The Rainbow of Kinlin Rims

Part of launching Oregon Cycling Action included me involving myself as more than just the web master but as the guy who does the cycling product reviews.  My first one is the wheel review I’ve been talking about on this blog for a while.  I got 5 people from the Oregon area to test a set of wheels.  The wheels are a stock set hand built in California.  The kinlin rims are laced to DT Swiss 240 hubs using DT Swiss Aerolite spokes. I learned a fair amount from this review.  Like if you get 5 people to test wheels you might only get 3 reviews back.  Which I don’t think is bad considering the riders weren’t getting paid anything or getting any kick backs.  All in all though it went extremely well and I look forward to testing more items.

You can read the review here:

kinlin rims / dt swiss 240 hubs

Matt touching up the wheels after a long day on Saltzman

You know the second one is going to suck when the first one leaves you this sweaty.

It’s been a long day.  Lots going on in the part of my life that involves working on the interwebs…  I did manage to head over to Saltzman to do some intervals that I needed to do on Wednsday not Friday, but hey what’s a few days to a training program.  It’s not like this is scientific or anything, right?  So I brought the flashy new wheels with me while I rode Saltzman, twice, from 30 to Skyline.  I love that little stretch of road.  The main reason I like that road so much, is we have nothing like it in Tucson.  The sun down there is always shinning down on you… Always!  It’s nice to get in the shade on a hot day.  Plus it’s my kind of ride, hard packed gravel always breaks up the monotony of a road ride.

Afterward I went to Sellwood to see what happened to the wheels.  As I’m not being the good scientific reviewer that I should be I didn’t make sure they were straight before I rode, so they did need a few turns here and there but they’re new and that’s probably just initial spoke stretch and nipples settling in.  Another thing to note while I’m on the subject of Sellwood turning my nipples, see those little shiny tires in the picture? If you’re commuting, go down there and get those! I had a great experience with them. Flat resistant, safe, and well… Shiny.   Schwalbe, reflective sidewalls.

My BH with white wheels! Kinlin Rims, DT swiss 240 Hubs, DT Swiss Aerolite Spokes

As part of my work with Fairwheel Bikes, I’m going to be putting together a review of one of our newer wheel set offerings:  This hand built wheel set is eight hundred dollars, weighs in at 1423 grams, and is available in Black, Gold, Silver, Red, or White XR-270 Kinlin rims.  I currently have the wheels sitting at my house and need to put together a review for them.  Rather than ride them myself (which I have done) and then post a review, I’m going to take a different approach this time.  I’d like to find around five people in the Portland area that are willing to take the wheels out for a few rides and write a review of them.  I will then compile the reviews and rider experience into an article to be published.  I feel that this will give a more honest and rounded perception of the wheel set.

A few things to Note:

• Your name, and if applicable, team name will be published, you might get yourself and team a little exposure.
• You will not be held responsible for damage to the wheels, but please treat them with respect, to test wheels you don’t need to do anything different than you do with your own.
• If you’re interested please post a comment on this posting, or contact me.

KCNC Road Skewers; Red

DT Swiss 240 Rear Hub