Classified Powershift MTB Review | Who is this for?

Just about every mountain biker uses a drivetrain, save for a few of the elite park riders like Remy Morton. We may not give our drivetrains a lot of consideration when they are working as they should be, and that has changed a lot for anyone who has been riding for more than a decade. Mountain bike drivetrains haven’t had any ground breaking changes, they still rely on a chain running over sprockets, with a derailleur used to change gears. Said derailleur is operated by a shifter – be that mechanically or electronically. There are some changes here with eMTB systems offering automatic shifting with electronic drivetrains – but they’re still moving a chain over a cassette with an external drivetrain. It’s cool, but not a ground up redesign.

Classified Powershift launched a novel concept for road, and then gravel bikes. They use existing derailleurs, chains and shifters, and pair them to their own cassettes and hubs. The neat cassettes may look pretty normal, but it is what’s inside the hub that counts. Classified use a 2-step internal gear that offers a 46% reduction gear with no loss of efficiency, and zero lag. In 2023, they released a mountain bike version. It uses an 11-40 12-speed cassette, a ring shifter that sits next to your grip that uses a Bluetooth connection via a Classified through-axle to shift the internal hub gear. Do this while freewheeling, while pedalling, or while you aren’t even moving at all. With the 11-40 cassette and 2-step hub gear you get 16 different ratios and a 530% gear range – the largest 1x range on the market.

But… why?

A lot of riders will get along just fine with the 10-51 or 10-52t 12-speed ranges from Shimano and SRAM. More range is just one of the benefits of the Classified Powershift setup. It also decreases the gap between each gear, something that riders who are racing or spending a lot of time climbing will appreciate, where the right cadence and gearing make a big difference. The smaller cassette means Shimano riders could use the XT or XTR short cage derailleur to increase ground clearance. Regardless, the cage will be higher up as it only needs to clear a 40t sprocket.

Less chain for the system cuts some weight and the load on a clutch to reduce chain slap in higher gears, reducing shifting load and potentially increasing shift security and shift speed. At 246g – the cassette is light as well. All the work happens within the hub shell, however this is removable and can be placed in different Classified hub shells if you’re really won over by the system. The shifter, hub internals and through-axle are managed via an app, so you can sync them (and check on charge) as needed from your phone.

Setup

I covered this in my first look on AMBmag.com.au. I had the system on my XC hardtail, using a Shimano XT 12-speed shifter and derailleur. I used a FSA chain as Classified have stated that the Hyperglide Plus chains from Shimano don’t shift as well on their cassettes. I had the Classified wheel set provided, where their hub is built into their own 30mm internal carbon rim. But you can buy just the hub shell for your own builds.

The Classified wheel set has a 35mm wide carbon rim (30mm internal) and the rear weighs 715g while the front is 684g. Of course the Powershift unit is an additional 499g. The shifter weighs a scant 28g and the axle is 104g. I had the wheels setup with Pirelli Scorpion XC RC 2.4″ tyres and Tubolight SL liners.

The through-axle is one size fits all – which means it comes with different thread pitch ends to attach, and spacers to make sure the end is the right distance from the hub shell. These are plastic and I found they compressed more than I would have liked. This had no impact on performance, but I did need to tighten the axle a few times across my first rides. Both the axle and the shifter have charge ports – you can check the battery level via the app.

In terms of gearing, it is worth noting that the 11-40 cassette means your high gear is an 11 and not a 10, which most 12-speed systems have. I stuck with my regular 34t chain ring, but during testing I realised I should have changed that.

In use and on the trail 

Overall, the system is subtle in both appearances and use. Pedalling away from home on my first test ride the only thing I noticed was I was moving towards the lowest gear on the cassette sooner than normal. It did take a couple of rides to get completely used to the system, using the toggle switch to shift into the reduction gear or to keep it normal. Given that reduction gear is actuated by Bluetooth and doesn’t need a chain to wrap around a cassette sprocket through pedalling, it is near instant. 

With a 34t chain ring on the front I had a lower gear available with the reduction gear than the 51t I would normally have. But my top gear was limited with an 11t and not a 10t. I’d suggest looking at bumping up your chain ring size if you’re looking at a Classified upgrade, as I felt like I had 3 or 4 new low gears, but was certainly missing the top end. Classified themselves suggest moving up a ring size – I just didn’t pay attention.

The thing is, all the gears have a smaller jump between them than the the low gears on a 10-51t or 10-52t cassette, which was a huge bonus for climbs, steep or not. The Classified Powershift system means you’re more likely to have just the right gear when you need it. Whether that is clawing your way up a loose climb, or edging away from a competitor depends on choice of mountain biking.

Currently, this system is designed for the XC and trail crowd and not designed for Enduro use. However, a few riders within the AMB test team are very keen to see if an Enduro setup is released, as they love the idea of more ground clearance and small jumps between gears, but still getting that low range from the reduction gearing in the hub.

One thing I did miss was the smooth and fast shift of a Shimano Hyperglide+ chain and cassette. And riders use SRAM’s new T-type group sets may miss just how well the chain and cassette mesh. The Classified cassette is a lovely machined piece of steel, but it just doesn’t have the machined shift ramps to assist up and down shifts with matched chains like Shimano and SRAM offer. It’s a small thing, but in terms of fine detail it is something I noticed.

But the benefits of the system likely shine above the shift detail. Being able to dump the equivalent of a few gears instantly, or gain them, makes a big difference. Lost speed in a V-ditch? No worries, you can probably get started again. Want to attack over the top of the climb? Go for it, move out of the reduction range and go! Came to a stop in a stupidly high gear? Easy, just drop the reduction gear and take off again. Throw in the benefits of a shorter chain, and even the shift security if you had a shorter derailleur and didn’t even move the mech for big jumps in gearing and the the benefits are real – specifically for those with a performance intent.

Verdict

Many might wonder what the point of the Classified Powershift system is. And fair enough – 12-speed group sets from Shimano and SRAM have a very wide gear range, 1x chain ring security and simplicity, and the parts are easy to get hold of. Where the Classified system shines is for those looking for even more range, and more gear options. It really does give you a few extra gears across a slightly wider range, and for those chasing performance gains in marathons and stage races, or range for bikepacking setups, it could be exactly the solution. It is cool tech and FE Sports are backing it really solidly for customer service. I’d like to see a way to integrate the better shifting of say a Shimano HyperGlide+ chain and cassette, especially with their 10-45t model and their short cage derailleurs. The Belgian company has been continually expanding and refining their product, so I suspect we will see more in the off-road space in the future. For now, determined cross-country, marathon and trail riders who want a premium wide range system with more gears and ground clearance have an exciting new option.