If you’re looking for a lower-priced alternative to a groupset from the major names, there are some much cheaper alternatives emerging from Chinese challenger brands.
One of these is L-Twoo, which sells a wide range of groupsets for road, gravel, MTB, time trial, folding and electric bikes. The company describes itself as "China's largest bicycle transmission manufacturer".
In contrast, the range offered by another competitor brand, Wheeltop, is less extensive, but we reckon Chinese groupsets could soon be competing in the pro cycling ranks.
L-Twoo history
L-Twoo is based in Zhuhai in Guangdong, China, and was founded in 2016. L-Twoo’s founder, Liu Chunsheng, spent a decade working for SRAM.
“Back then, there were few well-performing domestic brands in the drivetrain sector. There were no original products or core patents, and many counterfeit products hurt the reputation of domestic brands. I saw great potential in this field,” Liu says.
Liu highlights the three- to four-year development time for a new groupset, coupled to the need to avoid infringing patents owned by established brands.
L-Twoo’s breakthrough into international markets came with the Covid pandemic, when Shimano and others experienced supply chain issues, with L-Twoo stepping in to fill the gap.
It launched its first road bike groupset in 2022 and its first electronic system, eRX, in 2023.
L-Twoo still doesn’t sell a complete groupset, but like Wheeltop, it sells shifters, derailleurs and hydraulic brakes. Buyers need to source a compatible crankset, cassette and chain from other suppliers.
L-Twoo groupsets key facts
- Road, MTB, gravel, folding and ebike groupset options
- Electronic and mechanical groupsets
- In-frame battery for road and on-derailleur battery for MTB/gravel electronic systems
- No third button on electronic levers
- Not sold with crankset, cassette or chain
- Prices quoted without import duties
L-Twoo road bike groupsets explained
- Three electronic and six mechanical options
- In-frame battery for electronic groupsets
- Mechanical groupsets have Shimano or Campagnolo-style shifters
L-Twoo eRX electronic road groupset
L-Twoo’s top-spec eRX electronic road groupset has two rear-derailleur options, designed to work with 11-32t and 11-36t cassettes with 10, 11 or 12 speeds. Quoted weights are 288g and 295g.
The front shifter can handle chainrings up to 54 teeth and includes a USB-C plug to charge the in-frame battery. The claimed weight is 140g.
The battery has an 800mAh capacity, weighs 60g, and has a 16.8mm diameter and 155.5mm length. These dimensions are comparable to a Shimano Di2 battery, although the stated capacity is larger than the 500mAh of a Di2 battery.
The shifters operate wirelessly and are each powered by a standard CR2032 battery. They have a composite body and carbon brake lever, with two shift buttons on each shifter, positioned behind the brake lever, as is the case for Shimano.
There’s lever reach adjust and they incorporate a hydraulic cylinder for L-Twoo’s brakes, which use mineral oil as hydraulic fluid. L-Twoo quotes a 234g weight per shifter.
There are two dual-piston brake caliper designs, one compatible with 140mm rotors and one with 160mm rotors. L-Twoo sells six-bolt rotors to match, but there’s no Center Lock option.
ERX also offers electronic time trial and flat-bar shifters. Weight-wise, it’s comparable to Shimano 105 Di2 and SRAM Rival AXS.
L-Twoo ER9 time trial groupset
The ER9 groupset only has time trial/triathlon bar-end shifters and is also compatible with 10, 11 and 12-speed cassettes with 11-32t compatibility. Other components are similar to those used by eRX and use the same in-frame battery.
L-Twoo ER7 groupset
ER7 includes the same range of components as eRX, but with alloy brake blades, and is powered by the same in-frame battery. The rear-derailleur cage is also alloy, rather than the carbon outer plate of eRX.
L-Twoo RX mechanical road bike groupset
The top-spec mechanical groupset option is RX, which has hydraulic disc brake and cable-operated drop-bar brake and hydraulic-only time trial options.
The drop-bar levers are available in two formats. One is analogous to Shimano STI lever logic, with the brake lever and a second shift lever controlling shifting. The second is like Campagnolo, with a single lever behind the brake and a thumb shifter on the hood.
The rear derailleur has an 11-28t to 11-32t capacity and alloy cage sideplates; the front derailleur can handle a 56t maximum-sized chainring and 16-tooth total capacity.
L-Twoo R9, R7, R5, R3 and R2 mechanical groupsets
R9, R7 and R5 follow a similar spec to RX, only with slightly greater weight and don’t include a time trial shifter option. R3 and R2 only offer Campagnolo-style shifting.
L-Twoo gravel groupsets explained
- Single electronic system is 1x only with non-removable battery in derailleur
- Mechanical 1x options with between 9 and 13 speeds
- Compatibility with cassettes up to 11-50t
L-Twoo EG Series electronic gravel groupset
There’s only one L-Twoo electronic gravel groupset, which is designed for 1x systems only. It shares many of the features of the eRX groupset, with a right shifter with two shift buttons behind the carbon fibre brake lever. The shifter is compatible with 10, 11, 12 and 13 speeds.
It matches a 'dumb' left lever, which just operates the hydraulic disc brake caliper – again, with the same 140mm and 160mm rotor compatibility options as eRX. There’s also a flat-bar shifter option.
While eRX has an in-frame battery, EG has a non-removable rear derailleur battery with 400mAh capacity that’s charged via USB-C. The derailleur has an alloy cage and 11-42t to 11-50t cassette compatibility. There are two versions, with one adding 13-speed compatibility and the other stopping at 12-speed.
The EG rear derailleur has a 333g claimed weight that’s comparable to a SRAM Force XPLR AXS derailleur, which has a 336g claimed weight, including the battery. The 234g per shifter claimed weight is also comparable to Force AXS.
L-Twoo GRT13 mechanical gravel bike groupset
GRT13 comprises only the rear derailleur and brake calipers – L-Twoo doesn’t show compatible mechanical shifters, so it’s unclear how one would build a functioning groupset from L-Twoo components.
As the name suggests, the derailleur is compatible with 13-speed cassettes with 11-50t maximum capacity. There are versions with and without a clutch, the latter saving a few grams in weight.
L-Twoo GRT, GR9, GR7 and GR5 mechanical gravel bike groupsets
GRT is 12-speed compatible only. As with GRT13, it is also 1x, but this time L-Twoo shows a Shimano-style right shift/brake lever and brake-only left lever on its site.
Again, there are clutched and non-clutched rear derailleurs with the same 11-50t maximum cassette-range compatibility.
Further down the gravel range, GR9 is an 11-speed analogue with the same cassette range, while GR7 is 10-speed. Finally, GR5 is 9-speed and only offers a non-clutched derailleur.
L-Twoo mountain bike groupsets explained
- One electronic groupset and two mechanical groupset families, all 1x
- Electronic groupset powered by non-removable battery in derailleur and 10- to 12-speed compatible
- Mechanical groupsets with 8- to 13-speed compatibility
As with road and gravel, L-Twoo sells electronic and mechanical MTB groupsets. There’s only one electronic groupset, eTX, and two mechanical groupset ranges: the performance T Series with two options and A Series with no fewer than seven options, which are aimed at budget MTB and city bikes.
L-Twoo ETX electronic MTB groupset
ETX is designed for 1x drivetrains only, with a shift switch that operates the rear derailleur wirelessly and is powered by a CR2032 battery.
The rear derailleur has similar specs to the EG electronic gravel derailleur, with a non-removable battery charged via USB-C and with 10, 11 and 12-speed 11-42t and 11-50t cassette compatibility. There’s a clutch and an impact-protection system with automatic rebound to restore function.
ETX offers long and short-lever brakes, which L-Twoo equates to two-finger and three-finger usage. These can be paired with two-piston or quad-piston brake calipers.
The eTX rear derailleur has a 426g claimed weight. That’s lower than a GX Eagle AXS Transmission, which we weighed at 491g or even an XX SL Eagle Transmission derailleur, which SRAM says weighs 440g. The Shimano XTR M9200 derailleur weighs 390g and the XT derailleur 450g, including battery.
L-Twoo T Series mechanical MTB groupsets
The TX system offers a 12-speed shift lever and a rear derailleur with 11t minimum and 46t to 52t largest sprocket compatibility. T7 has similar specs, but operates with a 10-speed cassette. It can handle a slightly larger 54t maximum sprocket.
Neither T Series groupset shows brake levers or calipers.
L-Twoo A Series mechanical MTB groupsets
The AX13 shifter and derailleur are, as you’d expect, 13-speed compatible. The derailleur can handle a largest sprocket between 42t and 52t.
AX drops this down to 12 speeds. There are shifters with and without a gear indicator window and the derailleur has the same largest sprocket compatibility as the 13-speed groupset.
A9 drops to 11 speeds, A7 to 10 speeds, A5 is nine speeds and A3 eight speeds. A5 and A3 include short and long-cage derailleur options, although L-Twoo states the same 42t to 52t largest sprocket for both cage lengths.
Other L-Twoo groupsets and components
In addition, L-Twoo sells a wide range of groupsets for folding bikes, including electronic and mechanical options and speed ranges from three up to 12-speed.
There’s a rear-hub motor for ebikes and a complete suite of ebike flat-bar mechanical shifters, derailleurs and hydraulic brake calipers.
Finally, there’s a converter that can be mounted to the chainstay and converts the signal from a wireless electronic shift button to operate a mechanical rear derailleur. There is an option powered by its own battery and one that is powered by the ebike battery. There’s a compatible wireless shifter and the system can be used with from three- to 13-speed setups.
L-Twoo app
The L-Twoo app is designed to work with the brand’s electronic groupsets for firmware updates, configuration and issue-solving, much like the Shimano E-Tube and SRAM AXS apps. It’s available for Android and Apple devices.
Where can I buy L-Twoo groupsets?
If you want to buy an L-Twoo groupset, you have a choice of several sites online.
Panda Podium
Panda Podium has a dedicated L-Twoo section, priced in US dollars, selling the brand’s road and gravel groupsets and components.
An 11- or 12-speed front derailleur costs around $30 and a rear derailleur is priced at just over $50. Complete 11- or 12-speed road and gravel groupsets, including brake calipers, cost around $300, while electronic road and time trial groupsets start at around $650.
eBay
There’s a wider range of individual L-Twoo components on eBay than on Panda Podium, although fewer complete groupset options. MTB flat-bar shifters and derailleurs cost as little as £13 and, for European buyers, are sourced from Germany.
AliExpress
L-Twoo’s groupsets sell on AliExpress from as little as £20 for a flat-bar shifter and rear derailleur, while mechanical road and gravel systems start from a little over £120, including hydraulic brake calipers. The eRX electronic road bike groupset, including hydraulic disc brakes, is listed at just over £1,000, but that was discounted to £750 as of May 2026.
Installation and warranty
L-Twoo provides reasonably comprehensive English language installation instruction for its range of products, which are on a par with those offered by Shimano. There’s also a range of how to videos on YouTube.
Although the brand supplies contact information for after-sales service, there’s no explicit mention of any warranty on its products.
