We gave a glowing review to the American Classic Wide Lightning wheels, which emerged on the market a couple of years ago as a high volume alloy wheelset designed for XC and trail riding. With a 29.3mm internal rim width, the Wide Lightning’s weren’t the first mountain bike wheelset to go wide, but it did so in a package that was impressively light, and at a great price too.
Although they were (and still are) great wheels, they were never really designed for the hard-hitting enduro world that the Wide Lightning wheels quickly found themselves playing in due to their low weight, wide rims and solid build. Though in our experience, they’ve performed darn well in that arena anyway. However, looking to build up a heavier duty wheelset dedicated to tackling the rigours of the Enduro World Series with a thicker and stronger rim profile, American Classic developed the new 3430 wheelset.
The new 3430 wheelset was released by American Classic at Eurobike, and just a month later, we’ve got a set in for test. So lets take a closer look at what makes up the new 3430 wheels.
American Classic 3430 Wheelset
- Designed for trail riding and enduro racing
- Available in 27.5in and 29in diameters
- 6000-series alloy rims
- External width 34mm
- Internal width: 30mm
- Tubeless ready with Bead Barb technology
- Includes tubeless tape and valves
- Terrain hubs with adjustable sealed cartridge bearings
- 6-pawl cam actuated freehub system
- Available with Shimano or SRAM XD freehub bodies
- Claimed weight: 1855g (29in with Boost hubs)
- RRP: £499
We’ll be testing the American Classic 3430 wheelset over the coming months to see just how durable these wide alloy wheels really are. If you’re after more information on the American Classic range or you want to find your nearest UK stockist, get in touch with Moore Large, or head to the American Classic website.
