Surly Ultra New Front Hub
This page covers the Surly Ultra New Front Hub.
The Ultra New is built to order here. Choose the rim, spokes and nipples in the configurator; the wheel leaves Georgia laced, tensioned and trued.
Design and construction
The Ultra New shell is forged rather than machined from bar, which keeps the price down without giving up strength, and it rides on sealed cartridge bearings in common sizes. Axles are bolt-on with solid nuts, which is what a track dropout wants.
A front hub is a bearing carrier with flanges, and that is the whole job of the front Ultra New: 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 Ultra New wheel is simple and durable, and the Ultra New has been the default fixed-gear hub for a generation of city riders.
A front wheel is where you feel a hub least and a build most. With no drive torque to carry, the front Ultra New 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 | Bolt On or QR 9x100mm Front |
| Drillings | 32h |
| Spoke head | J-bend |
| Brake | rim-brake |
| Left flange diameter | 54 mm |
| Right flange diameter | 54 mm |
| Left center-to-flange | 37.5 mm |
| Right center-to-flange | 37.5 mm |
| Spoke hole diameter | 2.4 mm |
| Weight | 244g |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Finishes | black, silver |
Which version this is
Version notes. Rim-brake rotor mount, Bolt On or QR 9x100mm, 32h, about 244g, in black, silver. If your frame or fork uses a different standard, the other versions of the Ultra New on this site cover it.
No rotor mount here: this is the rim-brake version of the Ultra New, 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 Ultra New wheels with DT Champion or Sapim Race spokes and brass nipples.
It pairs naturally with the Velocity Deep V and Chukker, H Plus Son Archetype and TB14, Stan's Crest and any rim in the catalog that matches its drilling.
Build it with us
We build this hub to order. Open the Custom Wheel Program with the Surly Ultra New 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.
Surly's testing and certifications
Surly's Ultra New hubs use shells of "6061-T6 forged and machined aluminum alloy with medium-height flanges", CroMoly steel axles and fixing bolts in "10.9 stainless steel (i.e. high grade) for corrosion resistance, high strength, and good looks"; bolt caps and cone nuts are also stainless and knurled. Surly states the hubs "spin on non-adjustable 6901 model bearings" with self-adjusting hardware that sets preload when the wheel is bolted in, and that the hollow axles convert easily to quick release. Fronts are 100mm; all are 32h or 36h. Surly's FAQ states "Most of our products (including all frames and forks) are manufactured in Taiwan", and the original 1x1 hub sheet is marked "Made in Taiwan".
Surly publishes no impact, fatigue or ISO test figures for hubs. Its component warranty states products "are warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for one year from the date of retail purchase", for the original purchaser buying through an authorized dealer, with repair or replacement at Surly's option; improper assembly, modification, competition or commercial use, accidents and normal wear are excluded. The 1x1 hub sheet adds that "Broken flanges on hubs laced radially are not covered under warranty." No hub-specific rider weight limit is given.
Certifications
- Made in Taiwan — FAQ: "Most of our products (including all frames and forks) are manufactured in Taiwan"; 1x1 hub sheet: "Made in Taiwan" (source)
Sources on Surly's site:
- Ultra New Hubs
- Surly Component Warranty
- Surly FAQ
- Surly 1x1 Hubs instruction sheet (PDF)
- Surly Hubs collection
Everything in this section is published by Surly. ProWheelBuilder is the wheel builder, not the tester, and the hub reaches us as the maker ships it.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
Surly makes the Ultra New; ProWheelBuilder is an independent custom wheel builder in Georgia and not the manufacturer. The build is the same every time: measured ERD, spokes cut to the half millimeter, staged tensioning with a gauge, stress relief, a final true, and tubeless tape and a valve on request.
The configurator shows only rims and spokes that fit the hub's drilling, strikes through combinations that are not made, and prices the wheel live.
Warranty
Manufacturer's warranty. Surly warrants this product against defects in materials and workmanship. The duration, conditions and claim process are set by Surly 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.
Ultra New 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.
Is the Ultra New rebuildable?
The bearings are sealed cartridges in common sizes and replaceable anywhere.
Is ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the Surly Ultra New Front Hub?
No. The hub is made by Surly; 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?
Bolt On or QR 9x100mm 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.
