Twenty-five years have flown by for Bill Shook, the founder of American Classic. Bill began the company in 1982, offering the first lightweight water bottle cage and revolutionary seatpost. Today, American Classic specializes in the manufacture and construction of world-class wheels, hubs, and components.

Bill continues to innovate for cyclists worldwide with his leading-edge, patented designs and use of new technology and materials. His passion for cycling drives him towards each new idea. He believes riding bikes should be pure pleasure, and excellent components make cycling more enjoyable. To that end, there are no gimmicks in his designs. This signature minimalist look focuses on function, reliability, strength, ride quality and easy maintenance.

Always modest when it comes to his accomplishments. Bill started racing as a boy and sprinted his way to the US National Team. Bill's love for bicycles goes further than riding. He muses, "I started designing components and frames because the stuff on the market in the 70's just wasn't as good as it could be. I knew how to make it better."

Bill designed and built the first large tube aluminum frame and raced it all over the country in 1974. During a retirement from the road racing scene, Bill got his Masters in Mechanical Engineering from Ohio State University to further his ability to design bike parts. American Classic came along in 1981 because Bill firmly believed, "high quality components can be produced for a reasonable price without gouging the consumer." That remains the company's philosophy to this day. Shook still races road bikes when he's not engineering and adds with a smile, "someone has to test the products."

American Classic recognizes that success comes from our customers and staff. We trust our staff to identify and meet the customers’ needs. The ability to excel—to most competitively meet customers’ needs— depends on the integrity, knowledge, imagination, and teamwork of our staff. From manufacturing, testing and quality control to sales and customer service, our staff delivers the results our customers see in their new wheels and components. Contact us with questions—our team of experts is ready to help.