AMERICAN CLASSIC tubeless 29er wheels – Final Review: by “c_g”
Hi folks, it is about time to get to you my final word about the AMERICAN CLASSIC 29″er tubeless wheels. I have been riding these all summer and fall and so my review is based on countless hours of riding.
One of the initial questions about these 1600gm wheels was whether they were race day only. I think the selection of bikes they had been on (the GAS29 Stambek Classic, the Titanica in geared and the OS BIKES Blackbuck II and the Mi-Tech TYKE in SS mode, all but the Stambek in rigid) show that I had not been timid in using them. There had been several tires run with them, most tubeless. It has seen lots of XC trail riding miles, I had crashed on them multiple times and so the answer to that question can clearly be: I have really used the AMERICAN CLASSIC wheels in the best way possible by subjecting them to anything I do on bikes.
I have to be fair though by saying that despite not being the lightest rider I tend to be rather good on wheels through a very active way of riding.
While looking somewhat conventional by the choice of components the AMERICAN CLASSIC wheels really are tricked out in (almost) every little detail. There are the proprietary 26 mm width rims, the longer than usual alloy nipples or the specific features of the hubs. Bill Shook, the president and mastermind behind AMERICAN CLASSIC has really tweaked out sooo many details – for a full run down of the wheel set´s technical and design features, go to the Intro article (here).
Everything I had said in my First Impression post still stands firm and before repeating myself I´ll direct you there to recap my findings. Two things I want to point out still:
The steel reinforced alloy cassette body did show some gauging after the test period but it was nowhere near where it would have been on most other alloy bodies. I was a bit surprised to see that gauging had appeared rather soon (expecting it to get more over time) but the steel inserts did a great job of keeping it minimal. So, while not avoiding it all the way, the feature has really proven its worth and removing the cassettes never had been the least troublesome.
The wheels reliability and smooth running: When evaluating this test it is important to note that apart from the initial change from 15 mm to 9 mm QR I had not done any service or adjusting to the wheels, yet they are still spinning freely, with no play or drag in the bearings. Especially in these really gruelingly wet and muddy conditions we often had been facing this year, the super smooth running bearings prove some good performance there.
Neither had I done any re-tensioning or truing to the wheels, yet they are as straight and true as they were on the first day – the best indication for a good wheel built and choice of components.
…. anything negative to report?
Hmmm … yes, the QRs are squeaking (here is one of the few details of these wheels where I´d think Bill Shook can do better) and getting hard to tighten down – OK a drop of oil or grease would eliminate this, I know :). … and in the course of the test one nail has pinched the sealing tape making me apply a second layer over it (not really the wheels fault), but that is about all I can say on the negative side of my riding experience on the AC wheels.
VERDICT: These wheels rock!! Over the time I have come to appreciate the AMERICAN CLASSIC 29″er TUBELESS wheels as true no-worries lightweight workhorses for most of this summer’s test rigs.
The 26 mm wide rims are a perfect match if you don´t want to limit yourself to skinnier tires but still want low weight and rotational mass. The super light yet versatile hubs are reliable and smooth running big time and make the complete weight of the wheels hit the scale at only 1600 gm.
Almost every component on these wheels has been refined, resulting in a really nice wheel set. It also does away with the most common criticism about pre-built wheels requiring special tools or replacement parts.
The rear wheels may not be the laterally stiffest out there (go Carbon if you want light AND stiff) but I found no real complaints in these wheels.
If you are looking into upgrading wheels for XC or light trail riding, the AC 29″ers are worth a closer look. I liked riding them BIG TIME.
RIDE ON,
c_g
c-g-Any word on these wheels pricing? Even AmClassic website price list has no info……………..
Sounds like you really liked them!
oh-how did the “white” hold up? Any nicks or scratches?
Yogi: I gotto pass on the US pricing, here in Europe Msrp is in the range of € 600-650.-. Maybe some of you can fill in the blank 🙂
Good question (shows one simply cannot cover everything):
The white was one more positive surprise – I had anticipated it to be quick aging and easily sctatching but expereince taught me different. The (powdercoated) surface is durable enough to look as new after all the test and smooth enough to be super easily cleaned (much bette than standard anodized rims. Only the printed logos show some minir scratches but no peeling, discolouring or sign of aging anywhere.
For me the optics have definately endured better, than I had thought.
c_g,
not being no where even near your master judda skills in regards to the nitty gritty testing on all specific details, i must say that i agree 100% with your findins on this product. i bought the same exact set on a whim a few months back, and have been in love with them from day one. for me in my mtb endeavors, it all boils down to just wanting a comparable product for the money i’ve spent on it, basically does it work for me. clearly AMERICAN CLASSIC has delivered on their end when it comes to these wheels. your initial reviews on this product clearly guided me in the direction of obtaining them for my new bike, so once again i say – thank’s for the heads up.
while were on the subject, will i be able to install either the GEAX saguaro, or aka tires on this rim and use them with a sealent? am i reading the GEAX web site correctly on this?
@All: U.S. MSRP $780.00 for the set, street prices lower than this.
Thanks GT 🙂
Rich: Just like it had been with other GEAX tires, fuitting of their tubeless ready (called TNT) tires or tubeless will be really hard to mount (if not impossible), but if you convert the GEAX standard folding bead to tubeless on these wheels you should be fine.
Just like Notubes and other tubeless ready rims (e.g. FRM), the rim´s dimensions are on the wider side to ease converting the more loosely fitting tires (generally the folding beads). GEAX is known to be particularly tight fitting, but the folding should be OK on these rims/wheels.
c-g-You bring up a good point about rim fitting. I see 29’r (700c too) rims with rim erd’s between 592 and 605. No wonder some fit and some don’t! Why all the variation? These I believe are 593…
Question is will the rear hub loosen up like the first gen American Classic 29er wheels constantly did or is that completely old news? I still have bad memories of that through-Niner purchased wheelset on my One9.
Yogi: You are mistaken thinking the ERD (Effective Rim Diamter) would be relevant for tire fitting. It is the rim´s inner daimeter determining spoke length – if it is smaller it only means it is a deep (or V-shaped, aero profile) rim, if it is bigger the rim, has a shallow cross section.
The term defining the tire´s fit is named ISO or ETRTO stating the “Bead Seat Diameter”, which for all 29er rims is given at 622 mm. The real differences in the rims are how deep or shallow the rim´s cavity drops and the sculpturing of this and the bead hook, defining how securely a tire is held when running tubeless and how easiy infaltion is or how prone the tire is to burbing. Lots of variables that are not (yet) defined by standardization.
Additionally tire manufacturers, have production variations and general fitting trends, meaning a ETRTO 622 tire (we call it 29er tire) from brand X will not necessarily fit just like brand y´s tire, even though the ETRTO dimensions are the same.
Did I confuse you already? Good if I did because within the industry this is a heavily debated topic and confusion is abounding there as well.
chuck1971: I have not had any trouble of such kind with the AC tubeless 29er wheels (otherweise I would certainly have told you about it :-)) and the hubs you are referring to are generations in the past. The current hubs are several development stages more advanced and I´d warrant them a really good level of reliability from what I have expereinced or read on the newer generation hubs.
Mind you I have ridden my wheels very much and hard but it sure will not be the same as multi year usage.
@chuck1971 I’ve been running AC hubs for 3 years now. I bought a factory set of 26er wheels and rode them for two years. Then I ripped the hubs out last year and built up a set of 29er wheels that I pounded all season. The hubs have been really solid. I’ve had no issues other than some freehub gouging (I have the pre-metal-insert models).
@c_g I’ll second your comment about AC skewers. Mine were hard to open/close and tended to creak a bit. I don’t think they have the binding force of better skewers. I swapped mine out for some shimano XT skewers. They are heavier but work way better.
c_g-Thanks for setting me straight!!
Now will any of the recently tested wheelsets make 29inches top ten of 2010?
What are those handlebars in the picture ? I want them.
@Yogi: Top Ten Lists are compiled by each tester. I didn’t test the Am Classic wheels, so they won’t be on my list. 😉
Look for my Top Ten List of 2010 to debut around mid-December.
macca: The bars on the top picture (MI-TECH Tyke 29er) is a JONES titanium H-Bar, the bars on the other builds (the two GAS29s) are RAGLEY Carnegie bars in their drop version.
Cheers . Sorry i changed the subject but that Jones bar looks comfy. Wheels look nice too. We can all put them on our nice new blingy On Ones . Goodbye expensive hard to get niner bikes and hello good old home grown cheap quality engineering (with a little help from taiwan). You americans keep saying were not into 29ers in the UK but we just hav nt got the access to them . I waited 7 months for my scandium air 9 and now im up to 6 months and waiting for my niner carbon fork. Sorry im changing the subject again. Ok deep breaths. Thats better.
I’ve had my AC hubs for a year now with no problems. Only thing I ever did was clean out the freehub mechanism after a 7hr stupidly muddy race. The mud wore all my brake pads down (some people actually wore THRU their brake pads, and had piston on rotor contact!), but the hubs are still rolling smooth and fast on the factory bearings. I weigh 170lbs and ride a rigid SS.
thanks for the report! I have a set of the 1st gen AC wheels and am considering a new set. I’m curious: in your how does the AC tubeless rim compare to Stan’s Arch rim in terms of tubeless performance? Do they both give a similarly secure lock on the bead, to avoid burping?
@ uknat. i have kept my front wheel psi at 28, and my back at 35 psi, and have never experienced any burping on these wheels, despite hard hits that were taken. i run my tubeless set-up using green slime so i would notice any seepage. i would say that out of all the tubeless wheels sets i currently own(3)that the american classics sealed the best.
uknat: The AC tubeless 29er wheels do have a really nice construction, that allows for easy inflation, and very secure bead locking. I had never experienced any burping with none of the tires I rode them on.
That said I attest them a very similarly secure lock than the newer generation STAN´S I had been riding or the FRM/BOR rims. All really good but all better suited for more lossely fitting tubeless ready or folding bead tires.
Can you recommend these wheels for a 220lb Clyde?
Big J: I have been riding them with about 220 lbs on some multi day alpine trips (rider and pack) with noadverse experiences. AMERICANCLASSIC themselves set a rider weight limit of 110 kg or 240 lbs so you should be fine. But it also deoends on your way of riding.
cool, I may weigh 220 but I ride “light” for my size so the AC wheels will probably do fine. I’m currently using Easton XC Two wheels that came on my 429 with no problems.
What is your definition of “light trail riding”?