The most important facts in brief

Classified presents the Powershift system, a high-end gear hub with two internal gears and its own cassette with twelve sprockets. Gears are shifted using a ring shifter from the Swiss company Zirbel. The signal is transmitted wirelessly to the Smart thru-axle. This forwards the signal to the power hub, which shifts gears using contactless power transmission. The theoretical 24 gears result in 16 different ratios with a range of 530 percent. The wireless shifter is charged via a USB interface, while the smart axle contains a standard button battery. According to the manufacturer, the ring shifter should be able to complete 10,000 shifting operations on a single battery charge, while the hub simply derives the electrical energy required for its shifting operations from the rotation of the rear wheel.

First impression

The Powershift system is available as a kit (shifter, axle, hub, cassette) or as a complete wheelset with carbon rims. This was installed in a Yeti SB120 for the test. The Belgian manufacturer only approves the system for cross-country and trail use. The wheels and all other parts have a very high-quality finish. The complete system has a total weight of 1898 grams. This makes it slightly heavier than a classic drivetrain with carbon wheels. According to Classified, Powershift works with 12-speed drivetrains from Shimano and Sram. The best shifting performance should be achieved with a Sram Eagle chain.

In use

Converting to the Powershift system is quick and easy thanks to good instructions on the Classified YouTube channel. The ring shifter is mounted between the grip and brake lever. When changing the wheelset, the supplied Smart thru axle must be installed. The set includes several spacer rings and various threaded attachments for the axle. The appropriate thread is defined using the supplied gauge. Where Shimano and Sram supply indicators or tools for fine adjustment of the rear derailleur, you are on your own here. There is no reference for the correct adjustment of the derailleur. Ideally, this should be left to a specialist dealer. This is because finding the right cable tension and position of the B-screw on the rear derailleur is time-consuming.

Once the setup is complete, the next hurdle comes. What was it like back then? When did you shift to the second chainring? The same question arises with this hub gear system. It takes a while to get out of the habit of shifting with just one lever. After a few rides, 2x operation becomes intuitive. On moderate terrain, the system shifts quickly and reliably. In theory, the gear hub changes gear very quickly. The reality is somewhat different. After a certain period of inactivity, the shift ring has to be actuated twice: The first impulse brings it out of sleep mode, the second sends the radio signal. This often makes the quick gear change "slow".
 
The Classified cassette with 11 to 40 teeth worked well with the Shimano SLX rear derailleur. In moderate terrain, downshifts were very quick, while upshifts took a little longer than usual. If the shifting process takes place on a very steep ramp and under full load, it creaks a lot. It makes sense to shift with foresight and change gears with the hub gear. It doesn't shift as silently as usual under load, but not as brutally as the cassette. If you take a closer look at the sprockets, you can see that their shape is much more angular and simpler than that of the two major groupset manufacturers. There is probably still some "fine-tuning" to be done.

One of the biggest advantages of the Powershift system is the narrow gradation of gears. The jumps are small and the desired cadence can always be ridden. This is easy on the one or other susceptible knee. In combination with a 30 mm chainring, steep slopes can be mastered where previously pushing was the order of the day. The two smallest sprockets in the cassette are only used when pedaling down an asphalt road with a steep gradient. They remain unused off-road. 

The "M25/30 Carbon" wheelset is very comfortable to ride. It has the right mix of stiffness and flex. Apart from a few scratches, it survived the test period without any defects. The cassette shows more traces. If the bike is freshly washed in a cool and slightly damp cellar, traces of rust are visible on the sprockets after just two days.

Conclusion

If you want a drivetrain with tight gear steps or often ride steep alpine trails, you will be satisfied with the Classified Powershift system. Frequent riders who like the simplicity of the single-speed drivetrain will be less enthusiastic about having to constantly think about which gear fits. The problem with the double actuation of the shifter to release the shifter is annoying and will hopefully be rectified by the manufacturer. According to Classified, this problem is an isolated case and investigations are underway. The shifter has a sleep mode to save battery power. However, this should only be activated when the hub has not rotated for ten minutes.

Recommendation

The technology itself is revolutionary, but not yet fully developed. If Classified manages to synchronize the hub and an electronic rear derailleur with a single shift lever in the future, it will be a game changer!

Price: CHF 2992.00

Manufacturer

www.classified-cycling.cc