Can just be a luck of the draw and choice of carrier, I'm sure.
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Does anyone have a video guide on how to micro adjust? I cannot seem to make it shift smoothly.
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FWIW - I got stung with significant customs charges for my groupset from TWITTER Bicycle Factory. I order a lot from Aliexpress and nearly all of it gets through no problem with no charges. Can just be a luck of the draw and choice of carrier, I'm sure.
What country are you in? Could it be that it's over a daily threshold for duty-free. Apparently in the US, for example, under a few hundred $ in a shipment it gets the same exemption as hand-carried goods on a flight. But over that, duty schedules kick in. I had an Italian vendor know that and send me two packages instead of one for a groupset which was interesting. (I looked it up later)
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Does anyone have a video guide on how to micro adjust? I cannot seem to make it shift smoothly.
Are you using the app in fine tuning mode, you can set the offset number for every gear, the settings are very fine for micro adjustments, so far I have always changed in jumps of 5
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My GEX has arrived. Build quality seems quite a lot lower than Ltwoo. Hood rubber sticks out, RD finish is a lot rougher. Jockeys are *bad* (ordered hope replacements). That said, I am hoping that they made smarter choices than LTWOO - more serviceable, better charging point, more configuation options, larger range, better hanger connection. I'll update once it's had some ride time to compare more fully.
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First proper ride with the new GeX today, 3 hours gravel and road. It performed flawlessly, all gear changes were quick and seamless, braking was great, basically nothing to say but good things. I swapped bikes with another rider who has Sram Force, he thought the GeX was just as good, pretty much the same.
My most pleasing feature was the shape of the shifters, much more comfortable than any of my previous Sram or Shimano, perhaps because I have smallish hands, I'm not sure, but I found them really comfortable.
I've done my build slowly, my first time fitting disc brakes and an electronic groupset, so I had a few learnings. Some key points and info about my build:
- I had to back off the K, lower limit screw in order to initialse my gear 1
- I set up the gears, nicely indexed on the workstand, but during a short test ride I had to fine tune 2 or 3 gears, but this was really easy
- The weight of the groupset was a tad lighter than my Sram Rival groupset
- I'm running a Sram Eagle chain with a Spedao 11-50t 12 speed cassette, working well and very very light for the money
- I did not need to bleed the brakes at all, had to shorten the hoses, insert new barbs, connect and go..... all good out of the box
- The groupset comes with a bleed kit, nice touch
- For shortening the brake hoses I bought a tool from Aliexpress, makes it so easy to cut and insert the barb, great investment
- Total cost with brake hose tool, groupset and cassette ~$530 USD (I already had a chain
Next step is to see how easy it is to swap between wheels, one 12spd, one 11spd
Nice finishing touch to my Gravel bike:
- Waltly Chinese Titanium frame
- Wheeltop GeX groupset
- Lun Grapid 650b wheelset
- Spedao lightweight cassette
- Uno Aliexpress lightweight bars and stem
- 160mm Xcadey power crank
- Oval chainring, Stone from Aliexpress
- Kactus lightweight rotors
- 2nd set of road wheels from Speeder Cycling
- Branded stuff includes Sram chain, Pirelli Tyres, SMP saddle and XTR pedals (half price sale)
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Also had my first ride today. Winter ride -5C, for 2 hours. Works flawlessly and the hoods are very comfortable for my small hands. I liked it. No complains. Fine tuning between gears was not needed. I've just switched it to 12sp (new ZTTO SLR3 11-46 12sp cassete) and setup initial gear with micro adjust.
Have to wait to see how it will last...
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I still cannot make this thing to shift properly.
I overturn the H limiter and it fell off. Lol i cannot put it back.
Anyway living with it, turn off 1st gear and keeps on
Skipping 10th gear.. so its shifting 9th to 11th.
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LOL
But you're not wrong. I have a 10t and it always horrifies me when I turn it on the stand and FEEL what seems like grinding in the drivetrain. Eeeek yuk. But, on the road/trail, it's really not noticeable and having 10% more range is nice when you need it. But honestly, I have few rides where I spend a lot of time in the 10t
This! I borrowed an MTB last week w/a tiny chainring and never ran out of gears on the downhills w/a 10T cog. it's very counter-intuitive until you try it.
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Initial Pairing Question:
So my GeX kit just arrived tonight and I'm wondering about pairing etc. The manual says to start with pairing but also that they come paired (hmmm).
Here's what I'm seeing:
- The shifters blink but do not actuate the RD
- The RD lights red when I plug it in (still waiting for it to complete)
- The app can find the RD to pair and name but nothing else.
Will this all sort out when the charge completes or do I need to start doing something?
Do the shifters have to be discovered by the app or does it come with the RD?
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From what I saw….it should be enough to just charge the RD for a bit, then it will connect with shifters.
That’s what I experienced.
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From what I saw….it should be enough to just charge the RD for a bit, then it will connect with shifters.
That’s what I experienced.
Hopefully that's what I'll find in the morning :-). With limited resources on these (in English at any rate), I thought I'd raise the 'help' flag early.
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I also had a hard time figuring out how to pair due to the manual not clear. But i found the pairing process in one of tracevelo's video.
Basically what was done is,
Double check the shiffter batteries if installed properly.
Try to shift left and right it should be white light. Once confirmed.
Plug the rd, unplug the rd, immediately shift the right shifter followed by the left shifter.
Hope this helps.
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I also had a hard time figuring out how to pair due to the manual not clear. But i found the pairing process in one of tracevelo's video.
Basically what was done is,
Double check the shiffter batteries if installed properly.
Try to shift left and right it should be white light. Once confirmed.
Plug the rd, unplug the rd, immediately shift the right shifter followed by the left shifter.
Hope this helps.
Thank you . That helped me sort it out. I wrote up the details to help others
1. Remove batteries from front shifters
2. Attach the charger cable, then disconnect it to get a flashing blue light
- The RD has TWO LEDs. The one near the power connector indicates charge status. But there is another one in the arm, behind the translucent panel that goes blue/green for pairing.
3. Re-insert batteries in a shifter. It might need you to push a shift lever. The manual suggests yes, but I'm not sure if that was actually necessary. Certainly works if you do.
4. Look at RD to see it flash green, then back to blue flashing for the next pairing
5. Repeat for the other shifter
- To access shifter batteries, the caps are beveled/lopsided. Easy enough to turn open. Look for the arrows for the open and closed positions. They are different on each side. When replacing the caps, pay attention to the flat underside for alignment. The bevel top will confuse you. Put it in right and press down for a light snap. Then turn.
- Trace Velo video on pairing is titled "A Chinese Wireless Electronic Groupset - Wheeltop EDS TX - First look" and you can jump to 6:28 (sorry link doesn't post)
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2nd ride with GeX today. 6 hours on gravel, 3 hours of which were wet and raining.... heavy rain and very sandy bush trails.
I purposely didn't attempt to clean the groupset all day, regardless, it just worked perfectly. There is the odd time when one or two gear don't quite engage perfectly, but it may be my fault. Because the groupset changes gear so easily, I've been changing under load, sometimes 300+ watts on a climb, it just changes without issue.
The other thin, coming from Sram Rival, is the bakes, they are brilliant, I was able to descend on the drops, braking with a single finger.
6 hours riding, battery went from 90 to 80%. 30 minutes of charging and it was back to 95%.
My first ever electronic groupset and I am one very happy camper.
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My GEX has arrived. Build quality seems quite a lot lower than Ltwoo. Hood rubber sticks out, RD finish is a lot rougher. Jockeys are *bad* (ordered hope replacements). That said, I am hoping that they made smarter choices than LTWOO - more serviceable, better charging point, more configuation options, larger range, better hanger connection. I'll update once it's had some ride time to compare more fully.
Did you put it on your tideace? I'm in the process of installing the RD on mine. Had a 5 minute play last night and can't get it to shift to 1st cog in initial calibration, however I didn't back off the high limit screw yet so I think that will fix it.
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....... can't get it to shift to 1st cog in initial calibration, .......
when I first put it on my frame, the gear 1 position was aligned somewhere around gear 2.5..... I had to release screw K, lower limit screw, this moved the derailleur outward. I got these instructions from Wheeltop support.
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I think I've got it to shift into 1st cog. What a faf
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First ride report:
So, I got my GeX setup fully installed without too much trouble. The only real issue was that I was installing it on my 2019 Cutthroat which is post-mount and the Wheeltop calipers are flat-mount. But that also means I can confirm that the levers work just fine with Shimano calipers.
Individual cog alignment is a bit of a faff but works. I've set up SRAM AXS and LWTWOO before with less fussing. That said, the Wheeltop setup does allow me to micro-adjust the individual cogs should that have been the issue. I would prefer that it worked better based on the speeds and gear one alignment. I found I had to move nearly every cog in the same direction like the preset just didn't understand 11-speed spacing.
Tips:
- Make sure you index the smallest cog first. Get it right.
- Don't be afraid of the numbers. Just move them a few at a time. I took to moving in blocks of 5 'units' for consistency
- Make sure you move the number (buttons or direct entry), then shift one way, then back. After the first pass, go up and down the cassette one step at a time
- Get the B-screw adjustment right. It doesn't matter in the smaller cogs for rough alignment. But it matters a lot for a big cog like a 50t and does impact them all. (Wheeltop calls this the 'backward adjustment screw H)
- Go through the setup until you're basically happy then walk away. Come back again and run through the gears again one at a time.
In operation, it worked great today. Nearly perfect, immediate shifts. Nearly because I'm paying too much attention and a couple of times there was a hesitancy. Maybe that cog needs more microadjust or maybe it just happened. It worked into each and every cog without hesitation. It ran noticeably quietly. No skipping, no clunks. Just worked
For context, this bike originally had an 11-40something cassette which I changed to an 11-50 with a modified (extended cage) Force mechanical RD. It 'worked' but was never really happy. Very sensitive to tension drift and dirt, always a little 'off' making subtle noise. I then tried an LTWOO eGR RD which is also out of spec with a 50t, but did work. But it was sometimes 'cranky' about getting in and out of the bigger two cogs. And I think the B-screw setting that allowed the 50t, made it imprecise in the smaller cogs. Based on stand testing and this first ride, the Wheeltop (which is designed to support up to 51t) seems much happier with the wide range 1x
I did reverse the controls to SRAM style (big paddles on each side with a direction) with a bonus small button config to allow shifting both ways with the right control. I like this better than right side only up/down finding the separate buttons and it's compatible with another bike I ride.
More to come as it gets pushed harder
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For context, this bike originally had an 11-40something cassette which I changed to an 11-50 with a modified (extended cage) Force mechanical RD. It 'worked' but was never really happy. Very sensitive to tension drift and dirt, always a little 'off' making subtle noise. I then tried an LTWOO eGR RD which is also out of spec with a 50t, but did work. But it was sometimes 'cranky' about getting in and out of the bigger two cogs. And I think the B-screw setting that allowed the 50t, made it imprecise in the smaller cogs. Based on stand testing and this first ride, the Wheeltop (which is designed to support up to 51t) seems much happier with the wide range 1x
This is exactly my reason for getting the GeX, so very glad to hear it.
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I'm waiting for someone to try the GeX with a 52t cassette. Wheeltop said to me it works on a lot of frames but not all in their testing..... I can confirm that it works easy and perfectly with a 50t, looks like it'll do 52 but I don't have such a cassette to try.
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I'm waiting for someone to try the GeX with a 52t cassette. Wheeltop said to me it works on a lot of frames but not all in their testing..... I can confirm that it works easy and perfectly with a 50t, looks like it'll do 52 but I don't have such a cassette to try.
Given they say 51t and how well it works on 50t, I would be surprised if it didn't work ok with a 52t. But who knows. I'm actually surprised they explicitly tested 51t and not 52t given how common 52t cassettes are.
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Wheeltop said that they had tested 52t cassettes, that it worked on most bikes/frames tested but not all. So they've played it safe, officially setting the max to 51t.
I just need to borrow a 52 cassette to test, although I'm happy with the 50
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Wheeltop said that they had tested 52t cassettes, that it worked on most bikes/frames tested but not all. So they've played it safe, officially setting the max to 51t.
I just need to borrow a 52 cassette to test, although I'm happy with the 50
Interesting. Probably bikes with unusual chain lines cause issues. But then again, that would be an issue for all derailleurs I'd think.
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hi all
can you suggest a reliable/supportive AliExpress shop for the GeX? that's because it's possible to use coins and other discount to get the GeX at a convenient price rather on the official wheeltop site you pay full load of $$$.
thanks
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Does anyone have an opinion on the new wheeltop calipers? I installed my gex groupset with magura mt4 calipers because my frame doesn't take flat-mount.
My "old" road bike has shimano rs805 calipers, I don't know if my new unused wheeltop calipers would be an upgrade or downgrade, but they look nice.
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I can only compare against the Sram Rival brakes I replaced, the Wheeltop are much much better, I was decending last week using one finger from the brakes on steep bumpy dirt descents.
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I can only compare against the Sram Rival brakes I replaced, the Wheeltop are much much better, I was decending last week using one finger from the brakes on steep bumpy dirt descents.
Not in love with SRAM rival either, moving from ratio 1x12 rival to wheeltop gex, no matter how much bleeding I did on a couple of rides my rear brake got the shift paddle stuck on the handlebar, the bike had external routing so bleeding was fine.
Braking power was good descending 800m altitude forest paths without fading, but didn't like the lever travel.
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.... no matter how much bleeding I did on a couple of rides my rear brake got the shift paddle stuck on the handlebar, the bike had external routing so bleeding was fine.
Exactly the issue I had, tried bleeding and all tricks to pressurize but still had to pull the lever far too far to get any braking. I thought the need was for a preload adjustment like the Sram force, but the Gex doesn't need this.
In fact, with the GeX, I cut the hose, held it so as to lose minimum fluid, fit them to the shifters and done. No bleeding, they worked perfectly with the out of the box pre-bled hoses. And this is the first time I have fit disc brakes and hoses, I was shocked in a good good way. Also great that Wheeltop include a cheap bleed kit in the box.
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Luckily my magura calipers also come prebleed, I will be installing them this week.
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Does anyone have an opinion on the new wheeltop calipers? I installed my gex groupset with magura mt4 calipers because my frame doesn't take flat-mount.
My "old" road bike has shimano rs805 calipers, I don't know if my new unused wheeltop calipers would be an upgrade or downgrade, but they look nice.
Same issue. Post mount frame. I left my Shimano RS-785 calipers (well, sadly, I'm an idiot and had already removed them before I realized the problem) in place. They work well with the Wheeltop levers. Even seem to have done it cleanly enough to avoid a bleed.
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Question to those who've been running Wheeltop groupsets for a while (GeX or otherwise):
Is the app battery status indicator reliable? (IOW is it reasonably accurate in representing SoC and tracking consistently)
I went out for 4 hour ride this weekend and it went UP from 83% to 85%. If the battery lasts the 20k shifts that Wheeltop claims (GeX), that's totally explainable by the nature of state of charge approximations and the battery being COLD in the morning and warm when I got home (IOW down a few % of use but up a few more % worth of voltage due to temps). But it could also be erratic readings. I'd like to be able to trust the general level reported.
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Question to those who've been running Wheeltop groupsets for a while (GeX or otherwise):
Is the app battery status indicator reliable? (IOW is it reasonably accurate in representing SoC and tracking consistently)
I went out for 4 hour ride this weekend and it went UP from 83% to 85%. If the battery lasts the 20k shifts that Wheeltop claims (GeX), that's totally explainable by the nature of state of charge approximations and the battery being COLD in the morning and warm when I got home (IOW down a few % of use but up a few more % worth of voltage due to temps). But it could also be erratic readings. I'd like to be able to trust the general level reported.
No idea, I'm planning to buy an extra charger cable + usbc-usba adapter to add to my recur kit, it adds less weight than a tire lever and you can charge the deraileur with your phone.
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No idea, I'm planning to buy an extra charger cable + usbc-usba adapter to add to my recur kit, it adds less weight than a tire lever and you can charge the deraileur with your phone.
Yeah, I've got a spare cable on it's way. I don't ever like to have electronic gear with proprietary connectors without a backup. :) But I don't think I'd want to even try to pull power from my phone (I'm not sure iPhones support it but I'm curious now) But definitely a battery pack if away for a while.
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Finally got everything installed, lever feel is great with magura calipers, the bits is well modulated but strong. Indexing was easy and pretty painless.
Yeah, I've got a spare cable on it's way. I don't ever like to have electronic gear with proprietary connectors without a backup. :) But I don't think I'd want to even try to pull power from my phone (I'm not sure iPhones support it but I'm curious now) But definitely a battery pack if away for a while.
My phone has a 4600mah battery,wheeltop battery is 800mah, 100-200 mah from a phone battery is a tiny percentage. Powerbank can stay in the hotel or garage.
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When bleeding the caliper (which was a disaster) the rubber o-ring snapped. It leaks without it. Does anyone know the spec for a replacement?
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When bleeding the caliper (which was a disaster) the rubber o-ring snapped. It leaks without it. Does anyone know the spec for a replacement?
You can check the other caliper, but i think it might be easier to get a shimano, magura or campagnolo caliper. You can easily spend the 30€ that a shimano caliper costs in petrol to look for the oring, plus wheeltop pads still work in shimano caliper.
Shimano 105 or magura mt4 are cheap And work well. My braking combo wheeltop-magura mt4 feels much better than my xtr mtb, shimano road And sram rival it replaced. Time will tell how it works in the long térm but for now it s almost perfect.
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You can check the other caliper, but i think it might be easier to get a shimano, magura or campagnolo caliper. You can easily spend the 30€ that a shimano caliper costs in petrol to look for the oring, plus wheeltop pads still work in shimano caliper.
Shimano 105 or magura mt4 are cheap And work well. My braking combo wheeltop-magura mt4 feels much better than my xtr mtb, shimano road And sram rival it replaced. Time will tell how it works in the long térm but for now it s almost perfect.
While I'd hate to see you toss calipers for the loss of an O-ring, I can confirm that normal Shimano calipers mate up and work fine. I had to do it because I have post mount not flat.
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Thanks but I got an O-ring delivered from eBay for £1.30 so will certainly try that first!
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First proper ride with the new GeX today, 3 hours gravel and road. It performed flawlessly, all gear changes were quick and seamless, braking was great, basically nothing to say but good things. I swapped bikes with another rider who has Sram Force, he thought the GeX was just as good, pretty much the same.
My most pleasing feature was the shape of the shifters, much more comfortable than any of my previous Sram or Shimano, perhaps because I have smallish hands, I'm not sure, but I found them really comfortable.
I've done my build slowly, my first time fitting disc brakes and an electronic groupset, so I had a few learnings. Some key points and info about my build:
- I had to back off the K, lower limit screw in order to initialse my gear 1
- I set up the gears, nicely indexed on the workstand, but during a short test ride I had to fine tune 2 or 3 gears, but this was really easy
- The weight of the groupset was a tad lighter than my Sram Rival groupset
- I'm running a Sram Eagle chain with a Spedao 11-50t 12 speed cassette, working well and very very light for the money
- I did not need to bleed the brakes at all, had to shorten the hoses, insert new barbs, connect and go..... all good out of the box
- The groupset comes with a bleed kit, nice touch
- For shortening the brake hoses I bought a tool from Aliexpress, makes it so easy to cut and insert the barb, great investment
- Total cost with brake hose tool, groupset and cassette ~$530 USD (I already had a chain
Next step is to see how easy it is to swap between wheels, one 12spd, one 11spd
Nice finishing touch to my Gravel bike:
- Waltly Chinese Titanium frame
- Wheeltop GeX groupset
- Lun Grapid 650b wheelset
- Spedao lightweight cassette
- Uno Aliexpress lightweight bars and stem
- 160mm Xcadey power crank
- Oval chainring, Stone from Aliexpress
- Kactus lightweight rotors
- 2nd set of road wheels from Speeder Cycling
- Branded stuff includes Sram chain, Pirelli Tyres, SMP saddle and XTR pedals (half price sale)
Could you post a link to the AliExpress tool you used to cut the brake hoses? Did you also get the replacement barbs from Ali?
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Could you post a link to the AliExpress tool you used to cut the brake hoses? Did you also get the replacement barbs from Ali?
I actually bought the cutter and the BH59 barbs and olives as a single purchase https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005005921749825.html (https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005005921749825.html)
There are lots of these cutters and BH59 seems to be the Shimano type that fit GeX according to forums I've read. They're working for me. As I mentioned the cutter isn't absolutely necessary, but it may the job so easy, one of those tools that is surprisingly good, especially for pushing the barb in straight with ease.
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Any reliable 42 or 44t casette that is shimano road hub compatible?
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When you say 'Shimano compatible', I assume you mean HG (Hyperglide) type. I use a Sunrace but there are loads of brands that do them, no idea why but 11-44 is not common, 11-42 and 11-46 are more common cassette types.... I think it's better durability to get a steel or mostly steel cassette, if buying from aliexpress I've been spedao recently, they seem to work well and lightweight..... however, I have not tried many other aliexprss brands, eg. ZTTO, Goldix, Sunshine, etc
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When you say 'Shimano compatible', I assume you mean HG (Hyperglide) type. I use a Sunrace but there are loads of brands that do them, no idea why but 11-44 is not common, 11-42 and 11-46 are more common cassette types.... I think it's better durability to get a steel or mostly steel cassette, if buying from aliexpress I've been spedao recently, they seem to work well and lightweight..... however, I have not tried many other aliexprss brands, eg. ZTTO, Goldix, Sunshine, etc
Alright. Let me try to check aliexpress.
On a side note my gex derailleur died. Lol
After charging its not responding to any shift nor discoverable in the app. Anyone experienced this?
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Doesn't sound good, perhaps try the EDS facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/wheeltopeds
(https://www.facebook.com/groups/wheeltopeds)
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Wheeltop android app was updated today, will check if there is a firmware update tomorrow for bike parts.
Still ni icon for the android app, which is kind of wierd after all the effort that they are doing with (mostly) useless youtubers.
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Doesn't sound good, perhaps try the EDS facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/wheeltopeds
(https://www.facebook.com/groups/wheeltopeds)
A bit of good news, i contacted wheeltop and they have sent me a replacement rear derailleur. Its in transit now. A+ for fheir support :)
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A bit of good news, i contacted wheeltop and they have sent me a replacement rear derailleur. Its in transit now. A+ for fheir support :)
I'm curious, which Wheeltop contact point did you use? (They have a US site now along with the Chinese HQ and some people actually mean the reseller)
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I'm curious, which Wheeltop contact point did you use? (They have a US site now along with the Chinese HQ and some people actually mean the reseller)
I contacted the one listed on their website. Service@wheeltop
Then they gave me their wechat for faster communication. The back and forth and sending replacement only took 3 working days.
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I had the same experience, via wechat they were super super responsive.
I've found this with a few Chinese suppliers, they use chat plaforms, eg. Wechat, whatsapp, skype, etc. Especially WeChat, is more advanced and widely used for lots of things in China, much more developed and advanced that such platforms in Europe, US or Australia, for communications, payments, etc.
I think WeChat can do auto translation, but if you do want to translate, I've also found chatgpt is the best way to translate, chatgpt will understand the context and translate accordingly.
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Has anyone been able to update to the new firmware on the rear deraileur? App news shows new firmware update on the news section but when I go to update section on the phone app no update appears there.
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Could someone of you with the aluminium or the carbon levers post the weight before installing them? Many thanks, Dennis
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My aluminum pair weighs 487g. Derailleur is 414g
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has anyone tried to set up 13 speeds yet?
found some HG compatible cassettes, could be a cheap option to try out 1x13.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256804532524440
link for the 13 speed ztto 11-50 cassette
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256808082436498.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.5.6f9b52f1LD0a2F&algo_pvid=e17b1720-2855-4b9f-b5ef-5cfb1ac32604&algo_exp_id=e17b1720-2855-4b9f-b5ef-5cfb1ac32604-2&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22order%22%3A%221%22%2C%22eval%22%3A%221%22%7D&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21USD%2146.64%2144.05%21%21%21337.94%21319.17%21%402103010e17374773596646339e0cfc%2112000044427282733%21sea%21US%212230984160%21X&curPageLogUid=613ha9NtkSvR&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A
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I'd be keen to try an 11-52t 13sp cassette. Wheeltop did say that 52t will work on many bikes but not all..... it's just that they ultralight 11-52t cassettes are quite expensive
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I'm waiting around for a 13sp 10-52 XD cassette to pop up, the 12speed versions are hard to come by still though.
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I am seeing two different style brake calipers being sold with GEX, does anyone have insight as to the difference and if it is worth the more expensive/newer style blue ones?
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I am seeing two different style brake calipers being sold with GEX, does anyone have insight as to the difference and if it is worth the more expensive/newer style blue ones?
They should all be the type as picture on WT's website. The others are old pre-production.
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I am seeing two different style brake calipers being sold with GEX, does anyone have insight as to the difference and if it is worth the more expensive/newer style blue ones?
Sorry I don't know the answer, I've seen reviews with the older styles which have given good feedback on the braking, and yes, I also noticed the older calipers were much cheaper. However, just to be safe I went with the new style so only have experience with the new model. The new model is great, I can easily descend on bumpy trails using just one finger for braking
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I am seeing two different style brake calipers being sold with GEX, does anyone have insight as to the difference and if it is worth the more expensive/newer style blue ones?
Sorry I don't know the answer, I've seen reviews with the older styles which have given good feedback on the braking, and yes, I also noticed the older calipers were much cheaper. However, just to be safe I went with the new style so only have experience with the new model. The new model is great, I can easily descend on bumpy trails using just one finger for braking.
This listing has some reviewer comments, one guy saying the upgrade is better braking, better sprint and wider gap..... if any of that makes sense or is to believed. https://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?id=834399534706&skuId=5584878208960 (https://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?id=834399534706&skuId=5584878208960)
I'm also noticing that the price difference between the sets with the old/new brakes may have reduced a bit on Taobao
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I am seeing two different style brake calipers being sold with GEX, does anyone have insight as to the difference and if it is worth the more expensive/newer style blue ones?
Based on reviews, the biggest difference is aesthetic. I didn't see complaints on the old or new calipers. The new ones are widely reported as looking more refined in their design. I happen to think the new ones look better and more refined.
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Just giving an update here. Received my replacement rear derailleur and was able to install without any issues. Also the faulty one i get to keep. Maybe used for spare parts later on.
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Just giving an update here. Received my replacement rear derailleur and was able to install without any issues. Also the faulty one i get to keep. Maybe used for spare parts later on.
Did they try to diagnose what the fault was after it was determined that it was faulty?
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heya lads,
have this going onto my ican graro.
I am having an absolute nightmare trying to dial in the shifting.
Using a Campagnolo Chorus 12sp cassette and chain.
A few days since I got it and I couldnt get every gear to sit nice to the point it would skip a gear.
Did it this way...... smallest cog initial calibration. Next cog -dial in. Move it back down and back up and so on but when I get to top 2 or 3 sprockets ie 27.29 31 it just wouldnt work.
Walked away for a few days and started back at it today. Had success until I got to 'gear 8' . Diallled in and went to move to gear 9 BUT the rd drops right back down to gear 3 or so BUT the app still reads as '10' . Hit the shifter again and it goes all the way back to 10 or 11!
Any ideas?
Buyers remorse is starting to set in!
edited to add;
I just tried to do it again. It wont even hold basic settings now.
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Have you already contacted wheeltop? They seem to be quite responsive. Without owing a gex yet it sounds like something is wrong on the software side
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heya lads,
have this going onto my ican graro.
I am having an absolute nightmare trying to dial in the shifting.
Using a Campagnolo Chorus 12sp cassette and chain.
A few days since I got it and I couldnt get every gear to sit nice to the point it would skip a gear.
Did it this way...... smallest cog initial calibration. Next cog -dial in. Move it back down and back up and so on but when I get to top 2 or 3 sprockets ie 27.29 31 it just wouldnt work.
Walked away for a few days and started back at it today. Had success until I got to 'gear 8' . Diallled in and went to move to gear 9 BUT the rd drops right back down to gear 3 or so BUT the app still reads as '10' . Hit the shifter again and it goes all the way back to 10 or 11!
Any ideas?
Buyers remorse is starting to set in!
edited to add;
I just tried to do it again. It wont even hold basic settings now.
It sounds like you might have a defect and it's worth reaching out to Wheeltop directly.
But when I read that the big cogs were the worst, I wondered if you have the 'b-screw' tension set correctly (to get the right spacing from cog to jockey wheel)
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Yeah I have tried everything with all settings. The mech seems to have a life of it's own. Reading on the Facebook groups people having it set up with min fuss. I have spent ,I would guess, about 4 hrs at it and at no point have I got it to run smoothly.
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Ordered a set for a rider I'm sponsoring. She'll use it with one of the new ZTTO 10-51 HG 12s cassettes.
We'll see how long it lasts ... she rides about 40,000km a year (though obviously not all of that will be on the gravel bike). If the derailleur lasts until Force E1's supposed release in June/July, I'll be impressed - assuming we get it built up for her at the beginning of March. Unless she's determined to stick with it, at that point I'll likely upgrade to Force E1 hoods, Lewis calipers and Eagle XO AXS RD - auxilliary hood buttons and blips will make it a much more flexible race setup.
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I don’t understand what’s the point with wheeltop gx, it comes for 600€ in EU, I just bought a sram rival axs 1x12 for 580€, same components. Yes the GX supports more gears and larger sprockets (…and I don’t care) but rival works very well out of the box, it’s reliable, waterproof and thoroughly tested. Should not wheeltop reduce prices?
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I don’t understand what’s the point with wheeltop gx, it comes for 600€ in EU, I just bought a sram rival axs 1x12 for 580€, same components. Yes the GX supports more gears and larger sprockets (…and I don’t care) but rival works very well out of the box, it’s reliable, waterproof and thoroughly tested. Should not wheeltop reduce prices?
Hard to find that in the US, and when we do it’s much more expensive than the Chinese options.
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I don’t understand what’s the point with wheeltop gx, it comes for 600€ in EU, I just bought a sram rival axs 1x12 for 580€, same components. Yes the GX supports more gears and larger sprockets (…and I don’t care) but rival works very well out of the box, it’s reliable, waterproof and thoroughly tested. Should not wheeltop reduce prices?
If you compare a (massiv and not everyday available) discount price for the SRAM Rival, you also have to use a discount price for the Wheeltop Groupset. I paid 490,- (including german customs) for my Wheeltop Groupset. And for me, the option to uprade it to 1x13 or even 1x14 (in the future) is a real benefit. If you dont care about it, its ok. But then you can also ask why to use a electronic Groupset, because mechanical is cheaper, and I dont care about the benefits of electronic shifting ;)
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My reason for buying it is that I can throw on a 111,12 or 13 speed cassette to suit whatever riding I do. I did seriously contemplate SRAM Apex 1x but for the same money I chose to go for Wheeltop.
That's of course if I can get the rd to play ball.
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When I try to dial in all the 12 speed sprockets....this is the best can get it. Any alteration to the 'B' screw or any trim to get the 10th to 11th sprocket to shift cleanly will throw out the 10th sprocket.
As can be seen this is the best I can get going from the smallest to the biggest. But coming from biggest to smallest is a disaster and any attempt to make an adjustment to get it to work results in the upshift to go out.
https://youtube.com/shorts/OJe0booG4Io?si=0jdyCijPX_kyM6xx
I have sent this on to Jane at Wheeltop to see what she says.
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When I try to dial in all the 12 speed sprockets....this is the best can get it. Any alteration to the 'B' screw or any trim to get the 10th to 11th sprocket to shift cleanly will throw out the 10th sprocket.
As can be seen this is the best I can get going from the smallest to the biggest. But coming from biggest to smallest is a disaster and any attempt to make an adjustment to get it to work results in the upshift to go out.
https://youtube.com/shorts/OJe0booG4Io?si=0jdyCijPX_kyM6xx
I have sent this on to Jane at Wheeltop to see what she says.
Unfortunately, the way you filmed your video blocks what the derailleur cage position looks like relative to the derailleur body and the "B" screw.
Can you post a picture for us to look at of the distance/position of the top cage pulley relative to your highest gear (11 tooth or 10 Tooth cog? I need to see how close the chain and its relative angle to the highest cog and the upper pulley.
(Part of your problem may be that you have one chain length too long such that the derailleur body is sitting too far forward and the derailleur cage is not in quite enough tension to smoothly shift up and down across the smallest 3 cogs.)
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Ok. I will take a link out and try it.
I have tried again just now and the best way to describe it is that the values I put in to get a clean shift are not holding.
And by that I mean when I go up the cassette I can dial it in. Coming back down a whole new set of values is needed throwing everything out! Including the position on the 1st sprocket.
I will take a link out and retry and get back.
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Knocked a link out and now the chain is too short PLUS it made no difference.
The rd is simply not 'storing' the positions.
EG Just now.
Shortened the chain and pressed the 'One Click Recovery' so I am starting fresh!
Inital calibration done and sprocket 1 running clean.
Back out to gear selection and up to sprocket 2.
Get all the way to sprocket 12 and dialled in.
So from 1 to 12 is acceptable.
Go to move to sprocket 11 and it takes a
n adjustment of circa 40 'points' to get it to drop which then knocks out the movement to back to sprocket 12.
Go to move it down to sprocket 1 to start again and it now wont drop onto sprocket 1 from sprocket 2.
As I said it almost as if its not storing the positions.
I am not wasting anymore time on it.
The mech is coming off and they can either replace it or I will open a paypal dispute and order a sram Apex 1x.
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Thanks for sharing, and trying some other approached. I hope they figure it out.
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So I escalated this to a PayPal dispute.Also mentioned it on a Facebook post.
I got an email reply about 30 mins later with what I suspect is another time buying tactic.
Told Jane that I need to either get a software update pushed to the rd or a replacement or I will be removing the rest of the components as I need the bike on the road very soon!
Let's see what happens
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hey y'all
I've got a rim brake CAAD10 on 1x setup with 42T oval chainring and 10-42T cassette
This is a Dura Ace R9100 shifters + GRX RD combo
Was wondering if the mechanical version of the GeX is the direct replacement for my current setup.
also, any link to a reputable seller in Ali?
Thanks!
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If you're in North America, there is now a wheeltop.us. Still shipped and serviced from China but legit 'local' factory store.
You might have a problem sourcing for that config though. AFAIK, the cable brake configuration is only available in the 'road' set and its RD only support 36t max sprocket. The GeX 'gravel' setup can go to 51t (or 40 something with the short cage) but appears to only hydraulic brakes.
So the question is whether you can buy the shifter/brake unit from the road kit and use it with the gravel RD. In THEORY I see no reason why it couldn't since the gravel shifters are really road shifter anyway. But it is possible that the combo is software locked. I'd ask Wheeltop directly what parts to get. They seem reasonably responsive to sales questions.
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You want GeX with the mechanical braking shifter and 73mm cage combination. Those shifters are available for GeX.
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I don’t understand what’s the point with wheeltop gx, it comes for 600€ in EU, I just bought a sram rival axs 1x12 for 580€, same components. Yes the GX supports more gears and larger sprockets (…and I don’t care) but rival works very well out of the box, it’s reliable, waterproof and thoroughly tested. Should not wheeltop reduce prices?
Where did you buy it from for that price? I am looking for groupsets, and kinda set on the gex, and I can't seem to find a rival axs for that low anywhere, not even on ebay, etc.
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Where did you buy it from for that price? I am looking for groupsets, and kinda set on the gex, and I can't seem to find a rival axs for that low anywhere, not even on ebay, etc.
https://www.cingolanibikeshop.com/cambio-sram-rival-etap-axs-d1-xplr-12v-gabbia-media-senza-batteria.html
But the lever bundle i took is not available anymore to be honest it could have be a one time sale
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https://www.cingolanibikeshop.com/cambio-sram-rival-etap-axs-d1-xplr-12v-gabbia-media-senza-batteria.html
But the lever bundle i took is not available anymore to be honest it could have be a one time sale
Thank you, yeah that bundle seems to be gone. However apex axs xplr groupset is readily available for 700 euros that includes a cassette and a chain as well, and from what I read apart from the paint virtually there is no difference between rival and apex. I joined the wheeltop fb group and there seems to be a lot of people not happy with their groupset(especially the app), so I think I will go with the apex for basically the same amount of money.
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So I bit the bullet and bought a new shimano cassette and chain and within an hour I had it pretty much 95% dialled in.Hopefully just some on the road adjustments to be made.
I was trying to use a campagnolo chorus and cassette with zero joy!
Inadvertently I found a glitch that was probably the initial source of my woes.
Either my phone or the app was disconnecting from the rd but any adjustments that were made in the app were saved BUT not sent to the mech. So when I kept making adjustments and nothing happening then the app reconnects and all the adjustments get sent and the rd is all over the place.
Now it could be my phone as well but anyone who is having an equally frustrating time...it may be worth checking.
I am on Android!
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Help with gearing?
I'm confused by Wheeltop saying minimum cog "10-11t". Does that mean 10t may have issues? Anyone with specific experience?
I'd like to get the additional occasional speed of 10t based on my browing of gear calculator. The 10t-45t shimano cassettes look good to me (even though I need microspline wheels), or there are 10-46t XD cassettes.
Better to be safe and stick with 11t?
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Help with gearing?
I'm confused by Wheeltop saying minimum cog "10-11t". Does that mean 10t may have issues? Anyone with specific experience?
I'd like to get the additional occasional speed of 10t based on my browing of gear calculator. The 10t-45t shimano cassettes look good to me (even though I need microspline wheels), or there are 10-46t XD cassettes.
Better to be safe and stick with 11t?
I asked a similar question from wheeltop and they said that 10-44, 10-45 is absolutely fine, they had compatibility issues on some frames with 10-52 but not with 11-52. So I guess it is more of a capacity thing on the extreme ends, but you should be good with 10-45 according to them.
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I asked a similar question from wheeltop and they said that 10-44, 10-45 is absolutely fine, they had compatibility issues on some frames with 10-52 but not with 11-52. So I guess it is more of a capacity thing on the extreme ends, but you should be good with 10-45 according to them.
I asked them the same question a week ago and I just got their reply back saying that their GeX derailleur will work with XDR 12speed 10-44T cassette. They have no problem working with that 10-tooth cog.
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On taobao the groupset with the current gen brakes is 2600 yuan which equals 330€. Using a shipping agent i could probably get it to germany for a lot less than 400€ making it a good deal. Does anybody know if it's possible to activate a unit that's sold on the chinese market with a european phone or if these units are region locked?
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On taobao the groupset with the current gen brakes is 2600 yuan which equals 330€. Using a shipping agent i could probably get it to germany for a lot less than 400€ making it a good deal. Does anybody know if it's possible to activate a unit that's sold on the chinese market with a european phone or if these units are region locked?
Great find! I had no idea the price difference was so significant. :(
In the US,, it is $599 including shipping - I just bought a set of GeX last week. Out of curiosity, I also just checked the Chinesse Taobao site, and yeah you are right, they are selling it for RMB 2608, which is about $360 including shipping. I had thought Trump's tariffs were only 10-20%. This makes me seriously considering flying to China, stocking up on stuffs and bringing it all back. It might even cover the cost of the entire trip.
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It really depends on the item and i‘d say 90% of the time it makes sense to just order via aliexpress. When buying on taobao and then shipping by yourself you literally get zero after sales support. But here in this case it would make sense. Paying <400€ vs 600€ and you replace something in case it breaks in the long run would most likely still be cheaper. And if nothing breaks you got an amazing deal.
I‘m really close to pulling the trigger on it to make my gravel bike electric but i‘m still not sure about possible region locks.
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Does the Wheeltop GeX rear derailleur work with SRAM's flattop 12-speed chains? Anyone?
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On taobao the groupset with the current gen brakes is 2600 yuan which equals 330€. Using a shipping agent i could probably get it to germany for a lot less than 400€ making it a good deal. Does anybody know if it's possible to activate a unit that's sold on the chinese market with a european phone or if these units are region locked?
In the name of science: I actually did it: I ordered the groupset from taobao to the warehouse of my shipping agent. So far i paid 2599 yuan + 3% international card fee so 2677 yuan which equals around 340€. There's usually also a 1,8% fee from my credit card to convert the yuan to euro. So the total price should come out to 2725 yuan which is 345€.
I will let you know about the shipping price from my shipping agent to germany. I'm pretty optimistic that it will come out to less than 400€ including import taxes etc.
For comparison: From wheeltop website it's 599€ and from aliexpress it's at least 470€ without any taxes paid, so at least 500€ probably more.
If everything goes right this is a good deal. If it doesn't work out like i imagine it might have been a really stupid idea. Wish me luck.
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In the name of science: I actually did it: I ordered the groupset from taobao to the warehouse of my shipping agent. So far i paid 2599 yuan + 3% international card fee so 2677 yuan which equals around 340€. There's usually also a 1,8% fee from my credit card to convert the yuan to euro. So the total price should come out to 2725 yuan which is 345€.
I will let you know about the shipping price from my shipping agent to germany. I'm pretty optimistic that it will come out to less than 400€ including import taxes etc.
For comparison: From wheeltop website it's 599€ and from aliexpress it's at least 470€ without any taxes paid, so at least 500€ probably more.
If everything goes right this is a good deal. If it doesn't work out like i imagine it might have been a really stupid idea. Wish me luck.
Good luck! Report back as I've had it on my spreadsheet for my gravel build. No buy until you give us the good news ???
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In there any disadvantage to the long cage version, other than a bit of bulk?
I'm still torn on gearing. The 10-50t range with a 40t crank gives a great range, but I'm not sure about the 10t cog.
There's also a SRAM 12 spped, 11-44t available, bit narrower range mainly on the high end (11t), but the gaps are a bit smaller too, in the important flat ground 25-35km/h range.
Will the 10-50t be more fiddly and hard to calibrate? Any advice or thoughts? I'm a fairly fast rider but I do want to hang on to a low gear below 1:1 ratio for steep climbs. 40 front 44 back is about as high as I want there.
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In there any disadvantage to the long cage version, other than a bit of bulk?
I'm still torn on gearing. The 10-50t range with a 40t crank gives a great range, but I'm not sure about the 10t cog.
There's also a SRAM 12 spped, 11-44t available, bit narrower range mainly on the high end (11t), but the gaps are a bit smaller too, in the important flat ground 25-35km/h range.
Will the 10-50t be more fiddly and hard to calibrate? Any advice or thoughts? I'm a fairly fast rider but I do want to hang on to a low gear below 1:1 ratio for steep climbs. 40 front 44 back is about as high as I want there.
According to wheeltop, no. I asked the same from them, and this was their answer: As long as the cassette size is within the 10-52t range, our product will be compatible and can be used without any issues.
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Are there any recommendations for braking discs which work well with the "new vrsion" GeX brakes?
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Are there any recommendations for braking discs which work well with the "new vrsion" GeX brakes?
Any Shimano disc will do fine
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First step is done, the groupset arrived at the warehouse of my shipping agent. Now i just need them to pack it and ship it to germany. I could theoretically ask them to get rid of the boxes to save some money on shipping but i think it would be safer to leave it as it is to ensure the parts arrive without any damages. Saving 20€ on shipping isn't worth destroying the groupset.
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First step is done, the groupset arrived at the warehouse of my shipping agent. Now i just need them to pack it and ship it to germany. I could theoretically ask them to get rid of the boxes to save some money on shipping but i think it would be safer to leave it as it is to ensure the parts arrive without any damages. Saving 20€ on shipping isn't worth destroying the groupset.
I'm waiting for the results. Maybe I will do the same with import to Poland.
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Help with gearing?
I'm confused by Wheeltop saying minimum cog "10-11t". Does that mean 10t may have issues? Anyone with specific experience?
I'd like to get the additional occasional speed of 10t based on my browing of gear calculator. The 10t-45t shimano cassettes look good to me (even though I need microspline wheels), or there are 10-46t XD cassettes.
Better to be safe and stick with 11t?
I've been using mine with a 10-50 and an 11-50 (different wheelsets) both 11s. I don't notice any difference, both are fine. I suspect they wrote it that way to try to be clear that a SRAM 10 or Shimano 11 are both fine
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In the name of science: I actually did it: I ordered the groupset from taobao to the warehouse of my shipping agent. So far i paid 2599 yuan + 3% international card fee so 2677 yuan which equals around 340€. There's usually also a 1,8% fee from my credit card to convert the yuan to euro. So the total price should come out to 2725 yuan which is 345€.
I will let you know about the shipping price from my shipping agent to germany. I'm pretty optimistic that it will come out to less than 400€ including import taxes etc.
For comparison: From wheeltop website it's 599€ and from aliexpress it's at least 470€ without any taxes paid, so at least 500€ probably more.
If everything goes right this is a good deal. If it doesn't work out like i imagine it might have been a really stupid idea. Wish me luck.
The groupset is packed and shipped out now. The whole shipping, packaging etc. comes out to 47€. In addition to the 345€ i've paid so far i am at 392€ for the whole groupset. I could have optimized a little further by not shipping the whole packaging etc. but i didn't want the groupset to get damaged in transit.
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The groupset is packed and shipped out now. The whole shipping, packaging etc. comes out to 47€. In addition to the 345€ i've paid so far i am at 392€ for the whole groupset. I could have optimized a little further by not shipping the whole packaging etc. but i didn't want the groupset to get damaged in transit.
I guess import taxes depend on luck and not included in this price, right? I bought mine on aliexpress, that after coupons(there is almost always a sale going on, now you can get it for 447 usd which is 409 eur)was 460$ which is 421 eur. A little bit more I guess, but thats fine(whether I will get taxes or not I don't know, the package is in europe but I have not received it yet). In my opinion 500 euros should be the price of the gex from the official store, otherwise as a new build it doesn't make sense to go with the gex for 600 euros when you can get an apex xplr groupset with a chain and cassette for 700 euros from bike-discount.de
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I guess import taxes depend on luck and not included in this price, right? I bought mine on aliexpress, that after coupons(there is almost always a sale going on, now you can get it for 447 usd which is 409 eur)was 460$ which is 421 eur. A little bit more I guess, but thats fine(whether I will get taxes or not I don't know, the package is in europe but I have not received it yet). In my opinion 500 euros should be the price of the gex from the official store, otherwise as a new build it doesn't make sense to go with the gex for 600 euros when you can get an apex xplr groupset with a chain and cassette for 700 euros from bike-discount.de
I am using a tariffless shipping line where the import taxes are prepaid, they are included in the shipping price i mentioned. So the 392€ should be the final price. If that turns out to be wrong i will update it here but i used this shipping line for other things before and never had to pay any taxes when it was delivered.
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I am using a tariffless shipping line where the import taxes are prepaid, they are included in the shipping price i mentioned. So the 392€ should be the final price. If that turns out to be wrong i will update it here but i used this shipping line for other things before and never had to pay any taxes when it was delivered.
That actually sounds really good!
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I guess import taxes depend on luck and not included in this price, right? I bought mine on aliexpress, that after coupons(there is almost always a sale going on, now you can get it for 447 usd which is 409 eur)was 460$ which is 421 eur. A little bit more I guess, but thats fine(whether I will get taxes or not I don't know, the package is in europe but I have not received it yet). In my opinion 500 euros should be the price of the gex from the official store, otherwise as a new build it doesn't make sense to go with the gex for 600 euros when you can get an apex xplr groupset with a chain and cassette for 700 euros from bike-discount.de
I agree 100%. At a pricepoint of 500€ it would be a way better alternative for those who don’t want to buy directly from china. But since they sell directly in europe they have to offer 14 day returns, warranty etc. All these rights that are good for the customer means added costs for the manufacturer leading to a higher price. I think we are still early when it comes to chinese electronic groupsets. With magene who already proved that they are pretty reliable entering the markets things are going to get interesting.
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The groupset arrived today, as expected no additional fees to pay so 392€ is the final price. There is in fact no region lock or anything like that so pairing the groupset to the phone was no issue. Installation was pretty straightforward. The only negative are the rubber hoods that are hard to pull making it a little difficult to reach the clamp screw. The brake hoses were pre filled and i took care to not spill any oil when installing. This way i managed to not have to bleed them myself. They brake perfectly just like that. For the shifting i just did the initial setup and some b-screw adjustments and it shifts really well. Haven’t even looked into fine tuning the single gears as it just works. I will probably have a look at it to make it 100% perfect but it doesn’t seem to be necessary right now. I did a first ride and yeah - it just works. There‘s really not much more to say. I expected a really tricky and annoying setup but nope.
For those also having the magene pes p505 here‘s an interesting information: the charger of the derailleur and the charger of the magene seem to be the same interface. I haven’t compared them directly and didn’t try it out but they look very similar. Would be pretty convenient if you are travelling for example and have to carry only one cable.