Just to answer some common questions: *So how do I know if I am buying version 3?* Some listings make it clear they have the latest versions with the updated Aluminium arm, and tbh I would expect most sellers to be selling the latest version, but before buying, I just asked the seller to make sure. You can easily message sellers on AliExpress to confirm, so it's probably worth asking. Also just FYI, I got my set from the official Sensah store on AliExpress: www.aliexpress.com/store/5888062 *Do you prefer these over the LTwoo R9 groupset?* The Ltwoo was a decent groupset for the price, but I personally prefer Sensah. Ergonomically they are better in my opinion. You have access to the full range of gears when you are in the drops which is nice, and in general, with the updated aluminum arms the build quality is also a bit better. Plus they are much quieter on the road. The LTwoo shifters had a tendency to rattle over small bumps. Anyway, hope that helps out a few people :)
Hey Luke, thanks for the ultra high quality video as always! One more question: How are the Elitewheels wheelset holding up? I've had my eyes on them for months and sooo close to actually ordering a pair. They seem like really good quality for the price and not too cheap like those death trap "Bongrater" and "Zopp" copies but not as expensive as a nice set of Farsports or Yoeleo with all the shipping and import taxes. The problem is there's just zero proper reviews of them online other than unboxing vids.
@@laurensk Yeah so just to build on what @testalino says: Sensah is compatible with SRAM shifters & derailleurs, as the cable pull ratios are the same. Shimano shifters and derailleurs are not compatible. BUT cassettes and cranks between Sensah, Sram, and Shimano are all cross compatible (except for high end SRAM cassettes that use XD or XDR cassettes) _Also just to confuse things further, you can usually get away with using a Shimano front derailleur with Sensah. For example I used a Tiagra 4700 front derailleur with Sensah Empire with no issues._
Thanks for the link, I noticed they have a 11 speed PRO version now so ordered that and have just installed on my bike. The front shifting is a massive improvement over my previous Shimano Sora and the braking feels better too (currently using 105 Rim brakes).
@@keirjamieson8123 any particular field of engineering you wish to specialise in? I know a few guys that studied mechanical engineering and a few of them entered F1 while others did the whole aircraft and aerospace thing for companies like NASA and Boeing -- some even ended up as aircraft engineers for the RAF.
@@Rose.Of.Hizaki Cars and planes aren't really my thing, would love to get into something bike design related but my course is technically a mech eng with renewables so probably going to end up in the renewable field. It's definitely interesting and I know in Scotland where I'm from and Europe it's a huge industry with very few people coming out of uni with degrees focused on it.
Yeah the effort and production quality of these videos is really something. Definitely the sort of person that would’ve had his presentation before me at school humiliating my attempts at winging it.
Huge thanks to Trace velo for these videos. Not all of us can justify £500 plus on a groupset with other things to pay for. A true hero for the common man imo. Bought and installed my empire groupset, all good so far. Indexing was fine mine too. Keep up the good work
This groupset is good. Only things I have problem with is the 2 biggest cog in the cassette, not the two smallest one like he had in the video. Maybe because I have the long cage version.
I got the 'old' black Sensah Empire version on my summer bike, but i installed it directly with a Shimano 105 FD-R7000 f.d. since China Cycling said in his review the Sensah Empire f.d. is not the best and i am about to hit 8000 KM with the group set with out any problems. I got the 2x9 Sensah Ignite on my winter bike with a Sora R3000 F.D. & R.D. Just hit 2500km with that one. Still going strong as well. You are right about the Rubber Hood, on my Ignite & Empire they are a bit loose, but if you go a bit deeper under the rubber hoods with your bar tape they sit much much better ! You do not need to remove them for install, but it is much easer to work on the shifters if you do.
I have FD-5700 and thinking order RD from Sensah for 11 speeds upgrade. so you could tell me I can keep my shimano FD. Am I correct? Thanks for your help in advance.
Thank you - great video. I have just installed the same groupset (carbon version) on my old Cannondale. Your comments are spot on re positives and negatives. I have exactly the same problem between gears 9 and 10 (12 teeth and 13 teeth). I suspect there is a small engineering/design flaw in the pawl mechanism in the right shifter - the tolerances are tiny in each gear step and Sensah don't have it quite right. I've improved it a little by sanding down an old plastic gear spacer to about 10 thou less than the Sensah spacer between these two gears - that has improved the shifting, but it's still not perfect. I'll persevere a bit longer, but I'm staring to think this is a 'game changer' for me - might go back to Shimano. Thanks again for your great videos.
Thanks for the commet Kim. Yeah, it's a little annoying that the shifting isn't quite perfect, but i have recently moved to a slightly different cersion of the groupset, and the shifting has improved slightly. I think its just the luck of the draw.
@@Patriotische-Aktion yes - I think the spring tension is not quite strong enough when in the smallest cog at the rear. Try placing a washer or two between the derailleur and the hanger to move the derailleur further away - not too far or else you won't have enough thread in the hanger.
Having ridden this groupset for the past 2 months i can safely say the shifting is very impressive, and the mechanical sound of the shifting is awesome and i love that. One thing i have noticed though is that the hoods themselves are quite narrow, i'm 6'5 and have large hands and my hands do make the shifters look tiny compared to a shimano shaped shifter. I had read a lot of things about the indexing of gears being tricky, but all i had to do was pull the cable taught, and it was indexed straight away, maybe i just got lucky.
Even though the content and production is great. I honestly just find his mannerisms really grating. It's a shame because I like him and the videos but I don't want to watch whole videos very often because I just find him so awkward and strange. Maybe similar for other people
I'm very impressed with this groupset...it fixes a few issues from the previous version including the aluminium shifter (as described by Trace) but also a much stronger and improved jokey wheel and cage.
I have been using Sensah Empire for almost 8 months, over 2 hours per day and I can say it was a great deal. I took your suggest of use a Shimano front derailleur instead of Sensah's and the all group set works pretty well.
Same here, put it on my winter bike and its been ridden about 4000km , needs abit more cable indexing compare to shimanos but its definably bang of bucks compare to 105
Got my Sensah groupset in the post today. Very excited, just waiting on the frame to turn up. Thank you for the excellent review, Luke. You are really making a difference to the cash strapped masses who can't buy into the elite tier of Shimano or SRAM. Keep it up!
Great to finally see your video on this groupset. I recently installed a Empire Pro set of my own upgrading from a 10 speed 105 setup. And after a few hundered kilometers I am really impressed, as you also mentioned the downshifts on the rear are super quick and crisp and the upshifting on the front is really responsive and solid. I don't really have the same problem as you with the hoods but I didn't remove them either, guiding the cables were a bit difficult but in the end I managed. I don't have any gears don't make a shift or anything like you have but I do notice a bit of chatter from the chain in gear 9 on the rear when I am in the big chainring, I tried to adjust the barrel to aleviate the noice but then other issues pop up. All in all I am super happy about this groupset.
Awesome, glad to hear you are getting on well with Sensah! It can take a bit of fiddling to set it up correctly, but once you have it done, it works a treat. But yeah I think I should have left the hoods on for install tbh...
Just fitted updated Groupset. Have exactly the same issues you mention in the video around one gearing struggling with shifting etc... Overall a solid 8/10 for me, great value proposition. Fitted to my winter/ commuter bike..great video Luke..👍
Same comment from me. Very interested to hear your thoughts on the GT-Fs. Mechanical disc is definitely an area with scope for some content. Yokozuno vs juin tech vs spyre slc would be interesting.
@@TraceVelo You gave us 40 minutes of amazing content, don't be sorry ! I'm new to cycling and I would love to build a cheap +1 bike for commuting, your channel is a gem dude, keep uploading, wishing you the best
Dude I just realized you're at 52k subs. I thought you were well over 100k been watching for a couple years now and subbed. I have a feeling a ton of your views are people that are unsubbed. I'm not sure if I've ever seen you kind of ask people to hit the button. I know it seems cliche but you never do it as far as I remember. I've seen other creators do a super tasteful like, "hey, I just happened to realize a bunch of you watching aren't subscribed, I don't want to be a pain but if you like my work it really helps grow my channel if you're regular watcher and a subscriber ...." kind of thing. Hope this isn't an annoying comment, feel free to delete it if it's dumb to leave below a video rather than an email or something lol. Tons of love from Canada :)
Thanks Justin! So yeah you are right, quite a lot of my views are from people that aren't subbed. But yeah ok noted, I've done one or two segments like that in the past, but for sure I'll add one in next time :)
I also got the latest version of the Sensah Empire way before this video and have done considerable distance with it. Very worth the risk and money. Like riding with a high-end groupset and it was all thanks to your review of the previous version. Love your work here. I'm planning to take the risk with Chinese Carbon frames.
Yeah I've got the sticky 10->9 on the back with my Sensah, I thought it was due to the kink I managed to put in the gear cable. It took an epoch or two to index, there's sod all tension down that end. As you say, downshifting is crisp, occasionally announced by a satisfying clunk that scatters birds and small roadside mammals. Count yourself lucky Luke me lad, my Cornish home hill is on the way back! Sensah-tional!
I get that same issue with 9 on my 105!!! I just accepted it, I tried everything to try to fix it. Bloody 11 speed. Also I recognise those views specially the one going over to Rame Head.
As soon as I wear out my Triban I think I'll build myself an Aliexpress carbon commuter based on your videos and see how it survives, keep up the awesome work!
Keep up the great work! The random non shift to me is either from friction in the cabling loop especially after some miles as water and dirt can get into rear lower housing and introduce gremlins. Try removing just the rear section, giving it a good clean and applying some new PTFE grease on the cable, however I have also found that the length of the rear cable housing can introduce this effect from having too much or too little in this area so maybe experiment with different lengths to see if it improves the problem.
It’s good to see a company listening to customer results. And then deal with the problem. This might seem like a small enough upgrade. Remember there is tooling and machines involved that are more expensive than a pretty ttf bike.
Top intro and a great watch yet again. I also enjoyed the traditional Cornish road at the start of the LTWOO vid. The fine sheen of farm muck, excellent and reminds me of home.
The new part is definitely cast, you can tell by the finish. As long as there are no casting imperfections, should be ok for a reasonable while, but over time metal fatigue will become a thing.
Thank you for so detailed review of the revision! Regarding the "big ring - 10th sprocket" problem: It ssems that this is the spot, when chainline changes it's angle, i.e. 10th and 11th are further to the right than the chainring. In this case while shifting you have to negate the backlash on top of the gap between sprockets. My recomendations: check the performance with newer/better/stiffer chain, move the cranks to the right by swapping bb spacers if you have them or even change to an mtb crankset.
God. Finally the first video which actually shows the difference between the versions. Plus shows how to set the gruppo up best . I give my sub. I finally got mine and now I have the peace of mind that I got the new version. Great content! TH-cam will blow this channel up one day.
I planned to watch this video later on just so I can enjoy it with a cup of coffee. My curiosity got me and I ended up watch the whole video without coffee. The 40 min video felt like 5 min. Now I need to wait for a new trace velo video to enjoy 😭
I like to go over my cables with some really high grit sand paper. I also think 11 speed is the drivetrain sweet spot these days. Makes them buttery smooth. I love your vids too! I love your personality and format! Finally someone who does high quality vids on charbon and the like!
Thanks Luke another great video. Glad you told us about the cable liners as I know that I will get them with the frame I have ordered but as I am using a donor bike with internal cables I will now cut the cables and tape them so when I sell the frameset no one will have a problem building it up. As for setting up the FD Ultegra 6800 is award to do as well. Ted Message to SIROKO. Well done for continuing to sponsor Luke as he is a good investment because there must be many of us building up Chinese bikes who follow him for advice. He's what some might call an INFLUENCER.
Great info on the sensah shifters. I am now really considering trying out the groupset. Also I went back watched your previous videos and oddly enough your name is always Luke, I find this very suspicious. 😄
(1) Did the replacement with the Sram Rival derailleur eliminate the quirky shift from 10 to 9? (2) Do you know if Joe of China Cyclimg used compressionless housings for his brake setup? (Russ of Path Less Pedaled started that his cable/hydraulic calipers need compressionless housings to work well; normal brake housings are too spongy.)
So I actually use GoPro. I've had some cheap action cams in the past, but gopro stuff is better mainly because of the frankly mind-blowing image stabilization, and the companion software. Makes my life much easier ☺️
Hi Luke, first thank you very much for your amazing videos! Always great content and very entertaining! :) I have bought the Sensah Empire group set, thanks to you and have now put over 15,000km on it... and still going strong.. loving it. The only issue I have is the Rubber hood as you mentionned that is a little lose. Have you found any alternatives or fix to that issue? Mine are now moving around ... I guess it's time I replace them.
I run Shimano 105 10S and I have the very same issue you have up shifting between gears 10 and 9. Thus, I was thinking to drill the cable stoppers so I can fit the cable along with the housing thru the frame (not just the naked cable inside). Have you considered testing the issue with the cable and housing out of the frame? It is what I am going to do. So there you go, with no more further due, I gave you your next video!!!! Keep it up, great job, nice real life videos and no some b.s. like most of those big TH-cam channels.
Aw mate.......!! I love your review. I literally go make a nice latte and get ready for a solid ingesting of nutty cycling trial and error. I’m 48 now and trying to get back into my former riding days and yeah.......our riding club had a lot of crazy nutters like yourself. And I love it! I have some old bikes I’m going to sell and one day make your carbon bike sooooonn! Keep up the great reviews! So honest. In the field and you keep it real with very fair commentary! Ride on!
I actually just got the v2 Sensa stuff to set up a 1x road bike after riding a buddy's SRAM setup. I liked the look of the single lever Sensa brifters in the 1x configuration. Been working fine for a year now.
One thing to note though for the price comparison is on 105 vs Sensah empire, is that for the sensah you're almost guaranteed to pay extra imports (I know several that have the set, and have it myself as well) and all needed to pay imports. The 105s can sometimes be had for 480, which makes them a lot closer in price. Overall I'm still very happy with it.
I haven't bought them but the sensah page often says that the import duties hit above 2kg. The trouble is if you get the full groupset together it will exceed that weight sent as one package. There is nothing to stop you buying the same stuff in two smaller partial sets... I've just bought a carbon frame and carbon wheels these are huge parcels and much more pricey than the gears, but they come in under the 2kg weight and didn't require customs.
@@monkeysrightpaw the general rule for Netherlands is anything above 20 you pay imports and then anything above 150 you pay regular sales tax. Result is that you should add 26.5% That groupset funnily enough is the only thing I ever paid imports over and I have purchased things above 2kg as well.
Also super interested how the Elitewheels wheels are holding up! I've had my eyes on them for months and was hoping he'd make a short update about how they are doing after a few thousand km.
Why didn't you just warranty the OG levers instead of buying new ones? Really looking forward to the day when Trace Velo does the new Sensah Electronic groupset in the very, very near future...fingers crossed. Excellent video btw from a crummy fan, lol!
I probably could have got replacements under warranty to be fair. I might have had to send off my old shifters tho, and I need to keep hold of them for comparison/posterity. But yeah electronic Sensah, that would be something!!!
*clears throat* Three questions: 1. What's the camera you're using in the sponsored section? 2. Can you do a video about cheap cameras? 3. Can you do a video about cheap tyre pumps?
So to answer these: 1. It's actually a gopro 8. I've used some of the cheaper action cams in the past, but the companion software for gopro, like the android app, is basically impossible to beat. 2. Probably not, I've not had too much experience with them tbh 3. Yeah maybe, could def be one for a video in the future 🤔 Anyway, hope that helps, and thanks for the comment 👌
These china companies need to sponsor this guy. I've been flipping bikes, and man, some of the hoods of the shifters on the bikes are shot. It's so hard to find hoods for it, and when you do, it costs more than half the price of shifters. I've been thinking of just ordering these shifters and building the bikes from there so that people get a newer feeling bike.
If the shifting problem is weirdly on a very specific gear and the RD's fine, then there must be a tolerance issue on the shifting ratchet due to a manufacturing issue. If the problem's not consistent across every unit sold, then it may be just a unit that slipped through their QC. Wonderful video as always. I hope you never lose those quirky, slightly over-the-top cuts, segues, and memes as they're pretty much a Trace Velo staple signature. Cheers!
Thank you so much for reviewing these Shimano and SRAM alternatives, they really seem to be catching up and for the cost they seem like a great option. Because of your vids I am planning either sensah or microshift for my next build ( and now I can put more $$ into wheels!) Thanks and keep it up!
@tracevelo try using a hairdryer to shrink the rubber slightly for a better fit. I've had to do that on my Sram after removing it a few too many times and stretching it in the process. Should work fine :)
Maybe the reason why you had problem with the rear derailleur is because your chain seems to be a bit too long, because when you put it in the small small combination, the space between the bottom part of the chain and the first jockey wheel looks a bit too close.
Hi Luke I love your video so much, thanks for your work. May I know did Sensah change the inner part of the right shifter to metal too? Thanks~have a good day~:)
Luke is making the ultimate sacrifice riding Chinese groupsets (instead of Rival or 105) to provide you content. If I was in the same position to afford Shimano and SRAM group sets. As Luke obviously can. I wouldn’t bother experimenting with the cheap stuff. I’ll always go for the safe and reliable.
Just to answer some common questions:
*So how do I know if I am buying version 3?*
Some listings make it clear they have the latest versions with the updated Aluminium arm, and tbh I would expect most sellers to be selling the latest version, but before buying, I just asked the seller to make sure. You can easily message sellers on AliExpress to confirm, so it's probably worth asking. Also just FYI, I got my set from the official Sensah store on AliExpress: www.aliexpress.com/store/5888062
*Do you prefer these over the LTwoo R9 groupset?*
The Ltwoo was a decent groupset for the price, but I personally prefer Sensah. Ergonomically they are better in my opinion. You have access to the full range of gears when you are in the drops which is nice, and in general, with the updated aluminum arms the build quality is also a bit better. Plus they are much quieter on the road. The LTwoo shifters had a tendency to rattle over small bumps.
Anyway, hope that helps out a few people :)
Hey Luke, thanks for the ultra high quality video as always!
One more question: How are the Elitewheels wheelset holding up?
I've had my eyes on them for months and sooo close to actually ordering a pair. They seem like really good quality for the price and not too cheap like those death trap "Bongrater" and "Zopp" copies but not as expensive as a nice set of Farsports or Yoeleo with all the shipping and import taxes. The problem is there's just zero proper reviews of them online other than unboxing vids.
@@laurensk unfortunately it is Sram compatible, but you can use shimano cassette and cranks.
@@Fugedibobo So thats my next video :) But the short answer is, my Elite wheels have been pretty great, for the price i'm impressed!
@@laurensk Yeah so just to build on what @testalino says:
Sensah is compatible with SRAM shifters & derailleurs, as the cable pull ratios are the same. Shimano shifters and derailleurs are not compatible.
BUT cassettes and cranks between Sensah, Sram, and Shimano are all cross compatible (except for high end SRAM cassettes that use XD or XDR cassettes)
_Also just to confuse things further, you can usually get away with using a Shimano front derailleur with Sensah. For example I used a Tiagra 4700 front derailleur with Sensah Empire with no issues._
Thanks for the link, I noticed they have a 11 speed PRO version now so ordered that and have just installed on my bike. The front shifting is a massive improvement over my previous Shimano Sora and the braking feels better too (currently using 105 Rim brakes).
Watching trace velo > finishing my uni work
This is the highest honour one can bestow upon a crummy TH-camr 🙏🙏🙏
Whatchu studyin my brother.
@@Rose.Of.Hizaki 2nd year mech eng. Almost finished the year, last project due Sunday then 3 weeks before exams
@@keirjamieson8123 any particular field of engineering you wish to specialise in? I know a few guys that studied mechanical engineering and a few of them entered F1 while others did the whole aircraft and aerospace thing for companies like NASA and Boeing -- some even ended up as aircraft engineers for the RAF.
@@Rose.Of.Hizaki Cars and planes aren't really my thing, would love to get into something bike design related but my course is technically a mech eng with renewables so probably going to end up in the renewable field. It's definitely interesting and I know in Scotland where I'm from and Europe it's a huge industry with very few people coming out of uni with degrees focused on it.
This guy is so underrated, love the work.
Yeah the effort and production quality of these videos is really something. Definitely the sort of person that would’ve had his presentation before me at school humiliating my attempts at winging it.
Thanks Tim!!! Yeah I sunk freaking hours and hours into this video, so glad it's coming across well :)
If in your future vids you swap the clif box with larabars box no one will notice. I'm sure. 🤣👍
He is a weirdo on the other side to be honest ...
Love the rapid arm movement
You have a great sensah humour
Starts with a cracking sensah pun
As you sir, cracking sensah joke lol
Huge thanks to Trace velo for these videos. Not all of us can justify £500 plus on a groupset with other things to pay for. A true hero for the common man imo. Bought and installed my empire groupset, all good so far. Indexing was fine mine too. Keep up the good work
My heart somehow jumped when seeing this video pop up. This chinese group set has someone become a saga for me
This groupset is good. Only things I have problem with is the 2 biggest cog in the cassette, not the two smallest one like he had in the video. Maybe because I have the long cage version.
So I was on the phone to Liz, and said: nah love, can't make it ; Luke's got a video out.
40 minute video! This is where the fun begins
I wouldn‘t have noticed the stain but now I looked at it for the whole episode
You’re the Barba Streisand of not washing clothes
Lol I forgot about it till I read this
Looking forward to the moment you start testing "Di2"
Di2 sucks; wired and just 11 speed. Might as well get Sensah pro
nah, the whole point of the channel is to test cheaper alternatives!
And when is the cheap electronic GROUP the coming?
@@volkerhuhs6661 that's what i'm waiting for!
Now that you pointed it out I can't stop staring at the stain 😂😭
That was my plan ALL ALONG!!!!! *Manic laughter*
I got the 'old' black Sensah Empire version on my summer bike, but i installed it directly with a Shimano 105 FD-R7000 f.d. since China Cycling said in his review the Sensah Empire f.d. is not the best and i am about to hit 8000 KM with the group set with out any problems. I got the 2x9 Sensah Ignite on my winter bike with a Sora R3000 F.D. & R.D. Just hit 2500km with that one. Still going strong as well. You are right about the Rubber Hood, on my Ignite & Empire they are a bit loose, but if you go a bit deeper under the rubber hoods with your bar tape they sit much much better ! You do not need to remove them for install, but it is much easer to work on the shifters if you do.
I have FD-5700 and thinking order RD from Sensah for 11 speeds upgrade. so you could tell me I can keep my shimano FD. Am I correct? Thanks for your help in advance.
Thank you - great video. I have just installed the same groupset (carbon version) on my old Cannondale. Your comments are spot on re positives and negatives. I have exactly the same problem between gears 9 and 10 (12 teeth and 13 teeth). I suspect there is a small engineering/design flaw in the pawl mechanism in the right shifter - the tolerances are tiny in each gear step and Sensah don't have it quite right. I've improved it a little by sanding down an old plastic gear spacer to about 10 thou less than the Sensah spacer between these two gears - that has improved the shifting, but it's still not perfect. I'll persevere a bit longer, but I'm staring to think this is a 'game changer' for me - might go back to Shimano. Thanks again for your great videos.
Thanks for the commet Kim. Yeah, it's a little annoying that the shifting isn't quite perfect, but i have recently moved to a slightly different cersion of the groupset, and the shifting has improved slightly. I think its just the luck of the draw.
@@TraceVelo Which new version?
Hey! Do you also have 10->9 shifting problem only in the big chainring?
@@Patriotische-Aktion yes - I think the spring tension is not quite strong enough when in the smallest cog at the rear. Try placing a washer or two between the derailleur and the hanger to move the derailleur further away - not too far or else you won't have enough thread in the hanger.
Hi @@FastFless , did you try what you that? Did it finally work? Im also with that problem.
10:00 I was going to say I've never seen someone so happy over a gram, but I'd be lying...
@ridesofjapan
I didn't get it... Then I did. :-)
Having ridden this groupset for the past 2 months i can safely say the shifting is very impressive, and the mechanical sound of the shifting is awesome and i love that. One thing i have noticed though is that the hoods themselves are quite narrow, i'm 6'5 and have large hands and my hands do make the shifters look tiny compared to a shimano shaped shifter. I had read a lot of things about the indexing of gears being tricky, but all i had to do was pull the cable taught, and it was indexed straight away, maybe i just got lucky.
Well it is a chinese brand, aimed to low budget chinese market. I'm sure that taping it under the hood can make a diference.
Idk why his channel just doesn't blow up ... TH-cam has been harsh in him😔
Alluminm got me 😂😂😂😂😂
It’s Alumininininium lol
@@JackofNothingess 😂
It has blown up. As someone who has my own channel starting from scratch I can tell you the growth of this channel is huge.
Even though the content and production is great. I honestly just find his mannerisms really grating. It's a shame because I like him and the videos but I don't want to watch whole videos very often because I just find him so awkward and strange. Maybe similar for other people
This channel deserves more subs
I agree, this guy is a GENIUS
@@TraceVelo looks like you forgot to log in to your alt 😅😉
I'm very impressed with this groupset...it fixes a few issues from the previous version including the aluminium shifter (as described by Trace) but also a much stronger and improved jokey wheel and cage.
Even though im fasting im going to break out the popcorn and enjoy the show
I have been using Sensah Empire for almost 8 months, over 2 hours per day and I can say it was a great deal. I took your suggest of use a Shimano front derailleur instead of Sensah's and the all group set works pretty well.
Nice!! Great to hear Gabriel!!
Same here, put it on my winter bike and its been ridden about 4000km , needs abit more cable indexing compare to shimanos but its definably bang of bucks compare to 105
Yeah, Sensah's front derraileur sucks really... May I ask what Shimano front derraileur you got? Thanks!
Got my Sensah groupset in the post today. Very excited, just waiting on the frame to turn up. Thank you for the excellent review, Luke. You are really making a difference to the cash strapped masses who can't buy into the elite tier of Shimano or SRAM. Keep it up!
Great to finally see your video on this groupset. I recently installed a Empire Pro set of my own upgrading from a 10 speed 105 setup. And after a few hundered kilometers I am really impressed, as you also mentioned the downshifts on the rear are super quick and crisp and the upshifting on the front is really responsive and solid. I don't really have the same problem as you with the hoods but I didn't remove them either, guiding the cables were a bit difficult but in the end I managed. I don't have any gears don't make a shift or anything like you have but I do notice a bit of chatter from the chain in gear 9 on the rear when I am in the big chainring, I tried to adjust the barrel to aleviate the noice but then other issues pop up. All in all I am super happy about this groupset.
Awesome, glad to hear you are getting on well with Sensah! It can take a bit of fiddling to set it up correctly, but once you have it done, it works a treat. But yeah I think I should have left the hoods on for install tbh...
I came for the bikes, I stick around for the comedy. You literally make me laugh out loud every episode.
Just fitted updated Groupset. Have exactly the same issues you mention in the video around one gearing struggling with shifting etc... Overall a solid 8/10 for me, great value proposition. Fitted to my winter/ commuter bike..great video Luke..👍
I even scratched the new part with a file to check upgrade.. great minds and all that😂
did you solved it?
Lol, only watched the intro so far. The intro is gold!
Been literally saving up to buy one from Ali and now you hit the world with this vid. I can already see the price skyrocketing 😩
Looks like Sensah heard the problem from you and fixed it now i can be assured that it will not break on me :D
Love this channel, great to see someone looking at the stuff we are all secretly thinking about.
AWWWWW YEEEEEE JUIN TECH VID SOON. For real barely any videos of juin brakes on youtube. Looking forward to it
Same comment from me. Very interested to hear your thoughts on the GT-Fs. Mechanical disc is definitely an area with scope for some content. Yokozuno vs juin tech vs spyre slc would be interesting.
wow testing the SRAM cross-compatibility is brilliant
Yeah I was impressed, worked flawlessly
Did you still encounter the upshipfting issue? I am searching for a solution, as I'm suffring from the same problem@@TraceVelo
Oh nice ! I was waiting for this one ! Thanks =)
Wicked, sorry it took so long. This turned into quite a long freaking video!
@@TraceVelo You gave us 40 minutes of amazing content, don't be sorry ! I'm new to cycling and I would love to build a cheap +1 bike for commuting, your channel is a gem dude, keep uploading, wishing you the best
The floppy hood covers are a dealbreaker for me! Thanks for this review!
Dude I just realized you're at 52k subs. I thought you were well over 100k been watching for a couple years now and subbed.
I have a feeling a ton of your views are people that are unsubbed. I'm not sure if I've ever seen you kind of ask people to hit the button. I know it seems cliche but you never do it as far as I remember. I've seen other creators do a super tasteful like, "hey, I just happened to realize a bunch of you watching aren't subscribed, I don't want to be a pain but if you like my work it really helps grow my channel if you're regular watcher and a subscriber ...." kind of thing.
Hope this isn't an annoying comment, feel free to delete it if it's dumb to leave below a video rather than an email or something lol.
Tons of love from Canada :)
Thanks Justin! So yeah you are right, quite a lot of my views are from people that aren't subbed. But yeah ok noted, I've done one or two segments like that in the past, but for sure I'll add one in next time :)
@@TraceVelo Was just a thought. I love all your content and I think you deserve some subs in the new age of bikes rule the roads :D
@@TraceVelo I'm guilty of not subing cos i'm not really into cheap stuff. But it's somewhat entertaining.
I also got the latest version of the Sensah Empire way before this video and have done considerable distance with it. Very worth the risk and money. Like riding with a high-end groupset and it was all thanks to your review of the previous version. Love your work here. I'm planning to take the risk with Chinese Carbon frames.
Im using Delihea carbon frame, no problem so far.
Cornwall... two directions.. up and down! Enjoyed living and riding there.
Thank you for keeping your Word. And thanks again for this quality content. Have a Great day
Bloody entertaining, Trace!!!
Cheers Khalix!!
Yeah I've got the sticky 10->9 on the back with my Sensah, I thought it was due to the kink I managed to put in the gear cable.
It took an epoch or two to index, there's sod all tension down that end.
As you say, downshifting is crisp, occasionally announced by a satisfying clunk that scatters birds and small roadside mammals.
Count yourself lucky Luke me lad, my Cornish home hill is on the way back!
Sensah-tional!
I get that same issue with 9 on my 105!!! I just accepted it, I tried everything to try to fix it. Bloody 11 speed. Also I recognise those views specially the one going over to Rame Head.
So, Luke, you finally got around to using the Force?
No, he went with the Rival instead!
cheers mate. I'm planning to build an old frame BH G4 I will probably get this groupset or probably the LWoo. Ride safe mate
you are the best cycling stuff reviewer I've ever seen
In the intro you shouldve said i sensah a disturbance in the (sram) force. Great video.
As soon as I wear out my Triban I think I'll build myself an Aliexpress carbon commuter based on your videos and see how it survives, keep up the awesome work!
More competition is good. Hope they are getting better and eventually driving the price down. Great video! Thank you so much!
No worries Raymond, glad you liked it!!
Another brilliant video, love the sense of humour and editing/special effects
Keep up the great work! The random non shift to me is either from friction in the cabling loop especially after some miles as water and dirt can get into rear lower housing and introduce gremlins. Try removing just the rear section, giving it a good clean and applying some new PTFE grease on the cable, however I have also found that the length of the rear cable housing can introduce this effect from having too much or too little in this area so maybe experiment with different lengths to see if it improves the problem.
Yeah good suggestions, thanks Duncan!
It’s good to see a company listening to customer results. And then deal with the problem.
This might seem like a small enough upgrade. Remember there is tooling and machines involved that are more expensive than a pretty ttf bike.
youre doing the lords work on here, taking the cheapo component plunge so that we dont have to, good day to you sir!
Fantastic review. Pleased that the manufacturer upgraded their shifters. I wont hesitate to give them a try. Another great video.
Top intro and a great watch yet again. I also enjoyed the traditional Cornish road at the start of the LTWOO vid. The fine sheen of farm muck, excellent and reminds me of home.
The new part is definitely cast, you can tell by the finish. As long as there are no casting imperfections, should be ok for a reasonable while, but over time metal fatigue will become a thing.
Thank you for so detailed review of the revision!
Regarding the "big ring - 10th sprocket" problem:
It ssems that this is the spot, when chainline changes it's angle, i.e. 10th and 11th are further to the right than the chainring. In this case while shifting you have to negate the backlash on top of the gap between sprockets.
My recomendations: check the performance with newer/better/stiffer chain, move the cranks to the right by swapping bb spacers if you have them or even change to an mtb crankset.
I just bought the newest 2x11 version. I really like it.
I like it more than my Sram rival 2x11
Thank you Trace for the video!
I just got ignite 9 speed and the little lever is metal not plastic.
Very happy
Early for the fun! Good to know your name is still luke
If he ever decides to change his name, we'll know about it fast.
God. Finally the first video which actually shows the difference between the versions. Plus shows how to set the gruppo up best . I give my sub. I finally got mine and now I have the peace of mind that I got the new version. Great content! TH-cam will blow this channel up one day.
Always so much humour in your videos. “Patriots across the pond” hahaha that aluminium joke got me!!
My teammate's Sensah is 1 and a half years old and has metal internals for some reason. Hence it living to this day.
I planned to watch this video later on just so I can enjoy it with a cup of coffee. My curiosity got me and I ended up watch the whole video without coffee. The 40 min video felt like 5 min. Now I need to wait for a new trace velo video to enjoy 😭
1500 kms with my new sensah empire (new updated version) JUST PERFECT AND SMOOTH not shifting issues AT ALL...
Excellent video once again 👏 Just finished installing this groupset on my bike this week, so far so good 👍
Nice! Yeah if the have the new aluminium shifting arms, you should be golden 😊
Just watching the intro --> YOU HAVE MY LIKE (and my sword, and my...)
Hesitant to watch the video after first few minutes, however, you’re the real deal mate. Subscribed. Best wishes! 🙏🏼
I like to go over my cables with some really high grit sand paper. I also think 11 speed is the drivetrain sweet spot these days. Makes them buttery smooth. I love your vids too! I love your personality and format! Finally someone who does high quality vids on charbon and the like!
Getting more tempted by the Sensah kit. Guaranteed I would end up with old version!
Thanks Luke another great video. Glad you told us about the cable liners as I know that I will get them with the frame I have ordered but as I am using a donor bike with internal cables I will now cut the cables and tape them so when I sell the frameset no one will have a problem building it up. As for setting up the FD Ultegra 6800 is award to do as well. Ted
Message to SIROKO. Well done for continuing to sponsor Luke as he is a good investment because there must be many of us building up Chinese bikes who follow him for advice. He's what some might call an INFLUENCER.
Great info on the sensah shifters. I am now really considering trying out the groupset.
Also I went back watched your previous videos and oddly enough your name is always Luke, I find this very suspicious. 😄
(1) Did the replacement with the Sram Rival derailleur eliminate the quirky shift from 10 to 9? (2) Do you know if Joe of China Cyclimg used compressionless housings for his brake setup? (Russ of Path Less Pedaled started that his cable/hydraulic calipers need compressionless housings to work well; normal brake housings are too spongy.)
What action camera do you use? I presume it's a fun aliexpress fine worthy of a video? ;)
So I actually use GoPro. I've had some cheap action cams in the past, but gopro stuff is better mainly because of the frankly mind-blowing image stabilization, and the companion software. Makes my life much easier ☺️
I can confirm. These updates were also present on a Sensah Ignite shifters (2*9) purchased early 2021.
Hi Luke, first thank you very much for your amazing videos! Always great content and very entertaining! :)
I have bought the Sensah Empire group set, thanks to you and have now put over 15,000km on it... and still going strong.. loving it. The only issue I have is the Rubber hood as you mentionned that is a little lose. Have you found any alternatives or fix to that issue? Mine are now moving around ... I guess it's time I replace them.
I run Shimano 105 10S and I have the very same issue you have up shifting between gears 10 and 9. Thus, I was thinking to drill the cable stoppers so I can fit the cable along with the housing thru the frame (not just the naked cable inside). Have you considered testing the issue with the cable and housing out of the frame? It is what I am going to do. So there you go, with no more further due, I gave you your next video!!!! Keep it up, great job, nice real life videos and no some b.s. like most of those big TH-cam channels.
Your intros get me every time!
Aw mate.......!! I love your review. I literally go make a nice latte and get ready for a solid ingesting of nutty cycling trial and error. I’m 48 now and trying to get back into my former riding days and yeah.......our riding club had a lot of crazy nutters like yourself. And I love it! I have some old bikes I’m going to sell and one day make your carbon bike sooooonn! Keep up the great reviews! So honest. In the field and you keep it real with very fair commentary! Ride on!
I actually just got the v2 Sensa stuff to set up a 1x road bike after riding a buddy's SRAM setup. I liked the look of the single lever Sensa brifters in the 1x configuration. Been working fine for a year now.
Thanks Luke - love your work. Not sure I could ever buy the group set but it's good to know it might be ok now.
just amazed how much times you spent just for this single video. kudos!!
Thanks so much for the advise! Will build up the next to bikes based on these parts recommendation
Dude you need more videos! Your stuff is awesome!
One thing to note though for the price comparison is on 105 vs Sensah empire, is that for the sensah you're almost guaranteed to pay extra imports (I know several that have the set, and have it myself as well) and all needed to pay imports. The 105s can sometimes be had for 480, which makes them a lot closer in price.
Overall I'm still very happy with it.
I haven't bought them but the sensah page often says that the import duties hit above 2kg. The trouble is if you get the full groupset together it will exceed that weight sent as one package. There is nothing to stop you buying the same stuff in two smaller partial sets... I've just bought a carbon frame and carbon wheels these are huge parcels and much more pricey than the gears, but they come in under the 2kg weight and didn't require customs.
@@monkeysrightpaw the general rule for Netherlands is anything above 20 you pay imports and then anything above 150 you pay regular sales tax. Result is that you should add 26.5%
That groupset funnily enough is the only thing I ever paid imports over and I have purchased things above 2kg as well.
36:31 Any reason why you have a different wheelset on there instead of the ELITE? Were there any issues with your Elite wheels?
Also super interested how the Elitewheels wheels are holding up! I've had my eyes on them for months and was hoping he'd make a short update about how they are doing after a few thousand km.
Why didn't you just warranty the OG levers instead of buying new ones? Really looking forward to the day when Trace Velo does the new Sensah Electronic groupset in the very, very near future...fingers crossed. Excellent video btw from a crummy fan, lol!
I probably could have got replacements under warranty to be fair. I might have had to send off my old shifters tho, and I need to keep hold of them for comparison/posterity. But yeah electronic Sensah, that would be something!!!
So what I’ve been asking about since the last bike build video, wheels .... review !
Dear Luke, thanks for the great video. This was extremely useful. 😎
Woohoo a Trace Velo video for the cosy Saturday evening!
*clears throat*
Three questions:
1. What's the camera you're using in the sponsored section?
2. Can you do a video about cheap cameras?
3. Can you do a video about cheap tyre pumps?
So to answer these:
1. It's actually a gopro 8. I've used some of the cheaper action cams in the past, but the companion software for gopro, like the android app, is basically impossible to beat.
2. Probably not, I've not had too much experience with them tbh
3. Yeah maybe, could def be one for a video in the future 🤔
Anyway, hope that helps, and thanks for the comment 👌
These china companies need to sponsor this guy. I've been flipping bikes, and man, some of the hoods of the shifters on the bikes are shot. It's so hard to find hoods for it, and when you do, it costs more than half the price of shifters. I've been thinking of just ordering these shifters and building the bikes from there so that people get a newer feeling bike.
If the shifting problem is weirdly on a very specific gear and the RD's fine, then there must be a tolerance issue on the shifting ratchet due to a manufacturing issue. If the problem's not consistent across every unit sold, then it may be just a unit that slipped through their QC.
Wonderful video as always. I hope you never lose those quirky, slightly over-the-top cuts, segues, and memes as they're pretty much a Trace Velo staple signature. Cheers!
Desperately in need of the juin f1 review. 😄 Your channel is great and you may be the funniest guy on youtube.
Thank you so much for reviewing these Shimano and SRAM alternatives, they really seem to be catching up and for the cost they seem like a great option. Because of your vids I am planning either sensah or microshift for my next build ( and now I can put more $$ into wheels!) Thanks and keep it up!
"they really seem to be cathing up" LMAO... typical millenial
Just wondering if you had the same 10th to 9th sprocket shifting issue with the SRAM Rival rear mech? Great video as always, thanks.
@tracevelo try using a hairdryer to shrink the rubber slightly for a better fit. I've had to do that on my Sram after removing it a few too many times and stretching it in the process. Should work fine :)
Ja Ja Ja Ja Ja...the video introduction was creative and funny. 😂👍🏽
Maybe the reason why you had problem with the rear derailleur is because your chain seems to be a bit too long, because when you put it in the small small combination, the space between the bottom part of the chain and the first jockey wheel looks a bit too close.
Great move going to Cornwall, lived there for a while myself.
Just ordered the groupset. Will be ordering my trifox frame soon aswell
Hi Luke I love your video so much, thanks for your work.
May I know did Sensah change the inner part of the right shifter to metal too?
Thanks~have a good day~:)
Yep, both shifters have been updated ☺️
Luke is making the ultimate sacrifice riding Chinese groupsets (instead of Rival or 105) to provide you content.
If I was in the same position to afford Shimano and SRAM group sets. As Luke obviously can. I wouldn’t bother experimenting with the cheap stuff. I’ll always go for the safe and reliable.