MTB shifting alternatives from the Middle Kingdom
Most of the time it seems as if mountain bikers live in a two-pole world: Shimano or Sram? The two largest bicycle component manufacturers in the world dominate the Market for bike gears with great dominance. However, every now and then smaller manufacturers dare to break through this dual system and show the world that other derailleur manufacturers can also build derailleur systems. As in the past, for example TRP with the TR12 circuitthe Ingrid drive or the Switching components from Box or Rotor. The last time this happened was at Eurobike 2022 in Frankfurt, where the Chinese gear manufacturer L-Twoo presented its A12 and A13 gear series to a European audience.
L-Twoo, whose name literally translates from Mandarin as "blueprint", has been building 12-speed and 13-speed shifting systems for bicycles for some time. Founded in 2013 in Zhuhei, China, L-Twoo has so far had no real relevance for the European market. This is now set to change with the detailed improvement of the shifting systems. According to Sales Manager Rex Huang, the A12 twelve-speed groupset is particularly in demand in Europe. This is also the reason why the A13 was presented at Eurobike but, unlike the A12, was not exhibited.
473% transmission ratio range for A12 and A13
The most prominent change in the A12 is improved friction damping, called "Shadow Design". The similarity to Shimano's rear derailleur damping with the name "Shadow Plus" is striking in the naming. The new A12 shifter offered a crisp shifting feel at the exhibition stand. Like the A13, the A12 shifts cassettes with a range of 11 to 52 teeth. L-Twoo continues to rely on compatibility with regular Shimano HG freewheels for its in-house cassettes.
Availability in Europe still open
The new 12-speed and 13-speed drivetrains from L-Twoo are due to be launched on the market in September. The old versions of the A12 and A13 shifters were previously only available in Germany online via online marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay or Alibaba. The prices were lower than the Japanese and American competition. The A12 set consisting of rear derailleur and shifters could be purchased via the relevant platforms for just under 130 US dollars before customs clearance. Whether and when sales to European end customers will take place was not yet known at Eurobike. A distributor has not yet been finalised. However, negotiations are underway with manufacturers who could offer the L-Twoo shifters on their complete bikes.
Jan Timmermann
Editor
