American classic wheels

jdubb12 said:

Is anyone running these wheels? They are 1600g and i think I can get them for under $600. Any info would be great.

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Most people that run them are very happy with them. If you want something different that Crests they are apparently a good wheelset.
I have a few rides on a set of MTB 26 Tubeless and they were stiff enough and seemed to spin up fast. However, I don't ride 26" wheels often anymore, so my perception of stiffness and acceleration may have been a little off.

They will be going on a 2011 stumpjumper ht 29er.

jdubb12 said:

Is anyone running these wheels? They are 1600g and i think I can get them for under $600. Any info would be great.

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Which year/model wheel and where for under $600?

I'm a big fan of AC wheels, one of the most innovative companies out there. Be warned that their hubs don't have a great track record for reliability, particularly the bearings, but they may have worked this out better lately.

my lbs owner has them and likes them alot, and he is coming of off i9's
i just got there front hub for my wheel build!

I've been running my set since last summer. No issues and bearings seem to be holding up just fine.

I ride a pair setup tubless on a Stumpjumper HT 29er and they have struck a perfect balance of lightness, stiffness and durability. I'm a racer-type that is rather smooth and easy on wheels, but I'm pushing 210#. This will be my last bike with a 9mm axle though and the flex is noticeable since gaining access to the world of 15 and 20mm front axles.
They will also set you apart from the sea of I9 wheels, but I'm from Florida and biased towards Bill Shook and company. Well worth 6 bills IMO... Cheers!

I had a set for a while. Really liked them....they were light, spun up super quick, and had "bling" factor. I ended up getting rid of them. The best way to describe my issue was that they deflected off obstacles very easily and that I had to work hard to keep them on track. Great wheels though. I ended up going with AC hubs and Duster Rims. They weigh in at 1800 grams and in my opinion, feel much better when things get rocky.

I don't have the Am Classic 29er wheels, but do have a set of the 26er SS wheels and the road wheels. I've put 5,000+ miles on the road wheels and had the SS wheels for about 4 years. Mine of held up really well. The only issue that I've had is that the rear bearings develop play and need to be adjusted with some regularity. It's not difficult, but does require an odd-ball size cone wrench (I think it's 19mm). It takes about 5 minutes to adjust and things are back to normal. The SS hub hasn't needed too many adjustments, but the road hub needs it every 1,000 miles or so.

Well my lbs just ordered them for me so wish me luck.

Very few companies don't have parts manufactured overseas, it's an economic reality. I believe the wheels themselves are assembled - or at least checked - at their US location tho. Anyone know for sure?

i was told they are assembled here in fl...
give them a call awesome people to talk to i see them at the trails occasionally or at the races

I don't know why country of origin matters when.......

The most expensive 29er wheels on the market (Haven carbon) are made in one way or another in Mexico. Well TJ to be exact. I had the 2010 tubeless 29er wheelset for a year and not one problem. I weigh 225 lbs without gear and I didn't baby them. They were on a epic so I could do only so much with them. I can honestly say the bike held me back more than the wheels. I loved them and will be getting the new all mountain version when they come out next month.

I've got an older set on my 29er (black stickers on the rim sidewalls model right before they went tubeless) and they have been great. The LBS set them up tubeless for me with no issues.

I think I have 3 seasons on them and had the LBS check the bearings this year. They recommended new bearings in the rear wheel after this season, so I think 4 years on a very lightweight wheeset is pretty darn good...

I've been running the 2009 tubeless 29's for over a year now. Haven't missed a beat. Love them. Smooth hubs, light weight, strong rims. Plus they look sweeeeeeet.

My only con is that you cannot rebuild them yourself (when you crash into a fallen tree ).

They Loc-Tite the nipples, so it's hard to true them if they bend.

If you damage the rim, you have to send it back to the factory. They have pretty quick turnaround, but you could do it faster if the rim was available separately, but I guess they like to keep a handle on their build quality.

My rear wheel has been running solid since 2007, and the new freehubs have steel inserts so that your cassette doesn't lock onto it. :thumbsup:

-F

Seriously_tho said:

Very few companies don't have parts manufactured overseas, it's an economic reality. I believe the wheels themselves are assembled - or at least checked - at their US location tho. Anyone know for sure?

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I just hate the use of the word American and no part is built here.

If Walmar sold American apple pie made in china people would be outraged.

The wheels are probably very nice, I just have bad feelings about the name.

dvo1 said:

I just hate the use of the word American and no part is built here.

If Walmar sold American apple pie made in china people would be outraged.

The wheels are probably very nice, I just have bad feelings about the name.

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Actually the Walmart people would probably just eat it & be happy it was cheap.

I hear you on the use of "America" but look at it this way, America is no longer manufacturers, we're innovators. The ideas are still ours, so is the company, we just paid someone else to get dirty making it.