The Classified Powershift hub is now compatible with your Shimano Di2 group

Giant step that Classified takes after becoming part of the Shimano Connected Partners program, which means turning its internally geared hub into a device capable of connecting to a Di2 group in the same way as with a cycle computer or other third-party devices. This eliminates the need to use the Classified auxiliary lever to select the two Powershift ratios, now being able to do it from the shifters.

The Classified Powershift hub can now be used with Shimano Di2 shifters

Classified is taking solid steps so that there are fewer excuses to use its internally geared hub, which aims to eliminate front derailleur shifting without losing the wide range of gears and progressiveness in the developments that the two chainrings allow.

However, until now its use clashed with the need to use an auxiliary lever to choose between the two gear ratios of the Classified Powershift hub. We say until now because, for a couple of weeks now the Vistar//Powershift group has been on the market, created from the collaboration between TRP and Powershift in which the Powershift hub is just another element and, therefore, changing gears is done completely natively.

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Now, Classified goes one step further in eliminating barriers to the operation of its Powershift hub by joining the Shimano Connected Partners program so that now its hub can also be linked to a Di2 group, and therefore, gear changes can be made using Shimano shifters.

Obviously, although it can be linked to any Di2 shifter, this only makes sense with mountain or gravel groups as they are the only ones designed to work with a single chainring. We could link to road shifters but their chainrings, chain, etc. are not designed to operate in a 1x configuration so the operation will not be optimal, potentially causing chain drops and other issues.

To link the Classified Powershift hub, we will need the specific Classified app in addition to the Shimano E-Tube app. With the first one, we link the components while with the Japanese brand's app, we will have to configure the buttons on the shifter we want to use to change gears on the Powershift hub.

Where this integration between Classified and Shimano does not reach is to offer the function that Vistar//Powershift does, which, being developed natively, includes the ability to operate sequentially providing 16 consecutive gears by automatically shifting in the hub when reaching the end of the cassette and automatically compensating, limiting the cyclist to shifting up and down cogs. In any case, an important advancement for Classified in achieving the popularization of its hub. Will we see the same movement with SRAM?