NOBL HR35 Review: Unlocking Efficiency

Racing isn't my thing. Cycling, for me, is like a time-out—a chance to relax while staying active. Regardless, an efficient setup is always definitely welcome. The easiest way to increase efficiency is by becoming more aerodynamic or, as many prefer, finding a lighter, faster bike. But putting on tight racing clothes isn't for me, and I'm not interested in getting a new bike either. So, what's left? Getting in better shape. I consider myself fit—not ultra-race-winning fit, but at a solid level. That's where NOBL's solution comes in: a pair of fast gravel wheels to support the next level of fitness.

Many gravel bikes today, like my Fairlight Faran, offer the flexibility to switch between different wheel sizes. This design feature allows you to adapt your bike to various scenarios. For instance, you might use 700x35c wheels for road and light gravel rides, then switch to 650bx55 for rougher gravel and off-road adventures. While it's possible to tackle all of this with just one wheelset, there's always some compromise involved. In my experience, a setup like 650bx47 or 700x40c is a great do-it-all solution, especially with supple tires run at low pressures. If you're interested in the person who sparked this revolution years ago, you can read an interview with Jan Heine here.

If your frame allows it, having two different wheelsets is a great way to enhance your bike's versatility. This isn't a new idea; even before the advent of disc brakes, many mountain bikers were using their bikes for endurance training on the road, where it's easier to stay within a certain range of your FTP (Functional Threshold Power). For off-road adventures, I stick to my beefy 2.1x650b wheels. But when it comes to faster gravel rides, I'm now flying on the fast yet robust NOBL HR35 carbon gravel wheels. Muchas gracias, NOBL!

Meet NOBL

NOBL, based on Vancouver Island, specializes in carbon rims for mountain and gravel bikes. They offer these rims with nearly any high-quality hub you could ask for, giving customers plenty of options to choose from. Their website even features a fantastic and highly useful wheel calculator, which helps you compare different rim-hub-spoke combinations. The team members are passionate riders and incredibly supportive, always aiming to help you find the best wheels for your needs.

After a brief discussion about where and how I planned to use the wheels, the team provided recommendations and helped me find the ideal setup for my next adventures. I ultimately chose the NOBL HR35 hookless rims paired with a SON hub in the front, allowing for all-day rides without worrying about batteries. For the rear hub, I went with the “entry-level” i9 1/1—though is it really fair to call anything from i9 entry-level? After countless rides, I can confidently say there's no sign of entry-level performance here.

Hard Facts

• NOBL HR35 HR hookless symmetric rims
• Weight: 400g/440g f/r
• Width: 29mm; inner width: 24mm; depth: 35mm
• Recommended tire size: 30c - 47c
• Max. pressure: 60 - 65 psi

Initial Setup

While eagerly waiting for the wheels to arrive, I did some research on the hookless system and which tires I'd use. If you're unfamiliar with hookless rims, let me briefly explain. A standard clincher rim uses small hooks to “clinch” the tire bead as the tube is inflated. Hookless rims, as the name suggests, eliminate these hooks. This makes it crucial to follow the manufacturer's recommended tire-rim combinations and adhere to the maximum permitted tire pressure.

You might be wondering, what are the benefits of hookless rims? The main advantages are more robust rims and more cost-effective manufacturing. It would be beyond the scope of this review to dive into every detail, but it's essential to check all the facts before using hookless rims. For more information, you might want to explore this or another reliable source.

When the wheels arrived, I had all the other parts ready. The custom wheels came perfectly boxed and well-protected. Straight out of the box, the gold decals and spoke nipples looked fantastic and perfectly matched the frame's ochre paint. For the tires, I chose Schwalbe's G-One Bite for the front and the Allround for the back. There are plenty of other great tires out there, but I wanted to give these a try for specific reasons.

One thing worth mentioning: After bad experiences with wheels going out of true too early, I've made it a habit to check the spoke tension on new wheels. It gives you a good idea of what to expect. The NOBL HR35s were perfectly built right out of the box! NOBL even has a site dedicated to their building process, which you can check out here.

Ride Impressions

After installing the NOBL wheels, I was eager to take them out for a spin and evenly distribute the tubeless sealant. Since these are my first hookless wheels, I had to find the right tire pressure—low enough to avoid exceeding the rim's recommended limit but high enough to prevent pinch flats and tire squirm in corners. This took a bit of trial and error.

Right from the start, the wheels felt fast. Although the initial pressure was a bit too high, even after lowering it, the wheels maintained their quick roll. For years, we were told that only thin tires with high pressures could be fast, but modern tire technology and research have proven otherwise. The speed increase I noticed seemed too significant to be solely from switching from 47mm to 40mm tires. I experimented with even lower pressures on a straight section of the road, just to see if the wheels still felt fast—and they did. While some of this newfound speed can be attributed to the aerodynamic design of the rims, the real impact is likely subtle. However, to verify this, I plan to conduct some more rigorous testing, comparing both wheelsets head-to-head using power meter pedals.

One thing that really surprised me was the “dampened” feel of the NOBL wheels. There's a certain smoothness to the ride, even though the rims are stiff when needed. This was particularly noticeable when I took the bike to the mountains for some rough gravel riding—because that's what these wheels are built for, right? I decided to test them on a mountain bike route, avoiding only the steepest climbs and descents. Even with the skinny 40mm tires, the wheels handled the rocks well and offered more grip than I expected. On the downhill sections, over the rough stuff, the wheels once again delivered that vibration-damping feel. The increased wheel diameter not only raised the bottom bracket height but also slightly increased the trail, improving the bike's off-road capabilities.

Unfortunately, I did manage to rip off the cable from the dynamo leading to the front light. The Faran offers internal cable routing, but I wasn't keen on completely reassembling the bike, especially since I'll be doing that in a few weeks to install some new parts. By then, the original spare parts from SON should be available—they're often sold out. In the meantime, I'm left with a dynamo hub that isn't connected to any lights, which is a bit disappointing since it's nice not having to worry about batteries.

Final Thoughts

I'll admit, I had some reservations about carbon rims, especially after seeing rims from other brands break on enduro mountain bikes. But after a few rides with the NOBL wheels, those concerns faded, and trust—and fun—took over. The fact that they exceeded my expectations in terms of comfort and speed only added to the experience. As I mentioned earlier, I'm not a racer, but rather a “fun-first” rider, though I certainly appreciate efficiency. Right now, the tire-rim combination is perfect for my typical rides, which are about 60% road and 40% gravel—ideal for classic cyclo-touring. I'm also looking forward to participating in, or rather, enjoying all the upcoming local events this autumn. For more off-road touring, I plan to switch to 27.5x2.1 tires. With a lifetime warranty, I have no concerns about these wheels failing anytime soon—their build quality suggests they're ready to withstand many adventures in all conditions.