American Classic 420 wheels are described by the company as: “This wheelset features the American Classic 420 gram rim, which is the lightest deep section aluminum clincher rim in the world. It is ideal for everyday riding and racing, and suitable for flat or hilly courses, triathlons or time-trialing, and is light enough to use as a climbing wheel. This wheelset is the best do-it-all wheelset available on the market, even for Clydesdales!” 

If all of that were true, particularly the last sentence, then the wheels would certainly be worth the $900.00 asking price. Unfortunately, the 420 “Standard Build” wheels have two significant problems: (1) they flex too much, even to the point of hitting the brake pads (which means they definitely aren’t for Clydesdales); and (2) they don’t have a particularly comfortable ride (likely due to the spoke material and tension).  To further test whether the 420s are worth the asking price, I decided to compare them to two other similarly priced wheels, the Mavic Ksyrium SLs and the Topolino AC29s.

Aerodynamically, I would like to see a wind tunnel test on the 420’s “A” frame shaped rim with round spokes vs. Mavic's Ksyrium SLs and Topolino’s AC29s.  Based on my understanding of wheel aerodynamics, which is admittedly limited, I would speculate that there is very little practical difference between them.  The Ksyriums are generally considered a stiff riding, bulletproof wheelset for even the most powerful cyclists while still being reasonably aerodynamic.  The Topolinos, with their carbon/Kevlar spokes and 30mm deep aluminum rim, are also strong, efficient, lightweight and reasonably aerodynamic.

I wasn't surprised that the Ksyrium SLs and AC29s are both stronger and more efficient than the 420s - you can feel the flexibility of the 420's rim when you mount tires on it.  I also expected the Topolinos to have the best ride due to the spoke material and tension.  What genuinely surprised me, though, was that the Ksyrium SLs also have a better ride than the 420s.  I recently tested the 420s and Ksyrium SLs back to back on the same bike, with the same tires at the same air pressure on the same looping course that has numerous expansion joints and the like.  The Ksyriums have a noticeably smoother ride and like the Topolinos, are fun to watch spin underneath you.  After that discovery, there was really no place in my wheel collection for a set of 420s. 

I usually don’t write reviews of products by comparing them to others.  This review is an exception to that rule because I was trying to determine if the 420s were worth the high asking price when compared to other similarly priced wheels that I might use in a triathlon.  There is no doubt that the American Classic 420s easily come in last place in my informal comparison test.  That may explain why they are generally either sold at a discount or supplied as original equipment.  It’s not that I necessarily think the 420s are a bad set of wheels, I just think their suggested retail is twice what it should be.

KDG