Paul Components

The Paul Components Word Disc Thru Axle Rear Hub (silver) is the first single-speed specific MTB hub ever produced by Paul Components back in 1996. “W.O.R.D.” stood for Wacky One Speed Rear Device, because at a time when most riders had just upgraded from 7 to 8 speeds, the idea of stripping all the derailleurs off of your bike to make a super simple, reliable, harder-to-ride bike seemed like a pretty stubborn and a little crazy idea. Since then it has become a cult classic.

Yes, this hub spins very smoothly due to extremely high tolerance machined bearing bores, high quality user-adjustable sealed cartridge bearings, and a hub shell design that has been refined over years of production and real world abuse to be as light as possible while still withstanding the abuse that the biggest, most reckless riders can put it through.

One of the best things about the latest iteration might be the super-stiff, super-light, flex-free, interchangeable 7075 Alloy axle. In the future, if you switch frames or get a new bike, you can easily change out the existing axle for whichever style of attachment fits your new dropouts.

The Disk WORD hub has freewheel threading on the drive side for standard BMX style freewheels, and a 6 bolt ISO rotor mount. The flanges are canted towards the rim reducing spoke stress and the spoke holes are chamfered to reduce stress on the head and elbow of the spoke.

Paul Components saw a need for high quality 135mm Bolt-On fixed gear hubs, and with their long history and experience making single speed and fixed gear hubs, they knew how to do it right. The Paul Components Word Fixed/Free Hubs are machined 100 percent in-house by Paul in Chico, California. They’re absolutely bomb-proof, very light, easily adjustable, serviceable, and come with our own extra thick stainless steel lockring.

The hub that started all that single speed mountain bike silliness. The Wacky One-speed Rear Device.

When Paul Components first introduced Wacky One-Speed Rear Device (W.O.R.D.), it was the first purpose-built single speed mountain bike hub. That original hub not only set design standards that continue to this day, like a 52mm single speed chainline.

When designing this modern version of the WORD, they spread the flanges out as far as possible while leaving room for freewheel threading. This allows the WORD to be built up as a strong dishless wheel. Over the years they’ve also improved upon the original axle and bearing adjustment mechanism.

The WORD comes with special machined axle bolts. The washers are made of brass and have deeply knurled contact faces. This ensures they’ll grip onto dropout faces without marring the frame, yet will still be able to be loosened easily trail side.

The WORD can be easily adjusted with cinch bolt style adjuster ring. Spoke holes are chamfered and the flanges are canted towards the rim to reduce stress on the head and elbow of the spoke.

The hub that started all that single speed mountain bike silliness. The Wacky One-speed Rear Device.

When Paul Components first introduced Wacky One-Speed Rear Device (W.O.R.D.), it was the first purpose-built single speed mountain bike hub. That original hub not only set design standards that continue to this day, like a 52mm single speed chainline.

When designing this modern version of the WORD, they spread the flanges out as far as possible while leaving room for freewheel threading. This allows the WORD to be built up as a strong dishless wheel. Over the years they’ve also improved upon the original axle and bearing adjustment mechanism.

The WORD comes with special machined axle bolts. The washers are made of brass and have deeply knurled contact faces. This ensures they’ll grip onto dropout faces without marring the frame, yet will still be able to be loosened easily trail side.

The WORD can be easily adjusted with cinch bolt style adjuster ring. Spoke holes are chamfered and the flanges are canted towards the rim to reduce stress on the head and elbow of the spoke.