Review: We Are One Composites’ Canadian-Made Union Carbon Wheels
Based in Kamloops, British Columbia, We Are One Composites have built up a loyal fan base over the course of their relatively short history. The company was started by ex-pro World Cup racer Dustin Adams in 2017 after he decided to embark on a new career path and begin manufacturing high-end carbon rims.
There are currently four different rims in We Are One's lineup, with intended uses ranging from XC/gravel all the way to downhill. It's the Union wheelset that's tested here, which is aimed at enduro / all-mountain riders. The rims have a 30mm internal width, and they're laced to a set of Industry Nine's new Hydra hubs.
There are currently four different rims in We Are One's lineup, with intended uses ranging from XC/gravel all the way to downhill. It's the Union wheelset that's tested here, which is aimed at enduro / all-mountain riders. The rims have a 30mm internal width, and they're laced to a set of Industry Nine's new Hydra hubs.
We Are One Union Details
• Intended use: enduro / all-mountain
• 32 hole, 2-cross lacing
• 30mm internal rim width
• Industry Nine Hydra hubs
• Weight (29"): 1,905 grams, 894 front / 1,011 rear
• Laid up and molded in Kamloops, BC
• Lifetime warranty
• Price: $1,640 USD / $450 rim only
• www.weareonecomposites.com
• Intended use: enduro / all-mountain
• 32 hole, 2-cross lacing
• 30mm internal rim width
• Industry Nine Hydra hubs
• Weight (29"): 1,905 grams, 894 front / 1,011 rear
• Laid up and molded in Kamloops, BC
• Lifetime warranty
• Price: $1,640 USD / $450 rim only
• www.weareonecomposites.com
The Union carbon rims are hookless and have a 21mm height with a 30mm internal width.
Industry Nine's hubs have a whopping 690 points of engagement.
Details
“Compliance” has been a buzzword recently with regards to carbon wheels as more and more companies try to find that ideal balance of lateral vs. radial stiffness. That desire for more radial compliance was part of what inspired We Are One to create the Union rim. They also wanted it to be lighter and stronger than the Agent rim, its predecessor. The result is a hookless hoop that's 21mm tall, with a 30mm internal width. We Are One doesn't paint or sand their rims, but the finish on these has to be seen to be believed. It's smooth and slightly glossy, and you can see the individual fibers when the light hits it the right way – it's about as pretty as a rim can get.
That rim is laced to the Industry Nine hubs with 32 Sapim spokes in a two-cross pattern. The rear Hydra hub has a 115-tooth drive ring that's paired with six individually phased pawls to create 690 points of engagement. That equates to a near-instant response when you stomp on the pedals – there's a minuscule .52-degrees of movement before a pawl engages.
Ride Impressions
All those ratcheting pawls in the Hydra hub can sound like a swarm of angry insects when you're coasting, and if you like loud hubs the Hydra fit the bill. Personally, I prefer a hub that's silent over one that screams, which is why I added a few drops of Dumonde Tech freehub oil around the drive ring, which quieted things down nicely.
I've had a few different tires mounted on the Union wheels over the last few months, and in all instances installation was trouble-free, and no air compressor was required. My tire pressures hovered in the low 20s, typically 21psi in the front and 23psi in the rear with some variation depending on the tire and trail conditions.
The Union wheels have a nice and neutral feel to them, which may sound like faint praise, but I'd much rather have wheels that are easy to forget about over ones that are harsh and jarring. That was the overall theme during my time with this wheelset – once it was installed I really didn't need to think about it at all.
As far as overall stiffness goes, I'd put the Unions somewhere in the middle of the carbon wheel stiffness scale. Quantifying ride feel is a tricky proposition, but I'd say We Are One hit the sweet spot with these wheels. They don't mute the trail as much as Zipp's 3Zero Moto wheels, and they're not quite as rigid feeling as Race Face's Next R carbon wheels, which puts them in a zone of stiffness that's very easy to live with.
The rapid engagement from the Hydra hub is a nifty feature, but is it worth the extra $215 USD over the 101 hubs? That's up to you and your wallet; personally, 4-degrees between engagement points is plenty for me.
The stickers are fairly low key, and they're easy to peel off if you want to fly under the radar.
Durability
The Union wheelset held up extremely well during the first couple months of testing – I didn't even need to look at my truing stand – but while my local trails have plenty of roots for pinging rims against, there aren't really that many sharp, square-edged hits, the type that love to crumple aluminum and shatter carbon. For that, I headed to Moab, Utah, to really test We Are One's durability claims.
As it turns out, these are some legitimately tough rims. In one instance, I seriously mistimed the speed I needed to clear a poorly constructed gap jump on the side of the trail and fully cased the landing. It was a violent impact, one that I was sure would inflict at least some damage. I pulled over, gave the wheel a spin, and... nothing. It was still perfectly true, and all of the spokes were still tensioned. That story remained the same for the rest of the trip, which included plenty of hucks to flat and high-speed shenanigans through jumbles of sandstone chunder.
The hubs have also fared well, and even with all of the mud baths and rainy rides that winter in the Pacific Northwest brings they're still running smoothly without any play.
Pros
+ Good balance of stiffness and comfort
+ Excellent impact resistance
+ Handmade in Canada with a lifetime warranty
Cons
- Not all that light
Pinkbike's Take
 | This isn't the lightest (or the heaviest) carbon wheelset out there, just like it's not the softest or the stiffest, facts that place it smack dab in the middle of the myriad of carbon wheel options currently on the market, at least as far as ride characteristics go. What sets We Are One apart from the crowd is the impressive quality of the Union rim and the attention to detail that goes into the wheel build itself. The result is a tough and reliable wheelset that should last for season after season of hard use. |
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295 Comments
Sounds like a great purchase....
destroy an aluminum rim - it will be recycled
destroy a carbon rim - it will go to the landfill
For some odd reason that issue is hardly ever raised in any review of carbon frames an other carbon bits...considering that we as riders should be interested in conserving the very nature we ride in, we all tend to forget that not only our tires make an impact. It is all our choices!
AXS is actually quite good in this respect because you can just pop out the battery. Phones and tablets with their soldered batteries are horrible, though.
Lithium batteries can be recycled to a large part but those processes are not up to scale and economical as far as I know.... maybe that changed in the last 2 years.
One destroyed carbon rim is impacting the enviroment way less than constantly driving your bike with your car around.
I'm starting to think a $500 carbon rim that can shrug off these impacts (not catastrophic ones, but just the daily beating of hard riding in rocky terrain) would be a cheaper option for me, especially given the warranty.
Following your logic, nobody should ever point out anything to you, that you might not like - you feel preached to. Ok, but then it would be nice to leave me alone with your dissent, I feel you preach!
@JohanG: Does it matter how large the amount of pollution is? If that would be the guide, nothing would ever change...
We don't just make apologies up here.
Be a man and hunt for your meat instead of buying it in little clean plastic trays.
Then we can get into plant farming problems, pesticides and fertilizers polluting our water. Along with erosion and water table depletion. Destroying ecosystems for farmland, yada, yada, yada... So yeah, we're f*cked.
The real root problem is there are simply too many humans on this planet for it to be sustainable with our current (or so far proposed new practices) of feeding ourselves or meeting our general energy needs. There needs to be a real paradigm shift in how we live, and I have yet to see anything that will accomplish what's needed... So yeah, we're f*cked.
And my cynicism is to the point where I'm certain that even if there were a "perfect solution," you'd be hard presses to get people to change, and down the shitter we go as a species anyway... So yeah, we're f*cked. And good riddance to us!
No, no - it has to be thrown in the ocean. I don't make the rules.
Not the case once I got the Agent! After a whole year riding these, my wheel builder in town said they needed less than quarter turn to fix a minimal dish... These rims have changed my perspective on carbon and I will never go back to alloy. You say these are expensive, but I will be replacing the bearings in my hubs a few times before replacing the rims - something I have never been able to say. That’s even when my last two wheel sets were what I could consider the best alloy build laced up by the best wheel builder in Bellingham (hope pro4 with DT Swiss EX471). These will be cheaper (or just as expensive) in the long run, and they have already proven to be far less frustrating and bothersome than any alloy wheel I’ve broken in the past. Not to mention the neutral ride quality Kaz highlights in the review. Ride it to believe it!!!
Not saying their wheels are better but just saying that just because alloy companies want us to believe carbon is bad doesn't mean it's the truth.
destroy a carbon rim - it will go to the landfill
For some odd reason that issue is hardly ever raised in any review of carbon frames an other carbon bits"
It's hardly ever raised because it's not always true and it overlooks important information.
How often are aluminum frames or rims actually recycled? We're not very good about this in North America; hopefully it's better elsewhere and hopefully it improves here. Rims are sometimes recycled, but bikes (including rims) may be sold several times until they're worthless, at which point they may become landfill.
It's important to also consider the impact of initial production. Carbon has a lower impact than aluminum from raw ore - aluminum mining isn't pretty! - but higher than from recycled aluminum.
The entire argument about which material is more responsible hinges on recycling and recycled materials. I'm unsure whether frames and rims have high enough rates of each for aluminum to be the more responsible choice (in North America).
Another point to consider: my riding group destroys many aluminum rims for every carbon rim. Unsure about the rate across the entire biking community, but maybe it's similar. If so, aluminum has be several times more environmentally responsible to make up for the shorter lifespan.
@heidesandnorth
Indeed Johan. Reduce your impact by assessing what, how much, and how often you consume. And how you commute throughout your week.
Since I switched to carbon (2 yrs on my set) I stopped destroying aluminum rims so which is worse? Destroying a couple carbon carbon rims once every 5 years or destroying 2 alu ones yearly. And bullshit that aluminum parts get recycled. They mostly end up in a landfill too.
And I’m sure @heidesandnorth goes a decade between bikes and only purchases tires in the hardest compounds to minimize impact.
Anyway,carbon bike components are not killing the planet.
Yeh i think no one talks about it because we are sick of people going on about it. A company releases a quality product made of carbon and all some people moan about is how it can't be recycled! Its a pathetic argument. Can your breaks, mech, seat etc be recycled ...no because they are made up of different materials. Do you sweep up the nano particles of rubber that come of your tyres...or what about the drops if oil that come of your chain...
I flew to Whistler from England a few years back to ride bikes. The flight was 13 hours. Some how that is fine but the carbon rim i destroyed when i was there is totally not fine. There are far bigger problems with the world than not being able to recycle a rim.
That said, do any of us actually do that?
Ben my carbon rims were about $200 ea and 2 years later they're both rock solid. And i'm not destroying alu rims every season now. The future is now.
Also, good luck on the Pistola build. I found it fascinating that in the Blister/GG interview (embedded in their TP review) that two of the 3 GG employees interviewed are on Pistolas as their daily driver.
The scorecard for the machined Poles:
• Geometry and kinematics: This is not related to the manufacturing technique.
• Strength: Failed on the Pinkbike huck-to-flat test, though the rear triangle has since been redesigned.
• Stiffness: I haven't heard anything noteworthy one way or the other.
• Weight: Heavy.
• Price: Yikes.
• Environmental responsibility: Uncertain.
• Aesthetics: They certainly look cool.
The more environmental choice would be buy a cheaper bike and donate the several thousand dollars you save to an NGO or similar.
Once upon a time a bigger player like YT, canyon, giant sells their OEM carbon rims in aftermarket you can expect lower prices. Without markup for middlemen
Only hiking 'Free Willie' style is good for the environment. No sunscreen on your plumbing though because that's also bad.
Relax, carbon bikes are not a threat
Honest question. Why repeat a story that you admit is hearsay? Just to shit on them? Make yourself look big? Screw with their business? I don't understand.
That'd be like me repeating a story that was told to me about RMR. "I heard he embezzled funds from Structure Cycleworks and that's why is he is no longer employed by the company". "That's a second or third hand story, so take it for what it's worth".
Yeah, I made that up. But can you envision the damage that can occur with gossip and rumors. Just imagine a potential employer catching wind of this.
You're a smart guy - just think first.
I'm more concerned with wildness study areas shutting down our trails.
www.churchofeuthanasia.org
Am i missing something here?
"The rim is broken."
"What happened to the rider?"
"Dead."
"Good. Sorry this won't be covered under warranty. Hehehe..."
Planned obsolesce is soo previous decade.
Regarding the warranty, We Are One’s terms say, “If you break a rim while riding, we send you a new one. Period. It is that simple.”
Maybe I just haven't ridden enough of the carbon wheels yet to see the difference, maybe I'm being cynical here, it just seems odd to me that I'd spend a frame's worth of money on something that has numbers and (to me) performs as near as makes no differnce as a 500ish bucks set of alloy wheels.
Then again, my first reaction to ever seeing a dropper post were "wtf who'd ever need that in their life" so who am I to judge..
> most lifetimes warranties are for the 'lifetime' of the warranty... as long as they deem fit to honour it... not the human purchaser's lifetime
I bought some SixC carbon cranks with my Nomad. They cracked and failed at the pedal threaded insert. No warranty for you. We'll give you a new crank for replacement cost though
Never buying RaceFace again.
There is definitely a thing as too much lateral stiffness. I have ridden a carbon rim set up that was nearly impossible to ride in wet conditions, with absolutely no traction every time you hit something not straight on the wheel would just instantly jump sideways.
Lifetime Frame Warranty
Santa Cruz Bicycles will repair or replace at its option any frame it determines to be defective. The warranty will be in effect for lifetime of the original, registered owner.
Am I missing something?
The ones that were insane still were Ibis with aluminum I9 spokes. Silliest wheels ever. I know man are very reasonable as far as stiffness.
www.weareonecomposites.com/page/warranty
Regarding "compliance", how can anyone even talk about this without relating to rider weight? "Sweet spot" for your weight by definition means that they will feel soft to a heavy guy and very stiff to a light rider.
This is by no means meant in a bad way, but I remember watching the snakeskin bike video and Mike Kazimer looked like a stick figure next to Bryn Atkinson.
Also, I may not be a heavyweight, but I ride hard and often, and I've broken multiple carbon rims over the last five years. These ones held up extremely well, which is what I detailed in the review. I put in a ton of miles on all of the gear that I test and I stand by my reviews.
I’d take DT or KC any day.
@pakleni: nah. Even on my linkage driven single pivot I can’t tell the difference between hydra and the DT Swiss hubs they replaced.
The rim held air, finished the day without issues. Things break (carbon, aluminum) but it’s how the company stands behind their product which i feel is an important purchasing metric. I believe they also offer crash replacement for non original owners.
There seems to be a misguided notion that tire pressure is somehow an indication of how hard you ride, which simply isn’t true. It’s all a matter of experimentation and figuring out what works best for you and where you ride.
I'm riding an enduro bike, with 2.6" butcher tires, and if I run them below 25 psi the rear of the bike feels loose and imprecise. I am a pretty average rider, not looking for the fastest times or anything.
Great warranty, and even with one rim broken, they've held up better than any aluminum wheelset I've ever had. Great product, great company.
29er wheels, 30mm internal rims and 2.5-2.6 tires allow that to work. Last bike was 27.5 with 23mm internal rims. Had to run a little higher pressure due to the lower air volume.
Since I get sendy sometimes, I've cased a wheel once or twice (or more!!) and they've done okay.....with 900g or heavier tires. On the 27.5 rear wheel I ran a Huck Norris which I only noticed when I cased it and didn't munch a rim and/or tire.
Sounds like you're a prime candidate for some sort of foam protector in your tire. And if you aren't breaking the rear tire loose on ledgy up-moves, keep running a little more air.
The wheels came in, on DT 350 straight pull, and they were grossly over tensioned, to the point the spoke holes were deformed and raised - basically, the rim was damaged. Tensions were around 160 kgf I believe.
He fought LB to exchange them. They wouldn't - they wouldn't only replace the rims, and they would not address the fact they sent the wrong hubs. He was on the hook for rebuilding them when they arrived, which cost him money.
I would never buy from LB after seeing this happen to him. I don't disagree that they make good rims, but their service is wretched.
Unlike some other warranty departments WeAreOne actually gets back to their customers right away, because lifetime shouldn't mean it takes a lifetime to get your wheels back.
Very very excited.
I’ve destroyed several carbon and aluminum rims over the past few years, so I’m beyond stoked to ride these worry free at the pressures I actually want to run.
We Are One have been amazing with their customer service. From building the rims to a set of 240s I provided, sending me proofs for custom decals, and answering a myriad of questions I sent their way.
Thanks!
So we could have (at least partly) made in Canada ally rims with not much more upfront investment than for carbon rims, it seems.
Wheels arrived at my door about a week after ordering. Customer service on ordering side was terrific. I had a last minute panic about microspline hub compatibility in the week they were building them and received THREE immediate responses from Nobl (phone/email/dm) assuring that all was well (which it was).
The one thing I’d change? Going with an Onyx Vesper hub. No quality issues at all, but these things just feel so squishy/springy. Silence is golden, but you’d be hard pressed to call this “instant” engagement given that the pedals rotate trough a solid handful of degrees before building up enough locking force in the hub to get the wheel turning. Maybe a lighter human wouldn’t have an issue, but to me it feels like I’m running rubber crank arms.
"We are Borg"
"Resistance is futile"
My Carbon Fan wheels (F: 33mm ID AM 28H & R: 29mm ID DH 32H) combined with P321 hubs and Berd spokes weigh 1439 grams for the set, cost about $1500 to put together and have a noticeable compliance to them that my other 3 other sets of carbon fiber wheels (ENVE, NOX, & Nobl) just didn't. What Carbon Fan really offers that other brands don't is the ability to pick every aspect of your wheels, so that you can spec them differently front to rear. I happen to believe that a front wheel and a rear rim have different requirements and therefore should have different specs. So I would not even consider a set of wheels where the front and rear rims are identical. Nor a set of 1900 g wheels unless they were bargain priced.
I never mind paying for the best, that's why if I cared much about warranty I'd buy a set of Crankbrothers Synthesis wheels, the only ready made wheel company that got it all correct imo and also provides the warranty you covet.
Take care.
Crank Brothers rims are laid up in Asia, and cost 700 usd each.
Nothing you're saying here is making a terribly good argument for buying CarbonFan rims for most riders. I gather they work for you, since you're not worried about dealing with China for rim failures abs warranty replacements, and are perfectly happy having a stock of rims at home to build up on short notice.
For the rest of us, dealing with a North American company with a great warranty, mid range price (for carbon) and local construction, easily trumps everything else.
2) You are the rare mountain biker if you somehow avoid all Asian made bicycle parts. Frankly isn't much to choose from without Asia. I assume you don't ride any major brand CF frame and countless other components?
3) Lastly, lifting a people up occurs naturally when their economic activity becomes valuable. If you want to see Asians slip in to poverty and be unimportant to employers, than never buy an Asian made product again. This is how you punish and destroy an economy. My purchasing of Asian products is a huge NET positive for China and frankly is the single solitary reason (all consumers I mean) that 1.5 billion people are currently rising out of destitute poverty and firmly in to the middle class.
4) You virtue signaling is misplaced, makes a lot of assumptions, and frankly is asinine. The only legitimate reason to overpay for N. American made manufacturing is to support domestic manufacturing, which is a good reason. But don't think for one second you are 'helping' the poor Chinese when you refuse to do business with them.
The only thing we know for sure is that the people at the Kamloops factory seem to be treated well.
2) Who is suggesting we avoid asian manufacturing altogether? Sometimes that's the only alternative.
The point was that when there's a local alternative that guarantees well treated workers, local-ish shipping for acquiring the product, a quality product, etc, why not buy on this continent?
3) No one is suggesting never buying an Asian product again. More straw man arguments.
4) Oh! The 'virture signaling' key-phrase. No wondering you're so obtuse - you're a right-wing internet person.
Fanatik review of a few We Are One Rims and builds
www.fanatikbike.com/products/we-are-one-movement-agent-29-boost-wheelset
Bontrager wheels are also pretty nice and reasonably priced if you have a local Trek Dealer you like.
We Are One Union vs Bontrager Line Pro 30
Cheers