Kinlin produce a range of very competitively priced road rims. Their traditional width range is their XR rance which comes in 4 different depths:

Kinlin XR-200 – £35/rim, 24, 28 and 32h, black
xr range

– 18.2mm wide
– 22mm deep
– 380g
– Niobium alloy

About Niobium alloy:
Niobium appears on the periodic table. It is a real element which is difficult to alloy with aluminium because of their different melting points. However, when alloyed it allows for a very strong material with particularly good tensile strength. As a result thin extrusions can be made for these rims allowing for particularly light rims.

About the XR-200

This version is currently only available in 28h. It is the lightest in the Kinlin range. The first two number correspond to the depth in the Kinlin range. The original popular verion was the XR-300, offering particularly good weight for its depth of 30mm. This version, being so much shallower is ideally suited to hill climbing, particularly for lighter riders.

All of the XR range are non-eyeleted because of their aero profile. They all come with sleeve joints and machined sidewalls.

Consider putting this rim with the NovaTec SL hubs for a superlight build. If built up with either CX-Rays or Lasers and alloy nipples you will have an estimated wheelset weight of 1371g. The cost for a set with Lasers and alloy nipples will start at £285 plus delivery and extras.

XR-240 – 20, 24, 28, 32h, £30, black

455g

The XR-240 sits in between the XR-200 and XR-270 in terms of height, but not in terms of weight. The profile is also more similar to the 200 than the rest of the Kinlin range with a flat bottom rather than an aero bottom. However, in my opinion, the XR-270 is worth going for for the extra depth as the weight is the same.


XR-270 – 20, 24, 28, 32h, £30, black

450g

The XR-270 is one of the most popular road rims of all time. It is an excellent balance and I use it as a real benchmark rim. I don’t think I will make friends revealing a lot of its rebranded applications, but needless to say, there are a lot of them. They are strong, stiff and can handle good tensions. The XR-200 is significantly lighter and quite regularly I will build up the two together with the 270 at the back and the 200 at the front as the 270 is both stiffer and can handle higher spoke tensions.

XR-300 – 20, 24, 28, 32 £45, black

465g

The XR-300 has been popular for some time but really that is to do with how well established it is. In my opinion, it is a bit overbuilt and you would be better off with the lighter and cheaper 270. Nevertheless, some people like the depth of a 30mm rim and you could also run the two in conjunction with one another with the 300 at the rear.

XR-380 – 20, 24, £66, black

580g

When it comes to the 380, people tend to push the boat out a bit more on weight and go for the H Plus Son SL42 which has a bigger range of drillings, is the same price and is 4mm deeper. That said, the 380 has proven popular over the years and is surprisingly light for its depth and nice and stiff. It is a good tough rim and still represents a good option. It is by a margin the least competitively price Kinlin rim.