March 21st, 2008 by 
Francois
American Classic 420 Wheelset
Description:
Model: 420 Black Bladed with ceramic bearings.
Weight: 1530 grams
MSRP: 420 with bladed spokes is $949 wheels + $199 ceramic bearings
Total: $1148
The 420 is the best selling product of the American Classic line up. They have lighter wheel sets and stronger wheel sets but none achieve the balance that the 420 has. It has a medium depth rim at 34 mm. And it has decent weight at 1530 grams. The lateral stiffness is excellent and the ride is pretty comfortable.
On the test bench, the wheel is perfectly true. The bearings are smooth and the wheel seems to spin forever.
On the road, these wheels just roll. With little fuss, they do the job confidently and quietly. On flats and rollers, they seem to be carry good speed and one gets the feeling of going a bit faster compared to low profile wheels. On climbs, they don’t accelerate as easily as ultralight low profile wheels. But the the high spoke tension seems to put the power to the ground well.
Cornering is definitely a strength of this wheelset. It feels solid with miminal side to side movement and it rails corners very well. It just seems to do the job confidently and quietly.
Strengths:
- great balance of aerodynamics, weight and solid build
- wheel is laterally stiff and handles and descends very well
- It is quite light at 1530 grams
- It rolls well, it corners well and climbs too. If you can only have one wheelset, this is a good choice.
Weaknesses:
- braking performance is not as good as others in this price range
- properly tensioning the hub can be a bit finicky
- the price is high at $1148 and $949 with normal bearings.
Bottom Line:
Do you want a wheel set that is light or robust? One that climbs like a goat or one that slices through the air for time trials? These are everyday requirements of the cycling enthusiast but they are hard to achieve in one wheel set since most of these qualities are conflicting.
The American Classic tries to achieve all these and does a great job at it? You can do a hill climb with it one day, a time-trial, the next day and a demanding criterium the next. It achieves a good balance between all the demands of the enthusiast or club racer. It’s not cheap at $1148 but the performance is very good.
Our test wheel set came with ceramic bearings for an extra $199. Out of the box, the were very smooth and the wheels spun ‘for days’ on the test bench. Could we tell the difference out on the streets? No. Elite athletes however looking for the last 1% of performance might benefit from these ceramic bearings.
So it’s a very good wheelset. We’re not completely happy with the braking performance since it’s not as powerful and consistent as other wheelsets with a machined braking surface. It’s not an incredible value but well worth the money.
Value Rating: 4.5 stars
Overall Rating: 4.5 stars
Read and write user reviews here: Roadbikereview user reviews
Editor’s Note: Upon reading our review, American Classic commented that we might not be using the optimum brake pad for their wheel. We were using Zero Gravity brakes with Kool Stop black pads. They suggested we try Kool Stop Salmon pads and we did. Braking was a little bit better, specially in damp and wet conditions. It seems these pads match pretty well with these wheels. However, they still did not brake as strong and did not modulate as well as the Mavic Ksyrium and Fulcrum Racing One wheels we were testing. We’ll let our comments on braking performance stand and recommend the Kool Stop Salmon pads for these wheels.
March 24th, 2008 at 11:46 am
I agree with your review. I have one season on my AC420’s. Overall I am happy with them, bu they do not perform very well under braking. I have tried both Kool Stop black and salmon pads. The brake track on the rim is very narrow and it jus seems the pads cannot get much of a “bite” onto the rim. They do roll very freely and are a good all around wheelset.
March 27th, 2008 at 11:10 am
I have had the AC420s since December. As you mentioned, braking is not great, but the wheels do everything else really well. The best all around wheel I have used.
March 27th, 2008 at 11:26 am
I have ridden on AC420’s for almost two years now. These wheels do everything well and are also very tough. I have not had to true them at all in that time. They roll on forever. On downhills I actually catch my heavier buddies (physics ignored!)when we all are coasting and tucked. The one downside is, as mentioned, the braking. While not poor, it is no better than mediocre. One other note - these wheels are actually a great value because they are very easy to find on the internet at prices well below the MSRP.
March 27th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
I have used these wheels for three years with great success. They are super strong. I weigh 170lbs and race ‘cross - I tend to fly over rough stuff on my road bike just like I was in the dirt. I jump the odd curb, hit railroad tracks at speed, etc. These wheels stay true and are quite fast in coasting.
A big PLUS is that they come from a small American company where you can speak to real people, they actually give a crap about you as a rider, and I like supporting them. Not to knock Mavic, but they are owned by Salomon Group, a billion + company. Can I call them and talk to the owner??? I can at AC when needed…
March 31st, 2008 at 7:47 am
One year 4000+ miles on these wheels and I’m very satisfied. As mentioned these are everywhere on the net for $400-$600 and at that price these wheels provide a ton of performance & value. Relatively light at 1500gms for the set. Stiff and mostly bullet proof. For my money these are one of the best all around wheels out there. Strong enough to ride everyday and if you’re an occasional racer these will serve you well.
I should mention I did have some troubles with repeated and mysterious flats with my rear wheel. After retaping the rim strip it was solved.
April 20th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
I’ve had my 420’s for 2 years and over 5000mi. on them and they still rock! The braking surface sucks though, too narrow, all pads overlap off of the braking surface. I’ve always used salmon pads with them since I read about how soft the aluminum is before buying. Very light, and stay true. I’ve done the campy conversion, the re-dish, and the hub adjustments myself. Very finicky to adjust bearing play. Great all around wheels, very fast and surprisingly durable, A+.
April 20th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
I forgot to mention, don’t bother buying the non-bladed set. (weight issues aside) Bladed spokes are needed on these rims if you want ANY durability, it seems they rely on proper spoke tension rather than rim stiffness.
April 29th, 2008 at 6:57 am
cette paire de amc 420 c’est le nouveau modele a rayon plat amc bladed ou blade un truc comme sa quoi c’est pas le test de amc 420 a rayon roud et plus fin