Paul Fhub Front Hub
The Paul FHub is the front hub from Paul Component Engineering in Chico, California, and like everything Paul makes it is machined from solid: a 3-inch round bar of 6061 aluminum goes through four machining operations to become a hub with tall windowed flanges in the style of the classic track hubs, a 7075 aluminum axle and sealed 6902 bearings, at about 175 grams for the 100mm rim-brake version. It comes in 28, 32 and 36 hole, in rim-brake and 6-bolt disc versions, and in Paul's anodized colors. This page covers the Paul Fhub Front Hub.
The FHub 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
Paul's flanges are the thing you notice: 56mm high on the rim-brake FHub, windowed to save weight, which shortens the spokes and makes a stiff front wheel, and finished in colors that match Paul's brakes, levers and stems. The axle is 7075 aluminum, stronger than the 6061 shell, and rides on sealed 6902 cartridge bearings in common sizes. The rim-brake FHub is 100mm quick release; the 6-bolt disc FHub adds a rotor mount and comes in 100mm quick release and 15 x 100 thru-axle.
Every Paul hub is machined and anodized in Chico and rebuildable with off-the-shelf bearings.
A front hub is a bearing carrier with flanges, and that is the whole job of the front FHub: 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
An FHub front wheel is stiff and precise, because the tall flanges shorten the spokes, and it is one of the best-looking front wheels you can build. It rolls smoothly on its sealed bearings and it lasts.
A front wheel is where you feel a hub least and a build most. With no drive torque to carry, the front FHub 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, Bolt On 9x100mm Front, Thru Axle 12x100mm Front, Thru Axle 15x100mm Front, Thru Axle 15x110mm Boost Front |
| Drillings | 28h, 32h, 36h |
| Spoke head | J-bend |
| Brake | rim-brake |
| Spoke hole diameter | 2.6 mm |
| Weight | 128g |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Finishes | black, polished, purple, silver |
About this listing
What sets this listing apart from the other FHub versions: rim-brake rotor mount, QR 5x100mm, Bolt On 9x100mm, Thru Axle 12x100mm, Thru Axle 15x100mm and more, 28h, 32h, 36h drilling, about 128g, in black, polished, purple, silver. Pick the one that matches your frame and rotor and the rest of the hub is identical.
This is the rim-brake FHub, 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 Paul Fhub Front Hub comes in the drillings listed on this page with the axle and brake options shown in the configurator. J-bend spokes in any gauge; we build most FHub wheels with DT Champion or Competition and Sapim Race spokes and brass nipples.
It pairs naturally with the H Plus Son Archetype and TB14, Velocity Deep V, Chukker and Dyad, HED Belgium and Mavic Open Pro rims. Pick your bike type and weight in the configurator and it recommends a spoke count and lacing pattern.
Put it in a custom wheel
Build a custom wheel around the Paul Fhub 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 gravel and road disc, track and road single-speed and MTB single-speed builds.
Testing, standards and warranty at Paul
Paul Component Engineering states its hubs are “Machined right here in Chico California by a bunch of bike nerds, just like everything else we make” and “Made with pride in Chico, California”, where the company has manufactured since 1989. Hub shells are 6061 aluminum with 7075 alloy axles, and Paul states the bearing bores are machined to a tolerance of .0002 inch, “8 times thinner than the thickness of a human hair”. Bearings are described as high quality user-adjustable sealed cartridge bearings; the bearing brand is not named. The FHub is stated to be machined “to last a lifetime”. Published weights: FHub 126 g quick release / 171 g bolt-on; Disk Fhub 172 g (12 mm thru-axle), 174 g (15 mm), 190 g (quick release), 223 g (bolt-on). Flange diameter is 43 mm with 2.5 mm spoke holes.
Paul publishes no ISO/EN test claims, fatigue, load, or sealing figures for its hubs, and no written warranty term appears on its site; the support pages state “We offer the absolute best customer service and warranty with our genuine parts” and that counterfeit parts receive no support. Service parts are sold for hub overhauls and rebuilds, and technical questions go to tech@paulcomp.com.
Paul's videos
Certifications
- Made in USA — “Machined right here in Chico California”; “Made with pride in Chico, California”, 11204 Midway, Chico, CA 95928 (source)
- Warranty statement — “We offer the absolute best customer service and warranty with our genuine parts” (no term stated) (source)
Sources on Paul's site:
- FHub - Paul Component Engineering
- Disk Fhub - Paul Component Engineering
- Word - Paul Component Engineering
- Disk WORD - Paul Component Engineering
- Hubs - Paul Component Engineering
Everything in this section is published by Paul. ProWheelBuilder is the wheel builder, not the tester, and the hub reaches us as the maker ships it.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
Paul Component Engineering makes the FHub in Chico, California; 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. Paul warrants this product against defects in materials and workmanship. The duration, conditions and claim process are set by Paul and can change without notice, so ask us and we will confirm the current terms before you buy.
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.
Fhub 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.
Rim brake or disc FHub?
The rim-brake FHub has 56mm windowed flanges and no rotor mount; the 6-bolt disc FHub adds a rotor mount and a 15mm thru-axle option. Pick by your fork.
What bearings does the FHub use?
Sealed 6902 cartridge bearings, replaceable anywhere.
Which colors?
Paul's anodized range, which matches its brakes, levers and stems; the colors in stock are listed in the configurator.
Is the FHub made in the USA?
Yes. Every Paul hub is machined and anodized in Chico, California.
Which axle spacing does it fit?
QR 5x100mm Front or Bolt On 9x100mm Front or Thru Axle 12x100mm Front or Thru Axle 15x100mm Front or Thru Axle 15x110mm Boost 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.
