I installed a cable-brake Wheeltop setup a few weeks ago. I installed it on my groad bike, and I am currently running it as 11 speed. Other than the initial setup being a pain in the ass, it has been flawless. I shift 400-500 times an hour, and use about 20% battery in a 4 hour ride. The Android app, could be a lot more intuitive, but I’ve gotten used to it, and it can do anything you need to do.
I have 2 sets of wheels, and swapping them out is no problem. I need about 30 seconds to adjust the derailleur using the app, and I’m ready to ride. I came from a mixed Ultegra/105 mechanical setup, and the shifting is at least as good, if not better.
So far, durability isn’t a concern. I was washing my bike with the wheel and chain off, and dropped it off the stand. It landed on the carbon rear cage, and bent my hangar to a 45 degree angle. There was no visible damage. After straightening the hangar, shifting is fine. I was somewhat surprised and very relieved.
Future miles might change my mind, but I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another Wheeltop setup.
I haven’t got as many miles in mine yet, weather has been so crappy this spring, and so far my experience is quite similar. I have the hydraulic brake EDS TX which I have on my gravel bike mixed with GRX cranks and 11-34 11s cassette.
It took a few attempts to get the shifting dialed in and yeah the app needs work, or at least how the initial setup flow needs better explaining. Once you get past that it seems to be working as expected.
An alternate app (web based) is at https://dreds.jeckyll.net Just note that needs webBLE support which works natively on Android with Chrome but iOS uses need a webBLE enabled browser such as BLE Link because iOS doesn’t natively support web Bluetooth.
I’ve now upgraded to 12 speed (on one wheelset). I’m running an 11-36 Shimano, and it works just like it’s supposed to. I did learn that it will NOT work with an 11-40. I also just installed a GRX 48-31 crankset. There is plenty of adjustment to deal with the wider chainline.
I can switch back to my 11sp gravel wheels and hit a few buttons in the app and be riding in under a minute. It’s a pretty sweet setup if you have older wheels you still want to use.
For those with older bikes (myself, the roadie is a rim brake Giant Propel, 2018 vintage) it gives us options without having to fork out multiples of the bikes current value to go electric shifting.
I haven’t used any other electronic shifting, so I can’t compare battery life. Wheeltop says you get 20k shifts on a charge, and that would work out for me getting 20ish hours/300+ miles on a charge. I’ve learned to pay no attention to the battery level, and just hook the charger up after my Sunday ride.
It’s flat’ish around here so battery life has not really been an issue for me. The only thing is that under 50% battery triggers a low battery warning notification on my Edge.
I use the TX on my gravel bike and it doesn’t necessarily get along with stretches of bumpy surface (as opposed to smooth gravel). I suspect the position sensor get bounced out of alignment and you get the occasional chain skip. It doesn’t happen often but is does happen. The more frequently you shift, the less it happens.
Yesterday’s ride was another issue. At points during the ride rear shifting stopped. Not the worst on a flat route, shifting was more comfortable than necessity. In some cases it required shifting once in the opposite direction to shift in the other, sometimes it just didn’t respond at all. I am guessing it may be time to replace the shifter button cell even though it reports as OK. There are reports of the buttons under the paddles failing, so something to keep an eye on.
More investigation today. It’s not simple battery issue. The rear derailleur shifts some random number of shifts 3-12 or so then simply stops responding for a random indeterminate time. It behaves like this with shift requests from the shifter, Wheeltop app, and a third party app. It seems to be receiving the message as the green flashes on each shift attempt. I tried putting it in and out of sleep mode but that resulted in it becoming completely unresponsive for a random time again.
Wheeltop Canada came through for me. Lucky for me the distributor is in the same city so when contacted, they said drop off my bike and they would try to reflash the firmware and failing that replace the RD. Dropped off yesterday, picked up today with what looks like a new derailleur on it.
I’ll do a shakedown tomorrow for a planned ride Sunday.
Got the bike back and the RD replaced. Their tech calibrated and it is spot on, better than the original. I think they released an updated version after I got mine but I am not sure what that improved.
I am seriously considering going 1x on my gravel bike with the GeX group. WT Canada had a BF sale on their IG account last week but it disappeared this week. Not sure if was a mistake to be posted early or on purpose. Guess I’ll find out tomorrow.
I’ve checked several times this morning and nothing on Wheeltop.ca. I guess their Black Friday deal was really a a day or two in the week before Black Friday. It looks like they maybe put it up hoping it would fly under the radar. Maybe Cyber Monday but I doubt it. Too bad it took me a week of budget agonizing to decide. I’m out at full price since it’s a pure want, not a need.
