KinLin TL 29 Disc Rim
The KinLin TL-29 is the trail member of KinLin's TL series of tubeless-ready disc rims: 30mm inside for 2.3 to 2.6in tires, extruded from KLM41 alloy with the T10 forming process and welded, in 27.5in and 29in with 28 and 32 hole drilling, disc only. It is the rim for riders who want a wide, tubeless alloy trail wheel that costs sensible money and builds true.
This page covers the KinLin TL 29 Disc Rim in 29in, 27.5in. The TL-29 comes from us only as a finished wheel: pick the hub, spokes and nipples, and we lace, tension and true it by hand in Georgia before it ships.
Design and construction
The TL-29 is a welded KLM41 alloy rim with a tubeless bead that seats a trail tire with a floor pump and a 30mm inner width that gives a 2.4 to 2.5in tire a square, supportive shape at low pressure. The section is deep enough to be stiff under a trail bike without the weight of an enduro rim. Standard nipples, J-bend spokes, disc only.
How it rides
A TL-29 wheel is a wide, stable trail wheel at a price that leaves room for a good hub. The 29mm bed lets you run a 2.5in tire soft for grip, the welded rim takes normal trail abuse, and the tubeless bead seals easily. It is not an enduro rim; for park and downhill a DT Swiss EX 511 or WTB HTZ is stronger.
For trail riding on 2.3 to 2.6in tires at a sensible price, the TL-29 is the KinLin rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 29in, 27.5in |
|---|---|
| ERD | 602 (29in), 564.5 (27.5in) |
| Inner width | 30 mm |
| Depth | 19 mm |
| Drillings | 28h, 32h |
| Weight | 525g (700c/29in), 495g (650b/27.5in) |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
About this listing
Version notes. 29in, 27.5in, 28h, 32h, about 525g, 30mm inside, 19mm deep, disc. The other sizes and brake versions of the TL-29 have their own listings; this page is for this one.
This is the disc-brake TL-29: plain sidewalls, no brake track to wear, a touch lighter. It fits any disc-brake bike and it is the version most of our customers now build; the rim-brake version is a separate listing.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The KinLin TL 29 Disc Rim comes in 29in, 27.5in and 28h, 32h drilling. It is a disc-brake rim. We build the TL-29 on Bitex BX 211 and BX 212, DT Swiss 350, Industry Nine 1/1 and Hydra 2, Hope Pro 5 and Velocity Race hubs, usually with Sapim Race or D-Light spokes or DT Competition and brass nipples.
Tire range on the TL-29 is 2.3 to 2.6in. Pick your bike type and weight in the configurator and it recommends a spoke count and lacing pattern.
Build it with us
We build this rim to order. Open the Custom Wheel Program with the Kinlin Tl 29 Disc Rim already selected and pick the parts around it; it is offered for mountain bike, MTB single-speed and fat bike builds, and the configurator will not let you assemble a combination we would not build.
Spoke head is decided by the hub, not the rim: this rim builds equally well with J-bend or straight-pull spokes, and the configurator only offers the spokes that match the hub you pick.
Testing, standards and warranty at KinLin
Kinlin Industrial Corporation is a specialist aluminum rim maker in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, established in the fall of 1972 (September 1972 per its CENS supplier listing). Kinlin states it practices its own integrated T-10 manufacturing process and that over 30 million rims have been delivered to global users. Kinlin states that where most rim makers use 6061-T6, it has developed its own extrusion alloys, and describes KLM41-T10 as a special alloy combining aluminum, manganese and niobium with a tight-knit structure whose elongation is twice that of conventional 6061. Retailer Fair Wheel Bikes describes the T10 process as adding Kinlin's patented cold rolling machine to the cold-working step plus a surface treatment not included in a standard T6 process. Kinlin's own site does not publish impact-energy, fatigue-cycle, ISO/EN or UCI test results, any ISO 9001 or other certification, or warranty terms, and the site was unreachable during this research, so the process description above comes from search excerpts of kinlin.com.tw and retailer pages.
Product limits are published by distributors rather than by Kinlin directly. For its disc rims, the retailer listings state a maximum tire pressure of 8 bar, a maximum system weight of 120 kg, a maximum spoke tension of 1200 N and a 2-year warranty. Customers should treat those as model-specific figures and check the listing for each Kinlin model.
Sources on KinLin's site:
- KINLIN INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION - About KINLIN (site unreachable during research; content from search index)
- KINLIN INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION - How we make rims? (site unreachable during research; content from search index)
- Kinlin Industrial Corporation supplier profile - CENS
- Kinlin XR-26T Tubeless Road Disc Rim - Fair Wheel Bikes (T10 process description)
- KinLin brand page - Elite Custom SG (company text)
Everything in this section is published by KinLin. ProWheelBuilder is the wheel builder, not the tester, and the rim reaches us as the maker ships it.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
KinLin makes the TL-29; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer. We measure the rim before we cut a spoke, bring the wheel up in three or four rounds with a gauge, stress-relieve it between rounds and true it last, then tape it and fit a valve if you want it tubeless.
Only compatible hubs and spokes appear in the configurator, impossible combinations are struck through rather than hidden, and the price is live.
Warranty
Manufacturer's warranty. KinLin warrants this product against defects in materials and workmanship. The duration, conditions and claim process are set by KinLin and can change without notice, so ask us and we will confirm the current terms before you buy.
ProWheelBuilder. Lace this into a wheel here and the finished wheel gets our own one-year warranty as well as the maker's. For twelve months we replace broken spokes however they broke, and the work on the wheel is on us - truing, re-tensioning, a rebuild where it is needed. If the rim or hub is covered by its manufacturer we put the claim in and chase it; if it is not, we supply an eligible replacement rim or hub at 25% off the current retail price. Carriage both ways is the customer's, and this does not cover wheels built from parts you send in.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
TL 29 Disc Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
At 30mm inside this is a trail width, sized around 2.1 to 2.4in tires. That is wide enough to stop a modern trail casing rolling under you in a corner without pushing the tread so flat that it wears down the middle.
Which spokes and nipples suit the TL-29?
For most riders a double-butted spoke such as Sapim Race or DT Competition with brass nipples; lighter riders can go to Sapim Laser or CX-Ray. The configurator recommends a gauge and count for the TL-29 from your bike type and weight.
TL-23 or TL-29?
TL-23 for cross-country and gravel on 2.0 to 2.35in or 40 to 50mm tires; TL-29 for trail on 2.3 to 2.6in tires.
Is the TL-23 tubeless?
Yes. It is tubeless-ready; we tape and fit a valve on request.
What does asymmetric mean on the TL-23?
The spoke holes are offset toward the non-drive side, which evens out spoke tension on a Boost rear or disc wheel so it stays true longer.
Who is KinLin?
A Taiwanese rim maker that supplies many wheel brands; the TL-23 sold under its own name is the same rim without the brand markup.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Yes. KinLin lists the TL 29 Disc Rim as clincher tubeless compatible; we tape and fit a valve when you choose the tubeless option.
Not sure? Text or leave a voicemail on 470-253-0929 or email info@prowheelbuilder.com — you will be talking to the people who build the wheels.
