Belgian bike maker Jaegher and internal 2x hub maker Classified have paired up in Flanders to build the ultimate 1x all-season, all-road bike for Belgian Classics champ Tom Boonen. Starting with the Jaegher premium, custom stainless steel Ascender Pure road bike, the bike is one of the first to get Classified Cycling’s unique electronic, internally shifting hub to double the gear range of the otherwise single ring Dura-Ace Di2 drivetrain.
And while Boonen’s Jaegher + Classified super bike is far out of most normal human’s price range, Jaegher offers other complete Classified 1x 2x builds at around half that price…
Tom Boonen’s Jaegher + Classified Ascender Pure steel road bike
Boonen’s “Perfect Bomb” Ascender Pure isn’t the first premium steel road bike we’ve seen from Flemish bikemaker Jaegher. Always equipped with color-matched ENVE forks, Jaegher was one of the bikes to feature their all-road fork at Eurobike a few years back. Handmade halfway between Bruges & Ghent by a team led by a fourth-generation Flemish steel framebuilder, Jaegher balances tradition and modern tech since 2012. That made the fit with fellow ‘virtual front derailleur’ Classified Cycling also from Flanders make sense.
And seeing as how Boonen invested in the drivetrain maker, what better excuse did they need to build up a premium Classics-inspired steel road bike to survive riding in Flemish weather.
Jaegher Ascender Pure premium stainless steel all-road bike
The Ascender Pure bike itself is Jaegher’s most expensive bike. Welded from Columbus XCR stainless steel, they say it gives the best balance of lightweight (claimed 1400g) & stiffness. Finished framesets sell for 4395€ (all prices with VAT, 3632€ for non-EU buyers). That includes full custom geometry and a matching ENVE fork – either with a brushed finish & ceramic -coated logos, or wet paint. Disc brakes are standard (rim brakes are still an option, though), as are internal routing, T47 BBs, choice of seatpost size, 12mm thru-axles, compatibility with any drivetrain, and 32mm tire clearance.
All of the Jaegher frames feature a proprietary left dropout (for no extra charge) that makes for a sleek, integrated setup with the Classified smart thru axle.
Making the Classified system work, Boonen’s bike mixes the Classified wireless internal gear hub with Shimano Di2 setup. His setup actually pairs a Classified CF R50 carbon wheelset, Classified’s own proprietary 11-27T cassette, an Ultegra RX8050 rear derailleur to get the necessary clutch retention, Dura-Ace R9170 levers (& brakes), and a THM Clavicula carbon crankset with a single 52T Digirit chainring.
The Classified under-drive planetary gearing essentially turns that into the same range as a mid-compact 52/36 x 11-27. At the same time, Classified (and now Jaegher) say the drivetrain remains more secure, more resistant to riding in rain & mud, and can shift under 1000W of load in just 150 milliseconds.
As for weight, it’s said to be essentially the same +/- as the 2x Di2 drivetrain it replaces. Boonen’s premium complete bike build is said to be just under 8kg, even with the largest diameter XCR tubes Jaegher uses to maximize stiffness, compared to his pro carbon race bikes. It’s not ultralight, but beyond that THM crankset, Ulna bar & Berk saddle, the rest of the build is almost reasonable. Still, retail price for this complete bike is estimated at 12,500€.
Complete Jaegher + Classified bikes for (a bit) less…
Since Jaegher does now offer the Classified Cycling shifting system on all of their other bikes, it is possible to send a bit less. Four other road, all-road & gravel models are available. They are all still fully custom, so frameset prices still start around 3695€.
While it is possible to build it up a bit cheaper, Jaegher sticks with GRX or Ultegra Di2 builds for the best performance of the Classified 1x double setup.
The standard Hurricane Unlimited with GRX Di2 & Classified sells for 7200€ complete (with 700x47mm, 650×2.2″ tire clearance). A mixed mechanical GRX build could start as low as 6500€.
Update: Some Jaegher pricing had been incorrect on their website. See below for updates.
A more affordable Hurricane Unlimited without the Classified hub is interestingly most affordable with the newest, lightest Campagnolo Ekar 1×13 gravel groupset build for 6890€ 5590€, or with Shimano GRX 810 1x for the cheapest option at 5590€ 5790€.
All Jaeghers are handbuilt to order with custom geometry in Flanders, Belgium. Leadtime is approximately 8-12 weeks, with worldwide delivery available.
