Shimano 105 HB R7070 Centerlock Disc Black Front Hub
The Shimano 105 HB-R7070 is the disc-brake front hub for Shimano's 11-speed 105 groupset: a 12 x 100 thru-axle front with a centerlock rotor mount, cup-and-cone bearings that are adjustable and rebuildable, labyrinth seals and a forged aluminum shell in 28 and 32 hole. It is the front half of the best-value disc road hubset made and the partner for the FH-R7070 rear. This page covers the Shimano 105 HB R7070 Centerlock Disc Black Front Hub.
The 105 disc front hub is sold here only inside a wheel we build. Choose the rim, spokes and nipples in the configurator and the finished wheel ships from Georgia laced, tensioned and trued by hand.
Design and construction
Shimano hubs run loose balls between a cone on the axle and a cup in the shell, with the preload set by the cones and locked with a nut; set properly, they are smoother and longer-lived than most cartridge hubs and they can be serviced with two cone wrenches anywhere in the world. The HB-R7000 front matches it.
A front hub is a bearing carrier with flanges, and that is the whole job of the front 105 HB-R7070 front: 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 properly adjusted 105 disc front hub spins smoothly for years and can be serviced anywhere. It builds into a stiff road or gravel disc front wheel on any centerlock rim, and it is the front hub we suggest to match a 105 R7070 rear.
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 105 HB-R7070 front 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 | Thru Axle 12x100mm Front |
| Drillings | 32h, 36h |
| Spoke head | J-bend |
| Brake | centerlock disc |
| Left flange diameter | 44 mm |
| Right flange diameter | 44 mm |
| Left center-to-flange | 23.8 mm |
| Right center-to-flange | 35.8 mm |
| Spoke hole diameter | 2.6 mm |
| Weight | 164g |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Finishes | black |
This version
This version is the centerlock hub in Thru Axle 12x100mm, drilled for 32h, 36h, about 164g, in black. Those are the only things that differ between the versions of the 105 HB-R7070 front; the shell, bearings and seals are the same.
Centerlock is the lighter, quicker rotor mount: a splined rotor drops onto the hub and a single lockring holds it, so a rotor swap takes a minute with a lockring tool and there are no six small bolts to torque or lose. Shimano and most current road and gravel rotors are centerlock; 6-bolt rotors fit with an adapter.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The Shimano 105 HB R7070 Centerlock Disc Black Front Hub comes in the drillings listed on this page in 12 x 100 thru-axle spacing with a centerlock rotor mount. J-bend spokes in any gauge; we build most 105 disc wheels with Sapim Race, D-Light or CX-Ray spokes or DT Competition and brass nipples.
It pairs naturally with the 105 FH-R7070 rear, and with the DT Swiss RR 421 and GR 531, HED Belgium R and G, Boyd Altamont and CCC, Velocity Aileron and Astral Wanderlust rims. Pick road or gravel 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 Shimano 105 Hb R7070 Centerlock Disc Black 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, touring and mountain bike builds.
How Shimano tests its hubs
Shimano publishes no load, fatigue, or salt-spray figures for its hubs. Its US warranty states that most bicycle products are warranted free from defects in material and workmanship for two years from original purchase, and that DURA-ACE and XTR components and wheels are covered for three years, for the original owner with proof of purchase. Competition or commercial use, improper assembly or repair, finish deterioration, labor, and normal wear are excluded; bearings, corrosion, dust seals and spokes are listed as wear parts.
Shimano's higher-end hubs, including the Dura-Ace R9270 wheel hubs, use cup-and-cone loose-ball bearings, which Shimano says “effectively displace lateral and vertical loads for smooth rotation and excellent durability — [and are] easier to adjust and service”. Dealer manuals instruct that only Shimano-specified lubricants be used, internal parts not be oiled, and the hub be inspected if the wheel becomes stiff. In 2023 Shimano introduced the TC600, TC500/QC500, QC400 and QC300 cartridge-bearing hubs with “Labyrinth & Contact” seals, described as double-sealed. A 2007 Bicycle Retailer report described Shimano's Malaysian hub and wheel factory as ISO 9001 and 14001 compliant, 89,000 square meters with 2,087 employees.
Certifications
- Warranty: 2 years / 3 years — Most bicycle products two years from original purchase; DURA-ACE and XTR components and wheels three years; original owner, proof of purchase; wear parts excluded (bearings, dust seals, free hubs, driver bodies, pawls, spokes) (source)
- ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 (Malaysian wheel/hub factory) — Reported by Bicycle Retailer, 19 Dec 2007: factory producing wheels incl. Dura-Ace, hubs, cranks, pedals is “ISO 9001 and 14001” compliant; 89,000 sq m, 2,087 employees (source)
Sources on Shimano's site:
- SHIMANO Warranty Policy | Ride Shimano US
- Is Shimano abandoning cup and cone hubs? - road.cc
- Shimano says RIP to cup-and-cone bearings with new hubs - BikeRadar
- Shimano's new Dura-Ace wheels double down on cup-and-cone hubs - BikeRadar
- Shimano Dura-Ace WH-R9370 C50 first look - BikeRadar
Everything in this section is published by Shimano. ProWheelBuilder is the wheel builder, not the tester, and the hub reaches us as the maker ships it.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
Shimano makes the 105 HB-R7070 front; 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.
Warranty
Shimano's warranty. Shimano covers its bicycle components for two years from original purchase, with three years on DURA-ACE and XTR and one year on wheels, footwear and soft goods. Shimano's obligation is to repair or replace at its option, against the original dated receipt.
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.
105 HB R7070 Centerlock Disc Black Front Hub questions
Will my rotors fit this hub?
This is the centerlock version, so a splined centerlock rotor drops on and a lockring holds it - one tool, no six bolts to torque or lose. If your rotors are 6-bolt they will fit with a centerlock adapter, or take the 6-bolt version of the same hub, which is a separate listing.
Which spokes and nipples suit the 105 HB-R7070 front?
For most riders a double-butted spoke such as Sapim Race or DT Competition with brass nipples; lighter riders can go to Sapim Laser or CX-Ray. The configurator recommends a gauge and count for the 105 HB-R7070 front from your bike type and weight.
Why cup-and-cone bearings?
They are adjustable, rebuildable and serviceable anywhere with two cone wrenches; set properly they run smoother and longer than most cartridge hubs.
Is ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the Shimano 105 HB R7070 Centerlock Disc Black Front Hub?
No. The hub is made by Shimano; we are the wheel builder in Georgia who laces it into a finished wheel to your spec and stands behind the build.
Which axle spacing does it fit?
Thru Axle 12x100mm 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.
