Tech News
Want to have the Classified Powershift hub properly integrated into a groupset? Now you can.
Component manufacturers TRP and Classified used the first day of Eurobike to unveil Vistar//Powershift, an all-new wide-range 1x groupset for road and gravel bikes. Key stats include wireless sequential shifting with unique gear numbers of 1×16 for road bikes and 1×15 for gravel bikes, with the latter offering a massive >530% range when used with Classified’s 11-40 tooth cassette.
The new groupset features Classified’s existing two-speed Powershift hub, reviewed by our own Dave Rome, and a new 1×12 drivetrain and shifters from Taiwanese component company TRP (Tektro Racing Products). These are said to offer a simpler experience and one of the widest gear ranges on the market.
The fully integrated system sees Classified’s Powershift shift knob incorporated into TRP’s new Vistar shifter (hallelujah!). In other words, each of the components in the new groupset has been specifically designed to work in harmony, something Dave Rome and I have previously said we felt was necessary for Classified to really gain a foothold in the market.
The key to that integration lies in the shifters. Previously, the Classified Powershift relied on an additional remote shifter mounted to the handlebars. TRP has now incorporated that remote shifter into the new Vistar shifters and brake lever using its wireless protocol.
Additionally, QuantumShift—TRP’s name for what is essentially sequential shifting—is incorporated into buttons on a single brake lever. These buttons allow the rider to easily shift up or down through all 15 or 16 unique gears, with the system automatically selecting between the rear derailleur and Powershift hub gears. Unlike Shimano Syncroshift or SRAM sequential shifting, there’s no front derailleur shifting required, instead the new TRP rear derailleur and Classified Powershift hub are designed to shift directly and simultaneously.
Alternatively, the rider can take full manual control and use the buttons to independently shift the rear derailleur and planetary gearing in the Powershift hub, thereby engaging all 24 gears (2 in the hub, 12 on the cassette). QuantumShift is activated or deactivated with a simple five-second press of either of the left lever shift buttons, while the left lever is always active for a bailout two-speed Powershift hub shift if needed.
While the name certainly isn’t as catchy as Dura-Ace or Super Record, the new Vistar//Powershift system is more than just new shifters. There’s TRP’s new wireless rear derailleur with a removable, rechargeable battery. TRP also supplies cranks, chainrings, and hydraulic disc brakes. The groupset is available with either the Classified Aero chainset or the new Vistar chainset. Meanwhile, both Classified and TRP offer 12-speed machined steel cassettes with new 11-30, 11-32, 11-36, and 11-40 options.
Classified developed the new chainrings in-house with 46-52 tooth options and an MRP tooth profile. The groupsets feature a KMC chain which has a claimed increase in chain retention and reduced friction.
As for brakes, TRP has over 35 years of manufacturing experience in that area and claims to offer comfortable, one-finger brakes and hoods. Not surprisingly, setting up and bleeding requires TRP’s mountain bike bleed kit and, thankfully, those hoses have mineral oil running through them.
Finally, Classifed and TRP claim they deliver durability and reliability gains, plus efficiency and aerodynamic advantages thanks to the omission of a front derailleur, increased drivetrain efficiency through taller gears, straighter chain lines, and shifting under load. The new groupset was previously put to use at Unbound, where Arno Van den Broeck of the Gravel Classified Ridley Factory Team completed the 200-mile (322km) event.
With the groupset only being officially revealed on day one of Eurobike and a full release still a few months away, we haven’t had a chance to test out that new shifting or the related claims of simplicity, comfort, or braking control. Additionally, while Classified has partnered with TRP for its new groupset, it’s maintaining its “open integration policy” as outlined when we first spotted a TRP-Classified collaboration back in October of last year, meaning that even more integrations are possible in the future. As a fan of the Powershift system, and with Vistar’s new shifters seemingly addressing the remote Powershift’s shortcomings, today’s reveal is big news in the groupset industry.
What did you think of this story?