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Initial impressions: American Classic Timekeeper tires

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Initial impressions: American Classic Timekeeper tires

Old 01-18-22, 08:47 PM
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chaadster
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Initial impressions: American Classic Timekeeper tires

I haven’t mounted or ridden them yet, but I just received a pair of AC Timekeepers that I wanted to share a couple of what I think are interesting insights on, things which I don’t feel have been addressed in any of the pro reviews that I’ve seen.

First off, these are not “supple casing” tires, because the sidewalls feel rather thick. Not grossly so, but thicker than Herse standard casing, for example.

AC don’t spec weight on the 25c tubeless, but mine weighed in at 266g. I did tare the retaining zip tie, so that is not included.

The tread thickness is not much. It doesn’t feel like much, anyway. I’m not expecting this is a high mileage tire.

The shoulder design has a very fine, grippy texture, which is nice and might be helpful when cranked over.

Flexing the tread caused a strange cracking or popping sound, like perhaps the breaker belt underneath was making noise. Any given section only cracked once, so it seems like it was some kind of settling in, but it struck me as unusual.

Road Hazard replacement policy of 50% off sounds good at first blush, but it seems to be a one time only deal, not a one time per damaged tire. It’s something, I guess.

They stink, like a mix of chicken and pig poo. Barnyardy. Again, super weird.

At $30, these could be the amazing tire deal of the century. I probably won’t mount them up until thing around here start warming, say a couple of months, but given the ongoing COVID weirdness, I wanted to get some while the gettin’ was good. I’ll definitely report back with ride impressions.



American Classic Timekeeper

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Old 01-19-22, 02:22 AM
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Originally Posted by chaadster
AC don’t spec weight on the 25c tubeless, but mine weighed in at 266g. I did tare the retaining zip tie, so that is not included.
Now AC does: 270 g (Tubeless).

Timekeeper (amclassic.com) (click on the + next to "SPECIFICATION")

Originally Posted by chaadster
At $30, these could be the amazing tire deal of the century.
Only the tube version is $30; tubeless version is $35.

I have never heard of this brand until your post, so please keep us posted. I too am into tire hoarding. I have yet to use my third tire of my current set and I have two extra sets of three tires each.
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Old 01-19-22, 06:05 AM
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Originally Posted by SoSmellyAir
Now AC does: 270 g (Tubeless).

Timekeeper (amclassic.com) (click on the + next to "SPECIFICATION")



Only the tube version is $30; tubeless version is $35.

I have never heard of this brand until your post, so please keep us posted. I too am into tire hoarding. I have yet to use my third tire of my current set and I have two extra sets of three tires each.
Thanks for the corrections; I made the mistake of looking at the tube-type page only.

Even at $35, these likely are the tire DOTC. I’m really surprised that AC can put out what is, by all accounts I’ve read, performance tires for 3/5ths the price of most tire brands. I suppose that Vee Tire was the first I was aware of to do performance road at unusually low pricing with their Road Chief model. I didn’t really pay attention, though, because they did not have tubeless at that time, and it was a new name out of Vietnam, but I recall the specs and reviews on that were good as well. The Timekeeper is made in Taiwan, a place renowned for top tier bike manufacturing tech.

American Classic, being a vaunted brand, piqued my curiosity in a way Vee did not, despite AC founder Bill Shook not being at the company anymore. He was to AC what Jobs was to Apple, I think, so let’s see if the new AC lives up to their old standards.
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Old 01-19-22, 09:37 AM
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Originally Posted by chaadster

They stink, like a mix of chicken and pig poo. Barnyardy. Again, super weird.
Kind of like that weird Harbor Freight strange rubber smell perhaps?
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Old 01-19-22, 10:04 AM
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I plan to buy some AC road tires soon for a winter project 90s Cannondale CAAD3. Ive read the AC tires run narrower than listed so hopefully a 28mm AC will fit if it runs slightly narrow.
I think CyclingTips reviewed some AC tires and said for the price(and a bit more), they are a really solid option.
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Old 01-19-22, 10:45 AM
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Originally Posted by Reflector Guy
Kind of like that weird Harbor Freight strange rubber smell perhaps?
Haha, I know the HF smell, but no, not like that.
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Old 02-08-22, 06:39 AM
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Mmm, yummy!




Yes, it’s just a dumb picture of a wheel, but it represents the joy of a properly tubeless tire that holds air without sealant! I’ve been monkeying with damned Rene Herse tires so much recently, that I’d forgotten how simple it can be to run tubeless. Sure, I trade of suppleness and weight, but frustration ain’t free for that matter, either. Love the Herse ride quality, but it’s best served with an Aerothan tube.

The Timekeepers are on American Classic Victory 30 wheels, and were damned tight to put on, but are on; thanks, Tyre Glider!

It’ll be awhile before I can ride these and report back because of the weather, but will do ASAP.
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Old 02-08-22, 06:46 AM
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Mounted and inflated, do they run true to stated size?
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Old 02-08-22, 07:19 AM
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Originally Posted by mprince
Mounted and inflated, do they run true to stated size?
Just put the vernier calipers on ‘em, and got 26.2nm from the nominal 25mm tire on the 18mm IW rim.
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Old 02-15-22, 01:23 AM
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Initial riding impressions?
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Old 02-15-22, 03:30 PM
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Originally Posted by SoSmellyAir
Initial riding impressions?
Not ridden yet. It has been deep-freeze cold out here, so even when the roads are clear, I don’t think it would be a very meaningful insight into the tires. As soon as it gets to a comparatively balmy 32°F, I’ll get out on ‘em!
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Old 02-16-22, 05:40 PM
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Whoa! Outta nowhere it hit 40ºF today, so braving the winter road debris, I took the AC Timekeepers out for their maiden voyage. I like ‘em!

The roads are pretty wet with snow melt, and it’s simply February in Michigan, so I didn’t hammer on the tires, but I can say that they felt supple and fast.

Besides being wet, the roads around here are in generally poor condition, with lots of cracks and potholes. The Timekeepers took the sharp edges off the cracks, and just smoothed out the rough stuff. Nice!

Not that I really tested it, but cold, wet grip seemed just fine. Also nice!

My first thought was that the tires were stupidfast, but then I realized I was riding with a tailwind! But, I’ll tell you that when I turned back across the wind, it seemed my speed dropped relatively little for my power input, so that’s where I get the impression of the tires being fast. Again, nice!

So initial impressions are really positive, and I’m thinking about landing another pair for my Tern “townsport.” I have the stock Pasela clones (CST brand?) on it now, but just got a new wheelset with Sun CR18 rims, so maybe I’ll give the more robust AC Torchbearers a go on those. They’re only blackwall, though, and the Tern looks sharp in tan wall…



Tern Rally
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Old 02-16-22, 08:46 PM
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Originally Posted by chaadster
Not ridden yet. It has been deep-freeze cold out here, so even when the roads are clear, I don’t think it would be a very meaningful insight into the tires. As soon as it gets to a comparatively balmy 32°F, I’ll get out on ‘em!
My sister also lives in Michigan so I know what you mean! Meanwhile, over here we had our first heat wave of 2022 this past weekend, which almost got me during a climb.

Originally Posted by chaadster
Whoa! Outta nowhere it hit 40ºF today, so braving the winter road debris, I took the AC Timekeepers out for their maiden voyage. I like ‘em!

The roads are pretty wet with snow melt, and it’s simply February in Michigan, so I didn’t hammer on the tires, but I can say that they felt supple and fast.

Besides being wet, the roads around here are in generally poor condition, with lots of cracks and potholes. The Timekeepers took the sharp edges off the cracks, and just smoothed out the rough stuff. Nice!

Not that I really tested it, but cold, wet grip seemed just fine. Also nice!

My first thought was that the tires were stupidfast, but then I realized I was riding with a tailwind! But, I’ll tell you that when I turned back across the wind, it seemed my speed dropped relatively little for my power input, so that’s where I get the impression of the tires being fast. Again, nice!
Glad to hear, hope to hear further riding impressions when the weather dries off.

Originally Posted by chaadster
So initial impressions are really positive, and I’m thinking about landing another pair for my Tern “townsport.” I have the stock Pasela clones (CST brand?) on it now, but just got a new wheelset with Sun CR18 rims, so maybe I’ll give the more robust AC Torchbearers a go on those. They’re only blackwall, though, and the Tern looks sharp in tan wall…



Tern Rally
Nice! My wife's Electra Loft has the same cream frame color, which does require light tan wall tires.
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Old 02-17-22, 08:41 AM
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What type of tire pressure are you running with those bad boys?

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Old 02-17-22, 10:36 AM
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Originally Posted by robbyville
What type of tire pressure are you running with those bad boys?
I’m about 245lbs, so had them pretty much at their max rated pressure of 100psi, maybe 95psi, I’m not sure exactly, I just aired them up to max to make sure they were seated, and was having a bit of overnight leak-down on the front, so I added sealant and put them back at max.
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Old 06-01-22, 01:01 PM
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How are these holding up? I just got a fatal tear in a Vittoria Corsa with less than 300 miles on it and am looking for something that costs less and resists flats more.
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Old 06-04-22, 06:23 AM
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Originally Posted by urbanknight
How are these holding up? I just got a fatal tear in a Vittoria Corsa with less than 300 miles on it and am looking for something that costs less and resists flats more.
Ah, I haven’t reported back… They’ve been great! I took them down to the Shawnee Valley state forest in SE Ohio a few weeks back for my club’s spring camp, and they performed flawlessly and confidently in both the rain and dry. The hills down there— Appalachian foothills, I guess— are pretty good sized and got speeds up into the 40mph range, this requiring some careful but hard braking and leaning to negotiate the plentiful curves. Nothing was steep enough to test ultimate traction on the way up, but other than that, they got a good, demanding workout and fully satisfied.

The road surfaces were pretty good but far from perfect asphalt, but the tires were supple and sticky enough that they didn’t skip around on pebbles, cracks, and the like. Once, when bombing down a narrow valley road— I think it was FSR3 in the state forest— I entered a fast curve and bunny hopped what seemed to be a slightly raised, concrete patch or water bar in the asphalt, only to be immediately faced with another, wider one with a metal grate in it. I tried to hop that too, but landed short and sideways, right on the trailing edge I think. It felt hard and awkward, but it was near the end of the ride, so I did the few miles back up to the lodge without concern. However, prepping the bike for the next ride, the rear was really low pressure, and It looked like the bad landing knocked the bead out of the rim. Inspecting it, the tire wasn’t damaged in any way, so I inflated it and have been riding on.

So yeah, good, fast rolling, grippy, durable tires…recommended!
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Old 06-08-22, 08:30 PM
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Thanks for reporting back. I ordered a set and just mounted them today. Fairly easy to set up, about as difficult to get on as any new clincher would be, and they seated right away with one blast of air. They do indeed run narrow. Whereas my 25mm Vittoria Corsas measured 26.8mm wide on my wheels, the 28mm Timekeepers came in at 26.0mm. For that reason, assuming I like the tires as much as the OP does, I will be getting the 30mm version next time around hoping for something around 28mm in the end.
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Old 06-08-22, 09:10 PM
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Originally Posted by urbanknight
Thanks for reporting back. I ordered a set and just mounted them today.
Do yours smell as noted by chaadster?

Originally Posted by urbanknight
They do indeed run narrow. Whereas my 25mm Vittoria Corsas measure 26.8mm wide on my wheels, the 28mm Timekeepers came in at 26.0mm. For that reason, assuming I like the tires as much as the OP does, I will be getting the 30mm version hoping for something around 28mm in the end.
Vittoria Corsas were released a long time ago, back when 622 x 15C was still the standard rim. American Classic Timekeeper, being newly released, probably uses a 622 x 17C or even 19C rim to measure tire widths.
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Old 06-09-22, 12:14 AM
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Originally Posted by SoSmellyAir
Do yours smell as noted by chaadster?
I didn't notice anything, but I was installing them outside on the porch. You inspired me to put my nose right up to the tire and take a good whiff... smells like a regular tire to me.

Originally Posted by SoSmellyAir
Vittoria Corsas were released a long time ago, back when 622 x 15C was still the standard rim. American Classic Timekeeper, being newly released, probably uses a 622 x 17C or even 19C rim to measure tire widths.
Good point. My rims are 17.5mm inner width.
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Old 06-09-22, 12:17 AM
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Originally Posted by urbanknight
You inspired me to put my nose right up to the tire and take a good whiff... smells like a regular tire to me.
Thank you for subjecting this tire to a literal smell test. Another candidate for future tire.
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Old 06-09-22, 03:42 PM
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Originally Posted by urbanknight
They do indeed run narrow. Whereas my 25mm Vittoria Corsas measured 26.8mm wide on my wheels, the 28mm Timekeepers came in at 26.0mm.
Originally Posted by SoSmellyAir
Vittoria Corsas were released a long time ago, back when 622 x 15C was still the standard rim. American Classic Timekeeper, being newly released, probably uses a 622 x 17C or even 19C rim to measure tire widths.
Originally Posted by urbanknight
Good point. My rims are 17.5mm inner width.
Interesting…sitting here with both the 25mm Timekeepers on the 18.1mm IW AC Victory30s and their stablemate road tire Torchbearer 25mm on 17.5mm IW (or maybe 18mm; mixed info on that) Sun CR18s, I first verified my vernier calipers against a few open-end wrenches and remeasured both tires.

The tubeless Timekeepers come in oversized at +26mm, and the tube-type Torchbearers right on nominal width of 25mm.

I don’t know how to account for urbanknight ’s 28mm Timekeepers being radically undersized— skinnier by 2mm; that’s more than margin-of-error, IMO— other than to wonder whether it’s possibly specific to the 28mm models. My own expwrience with both of AC’s road tire models are that they are true-to-size or larger than nominal.
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Old 06-09-22, 03:56 PM
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Originally Posted by chaadster
Interesting…sitting here with both the 25mm Timekeepers on the 18.1mm IW AC Victory30s and their stablemate road tire Torchbearer 25mm on 17.5mm IW (or maybe 18mm; mixed info on that) Sun CR18s, I first verified my vernier calipers against a few open-end wrenches and remeasured both tires.

The tubeless Timekeepers come in oversized at +26mm, and the tube-type Torchbearers right on nominal width of 25mm.

I don’t know how to account for urbanknight ’s 28mm Timekeepers being radically undersized— skinnier by 2mm; that’s more than margin-of-error, IMO— other than to wonder whether it’s possibly specific to the 28mm models. My own expwrience with both of AC’s road tire models are that they are true-to-size or larger than nominal.
urbanknight just installed his tires. New tires stretch after several cycles of inflation, riding, and losing air. When I first installed my 25 mm GP5K, I freaked out because it measured barely 7/8" wide, but after several rides (roughly 200 total miles over the course of about 3 weeks) it expanded to its nominal width, where it has stayed since. Someone else told me I could have sped up this process by stretching the tire at maximum pressure as it sits in my garage, but it is too much work to inflate before and after each ride.
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Old 06-09-22, 04:26 PM
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Originally Posted by SoSmellyAir
urbanknight just installed his tires. New tires stretch after several cycles of inflation, riding, and losing air. When I first installed my 25 mm GP5K, I freaked out because it measured barely 7/8" wide, but after several rides (roughly 200 total miles over the course of about 3 weeks) it expanded to its nominal width, where it has stayed since. Someone else told me I could have sped up this process by stretching the tire at maximum pressure as it sits in my garage, but it is too much work to inflate before and after each ride.
As I noted upthread in the first few posts, I first measured the Timekeepers oversized at +26mm before I ever rode them, and they have maybe stretched a couple tenths of a millimeter; I’m not confident enough in the accuracy and repeatability of my tools and technique to even say that much. I’d think 2mm of stretch would be both unlikely and abnormal, but I don’t typically measure my tires, it just sounds like a frightening scenario to have that much stretching going on.
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Old 06-10-22, 01:41 AM
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After reading the above posts, I went and pumped them up to 100 psi and they immediately measured 27.3 and 27.2. I also forgot my calipers seem to be about 0.1mm low.
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