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Zack Vestal reviews the American Classic Carbon 58 clincher wheelset

by Zack Vestal

• May 27, 2009
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By Zack Vestal

American Classic: The graphics package looks sharp on the Carbon 58 clinchers.

Photo: ZackVestal

Aerodynamic, deep section wheels have become a staple in the wheel quiver for most road racers. Flat to rolling road races and time trials call for a wheelset that is aerodynamic, rolls fast, and handles well.

However, wheels of this description often cost a small fortune and are typically reserved for special occasions. If purchased in carbon tubular configuration, the added cost of tires and the time to glue them might stand as a deterrent to frequent use.

American Classic has an option that might be more manageable. The Carbon 58 clincher wheelset retails for $1300, which is far from a nominal sum, but still less than half of what some competitor’s wheelsets of similar section depth might cost. They prove to roll very fast, they feel reasonably aerodynamic, and the ride is quite nice. Furthermore, with just a few minor exceptions, these wheels seem durable enough for everyday use.

The American Classic brand was founded 27 years ago by Bill Shook, who retired from a racing career to take up engineering and producing high-performance cycling components. The company is committed to creating lightweight, fast parts at a fair price to the consumer. Everything is engineered in the USA and produced in Tawian.

The Wrenching

As the name implies, the Carbon 58 clincher wheels have 58mm of rim depth. The clincher tire bed and brake track is aluminum (very sensible) while the rest of the rim depth is built from carbon fiber. Mounting tires was no problem — the tire bed is sized well, despite the rim being on the narrow side at just 19mm outside to outside. I used a 23c tire, but with a 19 or 21c tire, the whole package would be quite narrow.

The front wheel is laced radially with 18 spokes, and the rear is 2-cross with 24 spokes. Spokes are bladed, and aluminum nipples are mostly hidden, but the tops are visible at the rim, such that they could be trued without using a special tool or removing the tire (also sensible). Out of the box, the wheels were true and stayed that way for the duration of my riding.

American Classic: A Micro 58 front hub is just that: very slender in size, with a small axle and bearings.

Photo: ZackVestal

Hubs are American Classic, Micro 58 in the front, and RD 205 in the rear. I used a Shimano-compatible version, but Campy 9/10/11 compatibility is also available. I did not have occasion to service the hubs, but the rear requires cone wrenches, and the front, 5mm allen wrenches. Ceramic bearings are available as a $240 upgrade.

I weighed my test wheels, and the pair came in at 1910 grams, without QR skewers.

The Riding

These wheels are obviously not the lightest on the market, but they’re not meant as a lightweight climbing wheelset. They’re meant to fly on the flats, and that’s exactly what they do. Once the Carbon 58s are up to speed, they want to just keep on rolling, and it feels very easy to truck along, and fast.

American Classic: The rear hub has an aluminum freehub body with guards on the splines to prevent cogs pulling through.

Photo: ZackVestal

The American Classic hubs are quite light on their own, so it can be inferred that a majority of the wheel weight is in the spokes and rims. While riding, I do feel the added rotational inertia in climbs, corners, and accelerations. However it’s not obtrusive and not necessarily a bad thing — as I said, these wheels roll very fast and give a great feeling on flat to rolling roads. Just don’t expect them to be quite as snappy in and out of corners as a 1200-gram climbing wheelset.

Note that as with many deep section wheels, they will be affected by crosswinds. The added side-surface area of the rim and bladed spokes will cause some buffet in severe crosswind. A lower spoke count might help this, but could in turn compromise strength.

For stiffness, I would rate these as perfectly adequate. Not the stiffest I’ve felt, nor the softest, right around a 6 or 7 out of 10. What’s nice is that they are very comfortable to ride, and are not overly harsh as a stiffer deep section wheel might feel. Plus, a little give in the corners prevents them skipping on bumps or pavement cracks.

American Classic: The aluminum brake track aids heat dissipation and prevents brake chatter.

Photo: ZackVestal

Braking performance is as expected for an aluminum brake track: very predictable and powerful. No pulsing, chatter, or squeal as might be had from a carbon brake track.

Over the course of the test period, the hub bearings stayed in adjustment, requiring no adjustment. I didn’t ride in any foul weather, and at the end of the six-week test period, the rear felt very smooth, but the front felt a little rough. It relies on very small cartridge bearings, and a little more grease fill might solve the problem. But Bill Shook explained the issue this way: “Yes, sometimes the bearings will feel rough when the wheel is not clamped in a frame with the QR. The QR compresses the axle and the bearings line up properly and have the appropriate room to spin freely (smoothness). Then when you unclamp the QR, the axle expands and the bearings again feel a little rough.”

American Classic: The white spoke on each American Classic wheel helps identify the valve hole.

Photo: ZackVestal

The Carbon 58 clinchers are not the lightest on the market, they don’t have the lowest spoke count, and they don’t claim to be the absolute most aerodynamic.

But they are not nearly as expensive as some similar products. They are carefully engineered by Shook and backed up by service from a 27-year-old company. And they do stand up as a durable, fast-rolling, reasonably aerodynamic, and comfortable wheelset for flatter road races, time trials, and everyday use.

The American Classic Carbon 58 clinchers offer good versatility and performance for a relatively moderate price.

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