Originally Posted by
SkyDog75
What specifically leads you to believe that your wheels need replacing?
They're getting pretty concave, and the rear one has damage to it that couldn't be completely removed by the LBS and a spoke wrench. I will post a picture of this area later. I'm not sure how to tell how much life they've got left, but I could take some calipers to them later and try and get some idea. Any good way to gauge life remaining? My limited research indicates if they're concave and smooth, replace them.
Originally Posted by
SkyDog75
If you choose to buy something, regardless of what it is, you'll want to know what size/type parts you're replacing. We know you've got a 700c rim and that you run 35's, so we've got the info we need for the rim. A Trek 720 probably has 135 mm rear dropout spacing, but you'll want to confirm that by measuring. You've got 7 cogs on the rear, but are you sure it's a cassette? There's a good possibility it's a freewheel.
I thought I remember the LBS guy mentioning it was cassette but I could be misremembering or he might have misspoken. Is there an easy way to tell? I will post a picture of it when I get home. I will also measure the dropouts.
Originally Posted by
FastJake
If you are so inclined, wheel building is a fun and rewarding process with lots of benefits versus prebuilt wheels. I would go with option 2 assuming the hubs are in good shape and are genuine Shimano hubs and not some off brand. Have you cracked them open and re-greased? Once you do that you will have a better idea of what kind of shape they're in. You should really do this anyway since it probably hasn't been done in 20 years.
Here are some pictures of the hubs. Rear:
https://i.imgur.com/mY1DdAr.jpg front:
https://i.imgur.com/kVb0fgW.jpg. At first I thought they might be rusty but it seems to just be 20 year old dirt/dry grease coating them. I can't tell what make they are. I can pull the wheels out of the dropouts and take a closer look later.
Originally Posted by
Retro Grouch
Hubs are actually pretty reliable and generally will outlive several rims. I would encourage any average home mechanic to attempt to lace up a wheel for himself. It's not a particularly difficult job provided you think through each step as you go. I wouldn't expect to save a ton of money but you might save a little.
Interesting. Generally (not even bikes specifically, but very generally) you save money by building yourself. I will try and price it out tonight.
Originally Posted by
AnkleWork
If the hubs and rims were perfectly new, they'd still have "limited life" and "future problems" could arise anyway..
Sure, problems can always arise, but because the maintenance history is somewhat of a mystery (it was my dads bike, and he doesn't really remember much) and because they're 23ish years old, I'm more nervous about using them. But, it shoulds like they should be fine.