The legendary Apple founder Steve Jobs always spoke of the "next big thing" when he announced a ground-breaking product. Think of the first iPhone. A revolutionary gearstick concept from Belgium could have what it takes to become the "next big thing" on the bicycle gearstick market. It was developed and presented by the Belgian startup Classified from Turnhout near Antwerp, which used the presentation of the brand new Kanzo Fast race gravel bike from Ridley to do so. The Kanzo Fast is the first bike to be delivered with the Classified gear system as standard.
The Classified switching system is a combination of a derailleur with eleven sprockets and a planetary gearbox integrated into the hub with two gear ratios, which doubles the number of gears without the need for a second chainring and a front derailleur.
The end of the derailleur? What the new Classified derailleur promises
The idea of combining derailleur and hub gears is not entirely new. In the 1980s and 90s, Fichtel & Sachs and SRAM produced gear systems that were remotely comparable to the Classified gear system. However, never before had there been such a gear system at such a high technical level.
Classified promises a Efficiency of the planetary gearbox von 99 per centwhich would work practically loss-free. The hub design does not require any additional ball bearings or seals, which would increase internal friction. The shifting commands are transmitted from the left Di2 shift lever from Shimano is transmitted by cable to a transmitter located in the handlebar end and from there sent by Bluetooth signal to a receiver located in the lever of the rear thru axle. From there, the shifting process is triggered by induction as an electromagnetic signal to the shifting mechanism.
In our test, this worked breathtakingly fast in both shifting directions, even under full load, for example when pedalling uphill, and - at least in terms of shifting speed - makes any derailleur look old hat. Classified also promises that the system is permanently wear-free thanks to three particularly ingenious pawls. Classified can even score points in terms of weight, which has always been a weak point of other hub gears. It is true that the hub with the planetary gear is heavier than a conventional hub. However, because the second chainring and the front derailleur are omitted, the system weight is on a par with conventional high-quality 2x11 drivetrains.
Ridley Kanzo Fast: First gravel bike with Classified gears
For those interested in the electromechanical masterpiece from Flanders, the choice of compatible bikes is limited for the time being. Exactly one model that Race gravel bike Kanzo Fast from Ridley, is currently available with the hub. The mount for the rear thru-axle, which is an integral part of the Classified system, has been modified on the Kanzo Fast so that no additional torque support (comparable to the left-hand steel bracket on older Torpedo coaster hubs from Fichtel & Sachs) is required. Installing and removing the wheel is therefore just as easy as with any other wheel with a thru axle.
In principle, however, the classified circuit can also be used as a Retrofit option created. The seven-strong Classified team already has a corresponding solution ready in the drawer. The exclusive cooperation with Ridley is not planned as a permanent solution either. Over the course of 2021, at least two other well-known manufacturers will offer gravel bikes with Classified gears.
First TOUR test of the Classified gearstick - Conclusion
TOUR has already been able to test a pre-series version of the hub over several hundred kilometres, including on a 250-kilometre section of the Gravelbike Challenge Orbit360. The gear system worked impressively well there. We now also have a production version of the hub, with which we intend to gather further experience over the next few months and also test the promise of phenomenal efficiency.
The question of the price of the shifting revolution can only be answered vaguely for the time being. Classified quotes a price level between the Shimano Ultegra Di2 and Dura-Ace Di2 groupsets. As the drivetrain will only be supplied to original equipment manufacturers for the time being, it is not possible to give an exact price. The Kanzo Fast from Ridley, which features a combination of a Classified hub and Shimano GRX Di2 derailleur, provides an approximate classification. 5999 Euro costs.
The Classified hub can be combined with four specially manufactured sprocket cassettes milled from solid material with 11-27, 11-30, 11-32 and 11-34 teeth. The drivetrain is not compatible with cassettes from other manufacturers because the space that would otherwise be required for the freehub body is taken up by the planetary gear in Classified. For the four available gradations, the Belgians specify gear ranges from 358 to 451 per cent. In conjunction with a 46-tooth chainring and the 11-34 cassette, this also enables a slight reduction in first gear. With smaller chainrings, the gear range can be shifted even further towards lighter gears.
