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Smooth, fast, sure, durable, and stout at 132 grams the Shimano XTR HB-M9110 Front Hub is the standard bearer for the full front hub line-up. While the rear version represents a new technology in Micro Spline, with the front Center Lock 15mm E-thru-axle hub Shimano's engineers basically embraced the concept of "if it ain't broke don't fix it". A wise decision as its predecessor already carried the the full array of Shimano's hub strengths.

In the M9100 series parlance, the M9110 Front Hub is a standard flange hub for j-bend spokes. Offered here in 28 and 32 hole options for 100mm axle width for a 15mm thru-axle system, this is the so-called standard hub that has Boost and straight pull spoke siblings. The anodized aluminum shell is built to perfection, and carries an oversized aluminum axle that features cone wrench flats for disassembly and adjustment.

Unlike most hub and wheel manufacturers Shimano eschews sealed cartridge bearings, which the engineers feel struggle to manage the angled forces a wheel is regularly forced to endure, creating counter forces that add friction and can limit bearing life. High quality stainless steel ball bearings ride in what Shimano calls a grinded cup and CBN cones. The seals used are a dual Labyrinth and Contact system that is known for incredible effectiveness. Servicing such hub bearings is actually quite simple, but unless you really ride the M9110 hub long and hard in terrible conditions, it is actually quite possible you will never service the hub. The bearings, grease, cup and cone, and seals are simply that great. As you can adjust the hub, you control your destiny.

This isn't hyperbole, as our full service shop has barely cracked open a top-level Shimano road or mountain hub for required service over the last decade, and we have sold a great many Shimano hubs and wheels. Our techs are also major fans of the simple spline mount Center Lock rotor system, which makes for fast and easy rotor changes, with ideal accuracy and consistency. Shimano does include an anodized aluminum Center Lock lockring with the hub. The 15mm thru-axle is generally supplied by the frameset or fork manufacturer, not Shimano. If you need reliability, top-level hub performance and plan to build your front wheel up with forgiving and widely available j-bend spokes, keep it light, simple and pure with the XTR HB-M9110 Front Hub.