Through a YouTube video of a cyclist I became aware of a switch group, which should be good and cheap.
Delivery directly from China!

I’m not afraid of that, because many of my RC helicopter parts also came from China. It does not have to be inferior quality. Often the intermediate trade and marketing is saved here, which does not make the products worse.

So on it goes and ordered the “small” set. The hacken was only, I had a 10-speed Ultegra and the Sensah Empire is an 11-speed group that is compatible with Shimano and SRAM in terms of sprockets and chain, and with SRAM front and rear derailleurs.

Since I was very confident, but wanted to avoid additional unnecessary costs, I bought a R8000 170mm Ultegra crank new from Ebay classifieds and a 11-28 Ultegra R8000 cassette from a bike online trade. Locally is yes here nix to make.

Yes and then once everything is apart, a new bottom bracket costs less than the time to disassemble everything again and then replace it: So right away with new.
Until the arrival of the new system I had driven the Shimano R8000 crank with 10-speed chain and cassette, but what rattled mighty and no fun. And on the same day rang DHL Express.

Derailleur group from China? – Disrespect among professional cyclists

Unfortunately, it is still a widespread prejudice that goods from China are no good per se. Where do your cell phones still come from?

Also in my circle of acquaintances and Facebook there was curiosity and rolling eyes at the same time.
How can you only exchange an Ultegra against what from China?

Wait: I’ll show you how:

Sensah Empire STI

First Begrabbeln brought a: Ohhh, not so mega high gloss, but fat CLICK and yet quite rich and well finished. My curiosity, coupled with impatience was rekindled and I was already on the way to the workshop.

Quickly was the handlebar tape down (not glued, was new) and the old Ultegra dismantled. In the meantime, again from online bike shipping, new shift and brake cables had arrived. Once because the old are just old, and also too short, because the trains now run hidden. So no clothesline as with the old Ultegra STI.
Best: directly also a better look!

Sensah Empire Rear Derailor

The derailleur was almost boring to assemble and adjust. The usual just: Screw on, High and Low adjust and then on the train the fine adjustment. First shifting on the still hochgebocktem wheel: AWESOME!

Shortly I felt back on the MTB what has a SRAM: Here the shifting was similarly crisp and rich, with nice tactile feedback. Very nice!

Sensah Empire Front Derailor

About the derailleur, however, one hears little good:
“Heavy, bad to adjust and at all …”
So on the subject of weight is with me rather physically still more to save than on the wheel, and the Sensah is with the STI just above the Ultegra STI and the rear derailleur even below the current R8000 derailleur. If the derailleur now weighs 10gr more? Does not matter!

When mounting I had to put a piece of solid cardboard under the clamp, because the braze-on point on the wheel would otherwise not have made it possible to mount the derailleur straight. I can live with it, it’s just an old frame. To adjust the front derailleur was but really easy. Much easier than the Shimano: High and Low set, and probably knowingly ordered a Zugadjuster inline with. So I can adjust the tension in front on the handlebars yet and adjust the derailleur more accurately.

Conclusion to the China scrap?

In short: Really AWESOME!

A little longer: Really cool, because:
Now shifting is so much fun again, as accustomed to a SRAM X0. Crisp, direct and without zicken and grinding. I am not disappointed at all and very positively surprised. Unfortunately, it was only possible for me to drive two tours with it. These made but right mood and I could hardly hear my wheel.

Clean and quiet ran the R8000 drive unit (must be fair to mention that here Shimano sprocket and cassette work) and the switching operations were carried out very precisely by the Chinäse.
In addition, I noticed that the pivot point of the brake lever, compared to the 6600 STI, had moved further up, which makes braking on the upper STI grip position again more pleasant.

In addition, I find the optics really succeeded: Less “shine” than Shimano, but rock solid execution and no more clothesline, which has always bothered me.

Small anecdote: “Supposedly” the Sensah Empire is a group which was designed by former SRAM employees and developers who have settled in China. Also noticed the striking similarity to the SRAM rear derailleur, and the switching behavior on the STI is also a kind of DoubleTap. Only with the brake lever, instead of a dedicated shift lever. But works great!

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