Bitex BX 212 Rear Centerlock Disc Hub
Bitex makes hubs for a lot of wheel brands who put their own name on the box, and the Bitex BX 212 is a good example of why. The BX 212 is a straightforward, well-machined centerlock disc hub with sealed cartridge bearings, a six-pawl freehub and a weight that undercuts hubs costing twice as much. Bitex builds it in Taiwan, and in our experience the BX 212 comes through to a consistent standard from batch to batch.
The Bitex BX 212 Rear Centerlock Disc Hub is the hub we suggest when a customer has a fixed budget and would rather spend it on a rim they will feel every ride than on a hub badge. The BX 212 is quiet, it engages quickly enough for gravel and trail riding, and it has been reliable in the wheels we have built on it.
As with every hub in the catalog, the Bitex BX 212 is sold only as part of a wheel we build. Pick the rim, spokes and nipples in the configurator and the BX 212 wheel ships from Georgia laced, tensioned and trued.
Design and construction
The BX 212 hubshell is machined from aluminum with conventional J-bend flanges, so the spoke choice is wide open. Bearings are sealed cartridge units, easy to replace with common sizes when they eventually wear. The rear freehub uses six pawls on a machined ratchet ring for quick pickup with a light, even feel, and Bitex freehub bodies interchange between Shimano HG, SRAM XD and Micro Spline.
End caps convert the BX 212 between thru-axle standards; the configurator lists the axle and driver options for the version on this page. The rotor mount on the BX 212 is centerlock, which is lighter than a six-bolt flange and quicker to swap rotors on. Bitex sells the same hub with a six-bolt mount as the BX 211.
How it rides
Riding on a Bitex BX 212 is unremarkable in the best way. Engagement is prompt, coasting is quiet, and the bearings spin freely without the notchy feel some budget hubs have when new. On gravel and road disc wheels the BX 212 is a great match for an alloy rim; on a hardtail it holds up to trail use without complaint.
The BX 212 is not built for downhill abuse or e-bike torque, and it is not the lightest hub in its class. Within its brief, a light, affordable Bitex disc hub for road, gravel and cross-country, the BX 212 is very hard to beat.
Specifications
| Position | Rear |
|---|---|
| Axle options | Thru Axle 12x148mm Boost Rear, Thru Axle 12x148mm Boost STEEL Rear |
| Driver bodies | Shimano HG 8,9,10,11 & Road 12spd (Anti-Bite), Shimano HG 8,9,10,11 & Road 12spd STEEL (+$33), SRAM XD 10,11 & MTB 12spd (+$16.5), Shimano Micro Spline 12spd (+$33) |
| Drillings | 28h, 32h |
| Spoke head | J-bend |
| Brake | centerlock disc |
| Left flange diameter | 58 mm |
| Right flange diameter | 58 mm |
| Left center-to-flange | 35.7 mm |
| Right center-to-flange | 21 mm |
| Spoke hole diameter | 2.6 mm |
| Weight | 275g |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Finishes | black, blue, red |
This listing
This is the centerlock version: Thru Axle 12x148mm Boost, Thru Axle 12x148mm Boost STEEL, 28h, 32h drilling, about 275g, in black, blue, red. Same internals and flanges as every other BX 212; only the mount and axle differ.
This is the centerlock BX 212: the rotor sits on a spline and a lockring holds it, which saves weight over six bolts and makes swapping rotors a one-tool job. If your rotors are 6-bolt, a centerlock adapter fits them, or choose the 6-bolt version of the same hub.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The Bitex BX 212 Rear Centerlock Disc Hub comes in the drillings listed on this page, with the axle and driver options shown in the configurator. The BX 212 takes J-bend spokes in any gauge; we build most BX 212 wheels with Sapim Race or Competition double-butted spokes and brass nipples.
Rim pairings that make sense on a Bitex BX 212: Velocity Aileron and Blunt, DT Swiss R 470 and XM 421, Stan's Crest and Arch, WTB KOM, KinLin TL, and the value carbon rims in the catalog.
Build it into a wheel
This hub is live in our Custom Wheel Program for gravel and road disc, touring, tandem and e-bike, mountain bike and fat bike builds. Start a build with the Bitex Bx 212 Rear Centerlock Disc Hub and the configurator opens with this exact hub pinned at the top of the Bitex list — you choose the rest of the parts and it validates every combination as you go.
What Bitex says about testing
Bitex Industrial Co., Ltd. is a hub manufacturer in Taichung, Taiwan. Its 2023 catalog is titled "HUB FACTORY / MADE IN TAIWAN" and marks "100 Years 1923 ~ 2023", tracing the business from the Valisum Bike Shop (1923) to its renaming as Bitex Industrial Co., Ltd.. Bitex states its hubs use aluminum shells (the BX305 road hubs are listed as "Aluminum 7075"), and each catalog page lists the exact cartridge bearings fitted, for example "2 (6803*2)" in a gravel front hub and "4 (Hub 6902*2 / Freehub 6802+6902)" in the matching rear. Bitex's UK distributor states standard fitment is TPI bearings with an orange contact seal outboard and a black non-contact seal inboard.
Bitex states the six-pawl freehub uses "Two sets of three pawls - six in total" for a "reduction in distance between points of engagement by 50%", giving 54HD (27T) engagement on MTB bodies and 48HD (24T) on road bodies. The Anti-Bite System adds "three small, hardened stainless splines" to alloy Shimano bodies to stop cassette gouging. Catalog freehub weights run 65g to 80g (±5g) for aluminum Shimano 11s bodies, 106g to 111g for titanium and 127g to 160g for steel; e-bike rears such as the BX215R use steel freehub bodies and 6903-size shell bearings.
Bitex's videos
Certifications
- Made in Taiwan — Catalog cover: "HUB FACTORY / MADE IN TAIWAN", factory at Shigang Dist., Taichung City (2023 catalog) (source)
- Patent: 6 Pawls System — Taiwan M519075; China ZL 2015 2 0925200.8; Germany Nr. 20 2015 106 474; USA listed as "Processing" (source)
- Patent: Anti-Bite System — Taiwan M425782; China ZL 2011 2 04061190; Germany Nr. 20 2011 051 875.2; USA US 8,443,951 B1 (source)
Sources on Bitex's site:
- Bitex HUB FACTORY catalog 1923-2023 (PDF)
- Bitex HUB FACTORY / MADE IN TAIWAN catalog (PDF)
- Bitex Hubs official site
- Bitex Hubs UK - About
- Bitex Hub Bearing Replacement Kits (UK distributor)
Bitex publishes those results; ProWheelBuilder builds the hub into a wheel and does not test it in a lab.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
Bitex manufactures the BX 212; ProWheelBuilder is an independent custom wheel builder in Georgia and not the manufacturer. We build the BX 212 into finished wheels with spokes cut from the measured ERD of the rim, staged tensioning with a gauge, stress relief and final truing before the wheel ships.
In the configurator you will only see parts that fit this drilling; combinations that are not made are struck through, and the price updates as you pick.
Warranty
Manufacturer's warranty. Bitex warrants this product against defects in materials and workmanship. The duration, conditions and claim process are set by Bitex and can change without notice, so ask us and we will confirm the current terms before you buy.
ProWheelBuilder. Built into a wheel by us, this part is covered by our own one-year wheel warranty on top of the maker's. For a year we replace broken spokes whatever caused them, and we cover the labor on the wheel - truing, re-tensioning, a rebuild if it needs one. If a rim or hub fails and its maker covers it, we run that claim for you; if the maker says no, you get an eligible replacement rim or hub at 25% off retail. You pay the shipping each way. Wheels built from parts you send us are excluded.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
BX 212 Rear Centerlock Disc Hub questions
Will my rotors fit this hub?
This is the centerlock version, so a splined centerlock rotor drops on and a lockring holds it - one tool, no six bolts to torque or lose. If your rotors are 6-bolt they will fit with a centerlock adapter, or take the 6-bolt version of the same hub, which is a separate listing.
Who is Bitex?
A Taiwanese hub maker that supplies many wheel brands. The BX 212 is sold under the Bitex name at a price that reflects the absence of a brand markup.
What freehub bodies fit the BX 212?
Shimano HG, SRAM XD and Shimano Micro Spline, listed in the configurator for the rear BX 212 on this page.
Is the BX 212 good enough for trail riding?
For cross-country and trail, yes. For enduro, downhill or e-bikes we would recommend a heavier-duty hub.
How does the BX 212 compare with a DT Swiss 350?
The 350 has the DT Ratchet System and a longer service track record at a higher price; the BX 212 is lighter and cheaper with a good pawl freehub. Both build into reliable wheels.
Which axle spacing does it fit?
Thru Axle 12x148mm Boost Rear or Thru Axle 12x148mm Boost STEEL Rear. Measure between the inside faces of your dropouts if you are unsure, or text us.
Does it need special spokes?
No. It takes standard J-bend spokes, which the configurator offers in every gauge and finish we stock.
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.
