Nox Composites Kitsuma Superwide DH Version Rim
The Nox Composites Kitsuma Superwide DH is the Kitsuma in its downhill layup: the same extra-wide hookless bead for 2.5 to 2.8in tires and asymmetric spoke bed, with more carbon at the bead wall and spoke bed for bike park, downhill racing and e-MTB use. It is the toughest rim Nox makes, from a small company in Knoxville, Tennessee that designs rims for wheel builders.
This page covers the Nox Composites Kitsuma Superwide DH Version Rim in 29in, 27.5in. The Kitsuma DH 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 Kitsuma is a shallow carbon rim with a 35mm-class inner width, a hookless bead wall that is thick and rounded to squeeze a tire on a rock strike rather than cut it, and an offset spoke bed that balances drive-side and non-drive-side tension on a Boost rear. The layup is reinforced at the bead and spoke bed for the low-pressure abuse a wide tire invites. There is also a DH version with more material for park and race use. External nipples, standard J-bend spokes, disc only, lifetime warranty on the rim.
How it rides
A Kitsuma DH wheel is built to be pointed downhill and left alone. It takes the flat landings and rock gardens that fold alloy downhill rims, the wide bead keeps a 2.5in downhill tire on the rim at low pressure, and the offset rear stays true. It is heavier than the standard Kitsuma and lighter than any alloy downhill rim.
For trail and plus riding the standard Kitsuma is lighter; for downhill, park and e-MTBs, the Kitsuma DH is the rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 29in, 27.5in |
|---|---|
| ERD | 586 (29in), 548 (27.5in) |
| Inner width | 36 mm |
| Depth | 30 mm |
| Drillings | 32h |
| Weight | 525g (700c/29in), 510g (650b/27.5in) |
| Material | Carbon Fiber |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Spoke bed | Offset 2.6 mm |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
Which version this is
What this listing covers: the Kitsuma DH in 29in, 27.5in with 32h drilling, about 525g, 36mm inside, 30mm deep, disc. If you need it in another size or for the other brake type, it is listed separately.
This is the disc-brake Kitsuma DH: plain sidewalls, no brake track to wear, a touch lighter. It fits any disc-brake bike and it is the version most of our customers now build; the rim-brake version is a separate listing.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The Nox Composites Kitsuma Superwide DH Version Rim comes in 29in, 27.5in and 32h drilling. It is a disc-brake rim. We build the Kitsuma DH on Industry Nine Hydra 2, DT Swiss 350, Hope Pro 5, Onyx Vesper and Chris King MTB hubs, usually with Sapim Race, Strong or CX-Sprint spokes or DT Competition and Alpine III, and brass nipples.
Tire range on the Kitsuma DH is 2.5 to 2.8in, tubeless-ready tires only on the hookless bead. Pick downhill or e-bike 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 mountain bike, MTB single-speed and fat bike builds. Start a build with the Nox Composites Kitsuma Superwide DH Version 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.
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
Nox makes the Kitsuma DH; 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 Kitsuma DH 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. Any wheel we build on this part carries ProWheelBuilder's one-year warranty in addition to the manufacturer's. Broken spokes are replaced for a year whatever the cause, and all wheel-side labor is included - truing, re-tensioning, rebuilding. Where the maker covers a failed rim or hub we handle that claim for you; where they decline, an eligible replacement comes at 25% off current retail. The customer covers shipping in both directions. Components supplied by the customer are not covered.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
Kitsuma Superwide DH Version Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
At 36mm inside this is a plus or fat width, for tires from about 2.6in upward. Running a narrow tire on a rim this wide leaves the casing stretched and vague, so match it to the tire it was designed around.
Which spokes and nipples suit the Kitsuma DH?
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 Kitsuma DH from your bike type and weight.
Kitsuma or Kitsuma DH?
Same width and offset. The DH version adds layup for downhill and bike-park use and weighs more; the standard Kitsuma is the wide trail and plus rim.
Is the Kitsuma hookless?
Yes. Use tubeless-ready tires and stay under the maximum pressure printed on the rim.
What tires fit the Kitsuma?
2.5 to 2.8in. A 2.6in trail tire or a 2.8in plus tire is the usual pairing.
Is the Kitsuma e-bike rated?
For trail e-bikes with the right spokes, yes; the Kitsuma DH is the safer choice for heavy e-MTB use.
Is ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the Nox Composites Kitsuma Superwide DH Version Rim?
We are not. Nox Composites manufactures the rim; ProWheelBuilder's part is the wheel: measuring, lacing, tensioning and truing it here in Georgia.
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.
