opinions on american classic cr-420 wheels

[laffingbilly]

hi all,
any opinions on american classic wheels in general, and the cr-420 in particular? trying to decide whether to keep them or to get something else. raced alot when i was younger, then when mtb route, so not really familiar with new stuff these days, although the old names are still around. thx

 

[palewin]

hi all,
any opinions on american classic wheels in general, and the cr-420 in particular? trying to decide whether to keep them or to get something else. raced alot when i was younger, then when mtb route, so not really familiar with new stuff these days, although the old names are still around. thx

AC's "niche" is lightweight, relatively inexpensive wheels. The trade-off is strength & reliability. In the past AC has had problems with hub bearings, freehubs, and on the old 350 wheels, rim strength. To their credit, they constantly try to improve the product and resolve the issues. They have upgraded the bearings, and strengthened the 350 rims (now the 350Sprint) but recently there was a major recall on the freehubs. The 420 is a stronger rim in the base case, so rim strength should not be an issue. Some riders have been lucky, had no failures, and love their AC wheels. Others, including me, have had parts fail, and are therefore reluctant to recommend them. Of course, to get a wheel as light as theirs, and reliable, you pay more - like everything else, there are trade-offs.

 

[jimmer23]

I've got to agree. Their hubs are definitely suspect. You can have a nice wheelset built with DT or CK hubs and American Classic rims for not much more coin. Or you can go for the rock-solid reliability of the Mavic Ksyrium line for about the same (although they are rather heavy). Good luck!

 

[laffingbilly]

the cr-420's came on my bike, thus the question of whether i should drop cash to get something else. wasn't familiar with them. just reintroducing myself to road again after a very, very long haitus. plus, i hate the clicking in the rear hub...so annoying. i guess i'll ride them for a while and see what transpires. good to get info on what people find the best wheels out there, in case i get the urge to buy something else or am forced to buy something new. i just bought a felt f55 and it came with them on...been reading that other felt f55's come with the mavics or eastons. can't complain, though, since i got the bike new from the shop for $1050.

 

[tcklyde]

I've got to agree. Their hubs are definitely suspect. You can have a nice wheelset built with DT or CK hubs and American Classic rims for not much more coin. Or you can go for the rock-solid reliability of the Mavic Ksyrium line for about the same (although they are rather heavy). Good luck!

To my knowledge, you cannot buy Am Classic rims -- they only sell their hubs stand alone.