PAUL TRACK HIGH FLANGE FRONT HUB

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.

A front hub is a bearing carrier with flanges, and that is the whole job of the front High Flange track: 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

A Paul High Flange wheel is stiff and quick, because the 56mm flanges shorten the spokes, and it looks like a track wheel should. It is the hub we build for velodrome bikes and fixed-gear street bikes that want a color.

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 High Flange track 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

This version

This version is the rim-brake hub in QR 5x100mm, Bolt On 9x100mm, drilled for 20h, 24h, 28h, 32h, 36h, about 178g, in black, polished, purple, silver. Those are the only things that differ between the versions of the High Flange track; the shell, bearings and seals are the same.

No rotor mount here: this is the rim-brake version of the High Flange track, which drops the disc flange and the weight that goes with it. It suits rim-brake road, touring and track frames and it is often the lightest hub in the family. Disc-brake frames need one of the disc versions listed separately.

Sizes, fit and compatibility

J-bend spokes in any gauge; we build most track wheels with DT Champion or Sapim Race and Laser spokes and brass nipples.

It pairs naturally with the Velocity Deep V, H Plus Son Archetype and TB14, and any track rim in the catalog that matches its drilling. Pick track or fixed-gear as your bike type in the configurator and it recommends a spoke count and lacing pattern.

Build it with us

We build this hub to order. Open the Custom Wheel Program with the Paul Track High Flange Front Hub already selected and pick the parts around it; it is offered for track and road single-speed builds, and the configurator will not let you assemble a combination we would not build.

Building it at ProWheelBuilder

Paul makes the High Flange track; 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.