Noob wheel question, Help!
 

Hello, I am currently riding a 1996 Trek 5000 OCLV... here are the specs...

http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/B...8863&Type=bike

The current wheel set is the stock Matrix Aurora 32 spoke wheels. I need to replace them. I found a good deal on Mavic Aksium 700c Race Wheels. It says they are 9/10 sprocket and shimano compatible. However the trek I ride is only an 8 sprocket shimano 600. Can these Mavic wheels fit? if so how?

I am open to any other suggestions as to how to upgrade the stock wheels. All input is greatly appreciated!!!

You are good to go. The width of the cassette for 8, 9, and 10 speeds are all the same. Your 8 speed cassette should fit just fine on the new hub. If you go with a new(9 or 10 speed) cassette too, you'll need to upgrade shifters and chain, tho.

"Shimano 8- and 9-speed hubs and cassettes (except Capreo ) are fully interchangeable with one another, so any 8-speed hub can be a 9-speed, or vice-versa. If you select a cassette which includes an 11-tooth sprocket, see the section on Hyperglide C"

Found that from Sheldon Brown here, about half way down.

Awesome! Yeah I don't plan on upgrading the cassette, just will be using the 8 speed I have. Thank you!

New issue
 

So I ended up finding a better deal on some Vuelta Corsa Pro wheels. They are shimano 9/10 compatible. So if i'm understanding correctly, the 8 sprocket cassette will fit fine on the new hub, but my new problem is will the wheel fit into the actual bike frame. The chain stays are supposedly only 126mm apart on my bike (1996 trek 5000 oclv) when the wheel is designed for 130mm. Can anyone confirm this?

There will be some spacers on the non drive side that you can replace/remove to take off the extra 4mm, but DO NOT try to put a 130mm wheel on a 126mm spaced carbon or aluminum frame. Good luck!

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html

That's how to measure dropout spacing... It says your 8-speed should be 130mm though

If your bike has 126mm spacing, then it is not an eight speed bike. Eight speed spacing is 130mm, same as nine and ten speed. Do not assume anything, just measure it.

While I usually use a decent caliper for such measurement, I routinely also use a tape measure that I picked up at Big Lots for $1. It has inches on one side, and metric on the other.

Even a crappy plastic caliper will work. You can find them at Harbor Freight for $2.

If you've got an 8-speed cassette now the new 9, 10-speed wheel will fit.
I think a 1996 5000 has 130 spacing. Many of the later 7-speeds were actually spaced 130, as well as all 8-speeds.

Ok great! thanks everyone for the help and input! Looking forward to riding the new wheels!

Are you sure that is true for 600 (Uniglide)?

BTW, if it is Uniglide, Efelty's cassette won't fit the new wheel. The last cog no longer holds the other cogs and spacers on in the modern system; there is a separate lockring (which adds width, which makes me suspect that it is possible to have an 8-speed, Uniglide, 126mm wide hub.)

Incidentally, I've never tried it but it always looked to me like they were being too conservative with the clearance on 130mm road wheels and the wheels would work if you had someone remove 2mm of spacers from the left, and install a 1mm narrower locknut on the right, along with leaving out the 1mm spacer. Maybe if you could flex the frame a lot by pedaling, or you ran a 15t smallest cog, there'd be an issue, but to me it sure looks like there's room for a modern hub to fit in a 126mm frame.

Basically, I think you should measure before assuming your old bike and hub are 130 because there is one extra component on the outside of a modern hub, which means it has to be wider.

Also, I have a 6-speed Uniglide, and it is 126, and my reading indicates they went to seven, then eight speeds basically by making the spacers between cogs narrower, and stuck with the 126mm width. However, I did not review my sources prior to posting this, it's been a while, and I did not concern myself with 8-speed stuff back when I read it, because it's not what I have.

Uniglide is the general name of the 80's and 90's era freehubs with a threaded top sprocket. The modern stuf is called hyperglide or interactive glide (shimano HG-50 for example.)