Hope Pro RS4 Front Hub
It comes in rim-brake and disc versions, 6-bolt or centerlock, J-bend or straight-pull, in 16 through 36 hole and Hope's colors. This page covers the Hope Pro RS4 Front Hub.
The RS4 comes from us only as a finished wheel: pick the rim, spokes and nipples, and we lace, tension and true it by hand in Georgia before it ships.
Design and construction
The Pro RS4 is machined from forged 2014 T6 aluminum billet in Barnoldswick rather than from plain bar, which is what lets Hope run larger flanges on a light road shell: the forging gives the material a grain structure the flange can be cut into without adding weight back.
Hope machines everything in-house in Barnoldswick and stocks spares for hubs it stopped making years ago, which is why a Pro RS4 is worth rebuilding rather than replacing.
A front hub is a bearing carrier with flanges, and that is the whole job of the front RS4: two sealed bearings on a stiff axle, end caps for your fork's standard, and flanges spaced to give the spokes a good bracing angle on the rotor side. There is nothing to engage and nothing to swap. Everything written about freehubs and engagement applies to the rear hub only; what you get up front is the same shell quality and the same seals without any of the moving parts.
How it rides
The forged shell and large flanges make a stiff road wheel, the bearings roll for years, and the hub comes in colors nobody else offers on a road hub. It is the Hope hub for road, gravel and cross wheels; for mountain bikes the Pro 5 is the choice.
A front wheel is where you feel a hub least and a build most. With no drive torque to carry, the front RS4 can be laced two-cross or even radial on the non-rotor side on a rim-brake bike, which makes a lighter, more direct-feeling wheel; on a disc bike we lace both sides crossed so the rotor's braking torque has spokes to pull against. Either way the front wheel is the one that steers, and a stiff, true front wheel is most of what makes a bike feel precise.
Specifications
| Position | Front |
|---|---|
| Axle options | QR 5x100mm Front |
| Drillings | 16h, 20h, 24h, 28h, 32h, 36h |
| Spoke head | J-bend |
| Brake | rim-brake |
| Left flange diameter | 42 mm |
| Right flange diameter | 42 mm |
| Left center-to-flange | 34.5 mm |
| Right center-to-flange | 34.5 mm |
| Spoke hole diameter | 2.6 mm |
| Weight | 132g |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Finishes | black, blue, orange, purple, red, silver |
About this listing
What sets this listing apart from the other RS4 versions: rim-brake rotor mount, QR 5x100mm, 16h, 20h, 24h, 28h, 32h, 36h drilling, about 132g, in black, blue, orange, purple, red, silver. Pick the one that matches your frame and rotor and the rest of the hub is identical.
This is the rim-brake RS4, 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
J-bend spokes in any gauge on the J-bend version; we build most RS4 wheels with Sapim CX-Ray, Laser or Race spokes or DT Aerolite and Competition and brass or alloy nipples.
It pairs naturally with the HED Belgium R and G, DT Swiss RR and GR, Velocity Aileron, Boyd Altamont, Nox Citico and ENVE G-Series rims. Pick road, gravel or cyclocross 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 Hope Pro Rs4 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.
Testing, standards and warranty at Hope
Hope Technology states that since 1989 it has been "designing, testing and manufacturing virtually all products in-house at the factory in Barnoldswick, United Kingdom", and that "Virtually everything we do is developed, prototyped, machined, anodized and assembled on site." Pro 5 hub shells are "Machined from forged 2014 T6 Aluminum billet" with "Sealed stainless Steel cartridge bearings throughout", and every hub is "Fully serviceable and rebuildable with simple tools." Hope's About page cites almost 100 staff and 55 CNC machines; a June 2025 factory report counted 80 CNC machines and about 140 employees and stated "Random components are plucked from production and tested in the company's in-house fatigue and destructive testing facilities." A Renishaw case study quotes Hope's operations manager: "We take components off the line on a regular basis for sample measurement on the CMM", with output of 70,000 wheel hubs a year. Hope publishes no ISO 4210 or salt-spray figures.
Warranty and service: "Hope Technology components (excluding the frame and bearings) are warrantied for a period of 2 years from purchase, to the original customer"; improper use, accidental damage or modification invalidates it. Hope states "Each and every part is replaceable - no matter how small" and still holds spares for everything it has made.
Hope's videos
Inside the Hope shop
Certifications
- Made in UK (Barnoldswick, Lancashire) — Hope states virtually all products are designed, tested and manufactured in-house at Hope Mill, Barnoldswick; "virtually all Hope products are designed and manufactured in the UK" (Ian Weatherill, 2024) (source)
- 2-year component warranty — Components (excluding bearings) warrantied 2 years from purchase to the original customer (source)
Sources on Hope's site:
- Hope Tech - Made in Barnoldswick, England (home)
- Hope Technology - About us
- Hope Technology - Sustainability
- Hope Technology - The all New Pro 5 Hub
- Hope Pro 5 100mm Front hub (product page)
Everything in this section is published by Hope. ProWheelBuilder is the wheel builder, not the tester, and the hub reaches us as the maker ships it.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
Hope makes the RS4; ProWheelBuilder is an independent custom wheel builder in Georgia and not the manufacturer. We measure the rim before we cut a spoke, bring the wheel up in three or four rounds with a gauge, stress-relieve it between rounds and true it last, then tape it and fit a valve if you want it tubeless.
Only compatible hubs and spokes appear in the configurator, impossible combinations are struck through rather than hidden, and the price is live.
Warranty
Manufacturer's warranty. Hope warrants this product against defects in materials and workmanship. The duration, conditions and claim process are set by Hope 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.
Pro RS4 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 RS4 available for rim brakes?
Yes. It comes in rim-brake and disc versions; check the name on this page.
Is the RS4 made in England?
Yes. Hope machines every hub in Barnoldswick, Lancashire.
Which axle spacing does it fit?
QR 5x100mm 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.
How long will the wheel take?
Build time comes down to parts availability rather than bench time. The estimated ship date is shown in the configurator before you check out.
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.
