White Industries MI5 Racer Front Hub
It is the hub for riders who want a classic American trail hub that can be rebuilt forever. This page covers the White Industries MI5 Racer Front Hub.
The MI5 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
A design that survives thirty years of revision without being thrown away tells you more than any spec line.
Every MI5 is designed, machined, finished, assembled and inspected under one roof in Petaluma. Keeping the whole chain in one building is why tolerances hold across a part this small and why spares still exist for hubs sold decades ago.
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 MI5 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
A front wheel is where you feel a hub least and a build most. With no drive torque to carry, the front MI5 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 | QR 5x100mm Front |
| Drillings | 28h, 32h, 36h, 40h |
| Spoke head | J-bend |
| Brake | rim-brake |
| Left flange diameter | 38.5 mm |
| Right flange diameter | 38.5 mm |
| Left center-to-flange | 36 mm |
| Right center-to-flange | 36 mm |
| Spoke hole diameter | 2.6 mm |
| Weight | 115g |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Finishes | polished, black |
Which version this is
Version notes. Rim-brake rotor mount, QR 5x100mm, 28h, 32h, 36h, 40h, about 115g, in polished, black. If your frame or fork uses a different standard, the other versions of the MI5 on this site cover it.
No rotor mount here: this is the rim-brake version of the MI5, 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 MI5 Racer wheels with Sapim Race or D-Light spokes or DT Competition and brass nipples.
It pairs naturally with Stan's, WTB, DT Swiss, Race Face, Velocity Blunt and Nox rims that match its drilling. Tell the configurator your bike type and weight and it suggests a spoke count and lacing pattern to suit.
Put it in a custom wheel
Build a custom wheel around the White Industries Mi5 Racer 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 road rim brake, track and road single-speed, tandem and e-bike, touring, mountain bike and MTB single-speed builds.
White Industries's testing and certifications
White Industries states that every hub is CNC-machined, hand-assembled, and inspected in its Petaluma, California facility, keeping “machining, assembly, quality control, and operations under one roof”. Founded in 1978 with about 20 employees, the company says it has been designing, machining, assembling, and testing components in Northern California for more than four decades in a 100% solar-powered shop using domestically sourced raw materials. It publishes no load, fatigue, or salt-spray test figures.
White Industries states it has partnered with Enduro on bearings since 1996. Shells are 6061-T6 aluminum, polished then anodized; bearing preload is adjustable and hubs are described as easily serviceable and rebuildable. Weights: CLD front 146 g, CLD rear 280 g, T11 rear 248 g.
White Industries's videos
Inside the White Industries shop
From White Industries
Certifications
- Made in USA — “Every hub is CNC-machined, hand-assembled, and inspected in our Petaluma, California facility”; footer “MADE IN CALIFORNIA”, 1325 Ross St., Petaluma, CA 94954 (source)
- Limited five-year warranty — To the original owner; excludes normal wear and tear, misuse, improper installation, labor; proof of purchase required (source)
- Enduro XD-15 bearing limited lifetime warranty — Optional ceramic bearing upgrade; Enduro partnership since 1996 (source)
Sources on White Industries's site:
- Bicycle Hubs - White Industries
- Hub Bearings - White Industries
- Warranty & Returns - White Industries
- CLD Rear Hub - White Industries
- CLD Front Hub - White Industries
The figures, certificates and media above are White Industries's own. ProWheelBuilder does not run these tests; our part is the wheel we build on the hub.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
White Industries makes the MI5; 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 MI5 drilling, strikes through combinations that are not made, and prices the wheel live.
Warranty
Manufacturer's warranty. White Industries warrants this product against defects in materials and workmanship. The duration, conditions and claim process are set by White Industries and can change without notice, so ask us and we will confirm the current terms before you buy.
ProWheelBuilder. Our one-year wheel warranty applies to any wheel we build around this part, alongside whatever the manufacturer offers. Inside that year, broken spokes are replaced no matter how they broke, and the wheel labor is ours - truing, re-tensioning or a full rebuild. A rim or hub failure that the maker covers, we claim for you and see through; one the maker declines, we answer with an eligible replacement at 25% off current retail. Shipping both ways is yours, and components you supply yourself fall outside this cover.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
MI5 Racer 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.
Which spokes and nipples suit the MI5?
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 MI5 from your bike type and weight.
Is ProWheelBuilder the manufacturer of the White Industries MI5 Racer Front Hub?
No. White Industries makes the hub. ProWheelBuilder is an independent custom wheel builder in Georgia that builds it into a finished wheel to your spec.
Which axle spacing does it fit?
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.
