NOBL TR33: Built for Mixed Terrain

This is my third NOBL wheel review, the latest chapter in what's become a pretty great trilogy. It's a story that has played out over the past four years as my bikes and the way I ride have evolved. I only heard of NOBL when I moved to Vancouver Island about six years ago. At that time, they were very much a mountain bike brand. But over the years, they started showing up in the gravel and adventure space, and they did it in a way that felt thoughtful and real. They've become one of my favourite brands to work with. The people are friendly, the product is top-notch, and the whole experience has always been easy. So before I dive into the TR33s, let me walk you through how I got here.

First, I needed a tough set of wheels for bikepacking. These went on my 2020 Surly Krampus, a rigid steel bike built for hauling gear through the backcountry. I chose the TR37s with Industry Nine Hydra hubs. Putting carbon wheels on a 29-pound steel bike felt kind of ridiculous, but I was looking to save weight anywhere I could. Fully loaded, the Krampus was pushing close to 50 pounds, and shedding some rotating weight would make a real difference. The TR37s made the bike feel faster and more responsive, even when loaded down. That wheelset also made me finally go tubeless, which opened me up to a whole new world. Fewer flats, better traction, and a noticeable drop in overall weight. Those TR37s have been all over the world now. They've taken a beating and never let me down.

The next set was the TR35s, which I built up for my WZRD New Country. The New Country was designed as a steel XC ripper, built specifically for trail riding here on Vancouver Island. I paired the TR35s with a set of slick 6-bolt Chris King hubs, and together they felt like the perfect fit. Silver decals and hub details gave the whole build some extra pop, and the wheels themselves were light, quick, and stiff enough to charge through the local chonk with confidence. They helped me ride faster, and it was the first time I'd felt truly quick on singletrack since the 90s, back when I was racing a 26er around Northern Ontario.

Now comes the third chapter, built around my Neuhaus BigLeaf, a steel Big Gravel prototype with 29-inch wheels, tons of clearance, drop bars, and proper adventure geometry. I knew right away I wanted another set of NOBLs on it. After chatting with the team, we landed on the TR33s laced to DT Swiss 350 hubs. If I had already gone from TR37 to TR35, it just made sense to keep the pattern going. Why not try the 33s?

Most of my riding these days falls into what I'd call mixed terrain. These are long rides that link together everything from gravel and forest service roads to light trail, rooty cut-throughs, and the occasional rugged descent. It's not pure gravel and it's definitely not full-on mountain biking. It's the kind of in-between riding that demands versatility from my gear. I added some shiny silver decals and matching silver spokes to tie in with the root beer paint and silvery bits on the frame. The TR33s were designed for XC and downcountry setups, and they're marketed as a bit of a crossover or adventure wheel. That seemed like it might be the perfect match for the type of mixed terrain riding I've come to love, so how would they actually hold up once things got going?

Meet NOBL

NOBL is a Canadian carbon wheel brand based on Vancouver Island. They started in 2013 with a strong focus on mountain biking but have since expanded into gravel, XC, and adventure builds. Rims are designed in Canada, made in China, and hand-built in Cumberland, BC—or Bellingham, WA if you're ordering from the US. Their signature sinewave profile balances stiffness and compliance, and they offer plenty of customization from decals to nipples. Simply put, NOBL is an excellent product made by great people.

First Look: Light & Tight

The TR33s showed up looking as refined and clean as I've come to expect from NOBL. First impression? The weight of this setup with DT Swiss 350 hubs comes in at around 1520 grams. Out of the box, they feel almost too light for how strong they're supposed to be. You can actually flick one into the air with one hand, and it just sort of hangs there for a second.

The rims have a 27mm internal width, which is just right for XC setups and bigger gravel tires. Depending on your frame clearance, you can run anything from a 2.2 to a 2.6 on the TR33s. I mounted up an older pair of Vittoria Mezcal 2.1s mostly because they were lying around and still had a bit of life left in them. For mixed terrain riding, where you're constantly shifting between gravel, singletrack, and loose, chunky backroads, that flexibility in tire choice is a big deal.

The sinewave profile is still here and still beautiful. It gives the rim structure where it needs to be stiff, but allows a bit of give between the spokes. It's not the kind of design detail that shouts at you, but you start to appreciate it once you're on the trail.

I built these up with DT Swiss 350 hubs. I gave them a quick eyeball check and they felt smooth and solid, but since this is my first time on DT Swiss, I decided to save my verdict for once I'd had them out on the trails.

For spokes, I went with silver Sapim CX-Rays. They're bladed, slightly lighter, and made from higher-quality steel, which makes them stronger and more fatigue-resistant over time. The silver spokes and matching nipples give the build a bit of pop, but still keep things low-key. And they matched the silvery bits on the Neuhaus perfectly. Slick.

Finish-wise, these wheels are everything I've come to expect from NOBL. Dialled, clean, and built with care. The big question now is how they'll hold up once I start pushing them across rough gravel, light trail, and the kind of mixed terrain routes that make up most of my riding these days. I'm excited to find out.

TR33s in the Wild

I have been running the TR33s for almost four months now, averaging somewhere between 200 and 300 kilometres a week, mostly on mixed gravel, forest service roads, and trail connectors. At this point, we've gotten to know each other.

Of the three NOBL wheelsets I've ridden, these are hands down the lightest and most efficient. They accelerate quickly and hold speed. There's a smooth, connected feel that makes long days in the saddle feel a little easier. Power transfer is exactly where I want it, especially on steady climbs and fast-rolling flats. Lateral stiffness is dialled too—no flex through corners or under load, just a solid, responsive feel.

On light trail and rough gravel, they've been more confidence-inspiring than I expected. They handle fast descents and sketchy surfaces without ever feeling harsh or twitchy. This is exactly the kind of varied, mixed terrain riding I find myself doing most often—long efforts that demand speed on the flats, control on the downs, and durability through the chunky bits.

What I've come to love most is how subtle they are. These wheels just kind of disappear under you, in the best way possible. You stop thinking about them entirely, which is probably the highest compliment I can give.

Compared to the TR37s, these are way lighter and noticeably more responsive. The TR35s are still my go-to for trail days, but when it comes to big gravel efforts and extended mixed terrain rides, the TR33s feel quicker and more efficient. If I'm heading out for 100 kilometres of shifting surfaces, these are the wheels I want under me.

NOBL TR33: For every terrain.

And I've got to give a shoutout to the DT Swiss 350 hubs. This was my first time riding them, and honestly, they've turned out to be the quiet hero of the whole build. Smooth, fast, and flowy—even when the terrain gets chunky. Coming from the full-volume howl of my Industry Nine hubs on the TR37s, the silence here is kind of wild. It's like the bike just floats forward. No buzz, no fuss, just clean, silent momentum. I didn't know what to expect going in, but I'm officially a DT Swiss fan now.

Wrapping Up

The TR33 is NOBL's true cross-category offering. It's light enough for XC, strong enough for trail, and balanced just right for big gravel and mixed terrain builds like the BigLeaf. This wheelset represents everything I've come to appreciate about NOBL: quiet excellence, thoughtful design, and real-world performance with the right amount of flash.

Every NOBL wheelset comes with a lifetime warranty on rim damage from riding, plus a 50 percent crash replacement policy for everything else, which adds even more peace of mind. They continue to support a wide spectrum of riders, not just the MTB crowd, and they work closely with the local builder community, which matters to me. The TR33s are an ideal mix of performance, weight savings, and subtlety—ready for whatever mixed terrain your next ride throws at you..

Paired with DT Swiss 350 hubs, this setup comes in at $1,899 CAD or (approximately) $1,450 USD.