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Are you on the lookout for an economical solution to run a Shimano 1×11 velocity mountain bike drivetrain in your drop bar gravel bike that makes use of cable-actuated disc brakes? If that is your want, then this evaluation is me granting your want. Meet the Sensah SRX Professional shift/brake levers, the answer you have been on the lookout for.
Let’s say you’re increase a gravel bike and have a wheel that you simply need to use that sports activities a rear hub with a Shimano HG cassette physique. Let’s say you even have an 11-46t XT cassette, and a Shimano MTB rear derailleur, like an XT or XTR, you’d like to make use of. You need your new gravel bike to have a variety, like your MTB. You additionally need to use your cable-actuated disc brakes with the brand new construct.
These 11-speed Sensah SRX Professional shift/brake levers will allow you to use your MTB drivetrain together with your cable-actuated disc brakes and not using a single modification. That’s proper, no rear derailleur cage swap, longer “b” screw, Goat Hyperlink, or have to rebuild the shifter with a mod package to get the correct quantity of cable pull.
You may cease typing… I do know there are fairly a couple of choices on the market to drag off a purposeful 1x mullet drivetrain in your gravel bike. However, loads of the brake/shifter combo levers are paired with hydraulic brake calipers, are costly, digital, and/or 12-speed.
When you have the Shimano MTB parts I discussed above, you possibly can construct a fantastic mullet drive prepare in your gravel bike for nicely beneath $100. Not many different choices (if any) will allow you to do this.
I’ve bought near 800 miles on these shifters they usually’ve labored flawlessly. There have been some mis-shifts, each every now and then, however we’ll contact on why that occurred somewhat later within the evaluation.
The Sensah SRX Professional
The Sensah shifters shift utilizing form of a hybrid Shimano/SRAM type with a “double faucet” actuation however with a single lever.
The levers themselves have attain changes to get them to the specified distance from the bars for the rider. That’s a pleasant contact for a shift/brake lever at this worth level.
The shifters provide a pleasant high-quality, hearty, and optimistic “click on” when shifting up or down the cassette. They provide the potential to push the lever all the way in which to the left and shift three gears up the cassette in a single swoop. After which the traditional single click on at a time to return again down the cassette.
Sensah SRX Professional Set up
I obtained the Sensah SRX Professional levers from Velo Orange, who contributed them to my Masi Incanto Dream Construct undertaking. After I constructed my Incanto, I needed to run an XTR rear derailleur and my Paul Klampers with drop bar shift/brake levers. And I needed it to be a clear set up, sans little doohickies to make it work proper.
The set up went fairly easily. I Didn’t notably love the shifter’s routing for both the brake or shift cable housing. Due to the cable-actuated brakes, I used to be operating stiff, compressionless cable housing.
Getting the shift housing to make that first drop popping out of the shifter to the bar and dropping to the entrance, left aspect to go beneath the bar, was troublesome. It required some stiff tape to carry it in place earlier than wrapping the bar.
You may see within the image above (prime, left) that the shift housing continues to be not seated within the supplied notch all the way in which. The opposite possibility would have most likely routed simpler, however put the housing to the surface proper of the bar, and that appeared, on the time, a much less fascinating route.
600+ Miles with the Sensah SRX Professional
This was my first set of brake/shift levers that I’ve used that shift with one lever, so, I suffered a little bit of a studying curve with that.
Total the shifters shifted flawlessly. After I say flawlessly, I imply with out one concern for over 600 miles of “not-so-kind shifting”. It was a optimistic shift to the proper gear each time. The “mis-shifts” I had weren’t about lacking gears, however have been extra like unintentional shifts, “person error” normally.
There’s an automated “brake lockout” inbuilt to the fitting lever that helps stop the unintentional shift whereas the lever is definitely pulled again right into a braking place. However the motion is so mild, that typically I might unintentionally make it downshift when merely reaching for the brake.
What About Egonomics?
The ergonomics of the SRX Professional shifters weren’t fairly on par with the opposite large manufacturers. It wasn’t a deal breaker for me however wasn’t fairly the identical both. Plus, with the sunshine motion and long-ish kind throw of the lever when shifting up the cassette, it took a bit to get used to. It felt cumbersome at instances. And the sunshine motion didn’t do nicely for me when braking on a technical descent. I might be blissfully bopping down a path, within the drops, and growth, mis-shift. This occurred extra usually than I’d wish to admit.
Even after I felt I had discovered the idiosyncrasies of the shifters, almost each time whereas within the drops and the path bought tough, or I needed to rapidly seize a handful of brake, the mis-shift would occur. It was nothing catastrophic, or one thing that I couldn’t tolerate, only a bit annoying.
One thing else bugged me somewhat greater than the unintentional shifts. Once more, due to the combo of sunshine motion and the longer throw of the lever, I discovered when braking whereas within the drops, with one gloved finger on the lever, the fitting lever would need to slip out of my grip, to the left, leaving me reaching additional for the brakes. That was uncomfortable on multiple event, to not point out a bit panicky feeling on a couple of different events.
Sensah SRX Professional Specs and Retail
Retail: $95 (as of this writing, on sale for $79)
- Within the field: Left brake lever, proper shift/brake lever, highway brake cables
- Drivetrain speeds: 1×11 velocity
- Up/down shift: 3 with full sweep, 1 down
- Attain adjustable: Sure
- Pull Compatibility: SRX and CRX 11sp
- Weight: 428g for the pair
*Be aware: When Velo Orange despatched these to me, in October 2022, the outline particularly talked about pulling cable for 11-speed Shimano MTB derailleurs.
In Conclusion
I feel the Sensah SRX Professional shift/brake levers are an incredible cut price and a extremely good answer to a Shimano 11-speed MTB, mullet drivetrain in your gravel bike. They’re simple to arrange, and have some good options, like attain adjustment, and a easy single lever “double-tap” type shift.
They don’t look “misplaced” on a high-end bicycle, just like the Masi Incanto. The hoods are on the “skinny” aspect, if simply barely, however nonetheless very comfy on lengthy rides. The graphics on the precise lever are somewhat bit loud for me, however I like delicate branding on stuff. It could be high quality for you.
Total, these shift/brake levers are nearly excellent. I might, and truly have beneficial them to a buddy, who’s been operating them for awhile now.
If you need a fantastic low-cost choice to get the gear unfold of your mountain bike in your gravel bike, whereas nonetheless with the ability to maintain utilizing your favourite cable-actuated disc brakes, then the Sensah SRX Professional shift/brake lever set is for you.
Get ’em by hitting the hyperlink under.
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