New Chinese groupset under scrutiny - Magene QED
Trace Velo
28. August 2025
Firstly MASSIVE thankyou to Petr from Cyclists Hub for breaking this story on youtube, you can find his video here:
https://youtu.be/ZZtM4w3Qhsw?si=gMOvHBFtivnOHR3r
A Chinese brand Magene recently released a new electronic road bike groupset, featuring hydraulic disc brakes under their QED line of products. I saw it in the flesh at both the Shanghai bike show. and Eurobike this year, and my first impressions were very good.
It seemed like an incredibly polished groupset, and I was extremely excited to try it out. It is currently only being sold in China, but they do have plans to make it available in other markets. However, someone using the groupset in China faced a problem with the braking system recently, causing him to lose control and he ended up breaking his leg in a crash.
Petr and his interviewee Mel speculated that the cause could have been something to do with the oil reservoir within the shifter. Essentially if the reservoir is not big enough, then as the brake pads wear, the pistons will eventually bottom out, and you will loose braking.
This is a failure mode I haven't even considered, so in this episode I will briefly discuss the issue, and then run some other Chinese groupsets from L-TWOO, Sensah, and Wheeltop, through a test to see if they also face any issues.
*MAGENE ADDITIONAL INFO*
Magene have not yet released the english version of the investigation report, once it is available (probably tomorrow - 29/08/2025) I will post some links here.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro and QED groupset issue
01:23 – Braking issue explanation
02:50 – Testing Shimano
06:29 – Testing L-TWOO R9
07:22 – Testing Sensah Empire HRD
07:52 – Testing L-TWOO eRX
09:56 – Prototype groupset brake failure
11:39 – Testing Wheeltop EDS TX
12:10 – Conclusion
14:32 – Bonus clip - Magene Statement
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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!!!
Keywords: Magene QED,Brake failure,Disc brake failure,Bicycle disc brake failure,Road bike disc brake,Disc brake issues,Chinese road bike groupsets,magene,hydraulic disc brake,Chinese groupset,Chinese electronic groupset,Sensah HRD,Sensah Empire HRD,L-TWOO R9 Disc brakes,L-TWOO R9 Disc,L-TWOO Erx,Disc brake test,Bicycle disc brake test
Erwähnte Teile
Magene QED Groupset
SchaltgruppeMagene QED Groupset
Erstellt: 29. März 2026The reviewer discusses the Magene QED Groupset based on a report from another YouTuber (Peter of Cyclists Hub) about a potential safety issue. The reviewer states the groupset looks 'really really nice' and 'nicely polished' and was featured at the Shanghai and Eurobike shows. However, it is only available in the Chinese domestic market. The core discussion revolves around an alleged failure where a user's brakes failed with about a third of pad material remaining, causing a crash and a broken leg. The suspected cause is insufficient reservoir capacity in the shifter, preventing pistons from extending as pads wear. The reviewer does not have the groupset to test personally. Later, the reviewer shares a statement from Magene, who conducted an investigation and concluded the incident was an isolated case caused by a specific usage scenario, not a product design or batch quality flaw. The reviewer encourages viewers to check translated investigation materials.
KI-Zusammenfassung
Pros
- Looks really really nice
- Everything seems really nicely polished
Cons
- Only available in China at the moment
- Alleged serious safety issue: brake failure with pad material remaining, leading to a crash and injury
- The issue, as reported, undermines trust in Chinese cycling products
Key Points
- Hydraulic disc brake groupset
- Reported failure mode: pistons did not extend far enough to contact rotor despite pad material remaining, potentially due to insufficient mineral oil reservoir in the shifter
- Magene's official stance: incident was an isolated case, not a design flaw or batch issue
- Investigation materials are being translated from Chinese