Nox Composites Skyline Rim
The Nox Composites Skyline is the cross-country race rim from Knoxville, Tennessee: 23mm inside, hookless, with a 2.6mm asymmetric spoke offset for lateral stiffness and even tension, at about 345 grams in 29in and 335 in 27.5in. The Skyline was designed for 2.0 to 2.25in race tires and riders who want a wheel that accelerates instantly, and it has been a favorite of cross-country and marathon racers who build their own wheels.
This page covers the Nox Composites Skyline Rim in 29in, 27.5in. The Skyline 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 Skyline is a shallow carbon rim with a 23mm inner width, a hookless bead that seats race tires with a floor pump, and an asymmetric spoke bed offset 2.6mm, which balances tension on a Boost rear and lets the designers build lateral stiffness into a very light rim. The layup is thin by design; the Skyline is a race rim, reinforced at the bead and spoke bed and nowhere else. External nipples, standard J-bend spokes, disc only, lifetime warranty on the rim.
The company behind these rims started as a wheel builder that could not find carbon rims it trusted, and designed its own. That history shows in the details a builder cares about: consistent ERDs from rim to rim, spoke holes drilled to suit the wheel's dish, external nipples so a wheel can be trued anywhere, and a warranty that covers riding damage for life. It is why so many independent builders reach for them.
How it rides
A Skyline wheel is light and quick. It accelerates out of every corner, it is laterally stiff enough to hold a line through a rooty descent, and the 23mm bed keeps a 2.2in race tire round and fast on hardpack. It is not a trail rim and it does not pretend to be; for 2.3in and wider tires the Teocalli and Farlow are the better beds.
For cross-country and marathon racing on 2.0 to 2.25in tires, the Skyline is the rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 29in, 27.5in |
|---|---|
| ERD | 598 (29in), 560 (27.5in) |
| Inner width | 23 mm |
| Depth | 24 mm |
| Drillings | 28h, 32h |
| Weight | 345g (700c/29in), 335g (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 345g, 23mm inside, 24mm deep, disc. The other sizes and brake versions of the Skyline have their own listings; this page is for this one.
The disc version of the Skyline 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 Skyline Rim comes in 29in, 27.5in and 28h, 32h drilling. It is a disc-brake rim. We build the Skyline on Industry Nine Hydra 2 and SOLiX, DT Swiss 240 and 180, Hope Pro 5 and Chris King MTB hubs, usually with Sapim CX-Ray, Laser or D-Light spokes or DT Aerolite and Competition, and brass or alloy nipples.
Tire range on the Skyline is 2.0 to 2.25in, 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.
Put it in a custom wheel
Build a custom wheel around the Nox Composites Skyline Rim — the link drops you into our Custom Wheel Program with this rim pinned, ready for you to choose the rest. It is set up for gravel and road disc, track and road single-speed, mountain bike, MTB single-speed and fat bike builds.
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)
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 Skyline; 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.
Skyline Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
23mm inside is the all-road and gravel width. Think 32 to 45mm tires: wide enough to support a gravel casing properly so it holds its shape at low pressure, narrow enough that a 30mm road tire still sits right if you swap wheels between bikes.
Is the Skyline strong enough for trail riding?
It is a cross-country race rim. For trail riding on 2.3in and wider tires the Nox Teocalli or Farlow is the right rim.
Is the Skyline hookless?
Yes. Use tubeless-ready tires and stay under the maximum pressure printed on the rim.
What does the 2.6mm offset do?
It moves the spoke bed toward the non-drive side, which evens out spoke tension on a Boost rear wheel and stiffens the wheel laterally.
What tires fit the Skyline?
2.0 to 2.25in. A 2.2in race tire is the pairing most of our customers run.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Yes. Nox Composites lists the Skyline 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.
