The Pinkbike Podcast: Episode 115 - We Are One's CEO Talks Future DH Bike, E-Bikes, & Domestic Manufacturing

 I definitely appreciate his sentiment. It a bummer they’re not using thermoplastic which is downcycleable, stronger than epoxy composites, and is less energy intensive to produce. Revel wheels, evil, Chris king etc.

 No shit, dude knows his shit & I found myself thinking Im just gonna but these wheels vs pissin around with “affordable” wheels anymore. Kinda seems like seeing the light. Not cheap fluorescent light but, The Light

 @Mtn-Goat-13: I was an early adopter after a number of conversations with Dustin. Been riding their wheels ever since, with my original Agents still going strong on a friends bike. Nothing but stoked about the product and their crew.

 BUY not but. BUY these wheels

 @BiNARYBiKE: How long have you had them and is trueing maybe less an issue than w/ aluminum? And where / what style of riding are you putting them thru?

I seem to nuking wheels pretty fast these days (latest an Ibis S35 which I liked til they died). This is mostly enduro style / pedal up for a 2-3 hrs then down the steepest stuff usually w/ chunk / drops but also park riding (mostly east coast / western NC stuff). Ive been thinking Is shatter carbon so I just havent bothered but given my 1 set a year I seem to be destroying, and after hearing this interview, Im def double thinking

Also curious if u considered or have ridden I9 or other carbon wheels, thots on those?

 @Mtn-Goat-13: We Are One makes the rims for the I9 wheels. The less expensive option is to buy the We Are One Revolution wheels. Same We Are One rims with the same Hydra hubs. The only difference is you don’t get the fancy anodized I9 spokes. And you save like $800. To be fair to I9, those spokes might make the wheel stronger and worth the price. I had a set of aluminum I9 Enduro 305s, and they were the best wheel I had ridden to that point. I now have the We Are One Revolutions, and they are at least as good. I think the hub is the real advantage here. I’d say it might be worth the savings to go with the We Are One brand wheels.

 @TheR: Word on all that, my local wheel-guy did mention the I9's (the company is in my town) were from WA1, and there are sets starting around $8 or $900 around here but I'm not sure this lower priced set is gonna last w/ heavy riding (dude is aware of my abusive style) but I can't recall what the hub or spokes are for that set. I'm remembering now I was gonna but that I9 set but it was gonna be 3-4 weeks wait vs. a couple days on the Ibis...had to get rolling.

Anyway - what're the specs on your wheelset & how long have you been on 'em now and are you still on the Hydra (and saying that's pretty much the deal?) ...I appreciate any input.

 @Mtn-Goat-13: Hey, I have the We Are One Revolution 29 Wheelset — 29er Union rims front and back, laced with Sapim race spokes and Hydra Hubs. The guy was going to put D-light spokes up front, for slightly more compliance, but goofed the order. Doesn’t sound to me like that’s what you want. So go race front and back.

These were around $1700. I was going to go with the I9 aluminum wheels (Enduro 305) for about the same price, but they were talking at least a 12 week wait. The I9 carbon wheels would have been around $2400-2600, I think. Too rich for my blood. So I went with the carbon We Are Ones

The more affordable wheels (around $900) most likely have the I9 1/1 hubs. The difference is the points of engagement. Fewer points of engagement compared to the Hydras, but still a lot more than most hubs out there. Also only come in black, which is obviously no big deal. And maybe some insignificant amount heavier. The front hub should basically be the same.

Anyway, I am 165 pounds, maybe 175 with my riding gear. I’m riding a Kona Process 153, so longer travel. I ride a lot of technical stuff — rough, rocks. They hold true like a mother, and I haven’t cracked anything, but I can’t vouch for your riding style. Sounds like you put wheels to the test. I like the responsive hubs and the stiff rims — makes the bike feel alive and poppy compared to the wheels I replaced. I’m pretty satisfied.

 @Mtn-Goat-13: I can’t remember when WAO first started selling agents but that’s when I got them. Years ago. Had them on a couple different Sentinels for a few years in Phoenix and then Oregon. Lots of DH and freeride biased riding, jumps and drops, etc. I ride hard and fast and I always felt confident to just plow through stuff on those wheels. I had plenty of strikes that I thought for sure would’ve cracked the wheel but it never happened. I never trued them once (because the stayed true). Last year I broke a spoke for the first time while shuttling and went on to descend another 10 or 12 thousand feet with that spoke missing. Fixed the spoke and sold the wheels to a friend and now I have their newer wheels on my Spire. Carbon wheels are expensive but in my experience they were a huge increase in durability and ease of maintenance. I was ruining an alloy rim per year in Phoenix. Yes they are cheap and easy to replace but I hate rebuilding wheels and remounting tires and all that. Since going to carbon I haven’t had a wheel problem mess up a ride since. Plenty of good wheels out there but I like We Are One as a brand, the wheels have been awesome, and the price is competitive.

 @TheR: different lay up

 Should be another with Kaz and Alicia from Sea Otter tomorrow as well.

 @mikelevy: good times - this makes me happy. Make a festival of casts. Hell, you could just walk around chattering yr thoughts into a mike, wrap it, & Id be stoked

 @mikelevy: the more I hear from Kaz the more I appreciate his honest and pragmatic style! Also can you please tell Henry to talk into the mic? He’s already so hard to understand.

 @maxlombardy: Gotta say I'm a huge fan of both Levy's irreverant troublemaker & Kaz's responsible parent styles... Levy's putting tacks in everyone's chairs and Kaz is sending him to his room for a nap. Good stuff. Maybe my ears are just ASMR ready but I don't ever have any prob hearing Henry...it does seem he can fade out more as his voice is lower but this does seem to be a common comment.

 Yep. Both have balls that big though so...

 right now they make high quality parts at a a great price point (added bonus of North American manufacturing). As long as that remains true I hope they can grow as big as they want

 I am not quote sure how CFO, COO, and CEO are non-value add hires?

As a company grows, so to does it's logistical, financial, and regulatory obligations. These are NEEDS, so that a company can grow and not get disjointed, inefficient and ineffective. A company of 100+ people need structure, organization, and direction. ESPECIALLY if they are expected to make consistently good product.

 @privateer-wheels: They don't add value to the product. They may add value to the organization but that's not reflected in what the customer actually receives.

Personally I couldn't care less but I feel like pinkbike community holds WAO as one these core, small, local brands who can do no wrong when in reality they're ascending to become another medium sized brand bike maker s/t evil, transition, pivot etc.

 @loudv8noises: I guess that is debatable. Turn 100 people loose in a facility and give them free reign to do what they wish without coordination and organization, and you can't be guaranteed a great product or even a consistent product. Much less one with controllable costs. That organization aspect helps bring value to the product in that sense - it allows the company to scale up while maintaining, well, organization! And ensures that the company maintains it's ability to continue being a going concern.

I'm not sure what other way there is around it. Due to popularity alone they have to scale up - that or customers will wait years for rims because they would be capacity constrained. That or they would have to jack prices up to ENVE levels to curb demand, and still ENVE has had to scale up and ass similar roles so does that even work?

I get that the relationships between CFO, COO, and CEO (Dustin) is indirect - none of them are touching the rims on a day to day basis. But the all ultimately the DO, indirectly add value, I think. Especially as the company grows. They ensure product consistency, availability, and cost control.

To expect them to maintain at half a dozen employees is unrealistic. And there is something VERY good about bringing this production to Canada, creating jobs for cyclists in BC. If that's what it means to become a medium sized bike brand then what is wrong with that? Especially if they are making a good product people want. I don't see how people can fault them really.

 you bought wheels because of the stickers? this is the problem folks.

 Yeah pretty dumb decision to choose a canadian made rim over an oversea made rim just because of stickers? Stickers can be ordered if you want. I'll keep that to myself if I were you

 I'm hoping it is something with around the 130 travel mark.