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Magene will launch QED2, its second electronic road groupset, on November 19. Its teaser confirms two big changes: fully wireless shifting and 2×13 speeds.
Chinese dealers seem to have it already. They say it comes as a full groupset with a power-meter crankset. The first QED is still best known for a brake failure I covered in 2025. So the big question is whether QED2 can fix the trust problem.
NOTE: I haven’t seen or tested QED2 (yet). I mark everything Magene hasn’t confirmed as a rumor.
So, what do we know so far?
What Magene Has Confirmed
Magene’s official teaser, posted on its Chinese video channel on November 5, confirms three things:
- 2×13-speed: Two chainrings and 13 cogs on the cassette. Magene calls it “native” 2×13, with closely spaced gears.
- Fully wireless: No wires at all, unlike the first QED.
- Launch date: November 19, 2026, at Magene’s brand upgrade and new product launch event.
The first QED was semi-wireless. Its shifters were wireless, but both derailleurs were wired to one battery in the seatpost. I explain how these systems differ in my electronic vs. mechanical shifting guide.
The teaser also shows a rear derailleur marked QED2 with a block on its body and a blue status light. It looks like a battery, and a dealer’s unboxing shows charging contacts on it. Magene hasn’t confirmed the battery details yet.
What Dealers Are Saying
On the same day as the teaser, several Chinese dealers posted “coming soon” and unboxing videos. In one unboxing, a dealer shows a QED2 groupset box next to boxes for a QED cassette, a Magene chain, chainrings, and a QED crankset. The dealers call it a “big set” with a power-meter crankset.
Magene hasn’t confirmed the power meter yet. But the crankset in the unboxing has a spider unit with charging contacts, which looks a lot like a power meter.
The same video shows a few more details. Both derailleurs have their own battery block with charging contacts, and there’s no seatpost battery in the groupset box. The dealer also says the shifters got an upgrade and that QED2 uses a flat-top chain.
If it’s true, I wouldn’t be surprised. Magene already makes the P505 spider power meter. And back in 2024, when Magene QED was first shown, I wrote that I expected Magene to add its own power meter to the groupset.
It would also make QED2 a much bigger package, since the first QED came without a crankset, cassette, or chain. One dealer also says there will be no rim-brake version.
What We Don’t Know Yet
Magene hasn’t announced these details yet:
- Price
- Weight
- Battery life and charging
- Cassette and chain standard, and whether QED2 works with Shimano or SRAM 13-speed parts
- Power meter details (if the crankset has one)
- Availability outside China
Magene QED vs. QED2
| Feature | Magene QED (2024) | Magene QED2 (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Speeds | 2×12 (works with 10- to 12-speed cassettes) | Confirmed: 2×13 |
| Wireless | Semi-wireless (wireless shifters, wired derailleurs) | Confirmed: Fully wireless |
| Battery | 800 mAh seatpost battery, up to 2,500 km (1,550 miles) claimed | Not announced (dealer unboxing shows a battery on each derailleur) |
| Power meter | None (no crankset in the kit) | Rumor: Power-meter crankset (dealers) |
| In the box | Shifters, derailleurs, seatpost battery, calipers | Dealer unboxing: groupset, crankset, chainrings, cassette, chain |
| Weight | 800 g (1.8 lb) rim brake, 1,110 g (2.4 lb) disc | Not announced |
| Launch price | ¥3,099 to ¥3,999 (about $435 to $560) | Not announced |
| Sold | Only through dealers in China at launch | Not announced |
Magene says it had sold about 20,000 QED groupsets in China by mid-2025. It benchmarks QED against Shimano Ultegra, the middle of Shimano’s 105, Ultegra, and Dura-Ace tiers.
The Brake Problem QED2 Has to Live Down
In August 2025, Chinese cyclist Le Dingfei crashed on a descent after both of his QED disc brakes failed. He broke his leg.
Magene’s statement blamed his lightweight rotors and resin pads, with only about a quarter of the material left. It also said an authorized Magene technician hadn’t installed the brakes. But his mechanic was an authorized Magene installer. His tests pointed at a different cause: a brake fluid reservoir too small to push worn pads to the rotor.
In December 2025, Magene asked QED and PES owners to get their brakes checked at its service points. In spring 2026, it started a free shifter upgrade for QED owners, which many Chinese riders called a recall in all but name. Dealers say the new shifters have a bigger brake fluid reservoir.
Chinese riders haven’t forgotten. Under the QED2 dealer videos, many joke about a “paid public beta.” Others point out that first-generation owners got the upgrade for free.
Personally, I’d be hesitant to spend my money on QED2 right after launch. I’d rather wait until other riders test it properly.
That said, Magene refreshed its logo just a few weeks ago, and it clearly wants to step up its game. So I hope QED2 went through proper testing before launch.
Why QED2 Matters
Fully wireless shifting and 13 speeds are where road groupsets are heading. SRAM and Campagnolo already offer 13-speed wireless groupsets. Shimano is rumored to follow with the next Dura-Ace and Ultegra.
Magene is also changing itself. On October 21, it started a global brand upgrade with a new logo, and QED2 launches at the brand upgrade event. A groupset with a reputation problem doesn’t fit that plan. If Magene gets it right, QED2 could become a serious option among Chinese groupsets.
My Take
On paper, QED2 catches up with the big brands on wireless shifting and gears. If the power-meter crankset is real, it’s also the full package I expected back in 2024.
Unfortunately, I won’t have a QED2 groupset for review anytime soon, but I’ll update this article after the November 19 launch with specs, weight, and price.
What do you think? Would you trust a Magene groupset after the brake case? Let me know in the comments below.
Sources:
- Magene QED2 teaser video (Bilibili)
- Magene QED launch announcement
- Magene QED upgrade owners poster
- Magene brand upgrade announcement
- YOSLY_CYCLES QED2 dealer video (Bilibili)
- YOSLY_CYCLES QED2 unboxing (Douyin)
Preview image source: YOSLY_CYCLES (douyin.com)
