Kinlin TB-20 Tubular Road Rim

Kinlin is a company that has consistently put out some of the best high-value components in the cycling industry.  Not wanting to leave the tubular enthusiast out, Kinlin has extended their line to include options for cyclists looking for the ride quality that tubular rims and tires provide.  Their TB-20 tubular road rims exhibit the same qualities and value evident throughout their other high-end rim offerings.  Utilizing high-tech manufacturing techniques, Kinlin is able to produce a strong, light rim, while simultaneously keeping pricing exceptionally low.  In manufacturing these rims, Kinlin begins with their proprietary KLM41 “Super Alloy” reserved for their high-end products.  KLM41 is a very unique alloy in that it contains niobium (Nb), a material not usually found in aluminum alloys.  With drastically different melting points, aluminum and niobium have traditionally been hard to combine, however Kinlin's unique, proprietary refining process has allowed them to combine the materials into an incredible alloy that offers twice the tensile strength of traditional alloys.  This “super alloy” is then manufactured using the “T10” process, which is more involved and contains more steps than the more commonly used “T6” manufacturing process.  Most notably with the “T10” process, Kinlin adds their patented cold rolling machine to the cold working step, and the rim receives a surface treatment that is not included in the “T6” process.

The design of the TB-20 tubular rim features a 23mm rim bed perfect for anything from a 23mm wide road tire up through wider gravel and cyclocross offerings.  At only 415 grams per rim, a crucial rotational component is kept light and ready to climb.  Navigating through crosswinds will be no problem with these 22mm deep rims.  While these rims are not very deep, they still feature slight aerodynamic profiling that provides advantages over traditional box-section rims when powering on the flats.  The tubular design allows lower tire pressures without the risk of pinch flatting.  Lower tire pressure increases comfort by reducing road chatter while decreasing rolling resistance through better ability to maintain contact with the road.  These rims work well for a variety of applications from riding well-paved roads to cobbled, gravel-ridden, cyclocross style courses.  This tubular specific rim features a matte black finish with a machined sidewall/brake track and is available in 20, 24 hole counts.

Assembly

We recommend that TB-20 equipped wheels be assembled by an experienced wheel builder. We are happy to provide this service, and can provide helpful suggestions in hub and spoke selections. Please contact us directly or submit a custom wheel build request