Inside the NOBL Wheel building Process
How We Build Wheels at NOBL (And Why It Matters)
Most riders assume wheels go out of true simply because they ride hard. While riding style and terrain play a role, so does how well a wheel is built. At NOBL, we’ve spent years refining the details that most riders never see—but feel every time they ride. This is a look inside that process.
Built In-House by Skilled Wheel Builders
Every NOBL wheelset is built in-house by experienced wheel builders at our workshops in Cumberland, BC and Bellingham, WA. Building wheels ourselves gives us full control over quality, supports deep customization, and ensures every wheel meets our quality standards before it reaches a rider.
Why Wheelbuilding Matters More Than You Think
When tension is inconsistent, certain spokes work harder and loosen faster, causing the wheel to go out of true and lose strength. This can happen even with high-end components. Consistency is what separates wheels that feel good for a few rides from wheels that feel great for years.
Meet TRUDI: Precision Without Losing the Human Touch
““Here at NOBL we’ve always built by hand and we’ve always prided ourselves on that…TRUDI helps streamline our wheelbuilding process by making it repeatable and taking the guesswork out of it.”– Chris, R&D
Our not-so-secret weapon is TRUDI, a compact, semi-automated truing system developed by the team at BERD. This is a machine we’ve been fortunate to help beta test alongside their team, using it daily in our workshops. For us TRUDI stands out to us for three reasons:
- Built for customization: from steel-spoked gravel wheels to BERD-spoked XC race builds. TRUDI allows us to quickly program each build without sacrificing accuracy and time. That means every wheel, no matter how unique, gets the same level of precision.
- Designed for smart automation: it automates repetitive, accuracy-critical steps without replacing skilled hands.
- Sized for real workshops: small enough to fit seamlessly into our existing workflow.
TRUDI brings repeatability and precision, while our wheel builders provide judgment and experience.
From Lacing to Final QC: How a NOBL Wheel Comes Together
Every NOBL wheel is hand-laced and subjected to strict quality checks from start to finish. During assembly, we treat each nipple with PTFE powder to lubricate the threads and reduce friction against the rim bed. This small but vital detail makes the building process more precise and ensures more accurate initial tension, resulting in a more durable wheelset.
Once hand-laced, the wheel moves into TRUDI. Here, the system measures dish, lateral and radial runout, and individual spoke tension with surgical precision. TRUDI calculates and applies precise turns to each nipple. After 2–3 cycles, the wheel is typically 90–95% complete.
From there, tension balance is checked, and the wheel is trued and finished by hand before moving on to final quality control.
“Because of the algorithm it’s using, it’s truing laterally and radially, as well as the dish, all in one go. Just, way more than a human brain could ever handle…The best wheels are the ones built with the least amount of turns [and] using TRUDI, you get to the end of a wheel much faster” – Liam, Warehouse Manager
“For our R&D process, having wheels come out of the TRUDI machine conistently is very beneficial. It eliminates all other variables and makes a more consistent, reliable wheel” – Chris, R&D
What You’ll Feel on the Trail
A properly built wheel doesn’t draw attention to itself, and that’s the beauty of it. You’ll stop thinking about your wheels, spend more time riding your bike and less time at the repair shop.
Built to Stay Fast and True
After final inspection, every wheel is cleaned, taped, and packaged for its rider.
When you buy a NOBL wheelset, you’re not just buying premium components; you’re buying a proven wheelbuilding process designed to keep your wheels fast and true for years to come.