Nox Composites Kitsuma Superwide Rim
The Nox Composites Kitsuma Superwide is the widest rim in Nox's mountain range from Knoxville, Tennessee: an extra-wide hookless bead for 2.6in trail tires through 2.8in plus tires and downhill rubber, an asymmetric spoke bed for even tension, and a layup that weighs about 475 grams in 29in. It is the Nox rim for wide-tire trail bikes, plus hardtails and enduro riders who want the biggest footprint a carbon rim can give.
This page covers the Nox Composites Kitsuma Superwide Rim in 29in, 27.5in. The Kitsuma 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 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.
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 Kitsuma wheel with a 2.6 or 2.8in tire is all grip. The wide bed lets you run the tire soft without it rolling in corners, the carbon rim keeps the wheel tracking straight, and the offset rear stays true. It is lighter than any alloy rim of its width by a margin you feel on every climb.
For 2.3 to 2.5in tires the Farlow is the better bed; for downhill and park use the Kitsuma DH is tougher. For wide trail and plus tires, the Kitsuma Superwide 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 | 28h, 32h |
| Weight | 475g (700c/29in), 460g (650b/27.5in) |
| Material | Carbon Fiber |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Spoke bed | Offset 2.6 mm |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
About this listing
Version notes. 29in, 27.5in, 28h, 32h, about 475g, 36mm inside, 30mm deep, disc. The other sizes and brake versions of the Kitsuma have their own listings; this page is for this one.
This is the disc-brake Kitsuma: 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 Rim comes in 29in, 27.5in and 28h, 32h drilling. It is a disc-brake rim. We build the Kitsuma on Industry Nine Hydra 2 and 1/1, DT Swiss 350 and 240, Hope Pro 5, Onyx Vesper and Chris King MTB hubs in Boost spacing, usually with Sapim Race, D-Light or CX-Sprint spokes or DT Competition, and brass nipples.
Tire range on the Kitsuma is 2.5 to 2.8in, tubeless-ready tires only on the hookless bead. 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 mountain bike, MTB single-speed and fat bike builds in our Custom Wheel Program. Start with the Nox Composites Kitsuma Superwide 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)
Everything in this section is published by Nox Composites. ProWheelBuilder is the wheel builder, not the tester, and the rim reaches us as the maker ships it.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
Nox makes the Kitsuma; 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. Built into a wheel by us, this part is covered by our own one-year wheel warranty on top of the maker's. For a year we replace broken spokes whatever caused them, and we cover the labor on the wheel - truing, re-tensioning, a rebuild if it needs one. If a rim or hub fails and its maker covers it, we run that claim for you; if the maker says no, you get an eligible replacement rim or hub at 25% off retail. You pay the shipping each way. Wheels built from parts you send us are excluded.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
Kitsuma Superwide 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.
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 it tubeless-ready?
Yes. Nox Composites lists the Kitsuma Superwide 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.
