$359 Wireless Derailleur | WheelTOP EDS-OX Electronic Derailleur System for Mountain Bikes

[@JaredUnashamed]

This blows my mind. I rode a bike with electronic shifting. You knew the price of these would come down. This is a nice change to fighting with cable tension. Something to consider some day for sure!

[@KurtisPape]

In my opinion cable tension should be easy to set, if your other adjustments are correct like the b-screw, limit screws and your hanger is straight, you should just be able to lightly pull the cable and bolt it down, this always results in perfect shifting for me. I'm glad this works for me every time now, because for many years this never was the case haha. I was always struggling with cable tension adjustments. I got new derailleur hangers for 2 of my bikes and it fixed all my problems.

[@JaredUnashamed]

@KurtisPape I agree it's not that hard. I don't have a bike shop close so working on my bike is essential. It can be a pain sometimes to adjust. I'm just amazed at how cheap the electronic shfiters are getting.

[@KurtisPape]

@@JaredUnashamed I don't like the idea of the app to set up the system, what happens with the product long term 10 years down the track when you want to put the derailleur on a new bike but the app no longer exists. I'm still not convinced on electronic shifting yet

[@JaredUnashamed]

@@KurtisPape valid point. Especially with these cheaper brands. I think it'll get better and cheaper. Possibly third party developers making apps to adjust them.

[@danielwu7238]

Would be curious on how it holds up long term reliability.

[@5gvaccinator343]

This thing works great while it's new. But it can't take any beating like its SRAM or Shimano counterpart. Mine died in 5 months. And Wheeltop's reply was: Get a new one. We don't care. It has no clutch. None. Just a strong spring. So it drops chain on rough sections quite frequently. The pulley wheels have bearings with no rubber seals. Water gets in easily. And there's no spare pulley wheel available from Wheeltop. The battery is semi-removable. But the battery cover is an afterthought. Has no rubber seals. Water gets in, everything corroded. No spare battery is available. And many more stuff ending up with no spare parts available.

[@KevCentral]

Which version did you have? I’ll for sure be finding out how the long term reliability is. Regarding the tension in place of a clutch, so far it’s worked well. Better than the clutched Advent 9 on the terrain I’ve been on. A few jumps coming soon, so I can get deeper into how far it can be pushed.

[@5gvaccinator343]

@@KevCentral I think it's the same shifter you have. Has the same name. Not sure if there's a different revision or not. I bought mine off Ali in May. And it died in September. As for chain drops, I've noticed you have a chain guide. This might help. But if you ride at speed through some consecutive obstacles, like rocks or roots, the whole thing gets in resonance and drops the chain quite often.

[@michaelbrinks8089]

They should make one that mounts inside the frame above the crank. With plastic or carbon fiber cover plates. To keep water & dirt off it. That way it can't easily be damaged in a crash or get smashed on a rock or stick, on the trail. Like a rear hanging derailleur often does when riding aggressively...

[@KevCentral]

@5gvaccinator343 ah. Those branded products from Ali aren’t always legit the same product, IMO. I’ve even seen what I believe to be knockoff Zoom brakes. I would have never thought someone would make a cheaper copy of a Zoom, but I’ve bought what I believe is that exact thing. I bought a Mini Z RC that was supposed to be the same as my Kyosho Mini-Z. Looked the same and worked the same, but inside was a different grade of motor and slightly different configuration. It lasted 3 months. My original is still rolling….drove it in the snow last week ❄️

[@cup_and_cone]

@@5gvaccinator343 Did you buy it directly from Wheeltop? The warranty is only half a year and it must be purchased through them to be valid.

[@RomansDowntime]

As someone who loved the Sram gx axs. This looks amazing. a wireless set-up at a good price, and you pair it to meet most drivetrain set-ups is pretty dope.

[@cup_and_cone]

Part of me is impressed Wheeltop is still working on improving this derailleur after nearly three years since it's release. Another part of me seems disappointed it's still not a totally fined product after all this time. I think the person who'd most benefit from this is someone that likes constantly changing their bike around or tinkering with it.

[@KevCentral]

So far I’m impressed with everything but the setup flow in the app.

[@christerlundgren3805]

The prize is bang on. Not buying electric, mechanical has issues on the lower end. But a tool is all i need to ride on. No fiddle possible when dead battery, download a setting to a rock as much you want. Wheeltop has issues and dont tend to them, from what i read on sites and groups. If they dont step up they will drop off the market by themself.

[@djmaddograver4412]

Definitely got to add this to my very rare Italian made bicycle The SPK by specialized bicycle

[@pudekuf25]

The only thing I would like to know is if the battery can be replaced when it doesn't keep a charge anymore. I sooooo want to buy this derailleur.

[@ronggearrob9622]

I can't speak to the longevity of the OX, but I've had the GX AXS (Sram's original electronic shifting) for a couple years now without any issues or any adjustments. Is electronic shifting a game changer, no. But it is a nice convenience. The thing I like the best is that I can easily shift while having a water bottle in my hand. To that point, it would be beneficial to a person with a hand issue, since it is so easy to shift. Great to see alternatives in this space.

[@user-yv2cz8oj1k]

And what happens when the app no longer works or is no longer supported? Built in obsolescence.

[@Tarkov.]

Watching him slide through the gears while just holding it reminds me so much of the honda DCT Imagine if this thing could shift for you, maybe some day in the future.

[@KevCentral]

CVT somewhat exists. A full automatic CVt would be cool if it could be made lightweight

[@01FozzyS]

Pretty cool stuff,Kev! If I could afford it I'd try it out too. Do let us know how it performs long term.

[@KevCentral]

Thanks. It’ll definitely get enough use to see how it will hold up 👍🏻

[@DeluxeFTW]

I tested this quite a bit. This has quite a few interesting features that others are lacking, like being able to do more than just x12 on the fly... The set it and forget it has been part for any Sram AXS system i have used aswell though. But... the lower end Sram AXS systems are almost cheaper than the EDS is now... And it's also the only electronic derailleur that broke on me so far and getting spare parts for this is a mess.

[@KevCentral]

Thanks for sharing. Can you explain what you mean by not being able to do more than x12 on the fly?

[@DeluxeFTW]

@@KevCentral I mean as in if i buy a Sram GX Eagle AXS Transmission its gonna do x12 and only x12 The EDS can be changed to do 7-12 gears, at least the version i was using.

[@madjh8]

The advent ... I have ride one the last year and the shifter has to be changed in warranty and the rear RD the cluch do little, the chain touch the frame. I din´t like at all. That could be a nice upgrade BUT ... For that price you can get the wired XX1(I don´t know the PVP, I know what I have payed) ... I don´t get electronic shifting, I don´t whant to charge and have care of annother battery 🤷‍♂

[@CrazyMTB-gs8st]

have you tried the "LTWOO Ae Bicycle Electronic Derailleur Shifter"? it makes your analog shifter to wireless.

[@KevCentral]

I have not, but it looks like a clone of the Archer product someone else in comments mentioned

[@michaelbrinks8089]

Years ago in the 90s Honda built a racing only mountain bike. With a "secret" gearbox that was covered & mounted in the frame above the crank & pedals. It was slightly heavier than rear derailleurs but had the big advantage of not being prone to damage or exposed to dirt/mud & water. Everyone wanted to know how it worked as it was kept secret by the carbon fiber cover plates. Turns out it was basically just a regular derailleur mounted inside the frame. I don't know why most mountain bikes haven't switched to this better design....Yes, it might be a few ounces heavier. But the pros far outweigh the cons. An in frame electronic derailleur would be great. Due to no risk of being smashed on a rock or stick on the trail & no damage from a spill.

[@KevCentral]

Interesting. I’ll see if I can look that up

[@michaelbrinks8089]

​@@KevCentralHonda G- Cross RN-01 gearbox

[@letsgoOs1002]

Can you easily get a second battery?

[@KevCentral]

Good question. I don’t think a spare is required since the battery life is so long, but I am curious about replacements

[@letsgoOs1002]

@KevCentral yeah what happens if you hit the derailleur and damage the battery? Like can I easily remove and get another?

[@ecopennylife]

Not my cup of tea but could appeal to some. I worry about electronic devices linked to an app, if the app support disappears years into the future it can brick the device ...

[@DavidMontreal]

Long time no see. I was thinking about one of these for a dh bike. Props if u remember me ha.

[@KevCentral]

I remember you 👍🏻

[@vashon100]

@@KevCentral Then I guess he has a propeller for you.

[@KevCentral]

😂

[@DavidMontreal]

​@@KevCentrala propeller a day keep the doctor away

[@letsgoOs1002]

Didn't Seth do a good review on this but getting the app at the time was a pain?

[@cup_and_cone]

He review the old version, which also had the removable battery. This is the latest version.

[@letsgoOs1002]

@cup_and_cone wait you can't remove the battery?

[@greatwolf.]

First question that comes to my mind is, does this bluetooth derailleur respect user privacy and right-to-repair? eg. does it require connection to their servers for it to work? I would at least expect all that for a $360 product. Otherwise it's going straight to Louis Rossmann's Task Wiki.

[@KevCentral]

Apple app info says it doesn’t collect any user data outside of the account being created in the app, so I doubt it could be disabled without user consent. And I know once setup it will work without the phone nearby

[@Jefferylou]

Go reseach the answer fron Rednote

[@originalchristianvogt]

With that "shift's remaining" you can see at the end of a rideout how many times you shifted. For curiosity sake i would look, no one would count it themself.

[@KevCentral]

It’s more like a gas gauge that tells how many miles are left before a refuel is needed. Obviously, battery charge level will be the most important gauge of when a charge is needed. That said, I think the best use of the remaining shift count will be to gauge battery health. It started out with over 19,000 shifts on a full charge. If in 6 months it said 5,000 on a full charge I would want to know.

[@netposerx]

In almost every single video about this system they never mention compatibility. If they do they say it's replacing my X derailleur. The major selling point to this over the SRAM AXS/Transmission systems is this works with any modern drive chain. True or not?

[@KevCentral]

From their website: The app allows you to customize the speed and gear spacing, so in theory, it can support 3-14 speeds cassettes from all brands. If it can support practically all the 3-14s cassettes then it would support the chains to work with those cassettes..right? 🤔

[@netposerx]

@@KevCentral Yeah, I wish reviewers would lead with that instead of comparing it to AXS or Transmission groupsets. It's very expensive to switch to one of those if you don't already have SRAM. I'm curious how this product will hold up over time. I will look forward to your 'long term' video this summer. :)

[@RealMTBAddict]

I only use 9 speed.

[@michaelbrinks8089]

You can buy rechargeable button cell batteries & the charger for pretty cheap to save money in the long run...... Rechargeable Derailleur Battery Idea 💡 It would make the derailleur a little heavier but they could have added a built in dynamo generator that could recharge 1 or both batteries by adding a chain driven dynamo. Or 1 gear ⚙️ on the derailleur could have some magnets & copper coils - to make built in dynamo to recharge the derailleur battery. It would create a tiny amount of drag but you wouldn't even notice it.

[@KevCentral]

Dynamo would add wires though. Wireless shifter with a wire 😃. I like the rechargeable button cell idea! 💡

[@michaelbrinks8089]

@KevCentral If one or both derailleur gears ⚙️ was the dynamo. Then it wouldn't need a wire to keep it recharged. It could recharge the internal derailleur battery 🔋 but not the shifter button 🔘 cell. Unless it had a wire running up to it...... 🤔 A chain driven dynamo that mounted on the chainstay & doubled to prevent chain slap & the chain from falling off.....It would need a small wire going into the derailleur.

[@SuiteCaseLaw]

@@michaelbrinks8089 dynamo would bring more resistance too. More failure points. For an e-bike it makes sense, for a human powered bike not so much.

[@michaelbrinks8089]

@SuiteCaseLaw Ya, I was thinking about that. Whether or not it'd have too much drag.

[@harrygrimley4352]

Cool. Way out of my price range

[@TheBikeChannelwithMongooseJake]

Electronic shifting is always a pass for me, especially on a mountain bike. Also on a gravel, or a longer distance road bike, pretty much always. While some may like the novelty, for me mechanical shifting is already reaching a nice precise and smooth level that is so ridiculously reliable that electronic shifting doesn't do anything better while at the same time introducing new issues and costs. This is exhibit A, being the bottom of the barrel of electronic shifting but still higher than a solid groupset from Shimano or Sram, or even worse vs Microshift's offerings. This vs SX Eagle is very telling. I know, options are nice and some will like this, but not me. Good video regardless of my thoughts specifically about the product!

[@kevinvandeventer8690]

Can be had for as little as $275 on aliexpress.😊

[@5gvaccinator343]

No spare parts. No warranty. No QC.

[@KevCentral]

I’m not convinced those are actually the same and/or could even be factory seconds.

[@SuiteCaseLaw]

Good review Kev. I'm not a huge fan of the $359 price tag though. $199 would really jump the scale for me and I'm sure many more as it isn't from an established brand that I'm aware of. While surely it's an upgrade, I much rather invest in a fork than in this derailleur at that price. Hopefully scale economics change for this and it gets a better price.

[@StopTryingSoHard]

At any given time there's around 300k Chinese students in the US and the total in all English-speaking Universities is around 1.2 million with all told about 8 million Chinese who've graduated from English speaking Unis since 2000. All those students could translate Chinese to English better than these type of apps. Instead we get Baidu translations.

[@KevCentral]

I have a degree in foreign languages. I had many friends in college that were Chinese exchange students here to learn English. In my experience they did great, but none of them I feel could have translated a manual without some of the usual Chinese-English errors we see in the manuals or apps like I showed in the video.

[@StopTryingSoHard]

@@KevCentral At my work we translate from English to "whatever" and we have the opposite direction issue. The Spanish/Chinese/etc reads like English. I feel like we could all do better, but we all kind of face the same issues, the Engineers who will know their domain in 2-3 languages can't be bothered to translate and the translators might know English and Chinese, but aren't going to know "gear" in both because normal people barely know what the word gear means period.

[@tarstarkusz]

I'm not sure you know what the term analog means. What you should be saying is electric vs mechanical.

[@KevCentral]

Analog is the term the bike industry has latched onto to describe traditional bikes and non-electric components. You are correct that electric vs mechanical would be more fitting.

[@tarstarkusz]

@@KevCentral Because they want to sell these things. They coin new terms to make a regular version sound obsolete and old. It's a propaganda term.

[@vashon100]

At least he didn't say acoustic.

[@davegravitt210]

It sucks that Archer Components went belly up. I recently tried to buy a kit. No dice. So? Is di2 dead?

[@KevCentral]

Not gonna lie. I had to look that up

[@davegravitt210]

@@KevCentral LT Wooooo! Lol has a system out i saw. It kinda looks like a Archer knock off. Idk? And there's a Rock Bros version of your derailleur.

[@cup_and_cone]

@@davegravitt210 DI2 has been dead on the Shimano side for several years... no 12 speed version at all and 11 speed is essentially discontinued, with anything left being surplus inventory. Shimano is REALLY lacking behind the competition with electronic shifting on the MTB side...scratch that, they're not even behind, they're just not competing at this moment. Shimano is long overdue for a new iteration of electronic shifting for their MTB range with rumors swirling of new XTR this year. The road side of DI2 trickled down to 105, so here's hoping Shimano does the same on the next release and makes a Deore DI2 option. A Deore DI2 derailleur and shifter would probably be in the $300-400 range for Americans.

[@tarstarkusz]

Putting a 360 Dollar (plus shipping and possibly tax) on a 300-400 Dollar bike? Needing an app and a non-rechargeable battery is just the icing on the cake. You're not becoming one of *THEM* are you?

[@KevCentral]

What is THEM? I put it on a $2700 bike, not a $300 bike. Every wireless derailleur system I’ve seen uses a button cell for the shifter. Even the high dollar SRAM a buddy owns.

[@tarstarkusz]

@ The type who reads bicycle magazines (that are just one long ad saying you need the latest 5000 Dollar bike and all the gear and the special clothes). I thought you put it on one of the Schwinns. But also I was thinking about your audience who mostly own cheaper bikes.

[@KevCentral]

@tarstarkusz nope. It’s on my eMTB. I might play around with swapping it over to a ‘mechanical’ bike at some point, but the only practical (for me) use on a cheaper bike would be for someone that didn’t want to run or mess with cables. Or they just like new tech. To each their own with what they decide is best (or desire) for themselves or their builds.

[@michaelbrinks8089]

​​@@tarstarkusz I always complain about how high end mountain bikes are a scam once past a certain price. (I like to complain lol) Many cycle dorks try and defend the price of $10,000 MTN bikes. Claiming that tons of "technological advancements" have gone into the bicycles. As if they are so much more complex than a $10,000 motorcycle......Just one example, these high end MTN bikes should have relocated the derailleurs into the frame above the crank years ago . With plastic or carbon fiber covers on them to keep dirt & water off them. They can be made almost as lightweight & to shift quickly & smoothly & since it's not hanging off the rear of the bike. It's much less prone to damage. So if major tech was actually going into these bikes. They would have had better derailleurs long ago. End Of Another Rant

[@tarstarkusz]

@@michaelbrinks8089 There hasn't been a major technological breakthrough in bicycles in ages. Though, to be fair, a lot of once very high end things have come down in price and have become common. For example, disc brakes. The first time I ever saw them was in a bikeshop in the 80s when I was a teenager. Electric bikes have come way down in price from the early days too, but again the early days were many decades ago. The same is true wit suspension as with disc brakes, been around a very long time (way longer than disc brakes), but have simply become more common and better quality. The last major breakthrough in bikes was carbon fiber frames and wheels, but it has remained fairly expensive and pretty rare, at least at the own end. Though composite wheels have been around a long, long time. I had composite mags on a BMX style bike I had in early-mid 80s.

[@mikicastan]

Still overpriced

[@galenkehler]

You've released your own electronic derailleur for a cheaper price?