Parcours wheelsets will now be available with Classified’s Powershift two-speed hub after the British and Belgian brands have announced a long-term partnership.
The deal is designed to bring “class-leading aerodynamics together with Powershift technology” and will see Parcours’ full road and gravel range offered with the innovative hub that removes the need for a front derailleur and “offers electronic shifting, instantaneously, under full load and with uncompromised gear ratio”.
“We’re very excited to be working with Classified on some big projects in 2023 and beyond,” said Parcours founder Dov Tate. “They have brought a refreshing and innovative approach to drivetrain design, mirroring our own approach to wheelset development. It was an easy decision to partner with the Classified team and we can’t wait to bring their shift technology to riders across all the categories we cover.”
Mathias Plouvier, Classified’s co-founder, is equally pleased to be teaming up with one of Britain’s most progressive cycling brands.
“At Classified we always want to work with the brands that mirror our desire to push boundaries in all areas of the cycling world, and Parcours are doing that. Our combined knowledge of road and gravel markets, coupled with Parcours' expertise in the triathlon space, point to some very exciting developments this year.”
Classified continues to be one of cycling’s more interesting tech stories of late. As a ‘disruptor’, challenging drivetrain norms and daring to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Shimano and SRAM who have dominated the market for many years, it's an outlier with a growing fanbase.
High-profile investors and supporters include retired ex-pros Tom Boonen, Marcel Kittel, Andre Greipel and Philippe Gilbert. In the past few days it has reportedly received a 10 million euro investment from the CEO of the private equity firm Active Partners, the group behind Rapha and Evans Cycles which had already invested in the Classified brand.
(Image credit: Parcours)
Parcours is an innovator in its own right, now well known for its innovative and pioneering study with Nottingham Trent University into real-world wind conditions using marine sensors - the results of which informed the shape of the Strade's differential rim profiles and all Parcours wheels since.
Here at CW we’ve given favourable reviews to the Strade, Ronde and Alta wheels, with all three receiving Editor’s Choice selections.
The partnership is launching with Parcours' spoked wheelsets but the brand has said that there are some developments in the works for later in the year. Could this mean we’ll see its Disc² wheel, the first carbon rear disc wheel to be optimised for today’s wider tires, paired with a Classified hub too? The implications for time trials and triathlons are considerable, with the removal of the front mech improving aero drag while at the same time offering a larger spread of close-ratio gears.
As for pricing, Parcours have told us that it will be the cost of its wheels plus the Classfied Powershift kit.
This means that its wheels with the Powershift ready hub shell will be the same price as its standard offerings, with current pricing starting at £899 for the Grimpeur model and going up to £1,199 for the TT-focused Chrono. The cost of the Powershift kit for partner wheelsets is currently €1,299.
Luke Friend has worked as a writer, editor and copywriter for twenty five years. Across books, magazines and websites, he's covered a broad range of topics for a range of clients including Major League Baseball, the National Trust and the NHS. He has an MA in Professional Writing from Falmouth University and is a qualified bicycle mechanic. He has been a cycling enthusiast from an early age, partly due to watching the Tour de France on TV. He's a keen follower of bike racing to this day as well as a regular road and gravel rider.
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