I don’t understand the problem with a front mech. Sure, it’s more fidgety then no front mech, but you get a lot more gears for dealing with that minor inconvenience. Alongside that minor inconvenience, you get a more efficient chainline, and chain. But what about weight, you may ask. I’ll have to give you that, you do save some weight by reducing the ring count up front. If getting the lightest bike, efficiency be damned, is your goal 1x is a great way to get there.
Now enter Classified. They have a bluetooth enabled rear hub that presents two gear ratios, effectively simulating a 2x setup. I do think it’s cool, but also totally stupid for a lot of reasons:
- Expensive: You have to run one of their three €2,399.00 wheelsets + their €175.00 cassette.
- Weight: Classified claims that it is ±10g of a comparable 2x setup, which means best case you’re right back where you started with a much lighter wallet.
- Complexity: need to charge your thru-axle, has a motor, etc.
What am I missing? How did this ever become a thing?
It shifts much better: while going all-out on a 10% climb you can shift easily and super fast. Not something you’d ever do with a FD.
No chain rub, and no trimming necessary
Buys you a little more aero
Won’t get out of whack which happens easily with FD’s (accidents, cable wear, etc)
Less efficient chainline? Please explain.
You got me there, although generally I know when I’m about to hit a 10% climb so that brief stutter-clutch motion isn’t a €2,399.00 + €175.00 hardship ;). Do you mean chain rub on the FD? That shouldn’t happen if it’s setup correctly. Trimming is part of the setup process, it’s also not complicated. Especially on an electronic build. To effectively measure that you’d need to isolate the aerodynamics of a very messy area down by the rider’s foot, as they pedal. Then compare that to the drag of the Classified hub and a standard road hub. Maybe, but definitely… Read more »
I want this because I want the ability to use a different crankset from a vintage era. I love the look of the old 1985 Campagnolo cranksets but they don’t shift well between two rings with Di2. I’m sick of every crankset on the market being black or carbon and there’s just nothing there anymore that screams bling to people who really love a beautiful bike. With the Classified hub system I would be able to use a vintage crank and single ring setup that would be a thing of beauty and I wouldn’t lose the functionality or selection of… Read more »
That is a great use case.
I ride a Ridley Kanzo Fast as my road bike because I love fat tires. I love my Kanzo but it doesn’t have the ability to run 2x. With the classified system I can have all the gears of a 2x setup on a bike that is not able to run 2x.