TRP and Classified Vistar Powershift first ride review: a solid alternative to mainstream groupsets, but it's not 1x16-speed

Slightly less than a year since announcing their collaboration at Eurobike, Tektro Racing Products (TRP) and Classified’s Vistar Powershift groupset is now available – and we’ve got our hands on a test bike.

Pitched as a “revolutionary 1x16-speed groupset” with an enormous 530 per cent of gear range, TRP uses its so-called ‘QuantumShift’ technology – which sees both the Powershift hub and Vistar rear derailleur controlled wirelessly from a single shifter – to offer 16 sequential gear ratios.

The TRP and Classified Vistar Powershift electronic groupset promises all the benefits of both 1x and 2x drivetrains, but without any of the downsides – you can have your cake and eat it, TRP says.

At £2,600 / $2,900 / €2,800, it’s also priced competitively compared to high-end road and gravel bike groupsets, although weight weenies will baulk at its performance on the scales.

Yet while the TRP and Classified Vistar Powershift groupset offers the best integration of Classified’s technology I’ve tested so far, the mechanics required to simulate a 1x16-speed drivetrain are far from subtle.

As a wide-ranging, 2x12-speed option, however, the Vistar Powershift performs excellently and offers something tangibly different from what's available from the big three groupset manufacturers.

TRP and Classified Vistar Powershift groupset setup and specification

The Vistar Powershift groupset comprises TRP's Vistar wireless shifters, brakes, rear derailleur and 12-speed cassette, plus a Classified Powershift two-speed internal gear hub and 1x crankset.

Although we haven't taken the groupset off the bike to weigh it ourselves, totting up the claimed figures for each component gives an overall weight of around 3,023g excluding a chain (my test bike included a KMC 12-speed chain).

While it’s tricky to compare apples to apples, that’s in the same ballpark as a Shimano 105 Di2 R7100 or SRAM Rival eTap AXS groupset.

That’s not particularly competitive, considering the groupset’s £2,600 / $2,900 / €2,800 price makes it much more expensive than those groupsets, and even more expensive than Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8100 or SRAM Force AXS, both of which are around 100-150g lighter (depending on spec).

This is reflected in my test bike’s somewhat portly overall weight of 8.6kg without pedals, although there's more to the build than just the groupset itself, clearly.

TRP and Classified would also argue the aerodynamic gains from losing the front derailleur, and the efficiency gains of better chainline management and the use of a single, larger chainring, will offset any performance losses due to the increased weight.

And to be fair, unless you’re building a bike to tackle the national hill climb championships, TRP and Classified are probably right, even if it goes against conventional wisdom.

Powershift-ready wheels

It’s worth noting that on my test bike (an ENVE Fray), the Powershift internal gear hub came built into Classified’s own R50 carbon wheelset, but this isn’t included with the Vistar Powershift groupset.

Instead, you only get the Powershift hub insert, thru-axle, torque arm and hub shell, which then need to be built into a Powershift-ready wheelset of your choice.

This adds a fair amount to the effective overall price of the groupset as, according to TRP, the most affordable Powershift-ready wheelset option is the Parcours Paniagua (£799 / €1,039), with Classified’s R50 wheelset costing €1,500 (more expensive options are also available from the likes of ENVE).

You need a compatible wheelset for any groupset, of course, so it might seem unfair to single out Classified here. However, it’s far more likely riders will already have a wheelset compatible with cassettes from other 12-speed groupsets than have a Powershift-ready wheelset, so most will need to factor in the extra cash.

My test bike came equipped with a 52-tooth Classified Aero chainring (which has a subtle narrow-wide tooth profile for better chain retention) and carbon crankset, with the Classified hub offering a 1:1 gear ratio plus a 1:0.686 ‘reduction ratio’ – which, in this case, equates to a 35.7t inner chainring.

This is paired with an 11-40t cassette, giving the bike a whopping 530 per cent of gearing range.

In comparison, 2x Shimano Di2 and SRAM AXS road and gravel groupsets max out at around 507 and 516 per cent of gearing range, respectively, in their widest possible stock configurations.

It’s possible to get 520 per cent of range with a mountain bike rear derailleur (such as Shimano XTR Di2 M9200 or SRAM SRAM GX Eagle AXS Transmission) and a 10-52t cassette, but those come with fewer discrete gear ratios and wider steps between many of them, compared to the Vistar Powershift groupset.

Tighter cassettes (11-30, 11-32 and 11-36t) are also available, if you’d prefer to sacrifice some range for more tightly spaced sprockets, as are chainrings from 44 to 52t for road and gravel bikes.

QuantumShift

One of the groupset’s most headline-grabbing features is TRP’s QuantumShift technology.

Like Synchronized Shift on a Shimano Di2 groupset, QuantumShift sees both derailleurs controlled by a single shifter.

You simply select an easier or harder gear, and the Vistar Powershift groupset adjusts the rear derailleur and Classified hub as needed to give you the next ratio in line, mimicking a 1x drivetrain.

Most of the time, that will just be the next sprocket up or down. When you get high or low enough on the cassette, though, the system will initiate a hub shift, and use the Vistar rear derailleur to compensate slightly at the same time, nullifying the large jump in gear ratio you typically get from a ‘front shift’.

The idea is to avoid the duplication of gear ratios that typically occurs with a 2x drivetrain, optimise your chainline (for maximum drivetrain efficiency) and simplify interacting with the groupset.

In total, TRP says the Vistar Powershift groupset offers 16 sequential gear ratios – hence the claim it effectively works like a 1x16-speed groupset.

TRP and Classified Vistar Powershift groupset ride impressions

On the bike, the most tangible aspect is how seamlessly the Classified Hub is integrated with the TRP Vistar drivetrain.

Previously, the Powershift hub required a dedicated shifter button, which toggled between the two gears, but this arrangement left much to be desired. This was partly because the button itself offered little tactile feedback, but in my experience, the bigger issue was that it’s tricky to place it in a convenient spot to access from all hand positions on a drop handlebar.

As a result, the net effect was that shifting the Classified hub felt slower and less convenient than a front derailleur that was better integrated with your bike’s shifters – even if the hub shift itself was a clear step up.

With the TRP shifters able to control the Powershift hub, though, that problem is resolved.

The TRP Vistar shifters are set up like Shimano Di2 shifters, with two buttons at the end of each brake lever – one smooth, one textured, so you can tell the difference by feel (at least when not wearing full-finger cycling gloves).

Visually, the Vistar shifters remind me of Shimano’s 11-speed Di2 R9170 / R8070-series shifters, although they’re noticeably chunkier in the hand.

For riders with larger hands, this won’t be an issue, but I found myself wishing they were a little slimmer.

In terms of shifting, both the Classified hub and TRP Vistar wireless rear derailleur offer excellent performance in isolation.

Hub shifts are smoother, faster and quieter than with any front derailleur, and there’s no chance of dropping the chain due to a bad shift. That you can also change the hub gear while coasting is a ‘nice to have’ feature as well.

At the rear, the Vistar rear derailleur is quick and precise, responding instantly to commands from the shifters.

However, gear changes that combine the hub and rear derailleur – i.e. Quantum shifts – are far more noticeable than simply selecting another sprocket on a 1x drivetrain.

The problem is that you click for a one-ratio change in gear but occasionally get a front shift, and the corresponding momentary drop/increase of resistance at the pedals, plus a few shifts at the rear in the opposite direction to make up for that, feels (and sounds) quite crunchy in practice.

It’s all over in a flash, but it doesn’t feel as if it’s happening on a ‘quantum level’ as advertised – I felt it every single time, and never warmed to it.

On the positive side, though, grease marks show QuantumShift does a fantastic job of keeping you in the most efficient, middle cluster of the cassette – which means fewer watts lost to drivetrain friction and should prolong the life of the components somewhat (all else being equal).

Shifting aside, the combination of the Classified 1x Aero chainring, TRP cassette and a KMC chain isn't as quiet as the matching Hyperglide+ parts found on Shimano’s higher-end groupsets, or a Campagnolo Super Record 13 groupset, for example.

This is most notable when using bigger sprockets on the cassette, which put the chain at more extreme angles, although it’s fair to say this doesn’t affect performance.

Braking performance was also a little below par during my initial rides, although from the looks of things, the rotors on my test bike need bedding in more, so I expect that will improve with time.

TRP and Classified Vistar Powershift groupset initial verdict

All things considered, the TRP and Classified Vistar Powershift groupset gets plenty right, but I can’t help feeling TRP is overselling its capabilities.

Vistar Powershift is not a 1x16-speed groupset – it’s a 2x12-speed groupset, and no amount of marketing will change that. That’s not a bad thing in and of itself – I’ve argued before that 1x for road bikes is a solution in search of a problem – but 2x12- is not the same as 1x16- just because it’s set up to shift through 16 sequential gear ratios with one shifter.

In use, QuantumShift feels almost identical to the Synchronized Shift setting available on 2x Shimano Di2 groupsets.

Were this my bike, I’d turn off QuantumShift (as I do with Synchro Shift on Di2-equipped bikes) and operate the rear derailleur and hub independently – which, happily, is an option.

Both function excellently on their own, and part of the issue is about expectations. When you’re not anticipating a ‘front’ shift, the whole event feels like a bit of a jolt and I’d therefore rather be in control of that.

QuantumShift aside, the groupset feels polished and it’s the best integration of the Classified Powershift hub I’ve used so far.

The expense of also needing a new wheelset will doubtless be an additional hurdle, and the overall weight of the groupset isn’t competitive for its price.

But for riders who value aerodynamics and drivetrain efficiency, and want something different from what Shimano, SRAM or Campagnolo can offer, there’s plenty to like here.