When American Classic offered to send their premium wheel bag for review, I wasn’t overly excited, but agreed. After all, there are a few Mavic and Shimano wheel bags laying around the office that suffice. But, as with most things, the freemium goodies rarely compare to a purpose built premium offering. And that’s certainly true here.
AC’s Wheel Bag is an oversized item, allowing four road wheels (without tires) to fit inside and close easily. Or, with tires mounted and skewers still in place, there’s ample room for any clothes or other soft goods you need to stash somewhere. Or, throw a set of 29er wheels with huge, fully inflated 2.3 tires in there and it’ll still close up just fine. Need proof all that’ll fit? Wanna see more features? Read on…
This is the bag closed with the four road wheels inside. One had a tire on it, the rest got their rubbers at the destination. With all four holding tires, it would no longer close completely…but some of the additional space was being eaten up by disc rotors for the return trip, too, so four standard road wheels may have just made it.
Of course, Ellen at American Classic says don’t do this, saying the idea is to protect your wheels and keep them from getting banged around on stuff. So, put four wheels in at your own risk. At least I put bubble wrap between the extra set.
The outside is a durable nylon, and the inside is a nice, soft fuzzy padding with rubberized center panels to keep the hub axles from poking through. An internal pocket keeps skewers and other small bits from getting lost at the bottom.
The massive opening uses a two way zipper, so you’re never on the wrong side of it. The last great feature is the removable shoulder strap. Unclip it for unfettered access, and loop it through the rear “oh s#!t” handles in your car to keep the wheel bag upright or elevated above whatever’s rolling around in the back.
All in all, I’ve ended up using this bag far more than I thought I would. And friends that’ve borrowed it for their own travels have been equally impressed. It’s seen quite a bit of travel and looks none the worse for its wear. Retail is $99.
