Real world Classified powershift experiences

Back by popular demand, the general all-things Road forum!

Moderator: robbosmans

Post Reply
raggedtrousers
Posts: 416
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2020 9:29 pm

by raggedtrousers

I'd be interested to know if there have been any earlier adopters of the Classified Powershift rear hub. If you've used it reasonably extensively - better still if you've bought it - how have you found it?

I'm quite tempted by a Classfied hub with mechanical DA rear shifting... but I can't work out if that's the best or the worst of all worlds :D

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



toutenhoofd
Shop Owner
Posts: 234
Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2008 12:39 am
Location: Boulder, CO
Contact:

by toutenhoofd

I'm also curious about this so I thought I'd bump the thread back up.
www.cyclingtechnology.com
(NOTE: This poster owns a retail business selling weight conscious bike related products.)

User avatar
Miller
Posts: 2764
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2006 8:54 pm
Location: Reading, UK

by Miller

Reviving this thread because I had a short ride on a bike with Classified rear hub last week. This was at the little manufacturer expo at La Marmotte. Classified had a booth complete with some test bikes and were very happy to let me go away on the pictured Rose gravel bike for 10 minutes. Do I need to go easy when shifting, I asked. No, go as hard as you like, they said.

The bike was built with a small subsidiary buttton attached to the inside of the LH GRX shifter. A press of this button actuated the rear shift. I was super impressed. Shifting was pretty much instantaneous and impervious to load. The reduction ratio of 0.7 works well. The system is very unfussy and straightforward in use, I really liked it.

No chance any time soon of being able to use anything but the dedicated Classified cassette, though. It's machined from steel block and the interior is quite hollow. They need the internal space for the hub gear planetary mechanism. However they claimed that cassette life is very good.

Image

Matte86
Posts: 344
Joined: Fri Sep 18, 2020 6:23 pm

by Matte86

Thanks for reporting your experience.. did you feel any “substantial” drag while on the 0.7 lower gear?

User avatar
Miller
Posts: 2764
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2006 8:54 pm
Location: Reading, UK

by Miller

No, not at all. It just felt like a lower gear.

calleking
Posts: 386
Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2015 3:20 pm

by calleking

Very interesting! Thanks for the info Miller. Looking forward to more people trying it out in the coming months.
2022 Wilier Filante SLR Dura-Ace/Ultegra Di2 12sp
2021 Cannondale Scalpel Carbon 2

Retired:
2018 S-Works Tarmac SL6 Sagan Superstar DA 9150
2016 Aeroad CF SLX UDi2
2016 CAAD12 - SRAM Red 22 - Hyper 50mm

aeroisnteverything
Posts: 893
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2018 4:43 pm

by aeroisnteverything

I have for a long time thought this was the best thing since sliced bread. BUT: 1) need some third party efficiency testing vs derailleur setup; and 2) a better wheels choice.

pmprego
Posts: 2513
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2019 3:16 pm

by pmprego

aeroisnteverything wrote:
Mon Jul 11, 2022 2:59 pm
I have for a long time thought this was the best thing since sliced bread. BUT: 1) need some third party efficiency testing vs derailleur setup; and 2) a better wheels choice.
The wheel choice is a tough one given how the system works. You always need to rebuild the wheel or use their own. This is for sure their main focus right now as I it is also my opinion that this is their biggest limitation.

crlincoln
Posts: 157
Joined: Sat Dec 08, 2018 7:42 am

by crlincoln

pmprego wrote:
Mon Jul 11, 2022 3:33 pm
aeroisnteverything wrote:
Mon Jul 11, 2022 2:59 pm
I have for a long time thought this was the best thing since sliced bread. BUT: 1) need some third party efficiency testing vs derailleur setup; and 2) a better wheels choice.
The wheel choice is a tough one given how the system works. You always need to rebuild the wheel or use their own. This is for sure their main focus right now as I it is also my opinion that this is their biggest limitation.
Well it looks like the wheel choice is going to be potentially unlocked... but will depend which wheels their partners let them use...

https://cyclingtips.com/2022/07/classif ... shift-hub/

pmprego
Posts: 2513
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2019 3:16 pm

by pmprego

crlincoln wrote:
Wed Jul 13, 2022 9:05 am
pmprego wrote:
Mon Jul 11, 2022 3:33 pm
aeroisnteverything wrote:
Mon Jul 11, 2022 2:59 pm
I have for a long time thought this was the best thing since sliced bread. BUT: 1) need some third party efficiency testing vs derailleur setup; and 2) a better wheels choice.
The wheel choice is a tough one given how the system works. You always need to rebuild the wheel or use their own. This is for sure their main focus right now as I it is also my opinion that this is their biggest limitation.
Well it looks like the wheel choice is going to be potentially unlocked... but will depend which wheels their partners let them use...

https://cyclingtips.com/2022/07/classif ... shift-hub/
This is for sure an important move for them. I can see this really taking off on the gravel world.

aeroisnteverything
Posts: 893
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2018 4:43 pm

by aeroisnteverything

pmprego wrote:
Wed Jul 13, 2022 10:09 am

This is for sure an important move for them. I can see this really taking off on the gravel world.
Why just gravel? To me, road is just as straightforward an application, if not more so. Aero-weenies should like this due to the loss of the FD, and road is where aero matters a lot more than off-road. And if it integrates with SRAM, then getting rid of the FD is of an even greater benefit.

pmprego
Posts: 2513
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2019 3:16 pm

by pmprego

aeroisnteverything wrote:
Wed Jul 13, 2022 12:51 pm
pmprego wrote:
Wed Jul 13, 2022 10:09 am

This is for sure an important move for them. I can see this really taking off on the gravel world.
Why just gravel? To me, road is just as straightforward an application, if not more so. Aero-weenies should like this due to the loss of the FD, and road is where aero matters a lot more than off-road. And if it integrates with SRAM, then getting rid of the FD is of an even greater benefit.
I once said that sram should buy this to solve their FD issues. I guess now it'll be harder (more expensive) for them to buy them.

As for road, I agree with you but for road efficiency is also more important. I'd still need proof that this is as efficient as current 2x. I'm not saying it is not. Just need some testing.

User avatar
wheelsONfire
Posts: 6283
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2014 8:15 am
Location: NorthEU

by wheelsONfire

pmprego wrote:
Wed Jul 13, 2022 4:16 pm
aeroisnteverything wrote:
Wed Jul 13, 2022 12:51 pm
pmprego wrote:
Wed Jul 13, 2022 10:09 am

This is for sure an important move for them. I can see this really taking off on the gravel world.
Why just gravel? To me, road is just as straightforward an application, if not more so. Aero-weenies should like this due to the loss of the FD, and road is where aero matters a lot more than off-road. And if it integrates with SRAM, then getting rid of the FD is of an even greater benefit.
I once said that sram should buy this to solve their FD issues. I guess now it'll be harder (more expensive) for them to buy them.

As for road, I agree with you but for road efficiency is also more important. I'd still need proof that this is as efficient as current 2x. I'm not saying it is not. Just need some testing.
https://cyclingtips.com/2020/06/radical ... railleurs/
SRAM-feat-2.jpg
Bikes:

Ax Lightness Vial EVO Race (2019.01.03)
Open *UP* (2016.04.14)
Paduano Racing Fidia (kind of shelved)


Ex bike; Vial EVO D, Vial EVO Ultra, Scott Foil, Paduano ti bike.

aeroisnteverything
Posts: 893
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2018 4:43 pm

by aeroisnteverything

pmprego wrote:
Wed Jul 13, 2022 4:16 pm
aeroisnteverything wrote:
Wed Jul 13, 2022 12:51 pm
pmprego wrote:
Wed Jul 13, 2022 10:09 am

This is for sure an important move for them. I can see this really taking off on the gravel world.
Why just gravel? To me, road is just as straightforward an application, if not more so. Aero-weenies should like this due to the loss of the FD, and road is where aero matters a lot more than off-road. And if it integrates with SRAM, then getting rid of the FD is of an even greater benefit.
I once said that sram should buy this to solve their FD issues. I guess now it'll be harder (more expensive) for them to buy them.

As for road, I agree with you but for road efficiency is also more important. I'd still need proof that this is as efficient as current 2x. I'm not saying it is not. Just need some testing.
Totally agree with the last point, though I think efficiency matters everywhere. Also, where I ride around London, I actually use the small ring very rarely, so the times where I would suffer this efficiency loss would be quite limited. YMMV, of course.

Still, by my math, this system will have a net weight penalty over a Dura Ace FD and a conventional DT Swiss 240 hub of around 100g (this is based on their claimed hub weight of 495g + cassette weight of 190g for a 12-speed 11-30, and assumes that we save 40-50g by removing the small chaingring up front). It's a bit less than that if you compare with an Ultegra set up, but more if you have to use a clutched GRX RD to make it all work. I think I can live with that for the shifting benefits this provides and the clean-ness of the setup. I am a lot less sure I would take it if there is also a 2-3% efficiency loss vs a conventional FD-based setup.

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



NiFTY
Posts: 1493
Joined: Sat May 26, 2012 11:26 pm

by NiFTY

The makers themselves state over 99% efficient and this will be after drivetrain losses have happened. If this is true it is insignificant. Even if its 2% thats not far off the estimated inefficiency distance between sram axs(bad) compared to any other group.

I cannot see why you would need a clutched RD - there is inheritently less chain slackness at the extremes than a 2x system and in terms of chain drop - you can run a narrow wide chainring so much less likely to throw a chain then 2x +fd.

My only issue, now that wheeltypes are being sorted out, is as a runner of oval rings is the rear hub changes won't change the clocking of the chainring like changing physical oval rings will.
Evo 4.9kg SL3 6.64kg Slice RS 8.89kg viewtopic.php?f=10&t=110579" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Post Reply