Uploaded June 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
My Sensah Empire 2x11 groupset catastrophically failed after 800km/500 miles, but why?
11 speed groupsets are generally quite expensive. For example, at the time of filming, the full Shimano 105 R7000 groupset costs around £500 ($630), and a full Ultegra R8000 will set you back around £700 ($880).
I’m all about trying to drop weight from my bike and most lightweight drivetrain upgrades, such as lightweight chains and cassettes, are only compatible with 11 speed setups. However, I wanted to try out some cheaper alternatives before resorting to 105, Ultegra, or Dura-Ace.
The full Sensah Empire 11 speed groupset can currently be found for less than £200 on AliExpress, and the shifting functions in a very similar way to the SRAM double tap system. I was really excited to try it out, so a few weeks ago I took the plunge and got it installed on my carbon fiber road bike (the video for that install and initial test can be found here: youtu.be/igrnoqe6qQc ).
Straight out of the box, I was actually pretty impressed. It was much lighter than the trusty Tiagra 4700 groupset it replaced, and after some initial teething problems with the setup and indexing of the gears, it ran well and felt great to use out on the road.
However, problems started to show after a few hundred miles and at around 500 miles (800km) of use, the shifter for the front derailleur broke entirely during a ride. It’s beyond repair at this point, and in this follow-up video, I’ll show you what happened, why it broke, and some of the ways you may be able prevent this issue on your own Sensah Empire groupset.
Got any questions or comments, stick them below 👇 and I'll try to get back to as many of you as I can!
Timestamps:
00:34 – Intro
01:38 – Sensah Shifter Breakage
03:24 – Broken Shifter Autopsy
06:23 – Front Derailleur Issues
08:06 – Other Examples
09:47 – Preventing this Problem
15:08 – Shimano Shifter Comparison
15:55 – Wrap-up
China Cycling Channel:
youtube.com/chinacycling
Product links (Please note, I have no affiliation to any of the sellers linked below):
Sensah Empire 2x11: tinyurl.com/y9c8h42c
Intro roll:
Created by Dev Joshi - go2dev.co.uk
Music:
Birocratic (birocratic.lnk.to/allYL) - Fresh Healthy Perspectives
Lakey Inspired (soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired) - In My Dreams, The Process, Warm Nights
BioDrive (biodrive.bandcamp.com/) - Waves of August
About Trace Velo:
I love cycling, and I love getting pro cycling kit for less. If it’s cheap, from China, and made of carbon fibre, I’m interested!
Instagram:
instagram.com/tracevelo
Email:
tracevelouk@gmail.com
Please note:
All products demonstrated in this video have been purchased by me, and I have no affiliation to any of the sellers or vendors shown.
In addition, I am not a professionally trained bike mechanic. There can be risks associated with using products that are unbranded, untested, or come from sources where the provenance is unknown. Please talk to a qualified bike mechanic if you are in any doubt.
In essence, be careful, do your research, and cycle safe!!!
My Sensah Empire 2x11 groupset catastrophically failed after 800km/500 miles, but why?
11 speed groupsets are generally quite expensive. For example, at the time of filming, the full Shimano 105 R7000 groupset costs around £500 ($630), and a full Ultegra R8000 will set you back around £700 ($880).
I’m all about trying to drop weight from my bike and most lightweight drivetrain upgrades, such as lightweight chains and cassettes, are only compatible with 11 speed setups. However, I wanted to try out some cheaper alternatives before resorting to 105, Ultegra, or Dura-Ace.
The full Sensah Empire 11 speed groupset can currently be found for less than £200 on AliExpress, and the shifting functions in a very similar way to the SRAM double tap system. I was really excited to try it out, so a few weeks ago I took the plunge and got it installed on my carbon fiber road bike (the video for that install and initial test can be found here: youtu.be/igrnoqe6qQc ).
Straight out of the box, I was actually pretty impressed. It was much lighter than the trusty Tiagra 4700 groupset it replaced, and after some initial teething problems with the setup and indexing of the gears, it ran well and felt great to use out on the road.
However, problems started to show after a few hundred miles and at around 500 miles (800km) of use, the shifter for the front derailleur broke entirely during a ride. It’s beyond repair at this point, and in this follow-up video, I’ll show you what happened, why it broke, and some of the ways you may be able prevent this issue on your own Sensah Empire groupset.
Got any questions or comments, stick them below 👇 and I'll try to get back to as many of you as I can!
Timestamps:
00:34 – Intro
01:38 – Sensah Shifter Breakage
03:24 – Broken Shifter Autopsy
06:23 – Front Derailleur Issues
08:06 – Other Examples
09:47 – Preventing this Problem
15:08 – Shimano Shifter Comparison
15:55 – Wrap-up
China Cycling Channel:
youtube.com/chinacycling
Product links (Please note, I have no affiliation to any of the sellers linked below):
Sensah Empire 2x11: tinyurl.com/y9c8h42c
Intro roll:
Created by Dev Joshi - go2dev.co.uk
Music:
Birocratic (birocratic.lnk.to/allYL) - Fresh Healthy Perspectives
Lakey Inspired (soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired) - In My Dreams, The Process, Warm Nights
BioDrive (biodrive.bandcamp.com/) - Waves of August
About Trace Velo:
I love cycling, and I love getting pro cycling kit for less. If it’s cheap, from China, and made of carbon fibre, I’m interested!
Instagram:
instagram.com/tracevelo
Email:
tracevelouk@gmail.com
Please note:
All products demonstrated in this video have been purchased by me, and I have no affiliation to any of the sellers or vendors shown.
In addition, I am not a professionally trained bike mechanic. There can be risks associated with using products that are unbranded, untested, or come from sources where the provenance is unknown. Please talk to a qualified bike mechanic if you are in any doubt.
In essence, be careful, do your research, and cycle safe!!!
