SRAM Finally Has Some Competition…
Trace Velo
5 de octubre de 2026
The Whaleroad R7 (also known as the ECS Pro) is the world’s first 1x14 electronic groupset, developed by Sensah/Senteyh and aimed pretty squarely at the likes of SRAM XPLR. It’s fully wireless, uses an enormous 11–46T 14-speed cassette, and even fits onto a standard 11-speed HG freehub.
In this video I take a closer look at the complete groupset, weigh everything, install it on my all-road bike, run into a few interesting issues along the way, and then put it through its paces both on and off road to find out whether 14 gears actually makes sense.
Price is also a big part of the story. Final retail pricing hasn’t been confirmed yet, but I’ve been told the complete setup tested here should cost around $1,000. For comparison, SRAM Rival XPLR comes in at around $1,500, while a top-spec SRAM RED XPLR setup can cost around $3,500. On paper, this makes the Whaleroad groupset a pretty interesting alternative… If it holds up!
So, can a relatively unknown Chinese 1x14 groupset really compete with SRAM, and is squeezing another gear onto the cassette actually worthwhile? Let’s find out!
Disclosure: The groupset was supplied to me for evaluation. This episode isn’t sponsored, no money changed hands, and Whaleroad had zero control or say over the content or conclusions drawn in this video. In fact they didn’t even see any of it before I uploaded this to youtube.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
01:45 – Unboxing & overview
03:39 – Weight
04:26 – Install
10:11 – Derailleur issue
12:35 – All-road groupset test
17:39 – Cost & SRAM comparison
21:41 – Bonus clip - waterproofing
Intro roll:
Created by Dev Joshi - http://www.go2dev.co.uk
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Please note:
I am not a professionally trained bike mechanic. There can be risks associated with using products that are unbranded, untested, or come from sources where the provenance is unknown. Please talk to a qualified bike mechanic if you are in any doubt.
In essence, be careful, do your research, and cycle safe!!!
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Piezas mencionadas
WHALEROAD R7
Vacation Sale
WHALEROAD R7
Creado: 27 de septiembre de 2026El reseñador, Luke, prueba el WHALEROAD R7, un grupo electrónico 1x14 fabricado por Sensah (comercializado como Whale Road para los mercados occidentales). Encuentra que funciona bien en general, con un cambio nítido y buenos frenos, pero señala algunos problemas, como un desviador rígido que requirió ajuste y hardware de montaje propietario. Lo considera una opción con una fuerte relación calidad-precio, especialmente para bicicletas all-road o gravel, aunque no ideal para carreras de carretera dedicadas debido a los saltos de cadencia. El grupo requiere un enganche UDH para el uso de 14 velocidades y tiene un precio de alrededor de $1000.
Resumen IA
Pros
- El cambio es rápido, preciso, nítido y funciona bien incluso en terreno irregular y con cruzamiento de cadena.
- Los frenos se sienten excelentes con un recorrido mínimo de la maneta y frenado fácil con un dedo.
- La ergonomía es agradable, similar a las manetas SRAM Explore.
más pros en el vídeo
Cons
- El desviador trasero tenía una tensión excesiva y se agarrotaba nada más sacarlo de la caja, lo que requería ajustarlo mediante una tuerca debajo de la tapa.
- Las bandas de sujeción del mando de cambio son propietarias, lo que impide reutilizar las bandas existentes.
- Los adaptadores de montaje de freno parecen propietarios y puede que no funcionen con montajes estándar.
más cons en el vídeo
R7 Series | R7 1x14 Wireless Groupset | WHALEROAD