Classsified wants to be more than just a trend and is advancing in new transmission systems

After bursting onto the market with a good dose of hype, Classified is looking for a way to remain in a market where group setups are monopolized by Shimano and SRAM, leaving very little room for innovative alternatives like their hubs with two gear ratios designed to eliminate the need for chainring changes.

Classified faces the tough task of finding a niche in the market

When the Belgian company Classified launched its Powershift hubs, their innovative proposal quickly became the talk of the town. A technology that has existed for decades, planetary gear hubs that allow for different gear ratios have been around for a long time, but they have been maximized through electronic actuation that allows for almost instantaneous shifts even under load and maximum simplicity to keep the weight as light as possible and eliminate friction.

A hub that generated buzz not only for the support from figures like Tom Boonen or Philippe Gilbert but also for its good performance in competition for cyclists like Victor Campenaerts who have used the Classified Powershift in the classics, also drawing attention when mounted with a monstrous 68-tooth chainring.

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However, after all that initial excitement, now that the waters have calmed, the Belgian company finds itself wondering how to continue advancing to carve out a small niche in a market completely dominated by SRAM and Shimano, who allow for few alternatives that can even minimally challenge their dominance.

Over the past year, Classified has been exploring different options. The first of these was seen with the launch of the Vistar group, the first fully integrated with the Powershift hub that the brand developed alongside TRP, allowing for a fully sequential operation to make the best use of the combination between the cogs and the two hub ratios.

On the other hand, Classified also sought some collaboration with Shimano to integrate the hub's actuation with Shimano's Di2 controls, thus allowing them to dispense with the specific button that is included by default.

Even so, Classified is aware that this is a long-distance race and that both sponsorship and the hype that can be created have a limited effect, so now the goal is OEM setups, the true way to remain in the market. So far, this bet has been quite limited, restricted to the custom mounting options offered on their bikes by the also Belgian Ridley and the collaboration with DT Swiss to provide wheels from the Swiss brand equipped with the Powershift hub.

Of course, the creation of new products is also on Classified's roadmap, as they confess to working on hubs with multi-speed shifting, not just the simple current option with two ratios, but also integrated gearboxes and motors to cater to the important e-bike market where their offering can be more interesting.

In any case, the increasing normalization of 1X transmissions, even in road cycling where it is not uncommon to see SRAM cyclists using this option in time trials, classics, flat stages, etc., represents the main hope for Classified's establishment under the maxim of “why settle for 12 gears when you can have 15 or 16?”