hey everybody,
dont spend much time around this forum (mostly the clas-n-vint)

i picked up some wheels at a yardsale! Matrix Auroras 700c i found out that they are Treks stock brand for some of their bikes. ok. they didnt have the casette. so my question is how can you tell how many gears will fit on the freehub?
also are they decent rims? it was 15 bucks for the set and a nice specialized floor pump with guage!!!

The rims are decent and if they are properly laced to good hubs they should provide good service. Check the condition of the brake tracks for noticable wear or scoring.

As to the freehub capacity, a Shimano 7-speed freehub body measures about 30 mm from the base of the splines (the shoulder where the largest cog sits) to the end of the rotating shell. An 8/9/10-speed Shimano freehub body is about 35 mm measured the same way.

yea the seem pretty nice, there is no wear on the break area. like they were swaped pretty recently after new, just some road dirt (or maybe garage dirt!) and the rear has a decent continental tire on it! you say that if they are laced to good hubs? well are the stock hubs any good? thats what is on it. and i dont have anyway of measuring mm at the moment..(side question: best place to get bike tools for the cheapest?) what size is the stock hub (no markings anywhere) or were there different options??

35 mm = 1 3/8" 30 mm = 1 3/16" (approx)

Pick up a cheap 6"/metric caliper -- it'll come in very handy. It's hard to beat this one at only $12+shipping: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GSLKIW

Any office supply store or X-Mart sells rulers graduated in both inch and mm. Shouldn't cost more than $1.

I just picked up a front 700c Matrix Titan Tour with a Shimano Exage hub (it was free so I took it). There seems to be a little wear around the rim. Nothing too deep, just seems to have worn through the black finish, I'm assuming its ok to ride?

i currently have the titans and they are great, i ride hard, hopping curbs, old patchy roads etc and they are solid! the back hub is a joytec (?) and the front is a suntour.. anywoo, i like them so far, enough to pic up another set of bargin matrix!

thanks alot!

YOU guys are BANANAS!

I leave the peels on the sidewalks.

Hey Mondoman: Does that caliper really work? I don't want to start it's own thread and watch is go on for 2 months.

And if it is the 30mm, you can get crazy and use 8 of 9 cogs from a 9 speed cassette with a 9sp shifter.

its the 35mm! going with as little gears as possibile so 8 (Shimano HG40 8 sp Cassette 11-13-15-17-20-23-26-34) going to put on an older steel bianchi road or peugeot mixie (havent actually got the frame yer (thursday)) so probably going to try to use basic friction shifters. is there anything i shoud know. is it even possibile??? and i know i will need a long cage derail. anybody recomend a good one or one they see cheap or even have??

1) If the frame's dropouts are made of relatively thin metal (like, stamped from plate metal), then your rear wheel's quick-release skewers may not be able to clamp the frame as intended. That can cause the rear wheel to slip and jam, so keep an eye on that.

2) If the frame is made for 126mm hubs or narrower, then expect some resistance when you're trying to get the rear wheel into the dropouts.