American Classic closing down

[Dilbert]

Sad. Im a big fan of their mtb wheels.

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry ... lCB23PRbqA

Too bad their business was not a success. I hope they can sell the IP, they developed some good products imo.

[kavitator]

Where goes wrong?

Advertising ?

[tymon_tm]

sad.. AM Classic 420 is one of only few wheelsets I'll always regret not having

[UpFromOne]

A man of Mr. Shook's age probably just shakes his head at the current bike industry, the very same industry that ran down many of his great innovations.

[knef]

Kast said sales began declining for the brand during the 2016 season. The company began offering lower-priced OE wheels to adjust but was unable to resume growth. "It came down to a cash flow issue," she said.

Too bad. I also used their mtb wheels. Good stuff!

[Asteroid]

Always liked their seatposts from twenty years ago. Spiffy design.
There's only so many bike parts and accessories, with incredible competition around the world.

[prebsy]

R.I.P. to some of the neatest stuff although they always seemed a bit niche in the modern era of wide deep carbon clinchers and cheap OEM. I hope they release a hidden stash of mag clincher rims

[tymon_tm]

lol I though the expression "quit while you're ahead" refers to gamblers, stock brokers and rock bands - not industries, but then what do I know

[BPS]

lol I though the expression "quit while you're ahead" refers to gamblers, stock brokers and rock bands - not industries, but then what do I know

Sure it does A lot of bike shops and companies have leveraged everything they own (houses, property, etc) to keep their companies open. If they don't survive in the new few years they'll lose everything. Why not walk away while your company is still worth something and making a profit. According to Bicycle Retailer they are selling off the IP and Assets which means they'll profit again there... seems like a legit way to part from the cycling industry to me - with money in your pocket.

Agree'd they're maybe not the correct terms, however it was probably a wiser move for them.

[Rich_W]

sad.. AM Classic 420 is one of only few wheelsets I'll always regret not having

Huh... Those are one of the wheel sets I regret buying. Horrible narrow brake surfaces that wore quicker than any aluminum wheel I've ever owned. Same for the Mag 350s. Both very flexible, both very very narrow.

Their hubs were also below par. Rear hub design required play in the bearings. Rear wheel could be moved side-to-side to touch the brake surfaces.

In my humble opinionated opinion... American Classic is (was) a company who once perhaps innovated in the early 2000s, but never continued to do so and the market left them far behind.

[BPS]

sad.. AM Classic 420 is one of only few wheelsets I'll always regret not having

Huh... Those are one of the wheel sets I regret buying. Horrible narrow brake surfaces that wore quicker than any aluminum wheel I've ever owned. Same for the Mag 350s. Both very flexible, both very very narrow.

Their hubs were also below par. Rear hub design required play in the bearings. Rear wheel could be moved side-to-side to touch the brake surfaces.

In my humble opinionated opinion... American Classic is (was) a company who once perhaps innovated in the early 2000s, but never continued to do so and the market left them far behind.

I never used their wheels before 2008 and I never experienced any of those issues... The Argent wheels are the best aluminum wheels available. I prefer them to many carbon rims I've ridden. I certainly disagree about the hubs - play in the bearings is a good idea if it is done how they do it - its not any different than a cup and cone (also has play) which Shimano still uses... You have to use their bearings though - not just any radial bearing.

Your understanding of innovation seems limited. The Sprint 350 rim is still one of the lightest aluminum rims on the market. No other manufacturers have been able to produce it. Agree'd that they could have done more in the carbon realm but I would say that they were "left far behind" I have loads of carbon and aluminum wheels and depending on the quality of the frame often the aluminum wheels are much faster and lively.

The Mags were a bust though - thats for sure

[jlok]

Used their 420 Aero 3. It's a very light set of alu wheels for it's height, but yes the brake tracks were not machined as smooth as the big mfgs like Shimano, Mavic and Fulcrum/Campy... and it's very narrow making brake pads alignment very difficult. Loved the look tho. That wheelset taught me a big lesson of the weaknesses of light rims.

[Rich_W]

The Sprint 350 rim is still one of the lightest aluminum rims on the market. No other manufacturers have been able to produce it.

Are you sure you don't mean no other manufacturers *want* to produce it? I've seen many of those narrow light aluminum rims fail through the years. But while my understanding of innovation is limited , my understanding of market trends is strong. Hence AC biting the dust...

[BPS]

The Sprint 350 rim is still one of the lightest aluminum rims on the market. No other manufacturers have been able to produce it.

Are you sure you don't mean no other manufacturers *want* to produce it? I've seen many of those narrow light aluminum rims fail through the years. But while my understanding of innovation is limited , my understanding of market trends is quite strong. Hence AC biting the dust...

Want is indifferent they can't. A 19.7mm internal width seems plenty wide for a lightweight road tubeless compatible rim: https://amclassic.com/index.php/wheels/ ... -pair.html

Their Tour de France team trained on the Sprint 350 - What year were you in the tour? oh yeah...

Market trends have nothing to do with their closing - that is simply your assumption. You know them personally and asked them? Your eye rolling and definitive statements certainly seem like you did.

[Rich_W]

The Sprint 350 rim is still one of the lightest aluminum rims on the market. No other manufacturers have been able to produce it.

Are you sure you don't mean no other manufacturers *want* to produce it? I've seen many of those narrow light aluminum rims fail through the years. But while my understanding of innovation is limited , my understanding of market trends is quite strong. Hence AC biting the dust...

Want is indifferent they can't. A 19.7mm internal width seems plenty wide for a lightweight road tubeless compatible rim: https://amclassic.com/index.php/wheels/ ... -pair.html

Their Tour de France team trained on the Sprint 350 - What year were you in the tour? oh yeah...

Market trends have nothing to do with their closing - that is simply your assumption. You know them personally and asked them? Your eye rolling and definitive statements certainly seem like you did.

I think you should take a break from the internet. You are clearly very sensitive. I believe what I believe and I write what I think.