Chris King R45 Front Centerlock Disc Hub
There is a reason the Chris King R45 shows up on so many of the wheels we get asked to rebuild: people keep the hub and wear out everything around it.
The Chris King R45 Front Centerlock Disc Hub is the version we are describing on this page.
We sell the R45 only inside a wheel we build. Pick the rim, spokes and nipples in the configurator and the wheel ships from Georgia laced, tensioned and trued.
Design and construction
The bearing races are cut from heat-treated, surgical-grade steel, machined in pairs on matched tooling so the inner and outer races wear together, and King's bearings are famous for getting faster with age as the races burnish.
The flanges are canted, which points the spoke straight at the rim and makes for a stronger, more even build.
The R45 is a road and cyclocross hub. King makes separate MTB hubs with 72-point RingDrive for Boost spacing; do not put an R45 on a trail bike.
Because the front R45 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
On the road it simply rolls. A properly adjusted R45 with burnished bearings is about as low-drag as a hub gets, and the preload adjuster lets us set it exactly.
On the road or the trail the front hub's job is to disappear: spin freely, keep water out, and hold the flanges still so the wheel tracks where you point it. The front R45 does that with the same bearings and seals as the rear and none of the rear's complexity, and because a front wheel carries less load and no torque it stays true longer than the rear on the same rim. When the rear finally needs a look, the front usually does not.
Specifications
| Position | Front |
|---|---|
| Axle options | Thru Axle 12x100mm Front |
| Drillings | 24h, 28h, 32h |
| Spoke head | J-bend |
| Brake | centerlock disc |
| Left flange diameter | 57 mm |
| Right flange diameter | 57 mm |
| Left center-to-flange | 22.3 mm |
| Right center-to-flange | 30.6 mm |
| Spoke hole diameter | 2.6 mm |
| Weight | 152g |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Finishes | 3d violet, black, black matte black punch, gold matte 50th, jade matte, mango matte, midnight matte, red, silver, turquoise matte |
This version
This version is the centerlock hub in Thru Axle 12x100mm, drilled for 24h, 28h, 32h, about 152g, in 3d violet, black, black matte black punch, gold matte 50th,. Those are the only things that differ between the versions of the R45; the shell, bearings and seals are the same.
Centerlock is the lighter, quicker rotor mount: a splined rotor drops onto the hub and a single lockring holds it, so a rotor swap takes a minute with a lockring tool and there are no six small bolts to torque or lose. Shimano and most current road and gravel rotors are centerlock; 6-bolt rotors fit with an adapter.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The Chris King R45 Front Centerlock Disc Hub comes in the drillings listed on this page, with the axle options shown in the configurator.
We build R45 wheels on everything from HED Belgium and DT Swiss alloy rims to ENVE, Reserve and Boyd carbon. Straight-pull is not an option on this hub; it is J-bend, which suits the widest choice of spokes.
Build it into a wheel
This hub is live in our Custom Wheel Program for gravel and road disc, mountain bike and MTB single-speed builds. Start a build with the Chris King R45 Front Centerlock Disc Hub and the configurator opens with this exact hub pinned at the top of the Chris King list — you choose the rest of the parts and it validates every combination as you go.
How Chris King tests its hubs
Chris King states it "has been domestically producing bicycle components of the highest quality since 1976" and is "the manufacturer, not just a design house, holistically locating all operations under one roof here in Portland, OR." Its hubs use bearings made in-house: sealed angular-contact bearings with "heat-treated, surgical grade steel races" machined simultaneously "to ensure perfectly matched inner and outer races"; Chris King states "Every single Chris King bearing is inspected and assembled by hand." A March 2024 factory visit reported the bearings are made from 440c stainless steel in more than thirty production steps. Chris King publishes no ISO 4210, salt-spray or bearing-cycle test figures.
Warranty and service: the King Lifetime Warranty states "Hubs, Headsets, and Bottom Brackets, including the bearings, are warranted for the lifetime of the original purchaser"; it is non-transferable and excludes misuse, crash or impact, lack of routine maintenance and normal wear. Chris King's hub manual states hubs "should be maintained every 6-12 months in normal and dry conditions" and "every 3 months in wet or muddy conditions" using Chris King Silver Grease; the company says its bearings "wear in and not wear out".
Chris King's videos
Certifications
- Made in USA (Portland, Oregon) — Chris King states it has been domestically producing bicycle components since 1976 with all operations under one roof in Portland, OR (source)
- King Lifetime Warranty — Hubs, headsets and bottom brackets including bearings warranted for the lifetime of the original purchaser; non-transferable (source)
- B Corp certification (2020, since lapsed) — Certified B Corporation in April 2020 (first US bicycle component maker); company later withdrew from recertification (source)
Sources on Chris King's site:
Chris King publishes those results; ProWheelBuilder builds the hub into a wheel and does not test it in a lab.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
Chris King makes the hub. ProWheelBuilder is an independent custom wheel builder in Georgia that lacing it into finished wheels every week, so we know the flange dimensions cold and cut spokes from the measured geometry rather than a catalog average. We set the bearing preload with King's adjusting clamp before the wheel leaves.
The configurator filters to what fits, crosses out what is not made, and prices the build as you go.
Warranty
Chris King's warranty. Chris King warrants hubs, headsets and bottom brackets, bearings included, for the lifetime of the original purchaser on items sold new since 1 January 2019. Proof of purchase is required, and King recommends registering within 30 days.
ProWheelBuilder. If we lace this into a wheel for you, that wheel also carries ProWheelBuilder's own one-year warranty, which covers broken spokes regardless of cause and all wheel-related labor, including truing and rebuilding, for a year from purchase. Where a rim or hub is covered by its maker, we make the manufacturer's claim for you and coordinate it; where it is not, we offer an eligible replacement rim or hub at 25% off current retail. Shipping to and from us is the customer's. This cover does not extend to wheels built from components you supply yourself.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
R45 Front 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.
What is the difference between the R45 and the R45D?
The R45 is the rim-brake road hub; the R45D adds a disc mount, centerlock or 6-bolt. Both share the same RingDrive internals and bearings.
How often does a King hub need service?
Rarely. Bearings are adjustable and rebuildable rather than throw-away, and RingDrive needs a clean and a smear of King's ring lube every season or two. We can service it if you ever need us to.
Is the R45 suitable for gravel?
Yes. Road, gravel and cyclocross are what it is built for. For mountain biking, choose King's Boost MTB hub instead.
Is ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the Chris King R45 Front Centerlock Disc Hub?
We are not. Chris King manufactures the hub; ProWheelBuilder's part is the wheel: measuring, lacing, tensioning and truing it here in Georgia.
Which axle spacing does it fit?
Thru Axle 12x100mm Front. 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.
