# Kinlin 380's vs. H plus Son SL42



## brians647 (Mar 2, 2007)

I'm looking into trying out one of these deeper aluminum rims on a new build.

Statistically, the only thing that separates these two is 4mm in depth and 50 grams; I seriously doubt that either difference will be noticeable to me.

What I'd love is some feedback on is the finish/build quality of those rims (I've owned kinlins before; two were great, one had the brake rim/thump issue). Given their limited availability, I'd guess that only a professional wheel builder would have experience having used both, and I'd love to hear about it.

Short of that, and more realistically, I'd love to hear from anyone who has built/ridden wheels built with either rim. I'm trying to get the wheels built now before the weather warms up and I'm (hopefully) spending more time riding bikes than talking about them.

Thanks in advance.


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## Bridgey (Mar 26, 2003)

I bought some H plus sons SL42's. Built them with Novatec hubs and Pillar spokes. Couldn't be happier. The rims are a bit on the heavy side when compared to Carbon but are bullet proof and fast once they wind up. They look good.

However I will warn you that despite the colour you choose the brake lip on the rim will quickly go silver. But that is okay with me as now people just think they are carbon's with an alloy braking rim. 

I think they cost me $85 a rim. Good investment from where I'm standing.


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## TomH (Oct 6, 2008)

Ive seen them as low as 66 a piece. The 380's are 105-110 a piece still, and only 20/24h. Im interested too, thats a pretty big price difference.


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## Cannondaleman (Nov 1, 2009)

I have never heard of H plus sons before. What would I type in to check out their website?


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## brians647 (Mar 2, 2007)

TomH said:


> Ive seen them as low as 66 a piece. The 380's are 105-110 a piece still, and only 20/24h. Im interested too, thats a pretty big price difference.


Where did you see the SL42's for that price?



Cannondaleman said:


> I have never heard of H plus sons before. What would I type in to check out their website?


http://hplusson.com/


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## TomH (Oct 6, 2008)

http://www.ebikestop.com/h_plus_son_700c_32h_black_sl42_machined_brake_track-RM4366.php

32 spoke though.. treefortbikes also has them for 66, but 32/36 again.


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## rruff (Feb 28, 2006)

The holecounts are something to consider. Only 20, 24 for the XR380s... which is good for medium sized riders. 32h+ seems a little wrong on such heavy stiff aero rims... unless you are a sumo.


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## brians647 (Mar 2, 2007)

rruff said:


> The holecounts are something to consider. Only 20, 24 for the XR380s... which is good for medium sized riders. 32h+ seems a little wrong on such heavy stiff aero rims... unless you are a sumo.


I agree. 
The XR-380's are supposed to be coming in all counts up to 32 by April.
For me, I'm not concerned with having too many spokes (although there's an argument for overkill) but am concerned about too few. I'm no sumo, but I'll be 200lbs when fit (okay, maybe a hair less).
I'm still keeping the 380's in mind, but I'd feel like an arse if I ponied up $125/rim to have that pulsing issue arise again.:mad2:


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## retspih (Mar 1, 2012)

Are the SL42's able to handle mild beating? skidding, curb-jumping, etc? 42mm seems really deep to not be triple walled.


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## boisvertdom (Dec 1, 2009)

Last July I built a set of 380's for myself. 20f/24triplet rear hubs from Brandon at BikeHubStore with cx-rays for front and rear drive-side + dt champions (2.0 straight gauge) for rear non-drive-side. I'm 190 lbs, ride 12000 km a year on average on mostly flat roads. I wanted a set on the beginning of what qualifies for (semi)aero with alloy sidewalls.

I think they are my favorite wheels now. I've had classic 32/32 open pros, 27mm kinlins, I have a "light" set built with 28/32 White Ind hubs and xr200's for more hilly rides, but this set of xr380's feels faster. I could definitely see the effect of the 38mm profile on cruising speed 35+ compared to a lower rim.

With my size, I took a chance with the cx-rays on DS , but didn't regret. The rims are REALLY stiff, they are bound to be due to structure (38mm high, 20mm wide, 560 grams, there is plenty of matter). Just for fun, try to radially compress an unlaced rim with your own weight on the kitchen floor, try with an open pro, an xr270 and an xr380. With the first 2, you sort of feel when you have to stop pushing before breaking it. With the xr380 though, you can practically put all of your weight on it, it doesn't bend at all. 

That stiffness prevents the rim's shape to distort under load, and so the 16 DS spokes (cx-rays in triplet here) work more equally, keep a more even tension over the whole tension/detension cycle of each rotation. And the 8 big NDS sopkes dish everything tightly. 

OK, the set is not light (1690 grams, I used brass nipples all around), they would not be ideal to sprint uphill, but they didn't turn me into the one everybody waits for at the top of the climb. Remember, a pair of ultegra/openpro's with butted spokes (dt comps) is over 1800 grams ... And after 6000 km, the only touch-up needed was about 1/16th of a turn to 2 spokes for them to be perfectly straight again (within 0.1 mm, I was called anal in another thread). And the roads are not all that great here in Quebec. So I'd say these are solid for a 190 lbs .

I ordered all parts from BHS for about 420 $ if I remember right. Brandon sells them for about 90$ a piece. Go for the xr380's.


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