American Classic MTB Race 29 Tubeless Wheelset Review

Dec 19, 2012
by Richard Cunningham  
TESTED
American Classic
MTB Race 29
Tubeless Wheels
WORDS Richard Cunningham/Eddie Rea
PHOTOS James Quigg

Bill Shook at American Classic has been diligently working on lightweight, wider-profile rims to enhance the volume and performance of available tires and shaping them to more effectively interface with tubeless types. The ‘All-Mountain Tubeless’ was American Classic’s first wheelset to use the new rim profile and in this feature, we review the MTB Race 29 wheels, which are built around a lightened version of the same rim. Small-wheel riders may think that the word ‘wide’ is a stretch for a rim that measures 22-millimeters deep, 24-millimeters inside-to-inside, and 28-millimeters to the outside of the rim flanges – and you would be correct. Big wheel bikes, however, are notorious for heavy, hard-to-accelerate wheels, which is why so many bike makers choose skinny, old-school XC rims and tires to mask that deficiency.

Bill capitalized on the added rigidity of a wider, deeper tubular rim-shape to thin the walls and flanges of the MTB Race rim profile and then laced the wheels with 32 lightweight butted spokes to distribute the stress more evenly around their circumference. The result is a tough and surprisingly lightweight, 1459-gram 29er wheelset that gets going quickly and corners with surety - and the fact that the MTB Race design is one of the better tubeless-ready wheels is icing on the cake. MTB Race Tubeless wheels support most through-axle systems and are also sold in standard quick release attire. For those not 29er inclined, American Classic also offers the wheelset in 650b and 26-inch rim diameters. Axle choice can affect the weight, but the average is 1459 grams a pair. AC charges $999 USD for the pair in all rim diameters or axle configurations and offers a one-year warranty for manufacturing or construction defects, as well as a crash replacement insurance program..
American Classic



MTB Race 29 Specs

• Purpose: Cross country/trail
• Rims: MTB Race Tubeless aluminum
• Spokes: AC Race Round 14 /16 gauge spokes Black, AC aluminum nipples Silver, 32-hole 3-Cross front and rear
• Weight: 29: Front 670gr, Rear 789gr
• Hub options: Front - Disc 130 100mm, 15mm thru-axle, Disc 100mm, 9mm thru axle, Disc 100mm, Lefty Disc 100mm (for 26 and 29 only). Rear: Disc 225 135mm, 10mm x 135mm thru-axle Disc, All Mountain Disc thru axle 12mm x 135mm, 142mm thru-axle Disc.
• Cassettes: Shimano/SRAM 9/10 SRAM XX1
• Colors: AC Cloud Black with Gray Hubs
• Included: AC Tubeless MTB Tape Installed, AC Tubeless Valves, Cromoly QR’s
• Upgrades: Ceramic Bearings, Titanium QR’s.
• Special Notes: UST Tires are not recommended.
• Brake Interface: 6-Bolt International Standard


MTB Race Tubeless Wheel Construction

American Classic Wheels are designed and prototyped in the USA, and manufactured in Taiwan. A longstanding relationship with the people who make the products has placed American Classic in an enviable spot, as they are a relatively small operation with a reputation for innovation and quality.

Conventional lacing: The MTB Race Tubeless wheelset is laced with 32, 14/16-gauge butted spokes and aluminum nipples per wheel and both front and rear are laced three-cross. The mid-flange hubs are spaced a little closer together than most hubs are designed and this reportedly evens the spoke tension between the drive side and the disc brake side of the hub (something that AC has been espousing for a generation).
Six-pawl ratchet: American Classic’s patented six-pawl freehub ratchet is unique in that the pawls have a cam-action that securely locks the pawl into the hub’s 24-tooth ratchet ring. When coasting, however, the inner tooth of the pawl keeps the freehub running quiet and friction free. All six pawls are said to engage at the same time, which should prove to be reliable. The possible downside of this arrangement, however, is a 12-degree engagement interval.

American Classic MTB Race 29 Tubeless valve stem

American Classic pre-tapes the wheels and furnishes its trick-looking tubeless valve stems. The aluminum stems are fragile though, and can snap if you are rough with a hand-pump.



New-school rim flanges: Similar to Stan’s NoTubes, American Classic’s rim flanges are very short. This saves weight, gives the flanges greater impact strength and also adds a rounder profile to the cross-section of the inflated tire. Short rim flanges supposedly support the tire better under lateral loads.
Tubeless ready design: Inside the rim, a gently-curved well eases the tubeless tire beads towards a sealing lip that doubles as a bead lock near the hooked flange. Reportedly AC’s bead locking design is an effective deterrent for burping air. American Classic does not recommend using official UST tires with the wheels, probably because the rectangular UST bead does not interface well with the MTB Race rim’s rounded bead profile.
Steel inserts: Small steel face-plates interlock into three of the splines on the cassette body to prevent galling of the splines by the cogs during forceful pedaling. American Classic says that the cassette body can be used for Shimano or SRAM nine and ten-cog cassettes and it offers an XX1 eleven-speed arrangement as well.
Adjustable bearings: Threaded axles allow customers to fine-tune the preload of the hub bearings. Ceramic hybrid bearings are offered as an upgrade should you choose.

American Classic MTB Race 29 Tubeless Rim Profile

Short rim flanges allow the tire to take a more rounded profile. The graphic (right) reveals the rim's bead-catching ridges and ultra-thin walls.



Multiple axle options: The MTB Race wheels are interchangeable between quick release and QR15 or 142/12 millimeter through axles. The list of axle options and hub spacing is comprehensive, including single speeds and three different widths.
Standard brake rotors: Six bolt rotors are the only option, and American Classic strictly recommends rotors with full circular bolt flanges. American Classic sells a reinforcement ring for rotor designs with separate ‘fingers’ to each bolt.
Ready to Rock tubeless: MTB Race 29 wheels are pre-taped with AC’s transparent tubeless film, and the AC aluminum valve stems are installed. Removable valve cores allow maximum air volume to pass through the stem for quick and sure tubeless mounting, and to inject sealant into the tire safely after the mounting process.
Nice weight: Published weight figures for the set are 1459 grams, with the front at 670 grams and the rear, 789 grams. Axle configurations will skew that figure a bit, but our scale agreed with AC’s numbers.



Trail Testing American Classic MTB Race 29 Tubeless Wheels

We gave the MTB Race Tubeless wheels to Eddie, a six-foot, two-inch, 200-pound test rider who puts in mega miles in the Mojave Desert and the nearby San Bernardino Mountains. Eddie is a bit of a crusher, and six months is about the longest any wheels will stay round beneath him. That said, the AM-Classics performed quite well – one full season of riding and still counting. The following was his report:

Installation of tubeless tires: Excellent. I mounted a Specialized Purgatory 2.2 up front and a Ground Control 1.9 in the rear. Both could be mounted by hand without the assistance of levers or curse words. Once installed, the Purgatory aired up with a floor pump on the first try. The GC almost went up with a floor pump, and I probably could have nailed it eventually, but with a compressor in my garage, I took the path of least resistance. After spending several years on various rim/tire combos, the American Classic wheels rate on par with Stan's rims (A-plus) as far as ease of tubeless mounting.
Aesthetics: Stand-alone, I give them a B, but mount them on a bike and they sure compliment a stealthy bike build out… and they graduate to an A (for an out of the box wheelset).
Weight: 29-inch wheels at 1480 grams? Wow! I was a bit apprehensive throwing a leg over the bike. Being known as a climber in a downhiller's body, my thoughts were that these would not hold up under my 205 pounds of abuse, but I was secretly hoping that they would.

American Classic MTB Race 29 Tubeless rear hub detail

American Classic freehubs use a six-pawl ratchet that proved to be as strong as advertised, but its 12-degree engagement had a noticeable lag. Note the steel reinforcement plates on the aluminum cassette splines.



Ride time: I normally ride Stan's/Hope or American Classic All-Mountain wheels that weigh in about 1800 grams, so right out of the gate, these wheels made me feel like the racer boy I once was. WOW! I have a 4.5 mile climb that brings me to my confluence of trails, and as I hit my pace marker, I was 1:10 quicker than my PR, although I did not have the usual monster headwind. Here is where is gets good in my book: the wheels are stiff and responsive and surpass my hand-built (1800-ish gram) Hope Flow/Stan's wheel set. I did have one scare after the first long ride though. As I rolled onto pavement at the end of my first ride on the wheels I felt an odd hop. I was devastated that the rear wheel was out of round after just one ride. Upon closer inspection, the tire bead had not seated perfectly. Pheeww. I deflated the tire and carefully aired it up with a floor pump to 45 PSI and it seated perfectly.
Upside: Light, stiff, easy tubeless mount and inflation, gGood looks, and they inspire you to go fast. The tires track exceptionally well and don't float around. I plan to go to a larger rear tire.
Downside: Valve stems are way too fragile. One valve stem broke off on the thread when unscrewing the valve to add air. This is the second occurrence and an opportunity for American Classic to improve the design. The valve cores are light, but they need to handled very gingerly while unscrewing and inflating - something that is very difficult to do when you are in a hurry to get out onto the trail. I'll take the small weight penalty and use a brass valve stem as a replacement.
Durability: The rims are very thin, and have been dented on the tops and sides by rock strikes and other impacts, but oddly, they have resisted the more typical flat spots and dented rim flanges I would have expected. If you don’t know how to touch up a wheel, these may not be for you. I had to throw them in the stand and tighten up the spokes or true a little wobble once a week

Pinkbike's take:
bigquotesCompared to American Classic's heavier All Mountain Tubeless wheels, the MTB Race wheels are more flexible, mostly up front. Besides the need for regular maintenance, they have held up exceptionally well for such a lightweight wheelset and I have been using them almost exclusively. I work my bike pretty hard laterally and these wheels have never burped a tire. The tires hold solid to the rim and never roll over or feel wobbly - and that's saying something for a big guy like me. At 1480 grams, I'll bet they compete with carbon wheels from Easton or Specialized - and cost less. If you ride pretty hard and want to go the lightweight direction, I could recommend American Classic MTB Race wheels, as long as you have the skills or the resources to keep them tuned up.- ER



Author Info:
RichardCunningham avatar

Member since Mar 23, 2011
974 articles

72 Comments
  • 50 15
 I love seeing 29er related articles on the front of Pinkbike. Didn't mind that it wasn't relevant to my interests exactly. Just appreciate you guys catering to the a different type of bike and rider. Now lets see some 29ers hittin the rough stuff!
  • 44 95
flag Enduro27 (Dec 19, 2012 at 7:03) (Below Threshold)
 I hate seeing it, 29er articles should stay where they belong, on mtb action
  • 31 72
flag Maveri20 (Dec 19, 2012 at 9:14) (Below Threshold)
 Totally agree with you Enduro27. I saw this and immediately thought "wow, another 29er article, how about showing some freeride part reviews for once."
  • 29 8
 The pro-29er comment currently has positive props while the anti-29er comment currently has negative props because, for the most part, only 29er riders are on PB at 6am; Mind, this is after their early breakfast at Country Kitchen Buffet.

Just trying to have fun, hope everyone has a good day!
  • 22 37
flag alonalgr (Dec 19, 2012 at 10:02) (Below Threshold)
 Couldnt agree more with Enduro27.
The reason I fav pinkbike over other sites is that its more Freeride and Downhill oriented.
Articles like this (which we see a lot of lately) are no use for me.
  • 12 4
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRGd0gD0QNE

go bitch some more panzies.
  • 22 2
 pinkbike just does mountain biking, just be glad they don't feature road bikes!
  • 13 17
flag Freeride-Digger (Dec 19, 2012 at 14:00) (Below Threshold)
 If I wanted to see 29ers I would just go to MTBR.com when I go to pinkbike I want to see some Gnar.
  • 22 4
 If these articles are no use to you 26" guys ( and I still like 26" wheels ) then why did you click on it, just to make some stupid comments. Suck it down pussies 29 ers are evewrywhere including PB.
  • 3 10
flag snoopy24777 (Dec 19, 2012 at 15:52) (Below Threshold)
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ecwpBNSE6w just keep 29inch wheels off my dh
  • 4 1
 UST wheels who come with advice not to use UST tires... ahh i see what you did there. O_o
  • 5 1
 Reviews like this are useful to some of us. I'm picking up a 29er hardtail for race season next year and the ac race 29er was one of the wheelsets I'm considering upgrading to.
  • 24 3
 When was the last time some dh/fr/enduro kit was tested, i'm really getting bored of all this 29er and xc stuff, not that i protest is being there i just think there should be balanced types of riding being catered for. And i cant wait for DVO's to be reviewed coz that shits going to be sick
  • 1 0
 Agree, but I'm biased since I cracked my frame (twice!) so now shopping around for a new bike, and would like another series similar to what PB did earlier this year testing five 2012 all mountain bikes around $3,000. Would love to see them review the 2013 Giant Reign, as it seems like everything PB complained about the 2012 model has now been fixed. Also the new 2013 Enduro and Stumpjumpers from Specialized look the goods. Yes, decision paralysis Smile
  • 19 4
 Those rims remind me of Velocity Blunts. Wow, 8 comments and half of them are worthless, I must be on Pinkbike.
  • 5 4
 your comment is worthless too
  • 4 0
 I own a pair of these, they are on my xc RACE bike, and they are awesome - for racing. They are designed to be light for xc racing purposes, hence the name MTB RACE. They are not a AM wheel, so to compare the two doesn't make sense. Of course these are going to less rigid that a AM wheel. They are also going to be less rigid than Mavic Deemax.
  • 4 0
 God forbid people realize that XC race wheels aren't made to take huge hits... I'm buying a set of Outlaw 29's for my 29er build. Mostly because I ride XC bikes like they should never be ridden. Heavier makes me stronger. I'll take it for the added strength and stiffness.
  • 2 0
 I have a set of these too and what can I say other than I don't notice them. When I ride, I ride and the wheels don't come to my attention. And since I am a princess [my wife's term] that obsesses over everything, too be a component of my bike that is ignored is about as good a praise as I can muster.

Due to past experience I'm not looking forward to the longevity of the pawl system, though the pawl system must have the least drag of any on the planet - welcome to MTB, where every purchase has pros and cons.

After reading this I will check the trueness of the rims. I am using these as everyday wheels.
  • 1 0
 I've had issues in the past with AC freehubs, so I wouldn't get my hopes up iamamodel. Three complete freehub rebuilds in a month was enough for me to tear the thing out of my wheel and replace it with a Hope. They are so smooth and drag-free, but that's at the expense of bearing/freehub durability.
  • 7 3
 1.eee... inner 24, outer 28mm - dent resistance anyone? i wouldn't like to flat that at speed in rocky terrain, you know when air is out before the wheel stops turning, or corner on rocks with lower pressure.

2.eee... how much max PSI before such thin sidewalls bend outwards?

3.Such light and therefore flexy section for 29er where forces have increased leverage comparing to 26" wheel? Comparison to the "Nu skool" ZTRs is a bit of a shot in the foot when thinking of comparable Cross or Crest29. Nice tyre volume shape - yes, now give me some basic stiffness. For 29" I hope they meant at least Flows because everything else is fireroad cheese unless you are in supermodel weight category.

4. Has American Classic fixed the issues with their freehub bodies?

They are light and look great though! bamdi bamdi bamdi bam...
  • 3 0
 One of the advantages to larger wheel diameters is the increased air volume lets you run lower pressures, and going tubeless gives you even more volume still. You don't need high pressures to prevent flats and dents on rocks, and with tubeless ready tires employing sealant which effectively dries and glues the tire to the rim edges, they're not going to just let all the air out suddenlly EVER unless you slice thru the tire casing.
  • 3 0
 WAKIdesigns, The new freehub is strong. Eddie specifically wanted to test the American Classic wheels (he did the earlier AM test also) to get back at the company for making weak freehubs, as he had problems with them in the early days. ER was impressed that it was solid, even when when riding the boulder-fields at Bell Mountain, where you are constantly ratcheting the cranks at full power to pull off the A-moves.
RC
  • 1 0
 deeeight, Why does a larger wheel diameter with increased air volume let you run lower pressure?
  • 2 0
 jmm337 -- it has to do with the contact patch of the tire. Larger wheels have a longer and narrower contact patch with the ground than smaller wheels making them less vonerable to pinch flats than their smaller conterparts. From experience this proves to be very true.
  • 1 0
 Pinchflats are the result of not enough relative movement between tirewall and tube, nothing to do with the contact patch. Siliconspray eliminates stiction between the two, reduces pinchflats to zero if you run wide dh-rims, Minions and a decent innertube. Skimping on tirequality, tubeweight, narrow rims and you have a pinchflat problem which money will not solve regardless of a 29 or 26.
  • 1 0
 surly the geometry of the contact patch has little affect on pinchflats. If you hit a sharp edge it will still deform the tire and hit the rim, maybe even more so as the air volume is grater thus less progressive (like air shocks with large volumes). @wakaba can you explain this relative motion between the tube and sidwall in more detail, i'm a little confused.
  • 1 0
 There are two issues on 29ers regarding strength vs stiffness. When it comes to withstanding hits, because of smaller attack angle, the 29" rims can take more abuse than 26" versions with the same section. However give the same sections, 29" wheels will be more flexy as the force leverage is bigger. So actualy what you are looking for is a kind of street/DJ style rim, low but wide.

Apart from that, the discussion here is a bit mind blowing, the arguments people used 10yrs ago here and way it goes now Big Grin Good job guys!
  • 3 0
 I'm sick of seeing people on here complain about the different principles of mountain biking! "29ers are for squares!!!! LOL" Please, shut up! We're all here because we love one thing: RIDING OUR BIKES. The size of the other guy's wheels shouldn't make you go on a rampage for f*ck's sake.
  • 4 0
 Holy crap! This wheel set is the same weight as my carbon Shimano Dura-Ace C24 road bike wheels. How can these things be strong enough on a mountain bike?
  • 4 1
 They are not strong - below average of what I deem trackworthy and have some design flaws that come with trying to shed weight and then some..:

29er rims not as stiff and though as 26 and inherently heavier than 26.
longer spokes mean more torsional (and other) brakepull on them - not good.
Rims not dentresistant
No tube and thus no failsafe.
Light tires that dont last and can be a safety issue
Problematic valve stems, safety issue
Light spokes
Rudimentary spoke beds
Bigger diameter of wheels means given brakesurface will give less brake, simply put more leverage.

Me not like.

Good things: Axle diameter 20/12 is good news. After a couple years now - seems to be an ideal and practical sizeage.
  • 3 0
 Shimano overbuilds their wheels so anytime you compare them to aftermarket brands, you'll find someone else does something better for less weight because they're not concerned about protecting the brand name reputation like shimano is about their name.
  • 2 5
 hey wakaba, are these rim brake rims? the whole bigger diameter rim = more leverage doesnt mean anything with disc wheels.
  • 2 0
 if anything, it means more. The larger diameter rim brings more leverage against the brake rotor, making it harder to brake. Essentially, you have to upsize the rotor on a 29" wheel to get the same braking power as with a 26" wheel, increasing (although only slightly) rolling weight.
  • 1 0
 Ohhhh, ok, I get it, thanks for clarifying.
  • 1 0
 laryssman: Thanks for the comment. Distance from center increases while rotor/brake aera will not, more leverage, less brakepower.
Getting equal brakepower from a 29er means heavier and bigger rotor and tangentially larger pads. Now you`ve increased braking power on a weaker rim and spokes and have to beef it up to last.

So you see 29er are a host of problems rather than solutions.
  • 1 0
 I understand. Thanks! I always wondered why the 180mm discs on niners. thanks!
  • 1 0
 Hum ... I'll stay away from this light set, when I see how flexible is the "heavier" rims as much lateral than frontal stiffness-wise.
And poor free wheel engagement too. But light : I've been to a custom set with a Flow in the rear and Arch up front, laced around Hope hubs : happy rider am I !!
  • 2 0
 Own a pair of these too and they are light and fast, stiff enough for the type of riding you would expect to do with wheels this light but the slow engagement is noticeable and the rear is noisy when cranking hard.
  • 1 0
 ...
  • 1 0
 The American Classic All Mountain Wheels are straight up awesome. The race version is just that, a faster, lighter, get you to the finish line faster wheel. This is not a post about if you ride a 26 inch wheel mountain bike, because personally, nobody commenting here gives two shits except people defending the smaller wheel.

I ride the All mountain wheelset and I love them. I appreciate the race version, albeit weaker, (obviously), but they do server their purpose in the mountain biking realm.
  • 1 0
 Awful rims... lunched both of them in one weekend, waaaay too soft and fragile. I'm 66kg, and yes, rocks exist where I ride. Much better luck with Crests, but then went for crossmaxs. Bombproof, and worth every penny of the upcharge.
  • 1 0
 I've been running these wheels for nearly a year, on my carbon hardtail. I've only got one small dent from when I was on the start line of a XC race and discovered I didn't do an awesome job inflating a tyre that was folded up in a box that morning. I think I started the race with my back tyre on about 16 psi, and wow it held up fine for the entire 4hr race through rocky terrain, but just in one hard rocky section, each lap you could *just* (and only just) feel the rim knock the rocks. I guess I'm a light rider at 76kg, and I ride quite lightly, so there's no wonder I only got one small tiny dent.

I intended to take them off the bike between races and use my stock wheelset, but I've never taken them off! Now some 3,000km of XC riding later, the wheels are doing great.

I did have to get the spokes tightened a few times in the first couple months, but haven't touched them since.

I only do small jumps, but I do them fast and I like to ride hard and fast without defying gravity. My climbing times improved a lot as soon as I installed these compared to my stock wheels.

I've never had a burp, and run schwalbe racing ralph 2.25 inch tyres at around 29 psi front and rear.

I definitely recommend them to any XC racer or rider that doesn't do big doubles and jumps!
  • 1 0
 Wow, I recently got back into riding since I stopped in the late 90s and surprised how divisive the sport had become. Granted, back then there was just "mountain biking", with XC and DH being the only official disciplines but the bikes weren't that different. Lots has changed, XC, Trail, AM, FR and DH! I got a 29er for a few reasons. I don't live near a lift resort nor have the cash or a vehicle. I don't plan on big air for similar reasons as well as age and experience. I wanted a bike that can take me to the trails and do what, to me, is basic mountain biking or simply boonie bash or explore the woods and its terrain through whatever obstacles, up and down. I live on Vancouver Island BC and this isn't smooth flowy single track nor open fire road abundant but quite technical terrain and the 29er destroys a hardtail 26 in this stuff. I can ride over far more difficult stuff like river beds, stream crossings and logs with greater ease at the cost of being a bit trickier in tight switchbacks. I run into guys on "bigger" bikes all the time but we never start slagging each other. We used to think that stinky attitude belonged in the roadie circles. I really don't think 29ers are any more a kool aid drink than freeride was a decade ago or Enduro today or full face helmets on non-lift runs or super wide bars. Seriously, we all are drinking the f*cking kool aid just different flavours so who gives a shit?
  • 6 1
 Truing wheels once a week isn't encouraging!
  • 1 0
 When you ride a RACE wheelset like an everyday trail wheel, that is the result. I have had the same experience with Stans Crest rims. They are light, but they only last one season if riden like a training/trail wheelset.
  • 4 0
 "Note the steel reinforcement plates on the aluminum cassette splines." About time, what a freaking great idea!
  • 1 0
 I can vouch for the hubs being good quality and strong. I had a set of Chi-com carbon fiber rims laced to some of their disc hubs and they have held up under my 240+lbs with no issues and the bearings are super smooth like Eastons.
  • 1 1
 29ers make me cringe, but I looked up the 26" version of these wheels, and damn, it looks like the dream set for me.

The 26" set weighs in at a mere 1200 grams, which is amazing for this kind of rim width. The smaller diameter is also inherently less torqued and much less laterally stressed, so for us guys below 140 pounds, it will hold up quite nicely against all sorts of abuse. I can imagine pairing it with the light x-king 2.4s, run them at 15 psi tubeless... This kind of combo would transform a humble xc rig into a trail beast that could tackle anything: feather light and gecko traction going up, and zipping down on rails with the help of that deliciously wide footprint.

But it's a bloody shame Am Class doesn't sell the rims separately. I would have bought a pair in a blink.
  • 3 2
 if i rode XC or AM i would definitely consider them. i tune my wheels every ride anyways so that is no big deal. the only two downers i could see were the freehub lag and the easy to break of valve stem. not bad otherwise.
  • 1 0
 Anyone know whether the weights listed in the article are with or without skewers? If without then the wheels are very similar in weight to the Stans Crest 29er wheelset - just a lot more expensive.
  • 5 2
 Those freehub bodies are junk.
  • 2 0
 How much do the individual rims weigh? The set is VERY light for the rim width - almost worryingly so.
  • 1 0
 Guessing the rims weight in under 400grams, maybe even lighter than ztr Crest. I'm a 75kg biker and from my experience rims like Crest aren't strong enough for day by day biking. I would only go for these 1.5kg wheelsets if someone else buys it for me :-)
  • 1 0
 @zach77, why are the freehub bodies junk? Just curious.

Personally I've had trouble with the pawls on my old wheels but not the freehub body.
  • 1 1
 @kovaldesign, if it makes any difference to your view, my mavic crossmax sx wheelset (26") weighs in at 1755g and withstand me riding like an idiot daily (95kg of me) so i think you'll be surprised how strong they can make wheels now days Smile
  • 2 1
 @dj-uk-scottie, not surprised at all, and I'm sorry to say but your comparison is completely useless. Study the section of both, your Crossmax and AC Race rims for a start, and then think again.
  • 1 0
 heavy at 205. I ride all day at 230. my SPEC enduro has held up and needed a tuning once on the rear after an hard hit. how much are these, Race Rims?
  • 1 0
 I think they look pretty slick! And 28mm edge to edge no tyres slipping off there!!! Will the be doing a 26" version as 29" seems to be for the select few.......
  • 1 0
 Not tried the 39er yet but that steel reinforce free hub spline is gold, big 10-4 to ya. Everyone learn a lesson from this that's a bad motha idea!
  • 3 2
 The fact of it is, whether you like this article or not. Richard Cunningham is always creating good articles.
  • 1 0
 These look like super boaring wheels, they look bland and look like everyother wheelset you can buy to date
  • 4 2
 someone cant do maths. 360 divide by 24 is not 12, its 15.
  • 4 0
 I did the math too, I figured that it could have a skip in the ratchet ring, like an old vinyl record to make up the difference, so I went with the manufacturer's number . HA!
  • 1 0
 Also... THEY ARE RACE WHEELS! For want of better words- Don't put a fatty riding Am on race wheels!
  • 1 0
 designed to be used with tubes. Not even grasscutters use em anymore.
  • 1 1
 dear santa..............
  • 2 4
 Stick to 26' why change
  • 2 0
 At least try the koolaid before you hate on it. My first experience on a 29er wasn't too bad, but there aren't any decent 29er bikes for the kind of riding I prefer to do.
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