Component manufacturers TRP and Classified have used the first day of Eurobike to unveil Vistar // Powershift, an entirely new wide-range 1x groupset for road and gravel. Headline stats include wireless sequential shifting with unique gear counts of 1×16 for road and 1×15 for gravel, with the latter offering a huge >530% range when using Classified’s 11-40 tooth cassette.
The new groupset incorporates Classified’s existing two-speed Powershift hub, reviewed by our own Dave Rome, and a new 1×12 drivetrain and shifters from Taiwanese components powerhouse TRP (Tektro Racing Products) that is claimed to offer a simpler experience while providing one of the widest gearing ranges on the market.
The fully integrated system sees Classified’s Powershift shifter button incorporated into TRP’s new Vistar shifter (hallelujah!). In other words, each of the components in the new groupset is specifically designed to function in unison, something Dave Rome and I previously mentioned we felt was required for Classified to make genuine inroads into the market.
The key to that integration lies in the shifters. Previously the Classified Powershift relied on an additional remote shifter attached to the handlebars. TRP has now incorporated that remote shifter into the new Vistar shifters and brake lever using its wireless protocol.
Furthermore, QuantumShift – TRP’s name for what is effectively sequential shifting – is incorporated into the buttons on a single brake lever. These buttons enable the rider to simply shift up and down through all 15 or 16 unique gears with the system automatically selecting between the rear derailleur and Powershift hub gears. Unlike Shimano Syncroshift or SRAM sequential shifting, in not requiring a front derailleur shift, the new TRP rear derailleur and Classified Powershift hub aim to offer instant and simultaneous shifting.
Alternatively, the rider can take full manual control and use the buttons to independently shift the rear derailleur and planetary gear in the Powershift hub, thus enabling all 24 gears (2 in the hub, 12 on the cassette). QuantumShift is activated or deactivated with a simple five-second press on one of the left-lever shift buttons, while the left lever is always active for a bailout Powershift two-speed hub shift if required.
While definitely not as catchy in name as Dura-Ace or Super Record, the new Vistar // Powershift system is more than just new shifters. There’s TRP’s new wireless rear derailleur with a removable and rechargeable battery. TRP also includes cranks, chainrings, and hydraulic disc brakes. The groupset is available with either the Classified Aero Chainset or the new Vistar chainset. Meanwhile, both Classified and TRP will offer 12-speed machined steel cassettes with new 11-30, 11-32, 11-36, and 11-40 options.
Classified developed the new chainrings in-house with 46-52 tooth options and an MRP tooth profile. The groupsets include a KMC chain which comes with a claimed increase in chain retention and reduced friction.
As for brakes, TRP has over 35 years of manufacturing experience in that department and claims to offer comfortable hoods and one-finger braking. Unsurprisingly, setup and bleed duties require TRP’s mountain bike bleed kit and, thankfully, it’s mineral oil flowing through those hoses.
Finally, Classifed and TRP claim to offer durability and reliability gains, plus efficiency and aero benefits thanks to ditching the front derailleur, increased drivetrain efficiency from bigger gears, straighter chain lines, and shifting under load. The new groupset was already used at Unbound where Arno Van den Broeck of the Gravel Classified Ridley Factory Team completed the 200-mile (322 km) event.
Given the groupset was only officially revealed on day one of Eurobike and the full release is still a few months away, we haven’t yet had a chance to test that new shifting or any of the related simplicity, comfort, or braking control claims. Furthermore, while Classified has partnered with TRP on its new groupset, it maintains its “open integration policy” as outlined when we first spotted a TRP and Classified collaboration last October, meaning more integrations are still possible in future. As a fan of the Powershift system and with Vistar’s new shifters seemingly addressing the Powershift’s remote shifter shortcomings, today’s reveal is big news in the groupset sector.
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