Nox Composites Falkor 55D Rim
The Nox Composites Falkor 55D is the deep version of Nox's road rim from Knoxville, Tennessee: 55mm deep, disc-brake, with the same CFD-optimized profile as the 36 shaped around 25 to 28mm tires so that a rim this deep stays as calm as it can in a crosswind. It is a tubeless-compatible clincher with a bead hook, and it carries the lifetime warranty.
This page covers the Nox Composites Falkor 55D Rim. The Falkor 55D comes from us only as a finished wheel: pick the hub, spokes and nipples, and we lace, tension and true it by hand in Georgia before it ships.
Design and construction
The Falkor profile was shaped with computational fluid dynamics around modern 25 to 28mm tires: a wide, rounded section that lets the airflow reattach behind the tire, which is what makes a modern rim fast. The 36D is the shallow version, light enough to climb on and calm in gusts; the 55D is the deeper aero option. The bead is hooked and tubeless-compatible, so it works with tubes, tubeless-ready tires and ordinary clinchers, and the disc version has no brake track and saves weight. External nipples, standard J-bend spokes.
How it rides
A Falkor 55D wheelset is fast. On a flat, fast road the depth is worth real time over the 36, and the wide profile keeps it more manageable in a gust than older 55mm rims. It is a little heavier than the 36D and you notice that on a long climb; on race day you notice the speed.
For climbing and all-round riding the Falkor 36D is the better choice; for racing, time trials and fast flat roads, the Falkor 55D is the rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 29in |
|---|---|
| ERD | 534 (29in) |
| Inner width | 18 mm |
| Depth | 55 mm |
| Drillings | 20h, 24h, 28h, 32h |
| Weight | 415g (700c/29in) |
| Material | Carbon Fiber |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Profile | Triangle |
| Spoke bed | Offset 2 mm |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
About this listing
Version notes. 29in, 20h, 24h, 28h, 32h, about 415g, 18mm inside, 55mm deep, disc. The other sizes and brake versions of the Falkor 55D have their own listings; this page is for this one.
The disc version of the Falkor 55D has no brake track, so the sidewall is a plain extrusion that saves a little weight and never wears; it is the one to choose for any disc-brake frame. The rim-brake version, listed separately, has a machined sidewall.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The Nox Composites Falkor 55D Rim comes in the drillings listed on this page. It is a disc-brake road rim. We build the Falkor 55D on Industry Nine SOLiX and 1/1, DT Swiss 240 and 180, White Industries CLD and Chris King R45 hubs, usually with Sapim CX-Ray or CX-Sprint spokes or DT Aerolite, and brass or alloy nipples.
Tire range on the Falkor 55D is 25 to 30mm. Pick your bike type and weight in the configurator and it recommends a spoke count and lacing pattern.
Build a wheel around it
Offered for gravel and road disc, track and road single-speed, mountain bike, MTB single-speed and fat bike builds in our Custom Wheel Program. Start with the Nox Composites Falkor 55D Rim and the configurator pins it for you, then checks each choice you make against it.
Spoke head is decided by the hub, not the rim: this rim builds equally well with J-bend or straight-pull spokes, and the configurator only offers the spokes that match the hub you pick.
Testing, standards and warranty at Nox Composites
Nox Composites is based in Knoxville, Tennessee. Nox states that its products are designed and tested there, that the rims are produced by a partner manufacturer in Asia using Nox's molds and layup schedule, and that the carbon is Toray fiber from Japan; wheels are handbuilt in Tennessee. Nox states that "manufacturing and quality control is held to extremely high standards including regular destructive and nondestructive testing." The one published figure is spoke pull-through strength, which Nox states is "somewhere north of 880 Lbf." Nox publishes no impact-joule or fatigue-cycle figures and cites no ISO or UCI protocol.
Warranty: Nox's website states its wheels and rims are guaranteed free from defects in materials or workmanship for as long as the original owner owns them, non-transferable, with proof of purchase and rim serial number required; older printed instructions state a 2-year term. A rock-strike policy covers rim replacement for the first two years, judged by Nox engineers, and a lifetime crash replacement program offers a reduced-price rim or rebuild to the original owner.
From Nox Composites
Certifications
- Lifetime warranty (original owner) — Defects in materials or workmanship for as long as the original owner owns them; 2-year rock/road strike replacement; lifetime crash replacement (source)
- Designed and tested in USA — Nox states products are designed and tested in Knoxville, TN; rims produced in Asia with Toray carbon; wheels handbuilt in Tennessee (source)
Sources on Nox Composites's site:
- Lifetime Warranty | Nox Composites
- Technology Behind Nox Composites Rims
- FAQ | Nox Composites
- Instructions for Wheels and Rims (PDF)
- AM-275 Rim Instruction Sheet (PDF)
Nox Composites publishes those results; ProWheelBuilder builds the rim into a wheel and does not test it in a lab.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
Nox makes the Falkor 55D; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer. We measure the rim before we cut a spoke, bring the wheel up in three or four rounds with a gauge, stress-relieve it between rounds and true it last, then tape it and fit a valve if you want it tubeless.
Only compatible hubs and spokes appear in the configurator, impossible combinations are struck through rather than hidden, and the price is live.
Warranty
Manufacturer's warranty. Nox Composites warrants this product against defects in materials and workmanship. The duration, conditions and claim process are set by Nox Composites and can change without notice, so ask us and we will confirm the current terms before you buy.
ProWheelBuilder. Wheels we build around this part are covered by our own one-year warranty alongside the maker's. Within the year: broken spokes replaced regardless of cause, and the labor on the wheel - truing, re-tensioning or a complete rebuild - included. A manufacturer-covered rim or hub failure is a claim we make and manage for you; one they will not cover is answered with an eligible replacement at 25% off retail. Shipping each way is yours. Parts you supply yourself fall outside it.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
Falkor 55D Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
At 18mm inside this is a road width. It suits roughly 25 to 32mm tires, which is where most road bikes now sit, and it will run a 23 if you still want one. Go much wider than 32 on this rim and the tire starts to balloon above the sidewalls and squirm when you lean on it.
Which spokes and nipples suit the Falkor 55D?
For most riders a double-butted spoke such as Sapim Race or DT Competition with brass nipples; lighter riders can go to Sapim Laser or CX-Ray. The configurator recommends a gauge and count for the Falkor 55D from your bike type and weight.
Falkor 36 or 55?
36 for climbing, all-round riding and gusty roads; 55 for flat racing and time trials where aero is the point.
Is the Falkor hookless?
No. It has a bead hook, so it works with tubes, tubeless-ready tires and ordinary clinchers at normal road pressures.
Is the Falkor 36D tubeless?
Yes. It is tubeless-compatible; we tape and fit a valve on request.
What tires fit the Falkor 36D?
25 to 32mm. A 28mm tire is the pairing most of our customers run.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Yes. Nox Composites lists the Falkor 55D Rim as clincher tubeless compatible; we tape and fit a valve when you choose the tubeless option.
Not sure? Text or leave a voicemail on 470-253-0929 or email info@prowheelbuilder.com — you will be talking to the people who build the wheels.
