CrowesFan

I have an old steel frame Trek 830 that I would like to throw some new wheels on. Can I put road wheels on that thing? I do not know a lot about working on bikes, but I think I can handle this.

What are some things to look for when buying new wheel sets?
Spacing?
Compatibility with componants?

Thank you for your help!

Retro Grouch 

Look at where your brakes contact the rim. Road wheels and mountain wheels have different rim diameters. Are your brakes going to work? I'm betting not.

moxfyre

As Retro Grouch pointed out, the brakes won't line up right, and there may not even be enough clearance for a road wheel!

Fortunately, there is nothing fundamentally "road" or "mountain" about a particular size. You can get fairly narrow rims and tires, in the 26" (ISO 559 mm) size. Or you can get 650 C wheels, which are a smaller size of road wheel popular with triathletes. Your best bet is to go with narrow 26" wheels, as they will be cheaper. A narrow tire on a 26" rim will not differ greatly in performance from a road tire, which is slightly larger in diameter...

Here are some very narrow, slick tires in the 26" mountain bike size (equivalent to a 25 mm road tire):
https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=5425
Here are some for only $10 which I've used (these are equivalent to a 32 mm road tire, which is about as narrow as is comfortable for commuting use for many people):
https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=5425

Bikewer

I'm running a 26 X 1.25 tire on my recumbent, which inflates to 85 pounds. Something in that range should give you minimal rolling resistance and good traction on the street.