Classic & Vintage - Identify this tubular rim

Can't quite read the label. Maybe somebody recognizes it. I can read 700c/325 grams.

Is it anything special or is it just run of the mill? Thinking of selling and switching to a clincher unless there's reason to keep this...

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Well, it says Matrix Iso (Trek's house brand) right on it.

Good rim tho, heat-treated and probably made by Sun or by Weinmann's U.S. factory.

Didn't know there were USA tubular rims made! Your oil clip is not covering the hole unless the hole was offset! 325 grams is a reasonably light rim. MAVIC GL 330 is equivalent at ~ 330 grams and 280 is even lighter but have a reputation of being a little fragile for some. Many are heavier at over 400.

Matrix Iso...marketed by Trek back in the 80s-early 90s...I once had an aluminum Trek 1500 that came with the clincher version. Hit a pothole one day. The impact bent the fork back so far that the wheel hit the downtube, which promptly buckled. The wheel survived fine...the frame didn't.

Well, it says Matrix Iso (Trek's house brand) right on it.

Good rim tho, heat-treated and probably made by Sun or by Weinmann's U.S. factory.

Rumor had it that Matrix rims were made by Sun in USA.

BTW, Trek's generic-looking ss spokes from this era were top-quality and could be counted on to last many tens of thousands of miles.
That's a solid wheel, not fragile if the spokes have good tension.

Well, it says Matrix Iso (Trek's house brand) right on it.

Good rim tho, heat-treated and probably made by Sun or by Weinmann's U.S. factory.

thanks. couldn't quite read it not being familiar with Matrix Iso.

I have a wheelset with these rims. My one complaint with them is that the brake track is not particularly parallel, particularly if used with brake pads that are not extremely narrow. The tapered aero profile of the rims seems to make the brakes much more suseptible to shuddering.

Well, it says Matrix Iso (Trek's house brand) right on it.

Good rim tho, heat-treated and probably made by Sun or by Weinmann's U.S. factory.

No, the extrusions were made someplace else (I can't remember specifically) to Trek's design, but the rims were rolled and drilled in-house in Waterloo. The heat treatment and hard-anodizing was done by a third party company in Milwaukee after the rims were rolled and drilled.

Think anyone would want to trade a clincher of comparable quality for this?

What would be a comparable trade?

Something like a Mavic MA40 laced to Campagnolo Record hub?

Think anyone would want to trade a clincher of comparable quality for this?

What would be a comparable trade?

Something like a Mavic MA40 laced to Campagnolo Record hub?

Unfortunately, tubulars are worth about half what a comparable clincher goes for, this from a guy who has a ceiling full of nice Campy & Dura Ace tubulars 6-7 speed that won't sell for the price of the hubs alone.

Is it anything special or is it just run of the mill?

It's less than run of the mill...dump it.

It's less than run of the mill...dump it.

No, it is decidedly run of the mill. Nothing wrong with them, but you won't go WOW! They are light, a bit harsh, IME, but spin up okay. Not a bad wheel to try out tubulars on, if you are so inclined.

Think anyone would want to trade a clincher of comparable quality for this?

What would be a comparable trade?

Something like a Mavic MA40 laced to Campagnolo Record hub?

I wouldn't trade my older Campy or Mavic clinchers for another tub wheelset.

I think I have at least five tubular wheelsets hanging on the wall at the cabin.

Most are in vg+ condition and date to the years that I still built all of my own.

I tried listing some locally and didn't receive a single response.

Most are GP4s with Record hubs, so sooner or later, they may have some street value.

I have no experience with Matrix rims, but Sheldon brown sure didn't like them. I believe what he said was that Trek cheaped out on the rims.

At least it's not the sharp edged Matrix rims, although I am not sure they made those in tubulars? Sharp edge aero Matrix dark ano rims come in two varieties. Cracked, and will be cracked. I've only ever seen one set that wasn't, and it was on a garage queen.,,,,BD

The flat and rounded aero rims are fine with me, and I have a couple of bikes with them.

I wouldn't trade my older Campy or Mavic clinchers for another tub wheelset.

I think I have at least five tubular wheelsets hanging on the wall at the cabin.

Most are in vg+ condition and date to the years that I still built all of my own.

I tried listing some locally and didn't receive a single response.

Most are GP4s with Record hubs, so sooner or later, they may have some street value.

Vintage 126mm, 32 or 36 hole box section tubulars can still make a great wheelset for cyclocross where tubulars offer superior traction and handeling at low PSI.

I have a set of Sun's that are similar to these. Nice sealed hubs laced to them, too. Any interest to anyone?

I have no experience with Matrix rims, but Sheldon brown sure didn't like them. I believe what he said was that Trek cheaped out on the rims.

I think Sheldon's complaints were more against the Helicomatic hubs than the Matrix rims.

Trek's design called for rim washers to be used when building the wheels. I've had no problems with Matrix rims built with rim washers. But it seems that eventually people thought they could get away with building the wheels without using the washers and that's when rim cracking became an issue.

I think Sheldon's complaints were more against the Helicomatic hubs than the Matrix rims.

Trek's design called for rim washers to be used when building the wheels. I've had no problems with Matrix rims built with rim washers. But it seems that eventually people thought they could get away with building the wheels without using the washers and that's when rim cracking became an issue.

He was talking about Matrix rims.