Nox Composites Farlow Rim
The Nox Composites Farlow is the carbon trail rim from a small company in Knoxville, Tennessee that designs rims for wheel builders rather than for its own wheelsets. That shows in the details: the Farlow has an asymmetric spoke bed that balances tension on a Boost rear, a wide hookless bead that seats tubeless tires easily and resists pinch flats, and a layup that the designers tune for trail riding rather than for a weight figure. The 29in Farlow weighs about 430 grams, and it comes in a standard layup and a Trail/Enduro layup for harder riding.
This page covers the Nox Composites Farlow Rim in 29in, 27.5in. The Farlow is not sold bare. You choose the hub and the rest of the build in the configurator, and it ships from our shop in Georgia laced, tensioned and trued by hand.
Design and construction
The Farlow is designed around a 29mm-class inner width that suits 2.3 to 2.5in trail tires, with a hookless bead wall that is thick and rounded so a rock strike squeezes the tire rather than cutting it. The spoke bed is offset, which on a Boost rear brings drive-side and non-drive-side tension close to equal and on a front balances the rotor side; it is the reason these wheels stay true. The layup adds material at the bead and spoke bed, where carbon rims fail, and keeps the section shallow enough to give a little vertically.
External nipples, standard J-bend spokes, disc only. The maker rates the Farlow for trail and all-mountain riding and backs it with a lifetime warranty on the rim.
Nox is a small company, and that is part of the appeal. The rims are designed in Knoxville by people who build wheels, the layups are chosen for how a rim survives a season rather than for a weight on a spec sheet, and the lifetime warranty is simple: if the rim breaks while you are riding it, it gets replaced. We have dealt with them for years and the service has been as straightforward as the rims.
How it rides
A Farlow wheel is precise without being harsh. The carbon rim tracks straight through rough corners, the shallow profile takes the edge off chatter, and the wide bead lets you run a 2.4in tire soft for grip without worrying about the rim. It is a little lighter than the big-brand carbon trail rims and a good deal cheaper, and in the shop it has been one of the most reliable carbon rims we build.
For cross-country racing the Skyline is lighter; for enduro and park the Farlow Trail/Enduro layup or the Kitsuma is tougher. For trail and all-mountain riding, the Farlow is the rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 29in, 27.5in |
|---|---|
| ERD | 589 (29in), 552 (27.5in) |
| Inner width | 29 mm |
| Depth | 25 mm |
| Drillings | 28h, 32h, 36h |
| Weight | 430g (700c/29in), 430g (650b/27.5in) |
| Material | Carbon Fiber |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Spoke bed | Offset 2.6 mm |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
This listing
This is the 29in, 27.5in listing of the Farlow, 28h, 32h, 36h, about 430g, 29mm inside, 25mm deep, disc. Pick the size that matches your frame; the profile and construction are the same across the range.
The disc version of the Farlow 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 Farlow Rim comes in 29in, 27.5in and 28h, 32h, 36h drilling. It is a disc-brake rim. We build the Farlow on Industry Nine Hydra 2 and 1/1, DT Swiss 350 and 240, Hope Pro 5, Onyx Vesper and Chris King MTB hubs, usually with Sapim Race, D-Light or CX-Sprint spokes or DT Competition, and brass nipples.
Tire range on the Farlow is 2.3 to 2.5in, tubeless-ready tires only on the hookless bead. Give the configurator your bike type and weight; it picks a sensible spoke count and lacing pattern, which you can override.
Build it into a wheel
This rim is live in our Custom Wheel Program for mountain bike, MTB single-speed and fat bike builds. Start a build with the Nox Composites Farlow 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.
What Nox Composites says about testing
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.
Construction combines 3K woven fabric at the spoke holes with unidirectional plies and a thickened RockGuard bead. The hookless RockGuard HL bead is rated to a maximum of 45 psi; Nox's rim table lists 45 psi for the AM, Farlow, Teocalli and Skyline rims and 60 psi for the hooked XCR-29. The AM-275 sheet lists a 180 kgf maximum spoke tension with 120 kgf recommended. Nox states the XCR rims have a recommended rider weight limit of 240 lb and the AM rims have no recommended limit.
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
The maker designs the Farlow in Knoxville; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer, and the lifetime warranty rides with the rim. Offset rims need the spoke lengths calculated per side, which we do from the Farlow's measured ERD and offset; every wheel is tensioned in stages with a gauge, stress-relieved and trued before it ships. Tubeless tape and a valve are fitted on request.
In the configurator you will only see parts that fit this drilling; combinations that are not made are struck through, and the price updates as you pick.
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. Our one-year wheel warranty applies to any wheel we build around this part, alongside whatever the manufacturer offers. Inside that year, broken spokes are replaced no matter how they broke, and the wheel labor is ours - truing, re-tensioning or a full rebuild. A rim or hub failure that the maker covers, we claim for you and see through; one the maker declines, we answer with an eligible replacement at 25% off current retail. Shipping both ways is yours, and components you supply yourself fall outside this cover.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
Farlow Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
At 29mm inside this is a trail width, sized around 2.1 to 2.4in tires. That is wide enough to stop a modern trail casing rolling under you in a corner without pushing the tread so flat that it wears down the middle.
What is the difference between the Farlow and the Farlow Trail/Enduro?
Layup. The Trail/Enduro version adds material for enduro impacts and weighs a little more; the standard Farlow is the lighter trail rim.
Is the Farlow hookless?
Yes. Use tubeless-ready tires and stay under the maximum pressure printed on the rim, which for a trail tire is far above what you would run anyway.
Who is Nox Composites?
A small rim company in Knoxville, Tennessee that designs carbon rims for custom wheel builders, with a lifetime warranty on its rims.
What tires fit the Farlow?
2.3 to 2.5in. A 2.4in trail tire is the pairing most of our customers run.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Yes. Nox Composites lists the Farlow Rim as clincher tubeless compatible; we tape and fit a valve when you choose the tubeless option.
Which spoke count should I choose?
It depends on your weight, terrain and the hub, not the rim alone. The configurator recommends a count from your bike type and rider weight, within the drillings this rim is made in.
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.
