Nox Composites Falkor 55R Rim
The Nox Composites Falkor 55R is the deep rim-brake version of Nox's road rim from Knoxville, Tennessee: 55mm deep with a carbon brake track, the same CFD-optimized profile shaped around 25 to 28mm tires, tubeless-compatible with a bead hook, and covered by the lifetime warranty. It is one of the few deep rim-brake carbon rims still available for riders racing on rim-brake bikes.
This page covers the Nox Composites Falkor 55R Rim. The Falkor 55R is built to order here. Choose the hub, spokes and nipples in the configurator; the wheel leaves Georgia laced, tensioned and trued.
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 55R wheelset is a fast rim-brake race wheel: real aero on the flat, a carbon brake track that works well with the right pads, and a profile that stays manageable in a gust. Use carbon-specific brake pads, which we supply with the wheel.
For climbing the Falkor 36R is lighter; for disc bikes the 55D is the equivalent. For racing on a rim-brake bike, the Falkor 55R is the rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 700c |
|---|---|
| ERD | 534 (29in) |
| Inner width | 18 mm |
| Depth | 55 mm |
| Drillings | 20h, 24h, 28h, 32h |
| Weight | 515g (700c/29in) |
| Material | Carbon Fiber |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Rim brake-brake |
| Profile | Triangle |
| Spoke bed | Offset 2 mm |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
Which version this is
What this listing covers: the Falkor 55R in 700c with 20h, 24h, 28h, 32h drilling, about 515g, 18mm inside, 55mm deep, disc. If you need it in another size or for the other brake type, it is listed separately.
The disc version of the Falkor 55R 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 55R Rim comes in the drillings listed on this page. It is a rim-brake road rim with a carbon brake track. We build the Falkor 55R on DT Swiss 240 and 180, White Industries T11, Chris King R45 and Bitex RAR hubs, usually with Sapim CX-Ray or CX-Sprint spokes or DT Aerolite, and brass or alloy nipples.
Tire range on the Falkor 55R is 25 to 28mm. Pick road as your bike type in the configurator and it recommends a spoke count and lacing pattern.
Build it into a wheel
This rim is live in our Custom Wheel Program for road rim brake and track and road single-speed builds. Start a build with the Nox Composites Falkor 55R Rim and the configurator opens with this exact rim pinned at the top of the Nox Composites list — you choose the rest of the parts and it validates every combination as you go.
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.
Nox Composites's testing and certifications
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)
The figures, certificates and media above are Nox Composites's own. ProWheelBuilder does not run these tests; our part is the wheel we build on the rim.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
Nox makes the Falkor 55R; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer. The build is the same every time: measured ERD, spokes cut to the half millimeter, staged tensioning with a gauge, stress relief, a final true, and tubeless tape and a valve on request.
The configurator shows only hubs and spokes that match the Falkor 55R drilling, strikes through combinations that are not made, and prices the wheel 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. Lace this into a wheel here and the finished wheel gets our own one-year warranty as well as the maker's. For twelve months we replace broken spokes however they broke, and the work on the wheel is on us - truing, re-tensioning, a rebuild where it is needed. If the rim or hub is covered by its manufacturer we put the claim in and chase it; if it is not, we supply an eligible replacement rim or hub at 25% off the current retail price. Carriage both ways is the customer's, and this does not cover wheels built from parts you send in.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
Falkor 55R 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 55R?
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 55R 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 ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the Nox Composites Falkor 55R Rim?
No. Nox Composites makes the rim. ProWheelBuilder is an independent custom wheel builder in Georgia that builds it into a finished wheel to your spec.
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.
