Industry Nine recently teamed up with Canadian carbon manufacturer We Are One Composites to create an impressive line of wheels. Based around their Hydra hubs, with a crazy 690 points of engagement (translating to 0.52º of rotation between points), these wheels make use of the aluminum spokes that the company has been known for since its inception. Because of that, there are a lot more ways to customize the look than with just about any other wheel on the market. For example....
But there's a lot more to these than good looks, and that's why we're really excited. They're completely made in North America, for one, which means that lead times are reduced, and prototyping has been able to happen more quickly than it would have with a product that's made of parts that come from all over the world. It also means that you get to know the people who make all of the parts a lot better. Industry Nine has built a reputation for blending impressive engineering chops that lead to innovative products like their aluminum spokes first, and later their Hydra hubs. They use cutting-edge manufacturing processes to create these, and they do everything–right down to the anodizing–in house, which means that they just have maximum control over their production process.
We Are One is a much younger company (started in 2017) that makes carbon rims and handlebars all in house in Kamloops, B.C., and while they're not quite as well known as some of the bigger players, they have been making an impression. Their rims are known for being extremely durable, having a beautiful finish (that they get right out of the mold), and finding that perfect balance of being stiff, but not too stiff.
For this collaboration, We Are One tuned their layup schedule to fit Industry Nine's requirements, so the rims you'll get on these wheels are 100% Industry Nine, but they still have the features that make We Are One's rims so good. The rims' shallow depth provides vertical compliance without making them feel like noodles, and the thick hookless bead is not only strong to deal with impacts, but also spreads the impact out over tire surface more which reduces the risk of pinch flats. Finally the rims and wheelsets come with a lifetime warranty to give you peace of mind that you won't have to worry about them.
Ready to get into specifics? Check out the wheels here!
