Classified is entering the mountain bike world with its new Powershift Boost hub system.
Initially available for road and gravel bikes, Classified’s Powershift is a two-speed gear system housed in the rear hub, retaining the range and gearing of a 2x setup without the need for a front derailleur.
Compatible with 11- and 12-speed mountain bike groupsets, the Powershift Boost hub is now available paired with a new 11-40t 12-speed cassette and a bar-mounted remote called the Ringshifter.
Like Classified’s existing hub, the Powershift Boost hub is mounted using a supplied 12mm Smart Thru Axle that connects wirelessly to the Ringshifter.
The brand claims the system can be shifted under loads of up to 1,000 watts and shift speed is 150 milliseconds in either direction, identical to the existing Powershift hub.
Classified will be offering the hub in three options: a hub set with a hub shell for €1,549, without a hub shell for €1,449, or as part of a Classified wheelset for €2,699.
The new M25/30 hookless carbon wheelset has a 30mm internal rim width and 25mm depth. The hub shell can be purchased in a 28-hole straight-pull option or with 32 holes for J-bend spokes.
UK, American and Australian pricing is to be confirmed.
‘The widest gear range on the market’
The Powershift Boost hub is paired with a new Classified 11-40t 12-speed cassette. The one-piece compact steel cassette has a gear range of 530 per cent, which Classified claims to be the largest of any drivetrain on the market.
For reference, SRAM’s 10-52t mountain bike cassettes offer a 520 per cent range.
Classified says the additional gears are all available in the middle of the cassette to avoid cross-chaining. For reference, the sprocket jumps on the cassette are 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 22, 25, 29, 34, 40.
The cassette is compatible with existing 142mm variants of the Powershift hub, so you can use the cassette as part of a mullet drivetrain on gravel bikes.
The cassette is claimed to weigh 248g. Classified isn’t launching an 11-speed equivalent cassette at this stage.
Meet the Ringshifter
Classified is also debuting the Ringshifter – a wireless shifter mounted to the handlebar that controls the two-speed hub and is said to weigh 24g.
The brand claims it uses a ‘unique magnetic spring back mechanism’ to improve feedback through the shifter. According to Classified, the Ringshifter can perform 10,000 shifts before needing to be recharged with the provided magnetic USB cable.
The shifter can be installed on either side of the handlebar to suit your preferences.
Analysis | Do we need Classified on mountain bikes?
Although it seems as if manufacturers are hell-bent on consigning the derailleur hanger to history, a happy equilibrium appears to have been reached on mountain bike gear ratios.
It’s been a long road (or, rather, trail) to get to this point.
SRAM introduced its first dedicated 1x drivetrain in 2012 with XX1 and then turned things up to 12-speed in 2016 when it debuted the Eagle ecosystem.
Shimano has since followed suit and it would be fair to say front derailleurs are very rarely – if ever – seen on performance mountain bikes now.
SRAM offers cassette sizes up to 52t in its Eagle range, and Shimano one tooth smaller. Both brands use smaller 10t starting cogs to provide a suitable descending gear.
SRAM’s latest T-Type Eagle Transmission may rip up the groupset rulebook by introducing a direct-mount rear derailleur, but the brand hasn’t diverted from its winning gear-ratio recipe.
With the extended range, the current crop of 1x drivetrains offer options for both lung-busting climbs and the steepest descents.
Classified’s new Powershift Boost hub offers both extended range and double the gear count – but is that something mountain bikers are crying out for?
Well, the extended range could come in handy in a bikepacking scenario, considering the extra weight of luggage. The ability to have smaller jumps between cogs could prove an advantage in cross-country racing too.
However, with 1x now so dominant, mountain bikers as a whole may take some convincing. Will Classified be able to change MTB gearing once again? Only time will tell.
