The all-around 2.5″ Vulcanite model is designed to work as both a front and rear tire, and it’s available in 27.5″ and 29″ versions using either the beefiest 2-ply EN Armor or the midweight 2-ply TR Armor constructions. Weights range from 1010g to 1230g, depending on the version.
Focusing on the front, American Classic has introduced the Tectonite, also available in a single 2.5″ width for 27.5″ or 29″ wheels, and with EN Armor and TR Armor options. Interestingly, the Tectonite has the same claimed weights as the Vulcanite: between 1010g and 1230g.
Rounding out the trio of aggressive tires is the rear-specific Basanite, which comes in a 2.4″ width, again with 27.5″ and 29″ options. Like the Vulcanite and Tectonite, the Basanite is available in the TR Armor trail version and EN Armor enduro mode Meant to balance rolling ability with braking authority, the Basanite weighs in a bit lighter than its siblings at 990g to 1200g.
Finally, the outlier of the new releases is the – for lack of a better term, I’m sorry – downcountry Mauka, a straightforward tire available in a single 29″ x 2.4″ version with the light-duty, 1.5-ply TR- L Armor construction that’s topped with the Rubberforce G compound that the brand uses for flat protection and abrasion resistance on its gravel tires.
The most surprising detail is that each of the tires retails for about half the price of some competitors, set at $45 USD for the Mauka, $48 for the TR-Armor models, and making the big $2 jump to $50 for the EN-Armor versions .
The tires are now available at amclassic.com and from the company’s Amazon store.
I recently received some test tires, so stay tuned for a review once I’ve spent some time on these reasonably-priced options.
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