American Classic 420

[Evan Andreou]

Looking at these as an addition to my bike

 

Anyone have them/know them?

 

Weight?

Price?

Weight limit?

 

Any other useful related comments re these wheels?

[widget]

I have em on one of my bikes Wolverine.

 

Weight - dunno

 

Price - came with the bike so......................dunno.

 

Weight limit - dunno.

 

I am not technically minded Wolverine so it dont really interest me, I put em on and ride em and it works for me, but I can say, they have never given me any problems, never broken spokes, stay fairly true etc,etc - in my opinion as a lay man, they are fine.

 

I am sure there will be someone who knows app the technical info tho.!

 

[Wonder Woman]

Wolfie, they have quite a low weight limit and I'll suggest you don't go for them.

 

I've personally had no problems with mine but have heard many a male complain about broken spokes all the time.

 

But they're lekker light, I love mine

 

[Delgado]

Wolfman go Easton .........they will carry an Ox and remain true!!!

[Wonder Woman]

Wolfie

 

They weigh in at 1.4kg

Price I'm guessing about R5,000

Weight limit, not sure I'm guessing around 75 - 80kgs.

[Johan Bornman]

I'm frequently at the receiving end of these under-engineered wheels. I've seen both the aluminium and magnesium models come through my door with dents, worn rims, borken spokes and rough hubs.

Further, the manufacuter has chosen to spec these with a proprietary nipple that looks like a standard nipple but is far from it - it requires a spoke 3mm longer than standard. As soon as a regular bike shop has to replace one of the nipples (which they do frequently since they're aluminium and not many people have the right tool for working with them), they attempt to do so with a standard nipple and then the fun starts. They soon discover that they run out of thread long before the spoke is tensioned. The classic solution is to then force the nipple further onto the spoke, thinking that it some sort of self-tapping variety. Very soon the nipple galls onto the spoke and presto, I have more business.

The company tried to save weight in all the wrong places but ironically they make the spokes longer than necessary 3mm x 32 spokes = 96mm of spoke - a whopping 12 grams or something. Some people on this forum seems to think that's a ton. Anyway, then the company goes and makes the rims superthin, thin enough to dent easily, but more alarmingly, thin enough to make stress relieving impossible, which means the wheels will break spokes.

Silly wheels with dodgy engineering indeed.

 

[Azonic]

I've got a set, they weigh 1409g. Very nimble wheels, acceleration is very good. I weigh 78kg. I've broken two spoken on the front wheel, but I can't attribute that to weight or anything, probably just regular fatigue.

 

Can't say you'll go wrong with these.

 

 

[Johan Bornman]

I've got a set' date=' they weigh 1409g. Very nimble wheels, acceleration is very good. I weigh 78kg. I've broken two spoken on the front wheel, but I can't attribute that to weight or anything, probably just regular fatigue.

 

Can't say you'll go wrong with these.

 

 

[/quote']

 

Please explain what constitutes a "nimble wheel." Also, throw in some quantitive stuff about that excellent accelleration you're experiencing.

 

For a front wheel to break spokes other than in a crash is just unacceptable. Further, fatigue (as in metal fatigue) is directly related to weight when talking about spoked wheels. Fatigue is a product of weight times cycles (distance ridden).

 

A well-specc'd and built front wheel should have indefinite spoke life. It would be interesting to know whether the spokes broke at the flange or at the nipples. If it is the latter, it is as a result of a too-large flange which cause the spokes to arrive at the rim at an angle other than 90 degrees. This causes flex inside the threads and a spoke that breaks as if cut with a knife.

 

 

 

 

[Azonic]

Please explain what constitutes a "nimble wheel." Also' date=' throw in some quantitive stuff about that excellent accelleration you're experiencing.

 

For a front wheel to break spokes other than in a crash is just unacceptable. Further, fatigue (as in metal fatigue) is directly related to weight when talking about spoked wheels. Fatigue is a product of weight times cycles (distance ridden).

  

[/quote']

 

Clearly your Harvard Science degree is putting most people to shame, but regardless, I'm not going to get technical about it. The only wheels I have ridden have been cheapish Wolber shod wheels, Shimano R550 and Ksyrium SL's. And naturally the 420's. By 'Nimble' I mean they just feel light on the bike, the bike doesn't feel sluggish. Put the power down and the bike rockets forward, I haven't felt that with Ksyriums. I attribute it to a lighter rim.

 

I can't remember where the spokes broke, it was months ago. I've had them for around 4 years and only recently have 2 spokes broke - and my weight has stayed constant.

 

If you're not happy with the above, tough

 

 

[porky]

Hmm, I must say I dont know much about wheel engineering, but I have never had any trouble with my 420s.

 

I weigh about 75/76 kgs and I have never broken any spokes, front or back.

 

I have them trued once a year at the annual service (if necessary) and thats it, they stay perfect for the rest of the year.

 

I dont have multiple bikes so they get used for training, racing, riding to the shop, everything and often over some appalling road surface, (if that matters, I dont know!)

 

Mr Bornman may have a point on the spokes though, about a year ago I crashed and someones derauiller went into the spokes bending a few of them (but they never actually broke) - anyway when I took it in to be repaired the shop told me they need to replace ALL the spokes, they said something about the spoke nipple and aluminium and......... but, it dosnt interest me so I just said go ahead without really listening.

 

..............other than that they have been great,............. I guess its just personal choice more than anything else, I work with concrete and steel everyday, I think some steel and some concrete mixes are better than others, and in my opinion some are downright awefull, but....................millions of bricks are laid and thousands of buildings are still standing with this "awefull"  mix and the inhabitants are quite happy with them, so who am I to upset them with my experience of the "awefull" mix.

 

Its probably the same with wheels, Mr Bornman sees the results of worst case scenarios, but for most of us, ......they work just fine.!

 

[andrewbell]

Hey Wolfie, why not get the White DT Swiss 1850's to go with the rest of the white on the bike.

[Evan Andreou]

Hey Wolfie' date=' why not get the White DT Swiss 1850's to go with the rest of the white on the bike.[/quote']

 

Do I need to donate a kidney to buy them?

[madison]

Ive had a set of these wheels for about three years now. When I first got them I twice broke spokes on the front wheel in quick succession. I replaced the front with a spare wheel I had & forgot about the AC wheel for a year (still used the rear though). I decided to try it again last year & by the third ride I broke another spoke. Had it fixed & three rides later the same happened. Since then I have had the wheels re spoked with DT swiss in lieu of the bladed spokes the wheel came with & have had no problems some 1500Km later. My conclusion is that the bladed spokes are crap since I have never in over twelve years broken front spokes except on this wheelset. I have since been told that the new wheels do not have bladed spokes. Towards the end of last year the rear hub also packed up & had to be replaced. I have no other experience with light weight wheel sets, but they do seem less reliable than a good old fashioned 32 spoke wheel.  

[specialized]

i have a set for R3500 with brand new conti GP4000's

[VeloRacer]

My wheels are 5 years old and i weigh 59kg. I broke a spoke in the 2006 DC and then in Die Burger 2007. Apparently the original spokes it came with is balls up. American Classic has a new, improved spoke which stronger. I had my whole wheel rebuilt and haven't had anymore problems since. I still love these coz they are value for money and you won't find a  lighter wheel around that price.

[Johan Bornman]

My wheels are 5 years old and i weigh 59kg. I broke a spoke in the 2006 DC and then in Die Burger 2007. Apparently the original spokes it came with is balls up. American Classic has a new' date=' improved spoke which stronger. I had my whole wheel rebuilt and haven't had anymore problems since. I still love these coz they are value for money and you won't find a  lighter wheel around that price.

[/quote']

Perhaps you missed the post where it was explained how the extra-long spokes require a special nipple and whenever someone unfamiliar with these wheels get them to work on, they're puzzled by the exercise and repair it by replacing all spokes.

 

Anyway, I doubt they have a new improved and stronger spoke. Spokes don't break from tensile failure (lack of strength) but from metal fatigue. A "strong"or "weak" spoke will both break given a bad build or wheel design.

 

5 Years of riding with a light rider at the helm should hardly make a difference to a well-built wheel, they should last indefinitely under those conditions. Those wheels were defective to start off with. It is just a matter of time before your next spoke breaks.