American Classics

[desmondalie]

Anyone knows where the best (cheapest) place is to buy American Classic Wheels in Cape Town. I want to change form my SL's to CR420's.

[Conti]

for used one's , try this link    http://capetown.gumtree.co.za/f-american-classic-Classifieds-W0QQisSearchFormZtrueQQCatIdZ0QQKeywordZamericanQ20classic

[desmondalie]

I woyld prefer a new set. Chainreaction Cycles is selling them for R3900 but I am not sure what duties I will have to pay.

[Ditty]

I bought a set of 420's from CRC as well, only paid Vat and small handling fee, seems wheels are deemed to be bike parts, so no duties were charged.

[carlo_sg]

I woyld prefer a new set. Chainreaction Cycles is selling them for R3900 but I am not sure what duties I will have to pay.

 

Don't forget VAT aswell...

 

I'm selling a set of the 350 Sprints with the 24mm rim profile for CHEAP CHEAP!

Brand new 10km on them. Still under guarantee. Plus I had them built with alloy nipples so there are no issues with truing them!

Includes some weight weenie goodies too

 

https://www.bikehub.co.za/forum_posts.asp?TID=27447&KW=

 

AM Classic Sprint 350 Wheelset, with original skewers

2x Bontrager XXX-Lite Tubes

and lightweight (9g) crank fixing bolts

- R3000

 

the above plus:

2x Vredestein Fortezza Superlight Tyres (185g each)

- R3750

carlo_sg2008-07-08 04:34:52

[desmondalie]

I need to sell my SL's first so I will make contact with you as soon as I do. I also need to do a bit of research on these wheels. They seem nice but damn they are ugly! Where di you buy them?

[wisecrack]

lol...I also was interested in the sprints ,but heard from someone they flex?

 

After rebuilding them with alloy spokes maybe that wont be a problem anymore. Real lightweights at 1400g

 

[carlo_sg]

lol...I also was interested in the sprints ' date='but heard from someone they flex?

After rebuilding them with alloy spokes maybe that wont be a problem anymore. Real lightweights at 1400g
[/quote']

 

They dont flex - thats the misconception- they actually really stiff.

 

The problem they do have is that the nipples are aluminium, as are the spokes, so they tend to bond (as will happen to Mavic SL's). When they bond the wheels cant to trued properly, so you go riding and "KLANG" and the wheels goes out of true, so you think the rim has flexed, but actually the spoke and nipple have just released each other (best to speak to a wheel builder to explain this).

 

[desmondalie]

I bought a set of 420's from CRC as well' date=' only paid Vat and small handling fee, seems wheels are deemed to be bike parts, so no duties were charged.

[/quote']

 

Ditty - so you only paid 14% VAT? What was the handling fee and how long did it take form time of order to when you actually recieved the goods?

[Ditty]

It took approx 6 workings days from payment, to the local post office. The handling fee was 85 rand if i remember correctly. Only had to pay the VAT and handling fee when i collected at the post office

[Johan Bornman]

[quote=carlo_sg

 

Cut cut cut cut...

 

Plus I had them built with alloy nipples so there are no issues with truing them!

Includes some weight weenie goodies too

 

 

In many years of wheelbuilding I have never come across nipples that weren't made from one or other alloy. In 1924 they made them from iron alloy, from 1950 onwards they were made from copper/zinc alloy and nowadays they're either copper/zinc or aluminium alloy, without exception.

 

All the American Classics I've come across have been built at the factory with aluminium nipples, so I don't understand what the rebuild achieved.

 

Further, aluminium is the most problematic metal for nipples by far. They almost always produce re-truing problems.

 

Johan Bornman2008-07-08 08:36:17

[Johan Bornman]

lol...I also was interested in the sprints ' date='but heard from someone they flex?

After rebuilding them with alloy spokes maybe that wont be a problem anymore. Real lightweights at 1400g
[/quote']

 

All wheels flex, it's all just a matter of degrees. The fewer the spokes, the more the flex.

 

All decent wheels except for those by Mavic which I cannot pronounce, have steel spokes. Technically, it's iron alloy, since there's some chrome in there with the iron.

 

What alloy are you referring to?

[racman]

 

All decent wheels except for those by Mavic which I cannot pronounce' date=' have steel spokes.

[/quote']

 

Are you talking about the "Aah-Sies" wheels by Mavic JB !!!

[jabbathemutt007]

 

All decent wheels except for those by Mavic which I cannot pronounce' date=' have steel spokes. Technically, it's iron alloy, since there's some chrome in there with the iron.

 

[/quote']

 

Topolino have carbon/kevlar as well.

 

[carlo_sg]

[quote=carlo_sg

 

Cut cut cut cut...

 

Plus I had them built with alloy nipples so there are no issues with truing them!

Includes some weight weenie goodies too

 

 

In many years of wheelbuilding I have never come across nipples that weren't made from one or other alloy. In 1924 they made them from iron alloy' date= from 1950 onwards they were made from copper/zinc alloy and nowadays they're either copper/zinc or aluminium alloy, without exception.

 

All the American Classics I've come across have been built at the factory with aluminium nipples, so I don't understand what the rebuild achieved.

 

Further, aluminium is the most problematic metal for nipples by far. They almost always produce re-truing problems.

 

[/quote]

 

Sorry, what I meant was, the aluminium nipples that came with the wheels were replaced with another alloy that I do not know the exact chemical compound of (but not aluminium) - So that is what the rebuild achived - getting rid of the Standard Aluminium Nipples

So we agree, aluminium nipples as are standard on the American Classic wheels - are poop.

carlo_sg2008-07-08 08:56:34

[Ox_Wagon]

. R-sys spokes use hollow cylindrical carbon spokes.<?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />