Beim Intensiv-Test der Website Twentynineinches-de.com erzielen die neuen American Classic WIDE LIGHTNING Disc 29 Tubeless Laufräder sehr überzeugende Testresultate und erhalten viel Lob für ihre Produkt- und Fahreigenschaften.

Praxiserfahrungen der verlängerten Testphase:
“Seit der Entdeckung der Delle Ende April habe ich die Laufräder nochmal richtig hart rangenommen:

Zuerst wurden sie am PIVOT Les gefahren um dessen Trailpotential auszuloten. Dann folgte der harte Testalltag auf dem ROCKY Instinct …

… und zuletzt auch noch auf einem Enduro-Trip nach Finale Ligure auf dem CUBE Stereo:

Und durch dieses gesamte Härteprobe sind die AMERICAN CLASSIC Wide Lightning Laufräder ganz ohne weitere Zwischenfälle oder Auffälligkeiten „durchspaziert“.
Ob die Wide Lightning Felge weniger stabil ist als eine deutlich schwerere All-Mountain-Felge lässt sich auch nach dem Test nicht sagen. Simple Logik würde wohl dafür sprechen, dass die Sub-400 g Felge nicht ganz die Reserven 600g Felge. hat  Bis auf die eine Delle im Zusammenhang mit XC-Reifen und niedrigem Luftdruck hat sich der Laufradsatz aber durchweg tadellos gehalten. Auch nach dem noch rigoroseren  Traileinsatz in der  Testverlängerung hat es kein einziges Problem gegeben. Das allein spricht für die hohe Robustheit der Felge.
Ich bewerte damit die eine Delle als Fall von „kann passieren“. Aber um auch wirklich den letzten Zweifel auszuräumen, hat AMERICAN Classic uns angeboten die Wide Lightning noch in einem Langzeittest weiter zu nutzen.
Spannend ist eine Leichtbaufelge wie die AC Wide Lightning auch wenn man and deren Potential mit etwas wie dem SCHWALBE Procore System denkt.”

Testfazit:

“AMERICAN CLASSIC versprach bei der Vorstellung der AMERICAN CLASSIC Wide Lightning Laufräder „Eines für alles“ – ein Laufrad, das vom XC-Renneinsatz bis hin zu Enduro alles mitmachen würde. Grannygear und ich sind die Laufräder in den letzen 4 Monaten an diversen Bikes hart gefahren und können bestätigen – sie erfüllen diesen Anspruch voll und ganz.

Mit ihrem extrem niedrigen Gewicht, der sehr breiten Felge und der Möglichkeit damit nahezu jede Reifenbreite sehr sicher zu fahren haben sich die AMERICAN CLASSIC Wide Lightning Laufräder als unglaublich vielseitig herausgestellt.

Ich halte die AMERICAN CLASSIC Wide Lightning  für das aktuell beste, was man an Alu-Laufrädern fahren kann. Offensichtlich hat Bill Shook hiermit wieder ein kleines technisches Wunder geschaffen, das die Messlatte dessen, was leichte 29er Laufräder leisten können noch ein paar Stufen höher gelegt hat.”

Verdict:

“AMERICAN CLASSIC promised the Wide Lightning wheels to be the „One for All“ wheels – one wheel to use in XC racing all the way to enduro riding. Grannygear and I have been riding two sets of wheels during the last 4 months on an array of bikes and often in a very demanding manner and him and I can confirm – these wheels fulfill that claim perfectly well.

With their extremely low weight, the super wide rim profile and the option to run nearly every tire width size on them (plus the benefits of the larger footprint and volume) the AMERICAN CLASSIC Wide Lightning wheels have proven some of the most versatile wheels existing.

Considering their MSRP, they are one of the best, if not the best, value in alloy wheels. Obviously Bill Shook has achieved, once more, a design miracle and raised the bar of what lightweight alloy 29“ wheels can do again.”

Quelle: Twentynineinches Deutschland Magazin Juli 2014

Informationen und Preise zu American Classic Produkten erhalten Sie hier:

http://www.revolutionsports.eu/

Beim Test der Website Gravelgrindernews.com erzielen die neuen American Classic Hurrikane Tubeless Laufräder sehr gute Testresultate.

Testfazit:

We have been hammering the American Classic Hurricane Disc wheelset for more than three months now. First, it was Guitar Ted giving them a work out (see his impressions here and here). Then, following the Renegade Gent’s Race, I got my turn with them (read my review here).

Putting the American Classic Hurricane Disc wheels to the test at the 2014 Gold Rush Gravel Grinder in Spearfish, SD.

In short, the more than 1.5 pound weight savings and ultra-smooth big fortune at New Zeland’s casinos
rolling hubs transformed the feel of mySingular Gryphon just prior to my run at TransIowa v.10. It was a change I appreciated for its weight initially, but now after having spent more than two thousand miles on the wheels, what’s more impressive to me is the performance of the wheels.

The Hurricane Disc wheels roll very nicely. They feel fast and for a road-based design they’ve proven durable, despite use in gravel road events that more resembled mountain bike trails than roads. I struggle to say any one component of the wheelset is responsible for this performance, because it’s really the synergy of all of the parts that makes the wheels perform so strong as a whole.

The hubs, for example, use adjustable cartridge bearings, and being a user of older versions of American Classic’s hubs, I knew there was smoothness to be gained by carefully paying attention to bearing preload, and adjusting it to the point where it only just eliminates lateral (side-to-side) play in the hub, no more. Accurate bearing adjustment makes the American Classic hubs feel very fast both while pedaling and coasting. Even after 4-500 wet training and racing miles, the hubs feel even smoother today than they did on day one. That’s quality I appreciate.

Riding through the mud, leading the pack in the early miles of Odin’s Revenge in late-June. The Hurricane Disc wheels performed in these nasty conditions without a hiccup.

The rims are clearly very high quality as well, and at just 400 grams a piece, they’re surprisingly light for non-carbon parts. They’ve required no time whatsoever in the truing stand as well, a credit both to the rims and to the traditional 32-spoke, 3-cross construction and short-butt American Classic spokes. Tubeless performance is fantastic as well. I’ve been able to reliably run even tubed-type tires tubeless on the Hurricane Disc wheelset, including my favorite gravel tire — the Bruce Gordon Rock n Road 43c. Like most tires, it’s a great tire made even better when you run it tubeless with sealant. I never run more than 35psi, and more often 30-32psi. At that pressure they are still fast, but the casings feel incredible.

I really enjoy the feel of the wheels too. They’re stiff and solid, but not jarring or harsh. On a bike that often gets ridden 150 to 300 or more miles at a time, that’s exactly how it should be. In fact, pretty much everything about the Hurricane Disc wheelset is exactly how I feel it should be for a serious gravel rider. And at $849, the wheels are a bargain, even when compared to other wheels in American Classic’s own line. As an example, the $1,499 Argent Disc wheelset saves about 110 grams, but only uses 24 spokes per wheel.

The faultless tubeless performance of the Hurricane Disc wheelset was an asset at Odin’s Revenge. Riders running tubes suffered with flats, while I was able to ride through punctures thanks to the self-sealing nature of the setup.

For a gravel rider weighing more than 150 pounds, I’d recommend the added durability of the 32-spoke Hurricane Disc design. The Hurricane rims weigh just 10 grams more than the Argent’s, so most of the additional weight is in the eight additional spokes per wheel on the Hurricane Disc wheelset. If given the choice and price weren’t an issue, I’d still choose the Hurricane Disc wheelset, so the fact that they’re $650 less expensive is just a bonus.

It’s probably pretty clear that I’ve had a great experience with the American Classic Hurricane Disc wheels. My enthusiasm for their performance has only grown with time, and at this point I have no qualms with giving them my full recommendation for gravel riding. If you’re not beholden to building your own wheels and you’re not yet sold on carbon rims, they are a fantastic choice.

Quelle: Gravlgrindernews Juli 2014

Informationen und Preise zu American Classic Produkten erhalten Sie hier:

http://www.revolutionsports.eu/