Chinese groupset brand L-Twoo has been attracting attention over the past few years as an affordable upstart making some noise against a backdrop of ever-increasing drivetrain prices.
We were at the Taipei Cycle Show last week – one of the cycling industry’s most important trade shows – and spotted not one but two new gravel groupsets to sit alongside L-Twoo's mechanical and electronic groupsets for the road.
L-Twoo debuted eGR – an electronic gravel groupset – and GRT – a mechanical gravel groupset.
The new eGR components are designed as a 1x12-speed system consisting of:
- An electronic rear derailleur (with a switchable clutch)
- Dual control levers with an electronic shift trigger on both left and right levers
- A Shimano-style internal battery to power the system
- Hydraulic disc brakes
Details on the new electronic groupset were thin on the ground in Taipei, but we’ve secured a test sample, which should arrive soon.
The GRT group is also 1x12-speed and the rear derailleur is equipped with a bounce-controlling clutch.
The mechanical shifting, however, is all contained on the right-hand lever.
It features a shift trigger behind the brake lever and a Campagnolo Ekar-style shift trigger on the inner face of the hood.
The rear derailleur and shifters are complemented by a set of compact hydraulic disc calipers with flat-mount fittings.
Pricing isn’t yet confirmed, but L-Twoo expects the eGT components to come in under $600 for the shifters, battery, cabling, brakes and derailleur.
The mechanical GRT component package should be significantly less expensive.
Can L-Twoo become a viable – and value-focused – alternative to Shimano, SRAM, Campagnolo and, more recently, Microshift (with the new Microshift Sword groupset) in the gravel market?
Aside from the two new gravel groupsets, L-Twoo also showed off a new wireless electronic converter for existing groups.
The idea here is that you mount the wireless cable push/pull system to your chainstay and use the wireless roller trigger mounted on the bars. This activates your mechanical rear derailleur in the usual way but with just a few inches of cable and a wireless-activated motor.
Pricing isn’t yet available for this converter kit, but again we’re getting hold of a unit to try out.
