Classified is making its official US launch this week during the 2022 Sea Otter Classic, in Monterey, California.
Classified, the Belgian cycling tech company behind the Powershift technology, will have its own booth at the four-day event, widely considered the world’s largest cycling festival, drawing nearly 10,000 professional and amateur athletes as well as an estimated 70,000 fans.
The Classified booth will have a permanent test ride setup where riders will be able to experience the shifting of the Powershift hub and get detailed information about the system and its applications. Classified’s bespoke gravel and road wheelsets, which are now commercially available through official dealers in the US and Canada, will also be on display.
Cycling legend and Classified ambassador Tom Boonen will be in attendance, and fans will have the opportunity to meet and greet the former World Champion during an exclusive autograph session this Saturday, between 11:00 and 13:00 PST at the Classified booth.
“We’re thrilled to take part in the Sea Otter Classic which is a great celebration of cycling, bringing together the best cycling brands worldwide,” said Classified CEO Mathias Plouvier.
“This marquee festival is the perfect platform to announce that Classified has well and truly arrived in North America through an ever-growing network of official dealers.
“Adventure riding is more popular than ever and the Powershift hub is the ultimate solution for gravel which is really big in the US. Cyclists can ride a clean, efficient 1x setup but equally enjoy the versatility and gear range of a 2x without any of the traditional drawbacks.”
After a demo testing display at the 2022 UCI Cyclocross World Championships that took place in January in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Classified proceeded to create an American base for sales, support and distribution via a new partnership with Lucidity Business Development in Carlsbad, California.
“Working with Lucidity, we’re essentially announcing ourselves open for business in North America,” continued Plouvier. “We’re very excited to deliver our technology to consumers, shops, and other bike brands.”
Classified’s Powershift technology caught the attention of the global cycling media when first introduced in 2020. Since then, the brand has built on its original designs, expanded to gravel applications and has grown the number of global brand partners, its dealers’ network and ambassadors.
“We’ve known for a long time that Classified was going to shake things up in the drivetrain world, and we’re very happy to offer our expertise to help them become a much bigger player in the market,” said Lucidity CEO, Richard Wittenberg.
