American Classic returns to rims
It was less than a year ago that the American Classic name was reborn. That return came with the launch of an extensive range of road and gravel tyres sold consumer-direct. Now the company looks set to return to its roots of hoops with a range of new rims.
Back to aluminium
Once known for unusually light but affordable aluminium wheels, American Classic was a brand that many cyclists had firsthand experience with. Now American Classic appears to be returning to what it’s known for: well-priced and competitively light aluminium rims. Well, at least they are for the OE (original equipment) market, as the rims are currently unavailable for aftermarket purchase.
The rim range is fairly extensive but can be summarised into two keys models: Aplite and Feldspar.
The Aplite is the premium offering made with 6069 aluminium and with a welded sleeve joint. These tubeless-ready rims will be produced in 22, 24, 30, and 34 mm internal widths. There are 650B and 700C options in all widths, with the 700C 22 mm width version quoted at a fairly light (but not too scary) 395 g figure.
The cheaper Feldspar used pinned construction and is made from 6061 aluminum. These rims are being produced in internal widths of 19, 21, 23, 25, 29, 35 mm, with all but the two narrowest versions available in both 650B and 700C variants. The 700C 23 mm wide version is quoted to weigh 545 grams.
American Classic wasn’t ready to reveal any major OE partners for where these rims may first be seen. However, they are already being used bikes from a few smaller brands in certain Asian markets.
While these new rims may not be something you can buy yourself just yet, you can bet that the company is looking toward its next move, and my guess is it looks a whole lot like complete wheels.
All tyres, updated
The ink on the newly released tyres has barely set, and yet, American Classic has announced an update to its entire range of tyres – something that is seemingly relatively quick to implement when you own the factory.
All eight models have received a new puncture protection belt that’s said to not only increase cut resistance but help reduce rolling resistance, too. And durability has also increased in the right direction. Meanwhile, all the tubeless models are now compliant with the new hookless rim standard (TSS in ETRTO speak).
That new puncture protection also brings noticeable weight savings to all gravel models. You can expect to see 30-50 grams saved per tyre. And speaking of gravel, there’s now another size of the fast-rolling centre-slick Kimberlight, bringing the range to three width options of 35, 40, and 50 mm.
On the road end of things, there’s the performance Timekeeper, which is now available in a wider 30 mm width (tubeless and clincher). This tyre, along with the Torchbearer, gets improved wet weather grip in addition to the previously mentioned improvements.
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