So I'm looking at replacement wheels for a Trek 7.5 FX. Bought it used, with the knowledge that the rear rim was worn out. Looking at slightly wider rims to move up to wider tires. Don't need anything too fancy. Don't want to spend more on wheels than what I spent for the bike.

Riding will be like 90% pavement, and maybe 10% packed gravel trails. Will be lucky if I do more than 500 miles over the course of the next year.

Are budget wheelsets like either of the 2 below, good enough?

Mavic A319 Silver Shimano T4000 Hubs Silver Road Bike Wheelset [741368] - $99.00 Velomine.com : Worldwide Bicycle Shop, fixed gear track bike wheelsets campagnolo super record vintage bike
Bikeman Wheel Master Hybrid/Comfort Wheelset 700c (ISO 622), Silver

Should I plan on having them trued/tensioned locally before install?

Also, if anyone can recommend any other on-line shops I should look at, I'd appreciate it. I found those 2 just by google searches, so I don't know anything about the stores themselves.

I replaced an OEM set with a cracked Mavic rear rim with a set of Reynolds Stratus Elite. At the time I weighed around 240, just under 200 now. The wheels have been great, never needed to have them trued or adjusted. I got a super deal from Nashbar, under $150 shipped. I see several sets on Ebay right now for under $200. They look good, and transformed the ride and fun factor of my 2007 Roubaix. Check them out.

Thanks for the tip, but it seems like these have 130mm hubs, and I have 135mm frame spacing. Would prefer to not have to mess around with spacers, etc.

Oh you like wheels beyond your budget, In Spite of economic reality?


A good deal on low cost wheels (other than scanning the web for you)
is thru your favorite bike shop's wholesalers .

they build them from parts at their lower cost, ships them out,
and then your LBS does hand check them ,
and may even have touch up truing, again, after you ride on them awhile.

Try velomine.com in Springfield, IL.

"Shoppin' ain' easy!"

Yeah...I meant more about reliable stores to buy from online...not that I expected you to find me my wheels for me.

I haven't owned a bike in a long time, so I don't know how the marketplace works...but it feels like with the shop's margins and overhead, it could mean bargain-basement no-name components in order to meet a price point. Am I wrong about that?

Will call around to a couple of shops to see what they have to offer.

Yes the mavics are more than good enough IMO.

Consider having your LBS rebuild with new spokes and rim, saving the cost of a new hub and shipping. Unless, of course, your existing hubs are junk too.
Cheers!

Velomine has a good selection of wheels, especially for vintage / high-end bikes. That seems to be one of their niches.
BikewheelsDirect.com also has a lot of better-than-stock wheels to choose from. It's what they do.

Wheelmaster makes a lot of generic, OE-style wheels. Not great, but not junk either. They'll do just fine for your typical recreational rider.

Your LBS: They'll probably order you the same kind of wheels you can get online yourself. The advantage as explained in haiku form by Fietsbob, is that they can make sure it's the right size/fitment, and check it over for things like true and spoke tension before they install it for you.
Depending on the shop, they may also have used or take-off wheelsets, which is always a help if you're on a budget.

did you get a professional opinion on those original wheels? personally I'm pretty impressed with the OEM wheels on my FX 7.0 Alpha, including how wide they are. they are certainly wide enough to accommodate any tire that wold fit the frame. meaning, maybe you don't need new wheels at all

No...no professional opinion. It's definitely worn...there is no wear indicator visible on the rear, but it is still a bit visible on the front. Not sure how worn...haven't taken the tire off and measured the rim.

As for width, based on what little I could find thru Google, it looks like the AT-550 rims on your FX 7.0 are 20mm internal width. The Bontrager SSR wheels on my FX 7.5 are just 14mm, and putting a 38mm tire on a 14mm rim just feels iffy to me, but I will most likely end up trying that over the weekend to see how it feels.

Also, I neglected to mention weight. Everything I've read seems to suggest that 24-spoke rears (especially in the funky pattern that Trek used on these wheels) might not be the best idea for someone who's 295 lb (135 kg), at least in the long run.

With all that being said, I might have found a killer deal on wheels through Craigslist. Still need to check them out in person, though.

I've done a lot of digging looking for wheels on-line...would it be appropriate to post my research into this thread for future reference?

Wheelmaster wheels are good sturdy budget wheels. I have one on my comfort hybrid/errand bike, a double wall Zac 19 rim (622x19) on Wheelmaster branded hub (cup and loose bearing, standard stuff), threaded for freewheel, heavy duty aluminum spokes. Got it to replace a taco'd single wall rim that originally came with the bike. The Wheelmaster wheel has stood up to lots of errands hauling 50 lbs or more of stuff on the back (I weigh 160), recreational gravel and off road rides (no stunts or anything fancy).

And it was a straight swap to my Univega hybrid when I needed it temporarily after that bike's rear wheel was damaged. The same 7-speed freewheel worked fine on the Univega, although it was originally set up with 7-speed cassette. I was using a friction thumb shifter so I didn't need to adjust anything else. The wheel was centered on both bikes, no need to mess with the original axle nut/spacer setup.

After almost three years it's just starting to need some minor spoke adjustments for truing. Not bad at all. I'd buy another Wheelmaster for my errand bike, especially since they have a warehouse in my area.