american classic - downhill 26 disc

Now, everything I look at or read about I say to myself "take it with pinch of salt" because everyone's bumming up their own product yes? So as with my Boxxers 2010 review I've had the product and tested it properly in the real world.


OVERVIEW

Good looking straight out of the box. Nice design and colours that could go with any frame colour. The decals and paint don't scratch easy either which is take big bonus. Laced with 32 of American Classics's own spokes and one red one too to locate the valve even easier! Also quite a unique attribute on a set of wheels.


Techno Techno Techno

The hub is the most incredible feature of American classic mtb wheels. as far as I can understand its made up of the hub body and inside this there is a small sort of axle that has two slits in the centre of it. This axle and its slits take side load off of the bearings, this = extended bearing life by decreasing rate of wear. Now the bearings are just soooooooooo suuuuper smooth the first time I felt them I got a little bit too excited and kept telling people to feel them! I have honestly never felt such smooth rotation in my LIFE. That's only the stainless steel ones! There's a ceramic upgrade! Cleverly used to create this almost frictionless movement is marine grease. Simply beautiful stuff. Last but not least the hub flanges are extra big (still pretty though) so to create a stiffer build with short spokes and the rear hub is designed so as there is very nearly almost equal spacing from end of hub to flange to create a more triangular wheel build and central, meaning spokes are at more equal Angles on either side of the wheel instead of one side having almost vertical spokes and the other horizontal. The freehub is a quiet runner and its body even has 3 steel inserts to stop the cassette damaging it!

xxx NIPPLES xxx

Now I wish I fully understood these and I'll try my best. Basically aluminium nipples are known for breaking but are considerably lighter than brass, 6 times in fact. So once again American Classic have designed their own little bit of genius keeping the light aluminium but sorting the problem. The threads in the head of the nipple are loaded with compression where the body of the nipple is not loaded in tension thus there is no load stress where the head and body meet dissipating fatigue unlike other aluminium nipples.


Rolling Out On 26"s

American classic design, nice and wide to accommodate the big bertha tires and to allow it to seat nicley giving you a nice comfortable ride as well as tyre stability and confidence. Strong as horses with looks to make you double take double take.

Pheeeeeeeew boring bit done but vital as to why these wheels are so exceptional.

Four months of abuse, including 3 races, one being the legendary bike breaker, Fort Bill. Swapping from pro2's built on mavic ex721's to these was noticeable straight away. Freehub Pick Up Equal. Rolling Resistance miles better on the American classics. I was hitting jumps at Caersws pedalling then I swapped to these and I free wheeled into them and cleared them with ease!! The look and relative unknown factor of these wheels really catches peoples eyes too. Toughness...I'm still in awe. I raced Fort William, still drunk for the first race run on the Sunday, hitting every rock going and there's a hell of a rocks up there! My back wheel didn't even buckle, the spokes barely lost tension, tiny little chips in the paint, nothing major though still more than happy with looks. 2 or 3 tiny flat spots in comparison to my old wheels which I had to rebuild after every trip to Fort William just stands testament to the strength of American Classics's Downhill 26 Disc.

I LOVE these wheels! Mark MY words there going to be big!! American Classic have thought of everything!! Check them oot for yourself:

www.amclassic.com

Did i mention... £350... For the pair!!!!

10/10

GET THEM NOW - Ae Bike Shop and Cafe