Pro Bike Mechanic Vs AliExpress Groupset - LTWOO RX Hydraulic Build

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#cycling #bikes #bicycle

[@TraceVelo]

Having to drill out the brake caliper really surprised me. I've fitted two of these groupsets now, and both front and rear calipers fitted perfectly to the flat-mount frames i've used... Anyway really excited to see how you get on with it, also I'll be interested to hear if you experience any rattle coming from the piston circlips!

[@birkaster]

and you said it's SRAM compatible, isn't it?

[@TraceVelo]

@@birkaster TBH I don't actually know. The 11 speed road groupsets from L-TWOO use Shimano cable pull ratios for the derailleurs, but as this is 12 speed, who knows...

[@Jaerdoster]

Didn't you had to use caliper adapter you know the one with 140 to 160 or 160 to 180 ? Maybe they did forget it ?

[@curtisducati]

Cheep Chinese rubbish , will be dead in months worn out and useless , Dura Ace or forget it I say after using mine for 40 years and still as new ...I give this Chinese tech 40 days and ruined !

[@abedfo88]

​@@TraceVelo Did you manage to source another brifter Luke

[@larisonjohnson]

What did you expect? You opted for the budget packaging. 😂 Nice to hear another perspective on L-Twoo. Don’t forget to grease the plunger circlips.

[@judosteffer]

This has become a really good channel. Really impressed with how you are focussing on the cheaper/regular stuff, rather than the crazy expensive Dura-Ace/insane priced bikes that the likes of GCN always feature. I've unsubscribed from them and subscribed to this instead! Well done for nailing your audience.

[@chickenpoodle]

i'd argue that its still nice to know "what is out there," since while we can't all reasonably justify spending for sram red or shimano dura-ace immediately upon release, there is nothing stopping us from using it when its not new. the 11 speed dura-ace, and red groupsets now are still just as good now as they were before, and other than the obvious differences between 11 and 12 speed, the refined performance aspect is still all there. and the prices are now definitely affordable by the masses. so i rather personally use a top of the line sram red/force or shimano dura ace/ultegra from a handful of years ago, than one of these burgeoning market offers. biggest reason is availability of parts and support. its great that these new options are becoming available, but there still remains a lot of work before many of us should feel comfortable enough to buy use, and self-maintain these new groupsets at home.

[@leontaylor3721]

100% with you MORE CONTENT LIKE THIS

[@Rose.Of.Hizaki]

Nic isnt angry. He's just South African.

[@derekhobbs1102]

That goes against what I've observed from South African immigrants here in Australia, must be the weather here.

[@brownsbikes]

"im done with this shit" 😂 been there Nick, i feel your pain

[@RachelSchloer]

If there's anything good to come from cheap groupsets is that companies are lot more likely to add more exciting features that we haven't seen yet from established companies that typically stick with the tried and tested features

[@notkaty]

The competition to the establishment will definitely drive them forwards

[@animatrix3k]

This channel is really evolving into the Linus Tech Tips for cyclists and I love it. I can't wait to see what else is coming. I hope one day in the near future you will need a motion designer because GCN is a little too stuffy, fun to watch and high qualety but not wierd enough

[@abritandhisbikeinpoland6802]

Really? GCN started with 3 guys and a fun attitude to all things cycling, just like Top Gear which also grew big from 3 guys. Top gear became ludicrous, they ran out of ideas, and it all got a bit stupid in the end, a bit like GCN now, too many presenters and a constant pressure to put out content has led to GCN producing stupid viewer condescending non informative Children's TV style content. I have followed Francis for many years, he has created great content, with many great adventures etc etc, and it has always been well balanced, but now I fear the TV channel "double presenter" style content could possibly turn into a bit of comedy act, but without the humour!? PS as I write this I just noticed on my youtube home screen a new GCN film, obviously the presenter is Hank the Wa...k (would be better on children's TV) The new film is titled " How to prevent a sore bum from cycling" 🥱🤦‍♂ I rest my case.

[@animatrix3k]

@@abritandhisbikeinpoland6802 The content is a matter of personal preferences, but what I meant was the Video Quality from the perspective as a Motion Designer. I like both kinds of videos, but from a work perspective I would prefere the cande media ones.

[@abritandhisbikeinpoland6802]

@@animatrix3k yeah I understand what you mean. I just see too many now going down the American style of creating a "studio" and they start acting like tv presenters and it all gets a bit 🤢 tech shows are all good and interesting, but how often are people "really " changing tech or bikes? Yes in the current climate bike stuff is ridiculously expensive, so his reviews on alternative new brands can be beneficial to some, but how many viewers at anyone time are in the market or even interested in the current trends cheaper or not? Some just wanna ride bikes, and see others do the same, albeit in more spectacular locations! I'm not really an indoor kind of guy, I was out yesterday on my mtb in -3 Poland in the snow, zwift is my worst nightmare you couldn't pay me to use it, and studio based TV isn't for me either! I just hope francis doesn't go all Americanised and loose sight of what built his channel in the first place, riding bikes in the big outdoors, what bicycles were invented for in the first place!

[@MTBScotland]

LTT is shit this isn't.

[@goku445]

You like Linus Sellout Tech Tips?

[@haxhxm841]

Haven’t been here in a while and my dude became a whole media group. Congrats man

[@markjthomson]

Very interesting seeing this form so many angles including the discussion and installation.

[@49tkscott]

Jimmy absolutely nailed him with that £10K comment.

[@Cetrifuga1945]

Complimenti siete dei grandi meccanici nella bici ❤si vede che ci mettete il cuore e la passione

[@charlesci7766]

Kinda surprised with your drilling process because I'm using the L-TWOO GRT 12s group set and it fits my frame perfectly. I suppose you guys weren't noticed there are a bag of adaptors specifically designed for L-TWOO's calibers to fit any frames. These ADAPTORS MUST BE USED💥 because the spacing of the mounting holes are in a unique specification to avoid pattern issue. No matter you're using 140mm or 160mm disc, you have to mount the adaptors to your frame first, then fix your calibers on the adaptors.

[@northerngiant2915]

A missed or missing bag full of adapters makes a lot more sense than an otherwise well thought-out groupset having bonkers spacing.

[@livingwithfshd]

really enjoying the longer form videos

[@biking261]

I think Ltwoo and Sensah are going in the right direction, they need to improve the QA at the end of the manufacturing process in terms of the hole drillings etc. I look forward to seeing how you get on with this,

[@howardlam6181]

No QA can fix their manufacturing process. They just don't have it there to have a high yield for high precision manufacturing.

[@grahambell9831]

Nice build at bike camp HQ 👍and It's going to be an interesting groupset test 👍

[@itstheterranaut]

I've literally just been fitting mine today to my Sonder road frame. Bleeding the brakes was a trial; I used a syringe on both caliper and lever, but this left disappointing braking strength. Adjusting the pad reach grubscrew in 6 turns helped; note that 7 turns is where the grubscrew falls out the back, and you then need to remove the lever using 2 and 2.5mm hex keys on each side of the lever pivot and reinstall the pad grubscrew from the back. I may try an overbleed soon to see if I can drive the pistons out a bit further. Note that it seems you must use the supplied brake mounts: I think thats where you went slightly wrong on this build. Although you can use Shimano calipers. There's also a reach adjust grubscrew lurking under the shift lever.

[@imola8]

The addict gravel is such a beauty of a bike, especially the tuned version.

[@danthxman]

Knew I could rely on Nic to talk some sense. He's brutal!

[@lolbubs11111]

Any idea what language he's speaking? I need English subtitles

[@abedfo88]

@@lolbubs11111 its English with an Afrikaans accent. dont be mean

[@geneavallone3524]

I think cable routing through the head tube will degrade the shifting. I use a couple of these budget groupsets regularly and find the shifting really good.

[@davidgarza2267]

Watching this as my Ltwoo GR9 11speed gravel group just arrived at my office!! In the US, sourcing a groupset is an expensive endeavor. Cheapest I could find was about $750 from either Merlin cycles or a random italian site I had never heard of.

[@henryoddsball2164]

My experience with almost all direct from China parts is that they require a certain amount of fussing to get them right. They don’t spend the time to chase threads and quality checks are loose…so the consumer gets to do those things. Where shimano and others do that stuff so parts typically just bolt up and go. If you’re willing to tinker they can be great. For example I bought a sensah group and the rear mech wobbles like crazy and hunted gears. Turns out it needed a o’ring or washer on the mounting bolt to hold the mech body tight against the frame. Someone with no troubleshooting ability , like a first time bike builder would have never solved it.

[@shamuslamont100]

just installed 2 L-twoo groupsets - (GR9 mechanical, and GR9 hydraulic), no issues at all. The former is cheap crap, so I didn;t expect anything great, but the build quality is decent, on the hydraulic group great.

[@malcontent510]

Very glad to see these lower budget experiments continuing. (Also glad Nic finally admits his bike snobbery-honesty is the best policy.)

[@colinsandie5357]

Random thought: is there a way to design a better/more ergonomic shift lever to replace the standard one? If you could design something that sits in a better position for access from the hoods while keeping the easy drops access, then maybe get it 3D printed, that would be cool. Though possibly way more cost and hassle than anyone wants on a £300 groupset!

[@cneubert28]

It will be interesting if smaller brands start using the groupset to make way more affordable bikes. Seems like the major issue is the fit and finish.

[@unclejohn5012]

It's already happening

[@JeanFrancoisDesrosiers]

​@@unclejohn5012 which brand?

[@adelmur1]

Yes allready happened. CYKL french titanium bike brand is proposing this group set as an entry level option as wel as the GRT version (gravel version) the group is good small issues on the mounting aspect. Yes, olives are tight but you can use Shimano.

[@davidbrown7408]

You guys rock!

[@bendardania]

I wouldn’t be surprised if they modeled the rear der to 8100 sgs. By the way, I think your fiend and mechanic almost spilled the bees on 12 speed Shimano… lol 😜

[@adccars359]

That new Srampagmano group set seems well thought out. So original. I would never.🤣🤣🤣

[@davidcharnes9161]

I miss Justin. Can you bring him back on a video? I found you through the US series with Justin.

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

Twist shifers do any numbet of shifts at once if needed . I have lots of new sets stockpiled .

[@kipcc3918]

Yeah, Sensah is SRAM compatible, LTwoo is Shimano, That’s what we was running back home, ltwoo shifters and Shimano mechs, works flawlessly. Although, Shifters feel cheap and plasticky.

[@HoshinoMirai]

OK, but I thought they came with adapters for the brake calipers?

[@adelmur1]

Didn't had any issues with caliper mounts sure it is weird but offer a lot of compatibility. And make sense on a production point of view. But bleeding is a bit tedious. Did you figure out the the two bleed ports? One for fluid brake and the other for air ?!? And now struggling a bit with auto adjust caliper front brake as loose some braking power. This is an interesting part for the video.

[@Yannerson]

The brakes just needed the adapters, no Dremel required. The equivalent in the 1x would have been the one for the gravel bike, ditch the dodgy front mech!

[@Velobetty]

I have the Ekar groupset on my gravel bike and the shifter thumb-lever looks like a quaver.

[@nedfinnegan240]

Shimano price controls are entirely out of hand in the USA. There is no way you could get a hydraulic 105 groupset here for less than $550 , and most UK/EU online shops won't ship to the US.

[@t.r.iggler]

Kabelsalat… 😂 so good guys!

[@richardlowe4455]

What's the bar tape used, looks nice 👍🤔

[@thebikepackingadventurer]

These brands are making huge leaps forward and soon will be as good as the top 3 in my opinion.

[@juanpecan7089]

JuinTech GT hydro mech brakes are some of the best options out there I think.

[@thebikepackingadventurer]

@@juanpecan7089 interesting. Will give that a look

[@twilliamrc4wd]

You know you need a 12 speed mountain bike cassette on that thing and it works even better

[@rangersmith4652]

If the chain is too short, and if L-Twoo essentially used Campag as a guide, then adding two links could easily make a world of difference in shifting. Grapevine says Campag mechanical likes a chain that's as long as feasible. For that matter, maybe you should try a Campag chain...

[@PhilJohn1980]

You can now get Shimano 12 speed mech - the newer 105 12 speed.

[@scherzo0o]

for me, the point of having 12 speeds in the rear is to get rid of the front mech... I mean, an 11-42/44 in the back, with an oval 38 in the front is enough for most of my rides: road, all-road, light gravel. So, can I repurpose the left shifter for a dropper, for instance?

[@shamuslamont100]

no, dropper levers work differently

[@tatoymara88]

Why is necessary to use twelve speeds if you don't change the system for microspline or xd?

[@scherzo0o]

@@tatoymara88 to have closer gears ( especially in the smaller part of the cassette) and to get rid of the front derailleur.

[@TieuBachBach]

Let pick YBN chain set. They OEM for campa and the quality very good (im using their for my bike)

[@danalec4742]

Wind of change!

[@MaizzenMusic]

Kabelsalat!🙌

[@FringaleABloc]

Can you do a video about the different types of grease/lubricants needed to build a bike? Are they a marketing gimmick or not?

[@nicvieri2627]

Yes please. Sick of seeing people use one grease for everything. I must have about 10 different ones

[@ajanmadas]

wanna get a black tape for it? blue one seems a bit off but no pressure

[@nedfinnegan240]

I wonder is the holes in the brake mount plate were drilled to a different standard?

[@feedbackzaloop]

When this groupset was announced, it was about 200$, you got if for 300£, now it is over 500€ - would you guys please stop praising it before it hits 1000 mark?! (I know different regions and currencies apply therefore shipping and tax are count differently, but it should not be _that_ different)

[@infovidasupps8640]

Is that a carbon seat post in the bike stand clamp, while the guy is banging down on the frame?

[@JusTavvy]

I saw Nic at Core a couple weeks ago, felt a bit too weird to say hi though

[@avocette]

nic got too distracted with his snobbiness that he forgot to check for the provided brake caliper adapters 😬😬

[@senorspiegel]

So absurd that he went straight to the dremel

[@davidgarza2267]

Prices have indeed gone down, and Ltwoo now has budget alloy versions. Alloy 11 speed is $277 shipped.

[@janeblogs324]

I have to keep asking other youtubers but they refuse to answer. Is your ltwoo rear derailleur's parallelogram actually parallel? My ltwoo cambers in and out. The pivots are also sloppier than a 20 year old shimano mech, even the direct mount pivot has a lot of play.

[@danielsvedberg2439]

I can confirm the slop throughout the parallelogram too

[@luqmansk2r]

I saw on Chinertown forum that 105 r7000 rd can work with this ltwoo 12 speed shifter

[@YSNot]

I also assembled a bike on ltwoo rx2x12 and zto xdr ult 10-33, but this damn cassette refuses to work properly. How did you set it up?

[@IanCoveny]

If you’re thinking of L-Twoo, I cannot strongly enough recommend against it. I have two group sets, the RX and the GR9, and they’ve been a disaster. Unfortunately, I don’t have the platform that Cade/Trace/GC/Panda has, so L-Twoo just dgaf about my issues, and I’ve been stuck having to replace both with Shimano/SRAM. All-in, I’m out 2x what I would’ve been just going mainstream in the first place.

[@felixjackson2670]

Looks great value. However Magura hydro.Rim Brakes back in the 1980’s ...long before Shimano hit the scene used mineral oil..

[@-Gothicgirl-]

I hate this Button inside. That's So old school and I had it on old shimano stis with the outside line like st-2203. I love to have it on the paddles where I shift up and down. In lower Position they are crap to reach

[@XJ1345]

Does this fit on a Shimano 11 speed freehub? so a "standard" 11 speed wheel?

[@fritzhanzelberdigay3958]

thers an adaptor for the brakes so it will fit in the frame and the fork no need to drill the holes on the frame😭😅

[@overthetarget9401]

Exactly, what a plunder 🤣

[@fritzhanzelberdigay3958]

@@overthetarget9401 when i saw the drilling process it made me very😭😅

[@overthetarget9401]

@@fritzhanzelberdigay3958 They wanted to show the fancy Dremel set 😆😜

[@harrybarrett5085]

In my experience a lot of the shifting issues are to do with the chain and cassette, currently running the sensah empire with an ultegra chain and cassette, and it’s been super crisp with the hyper glide working together on both the chain and cassette

[@AlanWGMeraz]

I have the 1rst gen empire too with a 105 chain and cassette, smooth as butter.

[@michaelingham6407]

what tyres were you running before the change?

[@jaztinbenocas9638]

i think this will be good in gravel bike with a sram mtb derauiler

[@jugaloo5873]

Oooo, you too!!

[@sail5820]

Brake adaptors mate!

[@rafaeldegiacomoaraujo8778]

The shifting in this frame will be sluggish because of the routing, no?

[@Cade_Media]

We had to use an outer which runs the whole way through the frame which will create more friction, but it’s quite smooth now I’ve replaced the chain to a new one.

[@christianwiesheier-kn1je]

Can anyone say which handlebar tape they use. It would look great on my blue canyon 😄

[@seanbarman]

It's actually almost identical to microshift centos

[@bpenda94]

were those not just post mount brakes?

[@jennieleighloomis7870]

I want to build a Gravel bike w/ 2x11 and a Scott AT-4 pro handle bar. Any help would be great.

[@user-vi3sq3mz4s]

Please,tell me guys. Are these levers compatible with rear derailleur shimano deore 12s m6100 and shimano mt200 disc brakes?

[@user-vl5ek6xr4m]

Hi! What camera do u use? Thanks!

[@Jimmidoesstuff]

Fran shoots Canon R6 and C70

[@robhayes3399]

In terms of compatibility with Shimano, I just built up a 12 speed mechanical with the Ltwoo RX (non hydraulic), 105 R7000 front/rear mech, and an R8100 12 speed cassette. It works flawlessly, and indexes perfectly so I would suspect the pull ratio is a very crude 11/12th of a 1.4 pull ratio (I figure you might be able to claim it is around 1.3 or close to SRAM exact actuation, but that's probably coincidence).

[@JK-NOT-JK]

Surely, just spend £449 on Wiggle for an entire 105 R7020 group set.

[@matt_acton-varian]

That is a sale price with a significant discount. It's RRP is still nearly double, and it's "only" 11 speed. Don't get me wrong, I love my 105 rim brake groupset I am currently using but these kind of deals are not guaranteed, plus you are limited by crank length, chainring and cassette size choice in regards to available stock. Last time I looked they only has 50/34 chainset in 172.5 and 175 available, not good for shorter riders or those wanting bigger chainrings.

[@yurimow]

7:50 isn't it normal to have to slightly overshift the lever on mechanical groupsets?

[@kevinlyon9501]

Well it fits and works, bit of hole fettling not like the caliper is going to fall off once it's bolted on. Probably if you bought another one it'd would fit okay. Be interesting to see how it performs on the road and how comfortable are the shifters.

[@a1white]

Tbh, I’d much rather pay £100 or so more for an 11 speed mechanical 105 and have the quality and known reliability of a Shimano groupset

[@chris1275cc]

Just to confirm (because I tried it) These WILL shift a Shimano 11s (105 R7000 in my case) over 12 gears no issue, Replacing the Guide pulley wheel (may as well replace the jockey as well) with the current mechanical Shimano type (I think I used Utegra ones) brings the shifting more inline with 105. The L-Woo ones are really thin for some reason and the chain slops side to side on them. I'm using a Shimnao chain currently but on Chinatown forums most people say this group works best with SRAM Eagle.

[@sixy69]

I hate being a bike mechanic now. I am hoping to get out of the industry this year. Bikes are cool as F*** now, but shite to work on.

[@notpablo8369]

Did you sell/return the Rotor groupset?

[@Cade_Media]

No it’s in a box

[@doubleu1115]

How was the Sensah Empire Pro tho?

[@Cade_Media]

Excellent

[@beerenmusli8220]

Interesting

[@lolbubs11111]

5:45 or whatever - I'm pretty sure at least one of my Shimano brifters have a similar flexible hydraulic hose out of the back of the unit. (GRX Di2 or Ultegra R8000.)

[@slighter]

Wait, there is no equivalent to Kabelsalat in english? I thought you could just say cable salat, since it is exactly what you think it is and so straightforward.

[@lawriemccurrach5995]

I think they are missing a niche, I’d love to see an electronic group set with cables for rim brakes, could be an awesome upgrade for older frames!

[@romankuchak]

EDS just released this kind of groupset

[@sterby1]

These guys must be super rich having Adam Sandler working on their bikes

[@hackgolfer7352]

Is there a continuous birthday party in the halls of your building?? Sounds like a teachers lunch room. Looking forward to these companies giving the big names a run for their money.

[@jrbowens]

"Nothing went wrong."?!?!? HAHA LOL... Except you had to DREMEL the read brake caliper... Be careful out there.

[@CreativeFishDesignsCharlotte]

as i have one in my hands nice u complained way too much if the build quality is in fact the same today as then its on par with any I've used so far , but its so cheap I love it

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

Cade needs to have multiple interests and hobbies like I do . He needs to have a break from road cycling sometimes , at least seeing him on a mountain bike would be a nice change for him .

[@Cade_Media]

I do I just don’t film the other stuff 😂

[@fennec13]

I do agree on on thing - that this L-Twoo groupset shouldn't be on a bike with fully integrated cables/ hoses. I'll go out on a limb abs say that the manufacturers for this more budget of groupset offerings were not thinking people would put it on a bike with this (needless) FULLY integrated cable routing.

[@hmcps89]

What none of these Chinese groupset reviews are talking about is the repairability. How is the spare parts market, can these be repaired or do they have to be tossed once it’s broken in a crash, or worn out parts. Would like a video on that. Being cheap shouldn’t be the selling point. Would be nice not to add to more to the landfills.

[@daniels.2720]

@8:55 > "..a massive Red Flag..." =oh-oh > this guy Nic is on to something...or someone (Haha)

[@Chungleas]

Mineral oils so you could bung a Shimano caliper on if you don't trust L-Twoo brakes, more cost of course...

[@chubscoi]

Ohshii

[@xiaojiang2610]

Just FYI the official prince of this in China is 2280 Yuan which is 277 pounds. No discount so far.

[@matt_acton-varian]

There are also shipping and import charges that affect prices globally. Even with a small RRP discount prices can still fluctuate depending on those additional costs.

[@madplanet3351]

They know the truth that's why some don't want an investigation and others won't disclose their findings.

[@suziederkins3310]

Campag royal blood!!! Lol

[@mjmilar1132]

Hard to install...