Paul Single Speed Word Rear Hub
The Paul WORD, Wide Open Rear Disc, is the single-speed rear hub from Paul Component Engineering in Chico, California: machined from 3-inch 6061 bar through four operations, with windowed high flanges, a 7075 aluminum axle, sealed 6902 bearings, a 6-bolt disc mount and threading for a single-speed freewheel, at about 290 grams in 135mm. It comes in 32 and 36 hole and in Paul's anodized colors, and it is the hub for a single-speed mountain or gravel bike that wants an American-made rear in a color. This page covers the Paul Single Speed Word Rear Hub.
The WORD is not sold bare. You choose the rim and the rest of the build in the configurator, and it ships from our shop in Georgia laced, tensioned and trued by hand.
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.
How it rides
A WORD rear wheel is stiff, because the tall flanges shorten the spokes, and simple, because a threaded freewheel hub has nothing to go wrong. It rolls smoothly on its sealed bearings, takes a White Industries or Shimano single-speed freewheel, and looks the part. It is the rear hub we build for single-speed mountain bikes and gravel bikes with disc brakes.
Specifications
| Position | Rear |
|---|---|
| Axle options | Bolt On 10x135mm Rear, Thru Axle 12x142mm Rear, Thru Axle 12x148mm Boost Rear |
| Driver bodies | Single Speed Fixed Gear, Single Speed Fixed & Freewheel |
| Drillings | 28h, 32h, 36h |
| Spoke head | J-bend |
| Brake | rim-brake |
| Left flange diameter | 43 mm |
| Right flange diameter | 43 mm |
| Left center-to-flange | 39.5 mm |
| Right center-to-flange | 39.5 mm |
| Spoke hole diameter | 2.6 mm |
| Weight | 215g |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Finishes | black, polished, purple, silver |
This listing
This is the rim-brake version: Bolt On 10x135mm, Thru Axle 12x142mm, Thru Axle 12x148mm Boost, 28h, 32h, 36h drilling, about 215g, in black, polished, purple, silver. Same internals and flanges as every other WORD; only the mount and axle differ.
This is the rim-brake WORD, 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 Single Speed Word Rear Hub comes in the drillings listed on this page in 135mm quick-release spacing with a 6-bolt rotor mount and standard freewheel threading. J-bend spokes in any gauge; we build most WORD wheels with DT Champion or Sapim Race spokes and brass nipples.
It pairs naturally with the Stan's Crest and Arch, Velocity Blunt SS and Cliffhanger, WTB KOM and any 6-bolt disc rim in the catalog that matches its drilling. Pick single speed as your bike type in the configurator and it recommends a spoke count and lacing pattern.
Build it into a wheel
This hub is live in our Custom Wheel Program for gravel and road disc, track and road single-speed and MTB single-speed builds. Start a build with the Paul Single Speed Word Rear Hub and the configurator opens with this exact hub pinned at the top of the Paul list — you choose the rest of the parts and it validates every combination as you go.
What Paul says about testing
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.
WORD hubs are threaded for standard freewheels (English 1.37x24tpi) rather than using a freehub, so there is no internal pawl mechanism; the WORD weighs 200 g and the Disk WORD 214 g (12 mm thru-axle), 225 g (quick release), or 273 g (bolt-on), with a 6-bolt ISO rotor mount. Stated axle bolt torque is 21 N·m.
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
The figures, certificates and media above are Paul's own. ProWheelBuilder does not run these tests; our part is the wheel we build on the hub.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
Paul makes the WORD; ProWheelBuilder is an independent custom wheel builder in Georgia and not the manufacturer. Every WORD wheel we build gets spokes cut from the measured ERD of the rim, staged tensioning with a gauge, stress relief and a final true before it 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. 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. Lace this into a wheel here and the finished wheel gets our own one-year warranty as well as the maker's. For twelve months we replace broken spokes however they broke, and the work on the wheel is on us - truing, re-tensioning, a rebuild where it is needed. If the rim or hub is covered by its manufacturer we put the claim in and chase it; if it is not, we supply an eligible replacement rim or hub at 25% off the current retail price. Carriage both ways is the customer's, and this does not cover wheels built from parts you send in.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
Single Speed Word Rear 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.
What does WORD stand for?
Wide Open Rear Disc: Paul's single-speed disc rear hub with widely spaced flanges for a stiff wheel.
Which freewheel fits the WORD?
Any standard-threaded single-speed freewheel; we recommend the White Industries ENO freewheel.
Is the WORD thru-axle?
The WORD is 135mm quick release. Ask us about current axle options if your frame is thru-axle.
Which colors?
Paul's anodized range; the colors in stock are listed in the configurator.
Which axle spacing does it fit?
Bolt On 10x135mm Rear or Thru Axle 12x142mm Rear or Thru Axle 12x148mm Boost 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.
