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.
