![]() ![]() Like, hella stiff, if I may use a term that far predates the carbon rim itself. In fact, the TR37s are some of the most laterally stiff rims I’ve been on. However, that’s not to say TR37 aren’t snappy and stiff. This translates to a controllable ride at speed, one where deflection is predictably mitigated and it’s easy to stay on line. Addressing these needs individually actually makes for a more unified feel to how front and rear wheels behave. Meanwhile, the rear wheel simply has to track with the direction of your momentum and remain predictable. ![]() Designing rims around that fact allows the front rim to focus on what’s important not getting bounced off line and not rattling your fillings loose. Front and rear wheels interact differently with the trail, not to mention with our suspension and with our bodies. Likely, that balanced feeling is due to the front and rear-specific layups. Think of it like opening up your high-speed damper a click or two-you won’t really feel it most of the time, but on those hard and fast hits, it’ll make a difference. The TR37s feel balanced and smooth under hand and foot, but without feeling soft or flexy in the slightest. Descending at Half Chicken is fine, but it doesn’t allow these rims’ unique features to truly shine. The same is rarely ever said about wheels, but the TR37s fall into that exact category-they need speed to be fully realized. It’s said that bikes best suited for downhill shenanigans don’t really come alive until they exceed, or at least approach, Mach Chicken. It is their specialty, not unlike the bikes I tested them on. The TR37s do not muck around when it comes to descending. No, these rims are likely going on a brute of a bike, which is exactly where they belong. And anyway, the TR37 isn’t meant for featherweight riding. For reference, a Crankbrothers Synthesis rim tips the scales at 480 and 495 grams front and rear (claimed). The TR37 weighs 450 grams (29er) for the front rim and 515 grams for the rear (claimed). Corrugations increase stiffness and strength in the direction parallel to their orientation while allowing flex in a perpendicular direction. Between the spokes are lower-profile sections, increasing the side-to-side stiffness without overly compromising its vertical compliance. The defining feature of the TR37 is its unique sine wave profile. Both are 37mm outside, which means the rear rim also has more meat on the beads for strength, while the front flexes more vertically and better accommodates a slightly wider tire. The front rim is 31 millimeters inner width and the rear is 30. NOBL also paid unique attention to comfort and compliance, touting a flat profile and front/rear-specific construction, just like the Crankbrothers Synthesis. Set squarely as the enduro-oriented offering from the British-Columbia-based hoopsmith, the TR37 is focused on strength and stiffness-but we just established that strength and stiffness are the easy parts. Which brings us to NOBL’s latest creation, the TR37s. You can customize your nipple preference, spoke thickness and even the color of your decals. NOBL offers many, many build options for their wheels. Wheels like Crankbrother’s Synthesis E 11, and later, Zipp’s 3Zero Moto acknowledged the fact that flex, in the right direction, is actually a good thing. It’s only been in recent years when the balance between stiffness and compliance has been realized. Which, in fairness to NOBL, is pretty much how every carbon wheel from the mid to late teens rode (quiet down, Ryan Palmer!). But now, after almost four years of post-consumerist bliss, I got my hands on these contemporary TR37 carbon hoops from NOBL, and just like that, my old TR36s felt a bit-antiquated. Especially for me–I seem to have a way of destroying parts. They’ve performed flawlessly since then, and I haven’t needed to upgrade-a blasphemous concept, I know. ![]() And they rode exactly how I thought a high-end pair of boutique carbon spinners should-sharp, stiff and responsive as all get-out. They were laced to a set of purple Onyx Classic hubs. Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!įour years ago, I took my first spin on NOBL rims, a pair of OG TR36s to be exact. ![]()
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