Phil Wood Track Low Flange Front Hub
It is the hub for a fixed-gear road bike or a track bike that wants the understated look of a low flange and a hub that never needs attention. This page covers the Phil Wood Track Low Flange Front Hub.
The Phil Wood track low-flange hub 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
Phil Wood's bearings are the point. They are full-contact sealed cartridge bearings, meaning the seal rubs the inner race rather than floating above it, which adds a little drag and keeps water out completely; packed with Phil's own waterproof grease, they run for years in the worst conditions. The touring hub uses a 6061 axle and 6902 bearings, with a Carbonyte low-drag bearing upgrade available, and the shell is machined thick because a touring hub is not where weight is saved. Wide flanges give the rear wheel lateral stiffness under a load.
This is the front hub, and a front hub has no freehub. What matters here is the part of the hub that carries the wheel: the bearings, the seals, the axle and the two flanges, and the front track low flange shares all of them with its rear partner. It is the simpler half of the pair and the one that runs longest between services. The driver and engagement story belongs on the rear hub's page; this page is about a front wheel that spins freely, stays sealed and builds stiff.
How it rides
It is the Phil hub for fixed-gear street bikes and classic track builds.
Front wheels on disc bikes take a beating from braking: the rotor side sees the whole braking torque and the spokes on that side run at higher tension. That is why we build the front track low flange with the rotor-side spokes crossed and tensioned to the rim's limit, and why the hub's flange spacing matters more than its weight. Ridden on a rim-brake bike the same hub makes one of the lightest, simplest front wheels there is.
Specifications
| Position | Front |
|---|---|
| Axle options | Bolt On 9x100mm Front, QR 5x100mm Front |
| Drillings | 18h, 20h, 24h, 28h, 32h, 36h |
| Spoke head | J-bend |
| Brake | rim-brake |
| Left flange diameter | 47.5 mm |
| Right flange diameter | 47.5 mm |
| Left center-to-flange | 33.7 mm |
| Right center-to-flange | 33.7 mm |
| Spoke hole diameter | 2.6 mm |
| Weight | 223g |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Finishes | polished, black |
This listing
This is the rim-brake version: Bolt On 9x100mm, QR 5x100mm, 18h, 20h, 24h, 28h, 32h, 36h drilling, about 223g, in polished, black. Same internals and flanges as every other track low flange; only the mount and axle differ.
No rotor mount here: this is the rim-brake version of the track low flange, 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 H Plus Son Archetype and TB14, Velocity Deep V and Fusion, 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 Phil Wood Track Low 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.
What Phil Wood says about testing
Phil Wood & Co. states it was founded in 1971 and that its products are “completely designed, manufactured and assembled in San Jose, California”, machined from US-produced materials on CNC machining and turning centers with diamond-tipped tools. The company says a front hub shell passes through seven production stations before assembly, and that it specifies every bearing it uses, many made exclusively to its specifications. It publishes no load, fatigue, salt-spray, or ISO/EN figures.
Phil Wood states its Standard bearings are stainless steel cartridge bearings with a 100% Phil Waterproof Grease fill and full contact seals; Carbonyte bearings use a 30% Carbonyte grease fill with a partial contact seal and are not recommended for year-round mountain biking or touring. Shouldered axles position the bearings so no adjustment is required. Shells are 6061 aluminum with 7075 axles and end caps; the front touring hub weighs 202 g. Rider-plus-bike limits are 280 lb / 127 kg (Classic) and 190 lb / 86 kg (Pro).
Phil Wood's videos
Certifications
- Made in USA — “Our products are made in the USA- they are completely designed, manufactured and assembled in San Jose, California”; “All of our manufactured items are machined out of US-produced materials” (source)
- Lifetime limited warranty — Original owner, manufacturing defects; one-year guarantee on bearings and on Classic stainless cassette bodies / Pro aluminum parts (source)
Sources on Phil Wood's site:
- About Us - Phil Wood and Company
- Warranty and Return Policy - Phil Wood and Company
- Bearings - Phil Wood and Company
- Hubs - Phil Wood and Company
- Touring Hub Front - Phil Wood and Company
The figures, certificates and media above are Phil Wood's own. ProWheelBuilder does not run these tests; our part is the wheel we build on the hub.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
Phil Wood makes the track low flange; ProWheelBuilder is an independent custom wheel builder in Georgia and not the manufacturer. Every track low flange 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
Phil Wood's warranty. Phil Wood & Co. gives the original owner a limited lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects, with a one-year guarantee on bearings, stainless cassette bodies and aluminum Pro parts. Proof of purchase from an authorized dealer is required, and bearings that fail from contamination or lack of maintenance are not covered.
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.
Track Low Flange 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.
Low flange or high flange?
High flanges shorten the spokes for a stiffer wheel and a classic track look; low flanges are lighter and a touch more compliant. Phil makes both.
What spacing?
100mm front and 120mm rear, the track standard, with bolt-on axles.
Is the low-flange hub made in the USA?
Yes. Every Phil Wood hub is machined and assembled in San Jose, California.
Which axle spacing does it fit?
Bolt On 9x100mm Front or 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.
