Bitex RAF 12 Front Hub
The Bitex RAF 12 is the rim-brake road front hub from Bitex, the Taiwanese maker that supplies hubs to a large share of the wheel industry: a machined aluminum shell with low J-bend flanges, sealed cartridge bearings and a 100mm quick-release axle, at a weight that undercuts hubs costing twice as much. It is the front hub we build for classic road wheels on a budget, and it pairs with the RAR 12 rear. This page covers the Bitex RAF 12 Front Hub.
The RAF 12 is sold here only inside a wheel we build. Choose the rim, spokes and nipples in the configurator and the finished wheel ships from Georgia laced, tensioned and trued by hand.
Design and construction
A front hub is two bearings, an axle and a pair of flanges, and the MTF does each properly: sealed cartridge bearings in common sizes that any shop can replace, a hollow alloy axle with swappable end caps, and flanges spaced wide for the rotor side so the wheel is laterally stiff. The shell is machined from aluminum and anodized black. Bitex pairs it with the MTR rear hub, and the FB MTF is the fat-bike version.
Because the front RAF 12 has no freehub, it is the hub that asks for the least: a spin of the axle to check the bearings once a season and nothing else. The flanges, bearings and seals are the same as the rear's, the axle converts between the front standards with end caps, and the rotor mounts the same way. Choose it to match a rear of the same model, or on its own for a fork that needs a new front wheel.
How it rides
There is nothing to go wrong in a front hub except the bearings, and these are sealed and cheap. It builds into a light road front wheel on an H Plus Son Archetype, KinLin XR-31, Velocity Quill or HED Belgium R.
Front wheels on disc bikes take a beating from braking: the rotor side sees the whole braking torque and the spokes on that side run at higher tension. That is why we build the front RAF 12 with the rotor-side spokes crossed and tensioned to the rim's limit, and why the hub's flange spacing matters more than its weight. Ridden on a rim-brake bike the same hub makes one of the lightest, simplest front wheels there is.
Specifications
| Position | Front |
|---|---|
| Axle options | QR 5x100mm Front |
| Drillings | 20h, 24h, 28h, 32h |
| Spoke head | J-bend |
| Brake | rim-brake |
| Left flange diameter | 31 mm |
| Right flange diameter | 31 mm |
| Left center-to-flange | 39 mm |
| Right center-to-flange | 39 mm |
| Spoke hole diameter | 2.6 mm |
| Weight | 85g |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Finishes | black, gold, red, silver |
This version
This version is the rim-brake hub in QR 5x100mm, drilled for 20h, 24h, 28h, 32h, about 85g, in black, gold, red, silver. Those are the only things that differ between the versions of the RAF 12; the shell, bearings and seals are the same.
This is the rim-brake RAF 12, with no rotor mount at all: a lighter, simpler shell for road, track and classic frames that stop on the rim. It builds into the lightest wheel the model can make and it is the version to choose for a rim-brake bike; the disc versions of the same hub have their own listings.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The Bitex RAF 12 Front Hub comes in the drillings listed on this page in 100mm quick-release spacing. It is a rim-brake hub. J-bend spokes in any gauge; we build most RAF wheels with Sapim Laser, Race or CX-Ray spokes or DT Competition and Aerolite, and brass or alloy nipples.
It pairs naturally with the Bitex RAR 12 rear, and with the KinLin XR-31, H Plus Son Archetype, Velocity Quill and Fusion, HED Belgium R and Mavic Open Pro UST rim-brake rims. Pick road as your bike type in the configurator and it recommends a spoke count and lacing pattern.
Put it in a custom wheel
Build a custom wheel around the Bitex Raf 12 Front Hub — the link drops you into our Custom Wheel Program with this hub pinned, ready for you to choose the rest. It is set up for road rim brake, track and road single-speed and touring builds.
How Bitex tests its hubs
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's UK distributor states standard fitment is TPI bearings with an orange contact seal outboard and a black non-contact seal inboard.
Bitex publishes no impact or fatigue figures, ISO certification, rider weight limit or written warranty terms. 20 2015 106 474) and the Anti-Bite System (Taiwan M425782, USA US 8,443,951 B1).
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 makes the RAF 12; ProWheelBuilder is an independent custom wheel builder in Georgia and not the manufacturer. Spokes are cut from the ERD we measure on the actual rim, the wheel comes up in stages on a tensiometer, and it is stress-relieved and trued before it goes in the box; tape and a valve go on if you ask.
The configurator filters to what fits, crosses out what is not made, and prices the build as you go.
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. Any wheel we build on this part carries ProWheelBuilder's one-year warranty in addition to the manufacturer's. Broken spokes are replaced for a year whatever the cause, and all wheel-side labor is included - truing, re-tensioning, rebuilding. Where the maker covers a failed rim or hub we handle that claim for you; where they decline, an eligible replacement comes at 25% off current retail. The customer covers shipping in both directions. Components supplied by the customer are not covered.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
RAF 12 Front Hub questions
Can I use this hub with disc brakes?
No - this is the rim-brake version and it has no rotor mount at all, which is exactly why it is lighter and simpler. It is the one for a rim-brake road, track or classic frame. A disc frame needs one of the disc versions of this hub, which are listed separately.
Is the RAF 12 disc compatible?
No. It is a rim-brake road hub; the BX 106 is Bitex's disc road hub.
What spoke counts suit the RAF 12?
20 to 28 depending on rider weight; the configurator recommends.
What bearings does the RAF 12 use?
Sealed cartridge bearings in common sizes, replaceable at any shop.
Who is Bitex?
A Taiwanese hub maker that supplies many wheel brands; the RAF 12 sold under its own name is the same hub without the brand markup.
Is ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the Bitex RAF 12 Front Hub?
We are not. Bitex manufactures the hub; ProWheelBuilder's part is the wheel: measuring, lacing, tensioning and truing it here in Georgia.
Which axle spacing does it fit?
QR 5x100mm Front. Measure between the inside faces of your dropouts if you are unsure, or text us.
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.
