Race Face Vault joins list of hubs with MicroSpline Freehub

Launched alongside their new 12-speed XTR drivetrain in 2018, Shimano’s MicroSpline is the latest bike freehub standard. Since then, Shimano has released their more affordable XT and SLX-level 12-speed drivetrains, which are definitely quite appealing from a bikepacking perspective. Race Face is the latest manufacturer to join in on the fun, acquiring a MicroSpline licensing agreement from Shimano to produce MicroSpline freehubs for their lineup of Vault hubs. Unlike the majority of other freehubs, Race Face managed to maintain their larger freehub bearing sizes; 3.97mm and 3.5mm, instead of the standard 2.38mm.

Race Face explains, “Many Micro Spline cassette bodies use 6802 bearings, which have a relatively small 2.38mm diameter. Over the past year, extensive testing in our lab and in the field with RF athletes such as the Rocky Mountain/Race Face Enduro team, led us to the conclusion that smaller bearings in the Micro Spline cassette body just weren’t as durable as our current Vault HG and XD cassette bodies. With some creative thinking and more testing we were able to work around the geometry constraints of Micro Spline and fit the same 6902 and 15267 bearings used in our HG and XD cassette bodies.”

MicroSpline Vault freehub bodies are available now from your local Race Face dealer or online at raceface.com for $95 USD. Micro Spline-equipped wheels will be coming later this spring.

Current MicroSpline Hubs & Wheels

Although obtaining a license for MicroSpline from Shimano started out quite difficult, they’ve been slowly easing up on the restrictions. This means more hubs with MicroSpline compatibility, and a greater chance that you can upgrade to Shimano 12-speed when your drivetrain needs replacing—if you so desire. Both Logan and I have made the transition to MicroSpline, and although it’s too early to tell, we have high expectations. Here’s a list of current manufactures that are offering MicroSpline freehubs or in some cases, complete wheels as well.

• Race Face: Vault & Easton Vault Hubs
• Industry Nine: Torch, Hydra, 1/1, and several wheelsets
• Shimano: XTR, XT, and SLX-level hubs and wheelsets
• Chris King: ISO, ISO B, and ISO B Superboost DH Hubs
• DT Swiss: Several hubs and wheelsets
• Enve: M-Series Wheels
• Onyx Racing Products: Vesper series hubs
• Halo Wheels: Halo X Identiti MTC Supadrive Boost Hub, Vortex, and Vapour wheelsets
• Hunt: All mountain wheels
• Hope Tech: Pro 4 hubs, Pro 2 EVO, and Fortus wheelsets
• Mavic: Entire mountain wheel lineup
• Fulcrum: Red Metal, Red Fire, Red Zone 5 and 7 wheels
• White Industries: All disc / non-disc hubs, and G25A Wheelset
• Bontrager: Rapid Drive hub and Line Elite / Pro / Comp wheels
• Ibis: All wheelsets
• Boyd: Tripel MTB hub and Ridgeline / Trailblazer / CCC wheels
• Stan’s: Neo hubs and wheels
• Woven Precision: Mountain and fat bike wheels
• Rolf Prima: XST and XR hubs, various wheels
• Project 321: Boost Hub, G2 Hub, Superboost Hub

*It’s worth noting that there are several wheel manufactures (We Are One, Revel Wheels, Santa Cruz etc.) that offer complete wheelsets based on some of the hub manufacturers listed above.

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