SRAM, Shimano, Campagnolo: the long-established trinity of road cycling componentry. Chances are you’ve got a pretty good understanding of what each of these brands brings to the table, at which tier, and at which pricepoint. But, getting less attention and attracting a slightly different clientele, are some more cost-conscious alternatives, often from Chinese direct-to-consumer brands and through less familiar sales channels like AliExpress.
This assortment – which includes the likes of LTwoo and Wheeltop – ranges from the very budget-oriented all the way through to Wheeltop’s fully-wireless, hydraulic-braked SRAM eTap competitor. Some brands, like the longer-established Taiwanese brand Microshift, have global distribution and have been able to capitalise on COVID-component shortages to secure a position as OEM suppliers to big-brand bikes – like Microshift on some lower-end Cannondales, say – but most of them exist on the aftermarket. Out of these newer Chinese brands, there’s arguably one brand that looms the largest: the Chinese-made direct-to-consumer Sensah.
As a tinkerer (and a tight-arse), I've had my eye on Sensah for a number of years. I’ve used the brand's components, on and off, since 2021, both on my own bikes and as parts for others, and I find them a genuinely interesting alternative to the Big Three. Think of this story as part explainer, part review, and part meditation on what Sensah brings to the market, what works about it, what doesn’t, and why you should consider it.
A bit of background
Sensah is the brand name of Guangdong Shunde Shuntai Intelligent Sports Equipment Co., Ltd. Actually, it’s a bit more confusing than that – Sensah also seems to be called Sentyeh, depending on the sales channel and seemingly at random. The reasons for this change are unclear; Sentyeh more often seems to describe the hydraulic disc-brake models, although the company’s own website uses it interchangeably. I’d be clearer here if I could, but Sensah has never responded to my requests for comment – either back in 2021-2022 when I started thinking about writing about them, or more recently in preparation for this piece. (As per normal at Escape Collective, this review is free of any advertising or financial incentives. All products I’m referring to here were bought with real money through real sales channels rather than provided for review.)
Did we do a good job with this story?
