The Nepest NOVA wheelset is a high-performance, lightweight carbon wheelset that has impressed reviewers with its innovative design, quality construction, and excellent ride characteristics. While it carries a premium price and some minor drawbacks, it offers a compelling package for cyclists seeking a balance of stiffness, comfort, and aerodynamics.
Pros
- Innovative hub and spoke design with titanium T-heads and patented anti-detachment flange prevents spoke de-lacing and adds safety.123
- Excellent lateral trueness and spoke tension consistency, with deviations within 5%.12
- Lightweight for the depth, aiding acceleration and climbing.145
- Good crosswind stability despite deep rims, due to U-shaped profile.267
- Comfortable ride with vibration damping, despite carbon spokes.265
- Comprehensive accessory kit: wheel bag, spare spokes, tubeless valves, rim tape, and tools.123
- Quiet freehub with smooth engagement.176
- Stiff and responsive when out of the saddle, with immediate power transfer.276
- Multiple depth options and mixed-depth setups available.187
- 3-year warranty standard, extendable to 5 years.194
Cons
- Rim tape not pre-installed, requiring additional setup effort.23
- Tire mounting can be challenging, often requiring tire levers and multiple attempts to seat.2
- Higher price compared to some competitors in the Chinese wheelset market.943
- Freehub body is aluminum without steel insert, potential for wear over time.9
- Slight brake rub under hard efforts out of the saddle.9
- Aesthetics: paintless finish can be rubbed off, and decals/design may be divisive.697
- Hidden nipples may complicate maintenance for bike shops.3
Key Facts
- Wheelset weight ranges from 1205g to 1340g depending on depth and setup, with claimed weights often lower than measured (e.g., claimed 1330g, measured 1352g).10911
- Rim internal width is 23-23.4mm and external width is 29.6-30mm across most models.896
- Spokes are Vonoa carbon (3.2mm thick, 0.9mm bladed) with hidden nipples and titanium T-heads, weighing ~1.5-1.8g each.126
- Hubs use a DT Swiss style star ratchet with 36 teeth (upgradeable to 54) and SEMA ceramic bearings.128
- Rim depths available: 35mm, 45mm, 55mm, 66mm, with mixed-depth options.187
- Maximum rider weight limit is 125kg.62
- Wheels are tubeless-ready with hooked rims and rated to 120 PSI.816
- UCI approved.411
Sources
- 1The Cycle WorkshopChinese Carbon Price With Western Quality? - Nova Wheelset From Nepest
- 2Cyclists Hub2 sources
- 3Patrick Lino2 sources
- 4luis scottNepest Nova Wheelset - Traditional Brands Should Take Notice!
- 5【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
- 6Cycling unboxed2 sources
- 7Klein ConceptNEPEST Nova 55 Review: Are These Wheels Worth It?
- 8HambiniMechanical over Aero? The Nepest Nova Might Be the Start of a New Trend
- 9oz cycleNepest Nova wheelset review - superlight carbon spokes!
- 10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
- 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.
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.
11:24The reviewer discusses the Nepest NOVA 55 wheels, highlighting their specs, price, and initial ride impressions. He notes that Nepest is a Chinese brand expanding globally, and these wheels feature carbon bladed spokes, titanium nipples, and a patented hub design. The wheels weigh 1,316 grams and retail for $1,499, with a 12% discount code available. The reviewer praises the build quality and ride feel, but notes the higher price compared to competitors and the brand's lack of recognition.
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.
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
| Configuration | Rim Depth Front | Rim Depth Rear | Internal Rim Width | External Rim Width | Spoke Count Front | Spoke Count Rear | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35/35 | 35 mm | 23 mm | 30 mm | 21 | 1,180g | ||
| 45/45 | 45 mm | 23 mm | 30 mm | 21 | 1,220g | ||
| 45/55 | 45 mm | 55 mm | 23.4 mm | 29.6 mm | — | — | 1,258g |
| 55/55 | 55 mm | 23 mm | 30 mm | 21 | 1,310g | ||
| 66/66 | 66 mm | 23 mm | 30 mm | 21 | 1,400g | ||
Specifications
Attributes
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