KinLin XR 31 Disc Asym Rim
The KinLin XR-31T is the rim a lot of factory alloy wheelsets are quietly built on, and buying it bare is one of the best-value ways to a fast alloy road wheel. It is 31mm deep, 19mm inside, about 500 grams, extruded from KinLin's own KLM41 alloy with its T10 forming process, welded, with a machined brake track on the rim-brake version and an offset asymmetric version for rear and disc wheels. This page covers the KinLin XR 31 Disc Asym Rim.
The XR-31 is built to order here. Choose the hub, spokes and nipples in the configurator; the wheel leaves Georgia laced, tensioned and trued.
Design and construction
KLM41 is KinLin's high-strength aluminum, and T10 is its forming and heat-treatment process, which together give the XR-31 more strength for its weight than common 6061 rims. The 31mm semi-aero section makes the wheel laterally stiff and gives a real aero benefit over a box rim, and the 19mm inner width supports a 25 to 32mm tire with a modern profile. The asymmetric version offsets the spoke bed toward the non-drive side, which balances tension on a geared rear or a disc wheel and is the version we build on the rear; the symmetric version suits a rim-brake front.
The XR-31 is tubeless-compatible with tape and a valve. Standard nipples, J-bend spokes, in 20 through 32 hole, rim-brake and disc versions.
How it rides
An XR-31 wheel is stiff, fast and undramatic. The depth is felt on a fast flat road and in a sprint, the 24mm width keeps a 28mm tire comfortable, and the asymmetric rear stays true through a season. It is a lot of wheel for the money, which is why so many wheel brands build on it.
For a lighter climbing wheel the KinLin XR-22 or an HED Belgium R is shallower; for a fast, tough alloy road or gravel wheel at a sensible price, the XR-31 is the KinLin rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 700c |
|---|---|
| ERD | 577 (29in) |
| Inner width | 19 mm |
| Depth | 31 mm |
| Drillings | 24h, 28h, 32h |
| Weight | 502g (700c/29in) |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Profile | Triangle |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
Which version this is
What this listing covers: the XR-31 in 700c with 24h, 28h, 32h drilling, about 502g, 19mm inside, 31mm deep, disc. If you need it in another size or for the other brake type, it is listed separately.
The disc version of the XR-31 has no brake track, so the sidewall is a plain extrusion that saves a little weight and never wears; it is the one to choose for any disc-brake frame. The rim-brake version, listed separately, has a machined sidewall.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The KinLin XR 31 Disc Asym Rim comes in the drillings listed on this page, in rim-brake and disc versions and symmetric or asymmetric profiles; check the name on this page. We build the XR-31 on Bitex BX 106 and RAR, DT Swiss 350, Shimano, White Industries T11 and CLD, Velocity Race and Hope RS4 hubs, usually with Sapim Race, Laser or CX-Ray spokes or DT Competition and Aerolite, and brass or alloy nipples.
Tire range on the XR-31 is 25 to 35mm. Tell the configurator your bike type and weight and it suggests a spoke count and lacing pattern to suit.
Put it in a custom wheel
Build a custom wheel around the Kinlin XR 31 Disc Asym Rim — the link drops you into our Custom Wheel Program with this rim pinned, ready for you to choose the rest. It is set up for gravel and road disc, track and road single-speed and touring builds.
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.
KinLin's testing and certifications
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)
The figures, certificates and media above are KinLin's own. ProWheelBuilder does not run these tests; our part is the wheel we build on the rim.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
KinLin makes the XR-31 in Taiwan; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer. Offset rims need the spoke lengths calculated per side, which we do from the rim's measured ERD and offset; every XR-31 wheel is tensioned in stages with a gauge, stress-relieved and trued before it ships. Tubeless tape and a valve are fitted on request.
The configurator shows only hubs and spokes that match the XR-31 drilling, strikes through combinations that are not made, and prices the wheel 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. If we lace this into a wheel for you, that wheel also carries ProWheelBuilder's own one-year warranty, which covers broken spokes regardless of cause and all wheel-related labor, including truing and rebuilding, for a year from purchase. Where a rim or hub is covered by its maker, we make the manufacturer's claim for you and coordinate it; where it is not, we offer an eligible replacement rim or hub at 25% off current retail. Shipping to and from us is the customer's. This cover does not extend to wheels built from components you supply yourself.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
XR 31 Disc Asym Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
At 19mm inside this is a road width. It suits roughly 25 to 32mm tires, which is where most road bikes now sit, and it will run a 23 if you still want one. Go much wider than 32 on this rim and the tire starts to balloon above the sidewalls and squirm when you lean on it.
Symmetric or asymmetric XR-31?
Asymmetric for a geared rear or any disc wheel, where the offset evens out spoke tension; symmetric for a rim-brake front.
Is the XR-31 tubeless?
It is tubeless-compatible with tape and a valve and a tubeless-ready tire; we fit them on request.
What tires fit the XR-31?
25 to 35mm. A 28mm road tire is the pairing most of our customers run on its 19mm inner width.
Who is KinLin?
A Taiwanese rim maker that supplies many wheel brands; the XR-31 sold under its own name is the same rim without the brand markup.
Is ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the KinLin XR 31 Disc Asym Rim?
No. KinLin makes the rim. ProWheelBuilder is an independent custom wheel builder in Georgia that builds it into a finished wheel to your spec.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Yes. KinLin lists the XR 31 Disc Asym 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.
