American classic wheels

nick hanson
nick hanson Posts: 1,655
edited January 2008 in Workshop
Has anyone had any experience of these wheels.I've seen a set of these (sprint 350 model,£249) on line at chain reaction cycles.
They would be used for (relatively) fast training & holidays in the mountains of france & Italy.
Thanks in advance
so many cols,so little time!

Comments

  • simbil1
    simbil1 Posts: 620
    The review on chain reaction and the fact that the wheels have a rider weight limit both suggest to me that these may not be the most robust wheels out there.
    For £250 you'd get some really nice hand built wheels that would probably be better IMHO.
    http://picasaweb.google.com/thefirstsimbil/Bikes
  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    I agree with simbil1 regarding hand builts, and I have heard dodgy stories on the reliability of American Classics.
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    I haven't got the 350s - I bought the 420s instead. Build-wise they run straight and true and spoke tension seems pretty consistent. Because of the narrow flange distance on the hubs and low spoke count, they're never going to be laterally stiff, so expect a bit of brake rub when cranking hard. The ride was certainly more compliant than the well-worn Ksyrium SSCs they replaced. I've heard of problems with the 350s because the rim is just too light and hence my reason for chosing the 420s - which are still lighter than most. As a tribute to their strength, a Disco driver 'brake-tested' me and I ended-up slamming into the rear bumper - I managed to deflect most of the force with my hands onto his tailgate, but it was still a bang. The wheels is still true and round. I'd recommend them for lighter riders i.e. 70kg and below, but less for heavy riders or big gear mashers. For £220 for the 420s, I'd consider them a good deal.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • nick hanson
    nick hanson Posts: 1,655
    Cheers all.Might just go down the hand built route.
    so many cols,so little time!
  • Nelson Longflap
    Nelson Longflap Posts: 129
    edited January 2008
    A friend demolished an AC 350 rim, and almost himself, when hitting a rock on a descent in the Alps a couple of years back. He's now had his AC hubs re-laced to Open Pro's (which he now races on). He's a natural skinny climber type anyway and so probably doesn't mind that 60g 'rotating mass' increase.

    Another option to look at is SoulBikes in Singapore who make something similar - S2.0 - specified as a climbing/crit wheel. The rims are similar to the 350 and made in the same factory, but have eyelets which I believe the 350's don't, making them stronger with a slight weight trade-off. (They're effectively Velocity Aeroheads/ IRD Cadences) The hubs are a similar weight to the AC's but have bigger bearings. (Chances are they're made in the same Taiwanese factory too). Bladed spokes as well! Price on these is US$270 with $55 shipping. With a relatively weak dollar, these are phenomenal value. Factor in VAT and duty (is there a sneaky way round this anybody? :wink: ) and they come out to about 210 of our British pounds.

    Edit: Mr Soul Bikes has upped his price. Still worth considering though.
  • aracer
    aracer Posts: 1,649
    Nelson Longflap wrote:
    A friend demolished an AC 350 rim, and almost himself, when hitting a rock on a descent in the Alps a couple of years back. He's now had his AC hubs re-laced to Open Pro's (which he now races on). He's a natural skinny climber type anyway and so probably doesn't mind that 60g 'rotating mass' increase.

    Another option to look at is SoulBikes in Singapore who make something similar - S2.0 - specified as a climbing/crit wheel. The rims are similar to the 350 and made in the same factory, but have eyelets which I believe the 350's don't, making them stronger with a slight weight trade-off.
    Stronger in the sense that the spokes won't pull through the rim / the rim won't crack around the spoke holes maybe. Wouldn't do anything to prevent you demolishing the rim when hitting a rock (actually I'm not convinced any wheel should be expected to survive hitting a big enough rock fast enough).
  • Nelson Longflap
    Nelson Longflap Posts: 129
    aracer wrote:
    Stronger in the sense that the spokes won't pull through the rim / the rim won't crack around the spoke holes maybe. Wouldn't do anything to prevent you demolishing the rim when hitting a rock (actually I'm not convinced any wheel should be expected to survive hitting a big enough rock fast enough).

    Agreed. But it was only a tiny lump of ex-mountain that he rode over!

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