Kinlin Wheels with SON Hubs

What Kinlin rims and SON hubs each bring

• KLM41 alloy. Kinlin developed this aluminum alloy with manganese and niobium, and lists the XR-31, TL-23 and TL-29 in it. Kinlin says it offers twice the elongation of conventional alloys, so the metal stretches further before it fails.
• T-10 process. Kinlin cold works each rim once it is round, rolling it twice on a patented machine, and only then heat treats it for 8 hours. It rates that higher in total strength and steadier in durability than the T-6 process it compares against.
• Steps kept in house. Kinlin says it runs the T-10 courses in house, including cold working, heat treatment, surface treating, drilling and finishing, and that T-6 makers outsource most of theirs. One factory stays responsible for the rim from start to finish.
• A generator with its coil in the center. SON uses a claw-pole generator with the coil placed centrally and carefully made sheet metal parts, which it says keeps losses low when the lights are off. It works without gears or contact, so SON says the generator itself does not wear.
• Pressure compensation to keep water out. SON credits this system, which ends in the axle bore, for its protection against water getting in. It is why SON asks you not to grease the skewer shaft and to keep strong jets of water off the hub.
• Bearings that need nothing from you. SON uses SKF ball bearings sealed on both sides and lubricated for life, which it says run many tens of thousands of kilometers with no adjustment. All SON hubs carry a five-year warranty.