Given my experience so far with the Ltwoo eGR on my gravel bike, I thought a thread on modern groupsets that are more reasonably priced would be good.
The Ltwoo I have is electronic and I am a big fan. You can tune each individual gear on the cassette very easily with the app and set the speed of multishifts by holding the button. No more cable replacements is a big bonus ime. You can also assign how many cogs are on the cassette. Up to 13s currently. I am running 12
Spotted this on WW
Looks good. Just needs a Microspline cassette option so you can have a 10t
I’ve run a Sensah Empire 11 (cable) groupset since late 2021 across a couple of frames and combos. Started as Empire 11 speed with ZRace rim brakes and ZRace cranks. The BB that was with that setup was garbage. The design meant the spindle floated about in the shell and crank arms didn’t want to stay put. I stuck the rings on a set of compact Ultegra crank arms and BB and it ran fine. It all got swapped to the Merlin for a year or so with cantilever brakes, all fine. Recently gravelo’d it somewhat via swapping in a set of ZRace BR-005 cable hydros, a Sensah CRX Pro RD and ZTTO 11-40 cassette. I have a slight mis-shift in the middle of the cassette, but I just haven’t been bothered enough to fettle it 100%. For the $300 it cost me in March 2021, hard to fault. If I was keen enough on going electronic, would not hesitate to try a Chinese group.
my bike is my transport. with shimano i have some spares, and you can still buy 12 speed di2 stuff. with chinese, spares are non-existent in oz so would have to buy spares
Consensus appears to say you can run SRAM FD and RD reasonably well with this gen Sensah 11s. Maybe even current 12s. Any cable brakes will work with them, of course. But if the brifters tap out, I think you’re SOL. Electronic is all a bit beyond my view for now.
For just over twice the price I have electronic shifting and can select how many gears I want, though I don’t think I can select as few as 9. I am running 10-51 with 12 gears and the gaps are big enough as it is. Also, no cassette, but levers and brake calipers were included.
I agree with Jase. Once you go electronic there is no going back.
With infinite self awareness I have discovered electronic shifting makes me happier.
Yes, I have no issue with electronic shifting, I would like to “go down this path” eventually.
But not quite yet.
I am impressed by the cable-free technology but it’s either very expensive (SRAM, Shimano, Campagnolo) or new and relatively untested.
Also for my needs, I don’t want a massive dinner-plate cog on the back. At my age (mid 60’s) I am not going try to ride up (or down) a rough and rutted gravel road/trail with a gradient of 20 %
I will get off and walk, happily !
I’m not really concerned about having to charge the apparatus. Yes, I might forget at some point in time, but like most retro enthusiasts, I have more than one bike !
And if and when I get an electronic shifter, it will be “one by” and it will not suffer from too big a gap between tooth counts on the cogs !
“ I have no desire to go down this track because it results in out of pocket expenses that are stupid!
The day that can’t change gears manually, is the day that I give away all of my bikes and stop riding! “
…….. Unquote
Where you live it is extremely hard to find any hills so you don’t need 14 gear ratios on the rear wheel.
You might only need a “chain tensioner” on the rear, and a front derailleur. With a small Chainring for going out into the wind and a big Chainring for coming back with the wind
Without having ridden electronic it is pretty hard to have an opinion based on experience. I once thought the same and then I rode it. No way am I going back to cable. It is just better in so many ways.
The same can be said about, clipless pedals, carbon frames and wheels, disc brakes, tubeless tyres. Probably even pneumatic tyres. New stuff often faces resistance from traditionalists.
With respect to cost, the eGR was $500- for the groupset. Significantly cheaer the the cable operated groupset it replaced and far better to ride. 12s currently and the shifting is sublime.
That was part of the point of the thread. Step away from the main stream manufacturers and the cost is far less.
I get tired of being the lone voice against unnecessary tech. So thanks for posting.
All this complexity is going in a different direction to what many think bikes signify, which is simplicity.
I think of electronic shifting in the same way I think of portable electric pumps. We go through all this effort in moving the bike forward, but pumping up a tyre manually is too much of a burdonsome effort? Are we getting so soft that we can’t push a button a bit harder, or use a manual pump? Next we’ll be needing assistance to pedal…oh wait…
Clipless - Depends on the application. I use both, often in the same day.
Plastic frames and wheels - Don’t get me started…
Disc brakes - Mostly better, but there are still some advantages to rim for road use IMO like silence, simplicity, durability, and weight.
Tubeless - Tried it. Have it on one ATB. Meh. It appears to suit those who like to fiddle and spend more money IMO. But that is in my current situation. YMMV.
Pneumatic tyres - Probably the second greatest bicycle invention behind the safety bicycle. Tunable simple suspension.
I wouldn’t call myself a traditionalist. Just not a fan of complexity without good reason.
I have and had multiple bikes. Aluminium, steel, CF. Traditional alloy wheels and tubed tyres. CF tubeless. Disc brakes, rim brakes. Electronic gears.
Guess which bikes get ridden the most? I enjoy the feel, comfort, lateral rigidity and speed when I chose to pedal fast, that my modern gear gives me.
Electronic derailleurs are up there as a good innovation ime. They are just nicer to ride for me. I am an enthusiast. I spend alot of time on my bikes. It is what I enjoy doing. Experience riding plenty of different types of bicycles. I ride what I enjoy the most based on that long time sampling different equipment.
You complain about being the lone voice against unnecessary tech on bikes. Plenty on here appreciate older lugged steel framed bicycles. It is what their experiences and preferences lead them to chose. Their passion for bicycles is directed to older tech
Perhaps you are the “lone voice” as you are the only one who seeks to impose your ideals in threads that are clearly about different choices to yours?
This was started as a thread about reasonably priced electronic gear sets. We now have people who have presumably never ridden electronic, have no intention of doing so, arguing against them.
Apparently too many gears is now a thing too. Greater range and smaller gaps between gears, allowing you to maintain your preferred cadence is now somehow a negative. As I age, my legs are definitely preferring lower climbing gears being provided, with smaller jumps between them.
We are voicing an opinion. Just like a whole bunch of threads in the past which go a similar way. Of course everyone can stay silent and comment on nothing. Then we’ll be back to crickets, with only FacePlant, WW, etc to comment on.
My eGR cost me $500-.
I have no desire to go down this track because it results in out of pocket expenses that are stupid! 
