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Watch my review of the Nepest NOVA wheels and how they compare to alternatives such as Lún HYPER 5 and Elitewheels DRIVE II. This video will help you determine whether they are worth it. I have thoroughly tested them both indoors and outdoors. I examined their assembly quality, including lateral and radial trueness, spoke tension, the inside of the rim, and more.
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📝 Written review: https://www.cyclistshub.com/nepest-nova-review/
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Bike part mentions in this video
WheelsNOVA Carbon Wheels With Ceramic Hub (New) Nepest
Created: January 06, 2026The 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.
AI-Summary
Pros
- Arrives in a bright green box, different from standard packaging
- Includes a quality, usable wheel bag
- Includes tubeless valves, rim tape, four spare spokes, an instruction manual, and a tool for hidden nipples
- Packaging is nicely branded
- Wheels look solid out of the box
- Pair weighs 1258g for a 45/55mm mallet setup
- Uses 3.2mm 1A carbon spokes
- Hidden nipples should slightly improve aerodynamics and marginally increase comfort
- Spokes use titanium T-heads for perfect alignment
- Patented hub flange design keeps spokes in place in case of failure
- Uses a 36-tooth ratchet mechanism with SEMA ceramic bearings (expected higher quality)
- Freehub sound is on the quieter side (reviewer likes this)
- Excellent trueness with minimal deviation
- Spoke tension consistent, within 5% of average
- Rim centering offset is minimal and doesn't affect ride
- Internal rim structure is pretty smooth
- Ride feels relatively comfortable
- Wheels feel pretty stiff with immediate power transfer
- Excellent crosswind stability
- Accelerate faster due to lighter weight
- Includes thoughtful extras (wheel bag, spare spokes, hidden nipples, patented flange) that make the experience feel complete
- Offers a well-balanced mix of stiffness, comfort, stability, and speed
Cons
- Rim tape was not pre-installed (disappointment at this price point)
- Tire rim transition not the smoothest with 28mm tires inflating to over 31mm
- Titanium T-heads are more prone to galvanic corrosion than aluminum heads
- Patented flange design effectiveness is curious, and other brands might copy it
- Freehub mechanism is described as a bit more generic compared to some competitors
- Mounting tires was challenging; needed tire levers and front wheel required two attempts with a floor pump to seat
- Speed maintenance doesn't feel as good as on heavier wheels; feels marginally slower due to lower momentum
- Differences from other carbon spoke wheels are very small; in a blind test, couldn't tell them apart
Key Points
- Brand/Model: Nepas Nova wheels, 45mm and 55mm mallet setup
- Weight: 1258g for the pair
- Rim Dimensions: 23.4mm internal width, 29.6mm external width
- Spokes: 3.2mm 1A carbon spokes with hidden nipples
- Spoke Heads: Titanium T-heads
- Hub Flanges: Patented design with narrower holes to keep spokes in place if failed
- Drivetrain: 36-tooth ratchet mechanism
- Bearings: SEMA ceramic bearings
- Accessories: Wheel bag, tubeless valves, rim tape (not pre-installed), four spare spokes, manual, hidden nipple tool
- Trueness: Almost perfect, minimal deviation
- Tension Consistency: All spokes within 5% of average tension
- Rim Centering: Hubs not perfectly aligned but offset is minimal
- Tire Mounting: Challenging; rims are hooked
- Ride Feel: Stiff, immediate power transfer, comfortable, stable in crosswinds
- Speed: Accelerates fast but speed maintenance feels marginally slower than heavier wheels
- Visual: Reviewer likes the look of the mallet setup