# Opinions on Kinlin XR31T - BHS C31W Rims



## jpconstantineau (Sep 2, 2015)

Hi all,


I am planning to build a new wheelset but I first need to choose which rim I will get. I need input on how the new XR31T compare with the other Kinlin rims.


I currently ride a wheelset made up of Mavic Open Pro on Shimano 105 5800 hubs laced with Sapim Laser spokes. Tire is a Continental Gatorskin 25mm. I want a lighter more aero wheelset. I tried a friend's Mavic Ksyrium SL with Michelin Service Course Pro 4 (23mm) and I liked it.


After some research, I have settled on BHS or Novatec hubs, Sapim Laser or Cxray spokes and a set of Continental gp4000s tires, probably 23mm. I like the options on Kinlin rims, however, there is very little out there on the new XR31T to help my decision.


I have seen opinions comparing the XR300 vs the XR270 and general consensus seems that the XR270 is more forgiving to side winds. Does this translate to the XC279/XR31T comparison?


I have also seen opinions that the XC279 is better than the XR270 for its ride quality (mainly due to the wider rim) and it may have a better aero profile (more rounded as opposed to a deep V). I believe this still applies to the XR31T compared to the XR300. Is this correct?


Cxray spokes have a slight aero advantage over the laser spokes, however they are much easier to build with because any spoke twist is easy to spot and fix. They do have quite a price premium. I doubt I would be able to feel much difference in how a wheel feels between the two spokes. I believe the choice may depend on budget and whether it is included in a wheel build kit or not.


As for the hubs, I haven't seen much between the two I have selected (BHS (SL79 & SL210) and Novatec (A291SB-SL & F482SB-SL-11 ABG)) and I would probably go with whoever I buy my kit from. Both are quite light compared to a standard set of Shimano 105 hubs.


Should I go ahead with a XR31T kit (Both BHS or BDOP have them) or should I go for a slightly shallower rim (XC279) and make my own "kit" and not have to worry about how the wheel feels with side-winds. I don't want to be tossed around into the traffic lane when a semi passes by but do want to enjoy the aero benefits of a slightly deeper rim.

In a nutshell: How's the Kinlin XR-31T?


For Reference:
XR-270 19mmW 27mmD 445g
XR-300 19mmw 30mmD 465g
XC-279 23mmW 28mmD 490g
XR-31T 24mmW 31mmD 486g
Mavic Open Pro 19.5mmW 18.5mmD 435g


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## Enoch562 (May 13, 2010)

THe XR31 rim sheds crosswinds quite nice. Seems to be almost transparent in the wind. It is a little hareder to swap tires on when compared to the 279, but it makes for a nice wide tire. I have yet to hit a set I couldn't install by hand. I've built a few sets (8) with this rim. If you using wide rims, I would definately go with a 25 tire. THe spoke bed is nice and thick on this rim. I've built with and without washers. I prefer without. FWIW, there is also a offset version of this rim. It really helps add some extra tension to the NDS spokes. 

Unless I'm building some weight weenie wheels, or I have frame with tight clearance I'll prolly never build on narrow(< than 23) rims again.


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## rruff (Feb 28, 2006)

jpconstantineau said:


> In a nutshell: How's the Kinlin XR-31T?


No direct experience with the 31T, but I liked the XC279 a lot. 

I don't believe you will have crosswind issues if you stick to <24mm tires. It's more of an issue if you use a tire that is much wider than the rim. It creates an ok airfoil on the front of the wheel, but none at all on the back. So you can get a lot of torque with some gusts. If the front and rear look similar to the wind, this is greatly reduced. It's the great thing about wide rounded rims.


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## dcb (Jul 21, 2008)

I'll be able to give you some thoughts in a few days. I finished my build with them the other not but haven't had a chance to ride them yet. BHS has a special right now with XR31's, hubs and CXrays for $370. In terms of rim strength I can't comment yet but it might be telling that prowheelbuilder is selling a complete build with XR31's in a 16/20 spoke configuration. I talked to them on the phone about it and they said it's a really strong rim that doesn't need more spokes unless the rider is really heavy. Having said that, I still went 24/28.


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## cdhbrad (Feb 18, 2003)

I like Kinlin rims. I have wheels built for me by rruff on Kinlin 300s that are 8 years old and ride like new. I have a set with 270s (first set I ever built myself) that have performed well too. 

I built a set for a friend using a BHS Kit with WI hubs, CXrays and the XR-31T rim and he loves them....his everyday ride. They built easily and looked great when done. 

I built a set using the XC279 for myself before the 31T came out and they are my current favorite wheels. CK front hub (24hole) and a DA 7850 rear (28 hole) laced 2X front and back with CXrays. I really like the ride with 23mm Conti 4000s. 

I like the XC279, but my next set will be built with the 31T. You won't go wrong with either the XC279 or the 31T.


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## jnbrown (Dec 9, 2009)

I just bought a pair to rebuild my tandem wheels.
I got the OC version for the rear.
Plan to build it this weekend.
Kinlin rims have a history of brake pulsing. I had this problem on some XR270s.
I have heard the XR31 doesn't have this problem so much.
You could use Sapim Race or DT Comp spokes, a lot cheaper than CX-Rays and easy to build with. Ksyrium wheels are not very good aerodynamically, so you must have been feeling something else. If you want lighter wheels why not use a lighter rim like Pacenti SL23?


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## jpconstantineau (Sep 2, 2015)

Thanks for the comments! I'll check Pacenti as well. 

I test rode the Ksyrium SL when I was still riding my stock wheels (Alex S500 and specialized 28mm tires). Pretty much anything lighter with narrower tires would have been a significant change. I can't really comment on the aero performance of the Ksyrium but my current wheels did improve over the stock ones - although mostly on the weight aspect.

Where I now live being flat and windy at times, I think aero "wins" over weight. The 3 rims discussed here seem to strike the balance between aero and weight: Kinlin XC279 and XR31 and Pacenti SL23.

As for tire size, I feel that the choice of 23 vs 25mm on such rim width is better left to how the ride feels rather than pro/cons of one over the other... It looks like another never ending debate.


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## jpconstantineau (Sep 2, 2015)

Hi All,

After some more research on the Pacenti SL23, I have decided that I will go for one of the kits that features the Kinlin XR-31T - with an offset rim for the rear wheel to help balancing spoke tension. There are a few kits out there at an attractive price point.

If I was a pure weight weenie, the Pacenti "wins" hands down by making sub-1400g wide rims builds possible. However, budget is another factor to consider.

Another aspect that contributed to my Kinlin decision were the wind tunnel tests that compare the Kinlin XC-279 to the Pacenti SL23. They seem to perform quite similarly. Google "november in the wind tunnel semi aero" to find out... I would assume that the XR-31T performance would compare well to these rims. 

Thanks all for all the comments.


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## jnbrown (Dec 9, 2009)

Finished building my C31OC tandem wheel. Tension is pretty even on both sides. The wheel feels more solid than the old one I feel les flex when we are standing. The tire is very wide on this rim. It is a Michelin Pro 4 Endurance 25c I measured the width at 29mm, maybe wider than I want. Ride was pretty smooth with 110 PSI for our combined weight of 250 lbs


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## jpconstantineau (Sep 2, 2015)

Update on the wheels: Brandon at BHS got me a great 20/24 kit with the XR31T with a set of Bitex hubs. I assembled the wheels and they built up very easily. I put them on the bike and they look great! Too bad I can't give them a try yet. The bike is in pieces being rebuilt and the new brakes are still in the mail... Hopefully the missing parts will arrive before winter does.

Tires: 25c or 23c tires is my remaining question. Considering that 25c tires are much wider on this rim and that conti tires are often wider than other brands, I will first try 23c and go from there.


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## jnbrown (Dec 9, 2009)

jpconstantineau said:


> Update on the wheels: Brandon at BHS got me a great 20/24 kit with the XR31T with a set of Bitex hubs. I assembled the wheels and they built up very easily. I put them on the bike and they look great! Too bad I can't give them a try yet. The bike is in pieces being rebuilt and the new brakes are still in the mail... Hopefully the missing parts will arrive before winter does.
> 
> Tires: 25c or 23c tires is my remaining question. Considering that 25c tires are much wider on this rim and that conti tires are often wider than other brands, I will first try 23c and go from there.


I am using a Conti GP4000S 23c on the front and it actually looks small compared to the rim and measures 25mm across. Using Michelin Pro4 Endurance 25c on the rear and it looks huge measures 29mm across. I will switching to a Conti 25c on the rear when the Pro4 wears out.


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## Enoch562 (May 13, 2010)

25 front and rear. RUnning them @ 80 . My Michelin are clsoe to 29mm wide. Love my fat tires


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## skinewmexico (Apr 19, 2010)

jpconstantineau said:


> Thanks for the comments! I'll check Pacenti as well.
> 
> I test rode the Ksyrium SL when I was still riding my stock wheels (Alex S500 and specialized 28mm tires). Pretty much anything lighter with narrower tires would have been a significant change. I can't really comment on the aero performance of the Ksyrium but my current wheels did improve over the stock ones - although mostly on the weight aspect.
> 
> ...


I don't think I would ever call the Ksyrium SL aero. While they are light, I get blown around in crosswinds worse on them than I do my HED Jet Express 5s. Also, Flo Cycling had a couple of really good articles/tests on aero vs. weight, which I'm sure no one will believe. FLO Cycling - The Great Debate - Aero vs. Weight And as for tire width, I think you should go by the installed width of the tire, since they end up bigger on wider rims, as many people have mentioned. HED recommends a 23 (max, i think) for their wide Belgians because of that.


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## jpconstantineau (Sep 2, 2015)

Update on the Wheels:

After a summer of riding, my wife and I am very pleased with these wheels. We leave them on all the time and don't miss our old wheels.


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## fiziksdrop180 (Jan 24, 2017)

I just built up a 20 spoke front wheel (have yet to build the rear) with the Kinlin XR-31T rim. Spoke tensions are 100 kgf on average and within 10% of each other. Lateral and radial run out are within 0.5 mm. I wrapped the rim with 2 layers of Stan's tape, mounted a new 23 mm Conti 4000 tire and tube, and inflated to 90 psi. The tire was extremely difficult to get on. Once inflated, tire width was about 26 mm, so 2 mm wider than the rim...nice! However, my nicely trued and tensioned rim now has a bad hop at the sleeved joint. When building up the rim, the joint did give me some problems, which required higher tensions on the spokes around it. Also, all the spokes dropped to tensions around 80 kgf. Is all this normal? Should I true the wheel once the tire is at my desired pressure?


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## dcgriz (Feb 13, 2011)

fiziksdrop180 said:


> I just built up a 20 spoke front wheel (have yet to build the rear) with the Kinlin XR-31T rim. Spoke tensions are 100 kgf on average and within 10% of each other. Lateral and radial run out are within 0.5 mm. I wrapped the rim with 2 layers of Stan's tape, mounted a new 23 mm Conti 4000 tire and tube, and inflated to 90 psi. The tire was extremely difficult to get on. Once inflated, tire width was about 26 mm, so 2 mm wider than the rim...nice! However, my nicely trued and tensioned rim now has a bad hop at the sleeved joint. When building up the rim, the joint did give me some problems, which required higher tensions on the spokes around it. Also, all the spokes dropped to tensions around 80 kgf. Is all this normal? Should I true the wheel once the tire is at my desired pressure?


This is what I would have done:

1. Equalize tensions to no more than 5 kgf difference between spokes.

2. Lateral tolerance of .5mm could be improved. Goal is no more than 0.2mm; optimum at up to 0.1mm IF the rim allows you to do it and some rims simply do not. Low number of spokes makes it a more difficult task.

3. Radial tolerance up to 0.5mm is fine. Some pinned rims have a hop at the joint. It is what it is and better to let it be (it's effects will fade out when you use the wheel) rather than tension the spokes next to it to a higher differential than 5 kgf

4. Some rim-tires combos drop even more than 20kgf. I personally try to avoid anything over 10 kgf. Increase the tension so you are at 95 kgf or better with the tire on. Not an exact science. Incidentally, you will need to make a decision or two when you lace the rear wheel.

5. True and tension the wheel with the tire off but keep in mind the tension drop you experienced and adjust accordingly in anticipation.


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## Zurichman (Jan 3, 2014)

I am reading this thread and looks like everybody is putting a 23 or 25 wide tire on this rim. What rim does Kinlin make for 700 x 40 gravel grinding wheels?


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## dcb (Jul 21, 2008)

disc brakes I'm assuming? There are several on this page that could work: Kinlin Tubeless Disc Rims


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## wpod (Jul 15, 2012)

Running my Kinlin 31T's with 31c Vittorria XN II Pro clinchers with tubes. Built up with Record 32h hubs and Sapim Race spokes. No complaints riding in the wind here on the Southern Baja coast. Just built up on in the last 3mo so only have +/- 1000km of use. But so far very happy with em...


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