White Industries MI5 Racer Rear Hub
The White Industries MI5 Racer is the mountain-bike hub White Industries has been machining in Petaluma, California since the 1990s, refined but never replaced: a 6-bolt disc hub with Enduro sealed cartridge bearings, a titanium freehub body, 48 points of engagement from a three-pawl driver, and end caps for standard and Boost spacing, all cut from 6061 aluminum and anodized in White Industries' colors. 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 Rear Hub.
The MI5 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
White Industries has been machining the MI5 since the 1990s and has refined rather than replaced it: a 6-bolt disc shell cut from 6061, Enduro sealed cartridge bearings, a titanium freehub body and 48 points of engagement from a three-pawl driver, with end caps that move it between standard and Boost spacing. 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.
How it rides
An MI5 is quiet, quick enough and indestructible; there are MI5 hubs from the 1990s still in daily use, which is the best review a hub can get. The 48-point engagement suits trail riding, the titanium freehub outlasts the bike, and the bearings roll for years. For instant engagement an Industry Nine Hydra 2 or Onyx is the step up; for a classic, rebuildable, American-made trail hub in a color, the MI5 is the White Industries hub we recommend.
Specifications
| Position | Rear |
|---|---|
| Axle options | QR 5x130mm Rear, QR 5x135mm Rear, QR 5x145mm Tandem Rear |
| Driver bodies | Shimano HG 8,9,10,11 & Road 12spd (Titanium), Shimano Micro Spline 12spd, Campagnolo 9,10,11 & 12spd (Titanium), Campagnolo N3W 10,11,12 & 13spd (Titanium), SRAM XDR 10,11 & Road & MTB 12spd |
| Drillings | 28h, 32h, 36h, 40h |
| Spoke head | J-bend |
| Brake | rim-brake |
| Left flange diameter | 55 mm |
| Right flange diameter | 55 mm |
| Spoke hole diameter | 2.6 mm |
| Weight | 265g |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Finishes | polished, black |
This listing
This is the rim-brake version: QR 5x130mm, QR 5x135mm, QR 5x145mm Tandem, 28h, 32h, 36h, 40h drilling, about 265g, in polished, black. Same internals and flanges as every other MI5; only the mount and axle differ.
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
The White Industries MI5 Racer Rear Hub comes in the drillings listed on this page with the axle and driver options shown in the configurator. Six-bolt rotors. 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. Give the configurator your bike type and weight; it picks a sensible spoke count and lacing pattern, which you can override.
Build a wheel around it
Offered for road rim brake, tandem and e-bike, touring, mountain bike and touring builds in our Custom Wheel Program. Start with the White Industries Mi5 Racer Rear Hub and the configurator pins it for you, then checks each choice you make against it.
What White Industries says about testing
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.
CLD and T11 rear hubs use a 6Al-4V titanium freehub body, 3 heat-treated steel pawls with stainless steel leaf springs, and 48-tooth (7.5-degree) engagement on a heat-treated black-oxide 4130 steel axle. Freehub bodies are interchangeable; service instructions say pawl pockets get light oil or dry lube, never grease.
White Industries states it has partnered with Enduro on bearings since 1996. Hubs ship with Enduro high-carbon chromium steel sealed cartridge bearings (two 17287 in the CLD front; four, including 61902-LLU/LLB, in the CLD rear); the Enduro XD-15 upgrade with ceramic balls in nitrogen-infused super-stainless-steel races carries a limited lifetime warranty. 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
Everything in this section is published by White Industries. ProWheelBuilder is the wheel builder, not the tester, and the hub reaches us as the maker ships it.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
White Industries makes the MI5; ProWheelBuilder is an independent custom wheel builder in Georgia and not the manufacturer. Every MI5 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
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 Rear 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.
CLD or XMR?
CLD is the centerlock disc hub; XMR is the 6-bolt disc hub. Same internals, same titanium freehub; pick by your rotor type.
Which freehub bodies fit the CLD?
Shimano HG (titanium), SRAM XDR and Shimano Micro Spline, selectable in the configurator.
Why a titanium freehub?
Cassette cogs notch an aluminum freehub within a season; titanium does not mark and weighs less than steel.
Which axle spacing does it fit?
QR 5x130mm Rear or QR 5x135mm Rear or QR 5x145mm Tandem Rear. 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.
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.
