The Nepest NOVA wheelset is a premium, lightweight carbon wheelset with innovative features like Venoa carbon spokes with titanium T-heads, hidden nipples, and a patented hub flange design. Reviewers consistently praise its build quality, stiffness, comfort, and crosswind stability, though some note challenges with tire mounting and mixed feelings about the aesthetics and price. Overall, it is seen as a high-performance option that competes well with more established brands.
Pros
- Lightweight for the depth, aiding acceleration and climbing.123
- Excellent build quality with precise trueness and consistent spoke tension.145
- Innovative carbon spoke design with titanium T-heads and hidden nipples reduces weight and improves aerodynamics.1467
- Patented hub flange design enhances safety by preventing spoke de-lacing.1487
- Good crosswind stability despite deep rims.486
- Comfortable ride with some vibration damping, not overly harsh.4896
- Comprehensive accessory kit including wheel bag, spare spokes, tubeless valves, and rim tape.14105
- Quiet and smooth freehub with ceramic bearings.1487
- High-quality materials: T800 carbon, titanium nipples, ceramic bearings.148
- Competitive price for the features offered.897
Cons
- Tire mounting can be challenging; some reviewers needed tire levers and multiple attempts to seat tires.4
- Rim tape is not pre-installed, which is a minor inconvenience at this price point.4
- Aesthetics are divisive: some dislike the psychedelic or contour line graphics and branding.896
- Slight lack of stiffness during sprints or hard efforts, causing a slight delay in power transfer.35
- Speed maintenance feels marginally slower than heavier wheels due to lower momentum.4
- End caps were very tight on one sample, requiring a bearing puller to remove.1
- Standard warranty does not cover freehub and bearings; extended warranty costs extra.1
Key Facts
- Claimed weight for 45mm depth: 1220g (front 561g, rear 659g); measured 1205g (front 556g, rear 649g) for 45mm, 1258g for 45/55mm mullet, 1340g for 55mm, and 1320g for 55mm.1245
- Rim internal width 23-23.4mm, external width 29.6-30mm, hooked tubeless design.14108
- Spokes are Venoa carbon (4th gen) with titanium T-heads and hidden nipples; weight ~1.5-1.8g each.14106
- Hubs use SEMA ceramic bearings and a DT Swiss-style star ratchet with 36 teeth (upgradeable to 54).14105
- Patented hub flange design prevents spokes from de-lacing in case of failure.1487
- Available depths: 35mm, 45mm, 55mm, 66mm, and mixed-depth options.11085
- Maximum rider weight limit: 125kg.64
- UCI approved.911
Sources
- 1The Cycle WorkshopChinese Carbon Price With Western Quality? - Nova Wheelset From Nepest
- 2サイクルウォーク / Cycle Walk高性能ホイールブランド「Nepest」の新世代モデル「NOVA」は意外にも「私向き」だった
- 3【A】Project みきひと話題沸騰の最新カーボンホイールの良い点と悪い点を実走インプレッション!性能の進化が凄すぎて驚いた!Nepest NOVA45
- 4Cyclists Hub2 sources
- 5oz cycleNepest Nova wheelset review - superlight carbon spokes!
- 6Cycling unboxed2 sources
- 7Patrick LinoNepest NOVA 55 Six Month Update - Clever Design Low Drag
- 8Klein ConceptNEPEST Nova 55 Review: Are These Wheels Worth It?
- 9luis scottNepest Nova Wheelset - Traditional Brands Should Take Notice!
- 10HambiniMechanical over Aero? The Nepest Nova Might Be the Start of a New Trend
- 11Harry MacHow a rim cracking gave me MORE confidence in a set of wheels - Nepest Nexpore gravel wheels review
Reviews & Ratings
11:13The reviewer tested the Nepest NOVA wheels on his bike and was impressed by their performance, noting their light weight, stability in corners, and good wind stability. He highlighted the innovative thin carbon spokes that provide a comfortable ride and responsive feel. The wheels scored highly across most categories, with minor criticisms about the aesthetics and branding.
14:50The reviewer discusses the Nepest NOVA wheelset, highlighting its innovative features, particularly the redesigned spokes, and provides initial impressions after mounting them on a new bike. He notes the wheels are lightweight, aerodynamic, and come with a comprehensive accessory package, but also mentions some minor cosmetic issues and advises waiting for a full review before making a purchase decision.
07:09The reviewer shares first impressions of the Nepest NOVA 45mm wheels after riding 250km. They highlight the wheels' light weight, speed, and comfort, noting good climbing and cruising performance. However, they mention a slight lack of stiffness during sprints and attacks, causing a slight delay, and some instability in crosswinds. Overall, they find the wheels suitable for a wide range of cyclists.
14:44The reviewer introduces the Nepest NOVA wheels, a new generation of wheels from Nepest, designed for longer distances like hill climbs and touring rather than racing. The reviewer highlights the wheels' lightweight, wide inner rim width of 23mm, and the inclusion of tubeless-ready accessories. The reviewer measures the front wheel at 556g and the rear at 649g, totaling 1205g, lighter than expected. The wheels feature 21 spokes with a 2:1 lacing pattern for the brake rotor side, and the reviewer notes smooth rotation and high-quality finishing. The reviewer plans to install the wheels in a future video.
05:06The reviewer discusses the Nepest NOVA 55 wheels after six months of use, highlighting their innovative hub design, smooth performance, and included accessories. They note that while the wheels are not cheap, the engineering and features justify the price for some consumers.
09:07The reviewer tested the Nepest NOVA gravel wheels extensively over nearly 2,000 km, including off-road mountain bike trails, a gravel race, and bike packing. Despite cracking a rim during testing, the wheels continued to perform well, which increased the reviewer's confidence in them. The reviewer praised their durability, handling, and value, and noted that the company quickly replaced the cracked wheel.
24:45The reviewer provides an in-depth analysis of the Nepest NOVA wheelset, covering its packaging, technical specifications, performance, and overall impressions. They highlight the wheels' lightweight carbon spokes, wide rims, and smooth hubs, and note that while they perform well in most areas, there is a slight lack of instantaneous power transfer and minor brake rub under hard efforts.
09:48The reviewer provides an initial unboxing and first ride impression of the Nepest NOVA wheelset, highlighting its premium features, lightweight design, and smooth performance, while reserving final judgment until more extensive testing.
13:08The reviewer discusses the Nepest NOVA wheelset, highlighting its innovative hub and spoke design, performance in crosswinds, ride quality, and overall value. He praises the brand's attention to detail and the wheels' competitive price-performance ratio.
16:50The reviewer provides a technical analysis of the NOVA Carbon Wheels with Ceramic Hub from Nepest, covering design, construction, performance, and features. He highlights the rim strength, spoke design, hub mechanics, and overall build quality, noting good aerodynamics and ease of service.
13:18The reviewer provides a detailed evaluation of the NOVA Carbon Wheels from Nepest. They describe the unboxing experience, highlight the premium materials and construction, and test the wheels for weight, trueness, and build quality. The reviewer notes the wheels are a premium performance road wheel set with tailored carbon layup, carbon spokes, ceramic bearings, and a DT Swiss-style ratchet freehub. They share positive personal experience with a previous Nepest wheel set and express confidence that this new set will be just as good. However, they also raise general industry concerns about Chinese manufacturers regarding warranty support and long-term reliability.
09:26The reviewer provides a detailed review of the Nepas Nova carbon wheels, covering unboxing, specifications, in-house quality control tests, and riding impressions. They note the wheels arrived in a bright green box with quality accessories like a proper wheel bag, tubeless valves, rim tape, spare spokes, and a tool. The wheels weigh 1258g for a 45mm front/55mm rear mallet setup. They feature 3.2mm 1A carbon spokes with hidden nipples and titanium T-heads, a patented hub flange design for safety, a 36-tooth ratchet mechanism, and SEMA ceramic bearings. The reviewer found the wheels to be well-assembled with excellent trueness and tension consistency. In riding, they felt stiff with immediate power transfer, comfortable, and stable in crosswinds, but noted speed maintenance felt marginally slower than heavier wheels. The reviewer compares them extensively to competitors like the Lun Hyper 5, Elite Wheels Drive 2, and others.

The reviewer provides a detailed analysis of the Nepest NOVA carbon wheels with ceramic hubs, noting they were pleasantly surprised by the included extras. The wheels scored highly in in-house tests for crosswind stability, stiffness, and spoke tension, and performed well on the road with good comfort and speed maintenance. However, the reviewer mentions some minor assembly issues and difficulty with tire mounting.
CYCLISTSHUBPATTYTCWKlein5CYCLEWALKNVMEGCJQEIozcycle8Where to Buy

NOVA Carbon Road Wheels | Aero Racing Wheelset | NEPEST
Variants
UCI Approved Equipment
UCI approval certifies that the shape of this equipment complies with the UCI technical regulations, so it may be used in sanctioned road, track and cyclo-cross races.
| Wheel | Rim height | Spokes | Fits | Approved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOVA 4545/45 | 45 mm | 21 | Front & rear | March 21, 2025 |
| NOVA 5555/55 | 55 mm | 21 | Front & rear | March 21, 2025 |
| NOVA 3535/35 | 35 mm | 21 | Front & rear | March 21, 2025 |
| NOVA X45/55 | 45, 55 mm | 21 | Front & rear | March 21, 2025 |
From the UCI List of UCI Approved Wheels, version 2026.08.27. Open the UCI list
Specifications
Attributes
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