RD400, Part 2 - read only if you are thinking about getting em'

[Kurt]

This is only for folks thinking about purchasing the wheels. I have had the chance to ride them some more under varied conditions. They are very loud, not as loud and constant as a king, probably on the level of a hugi, but with a higher pitch. It does not bother me that much because I am on the gas most the time, but if you like the whisper quiet of say a mavic hub, this is not your wheel. The wheels are stiffer than I originally thought, not K style, but more than the 420, neutron, velocity or velomax – I would not say they are harsh, but they are not a total plush ride. The wheels do flex under duress; I was able to rub my brake in several sprints (front brake with a 3-4mm gap), but again no biggie for me at least. I was able to do a 5 mile descent at 35+ through some sweepers, and the wheels are impressive – very smooth. The nice thing I noticed is they do not get hung in a cross wind like my conventionally spoked 420’s or K’s do, meaning I don’t have the fear of really pushing in crosswinds going fast. I guess overall I still like the 420 slightly more overall, they are more comfortable and corner great – but the quality of the AC product is awful comp to the FSA. My club has been sponsored for years by AC and I cannot tell you the number of issues and returns This weekend I am doing some faster and tighter descending so I will add on to this thread. Again, I think this is a viable product, but I don’t think it’s a strong a climbing wheel as the 350 or velocity and it will not paceline as fast as a 420. It does not have the comfort of a neutron. It is better in every way to me than a K - it is really more comparable to a velomax than anything else, which is a good thing.

[zap]

Kurt, thanks for the update.

A friend of mine had AM420 rims built up with Tune hubs (carbon axle r.). They were purchased from Posh Bikes in the UK. Not sure if Tune or Posh built the wheels but the set did set him back US$1,000.

It appears that one can purchase 420 rims oversea's that are otherwise exclusive to AM in the US.

[va rider]

Please keep us updated.

thanks Kurt.

[Kurt]

unless they start breaking on me, that is. Mounted on the legend, I took them out for a pretty decent spin this last Saturday, 75 miles, ~4k’ and about 5.3m of fairly technical descending. The wheels are very good. I would characterize them as a solid all around wheel, they do not climb as well as a ac350, they are less harsh than a K, they are almost as smooth as a neutron, they are not as fast as an ac420 - they are sort of like a velomax or velocity/campy. I was running pro race 23’s, 70gm tubes and tuffy’s. The best thing I like about them is they do not catch in crosswinds. I don’t know about you, but screaming downhill at 40+ and getting a big gust of wind really bothers me, these wheels are solid and planted. I tried them out on my new cdale (optimo) and they were also very nice, but again, just not as soft riding as a neutron. They are a piece of cake to mount a tire on compared to the neutron, so I guess that’s a plus. They are a hidden spoke design, so if you ride in a moist area, you will never know the condition of your nips until its too late – the spoke hole on the rim looks like a good fit, so maybe water will not find its way in like a rolf pro – boy, those are soakers for sure. My take is I still think they are a bargain for around $400. Oh, and I made mine much more quiet by taking apart the hub and putting on some grease on the pawls. If one was obsessed they could make the hubs next to silent I am sure because there are a zillion different grease and lubes to try out. //