After a 4-Year Hiatus, American Classic Returns With Road and Gravel Tires, and a Focus on Value
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The American Classic name has been around the bike industry for almost 40 years. I suspect many old-school riders will remember their ultra-light seatposts, while others might recognize the name as a wheel brand. In general, American Classic was known for making lightweight, road-focused products and for their involvement in bicycle races and events throughout the US. That is until the company shut down almost four years ago. The newest version of American Classic concentrates on tires and launches with eight models spread between road, gravel, and urban tires.
With a retail price for all the tires at only $30-35, each American Classic’s tire line brings a ton of value for the price to the already crowded tire market. . The tires also come with an aggressive “Road Hazard Replacement Policy”. This allows riders to get a one-time 50% discounted price replacement tire if they cut or flat an American Classic tire. There is a form on the American Classics website to ask for replacements. Just make sure you hold on to your receipts!
The low price of the tires is due primarily to American Classic owning its new factory in Taiwan and selling to consumers directly, either on their own website or through Amazon.
The Tires Going From Road To Gravel
The Timekeeper is the fastest rolling tire in the American Classic lineup designed for road racing. The tread pattern is reminiscent of the Continental GP 5000. It uses a 120 TPI nylon casing that is tubeless-ready and hookless compatible. It’s available in 700x25mm and 700x28mm sizes with black or tan sidewalls. Our 28mm sample weighed in at 289 grams.
The Torchbearer uses the same rubber compound as the Timekeeper but with bead-to-bead puncture protection and a bit more tread on the tire’s shoulders. It’s only available in black but adds a 700x32mm option to the Timekeeper’s 25mm and 28mm sizes. Claimed weight ranges from 270-415 grams depending on size.
Lamplighter is American Classic’s largest volume road-specific tire. It’s designed as an urban-commuter tire but could also work as a heavy-duty touring tire for paved trips. It’s offered in 700x40mm, and 700x50mm, as well as 650x47. All sizes use a 60 TPI tube-type nylon casing with an emphasis on durability. There is bead-to-bead puncture protection and an extra 3mm of added rubber under the tread cap to help prevent flats. But all that additional material adds quite a bit of weight with tires ranging from 580-670 grams.
The Kimberlite is a good option for riders who favor rolling speed over cornering traction and outright grip on looser surfaces. Its tread pattern resembles the WTB Byway in many respects. The Kimberlite is available in 70x40mm, 700x50mm, and 650x47mm. All sizes feature a tubeless-ready 120 TPI nylon casing and black sidewalls. Weight is claimed to range from 565-660 grams, depending on size.
The Aggregate tire improves on the well-loved design of the Schwalbe G-One Allround gravel tire by changing the round knobs to hexagonal ones. This should help quite a bit with braking and cornering traction while keeping the Aggregate rolling fast. Sizes and casing remain the same as the Kimberlite with the addition of a tan sidewall option. The weight for our sample was 561 grams, which is a hair lighter than the claimed range of 565-680 grams.
The Udden tire builds on the Aggregate by adding a tight chevron pattern down the center and larger cornering knobs to the shoulder while keeping the hexagonal knobs in the transition zone. It's a similar design to the popular Donely MSO tire. Weight, sizes, casing, and color options remain the same as the Aggregate.
With bigger tread blocks and wider spacing in the shoulder and transition zone of the tire, the Wentworth is meant for rides across a wide variety of gravel conditions. It offers a solid combination of traction and efficiency. Claimed weights range from 550-740 grams but sizes, colors, and casing construction are the same as the Aggregate and Udden.
The Krumbein is American Classic’s knobbiest tire with clear influences from past mountain bike tire designs. It’s well suited for riders tackling loose gravel or singletrack and could be closely compared to the WTB Resolute gravel tire. Claimed weight goes up to 585-735 grams, but sizes, colors, and casing construction are the same as the Aggregate, Udden, and Wentworth.
Our Initial Impressions
Our test has spent the most time on the Aggregate, the Torchbearer, and the Kimberlites tires so far, and we’re impressed. Tubeless setup was an absolute breeze, and while the tires don’t ride quite as nice as other pricier options from Maxxis, Continental, WTB, and Schwalbe, they don’t exactly ride like 30 dollar tires either. Sure the casings are a bit stiff, but this should add some long-term durability.
At present, it’s tough to look past American Classic’s price structure and their extremely intriguing replacement policy. But most importantly, the tires are actually available and in stock, which in 2021 is an accomplishment in its own right.
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