First rides on the We Are One Convergence carbon mountain bike wheels

We Are One have a track record of meticulous craftmanship, with their wheel sets and other carbon products (and bikes) being held in high regard by riders and shop mechanics alike. A number of our key product testers ride the We Are One Union wheel set, a wheel set lauded for the ride quality, finishing and lifetime warranty.

We Are One also produce a high zoot rim for Pump Track and Slope Style use with the We Are One Coop rim – which we tested in 2022.

Introducing the We Are One Convergence

All new from We Are One is the Convergence. This is a premium carbon rim that has a unique shape. The appearance looks twisted, but it's not about aesthetics. The inner profile is canted towards the hub flanges, so the nipple can sit flush with nearly no silly angles out of the spoke hole. This reduces the stress on the nipple, rim and spoke, and should make for a stronger and overall more durable wheel.

We Are One are selling 29" wheel sets with 28 hole front lacings and 32h rear lacings, and there are options for 28mm internal (Sector), 30mm internal (Triad) and 33mm internal (Fuse) models. The 27.5" models will come in 32 hole only, with a 30mm inner width.

After chatting to We Are One and their Importer Danjas Imports, I landed on a 28mm internal Sector rim on the rear and the 30mm internal Triad on the front which kept my Goodyear Newton MTR 29 x 2.4 inch and MTF 29 x 2.5 inch tyres inflated to the optimal profile.

I have been running the MTR and MTF in the Enduro Casing which are very thick and robust with no inserts as I have been on a couple of other wheel sets recently. The slightly narrower 28mm internal rear rim holds the narrower MTR tyre perfectly as does the 30mm internal front rim holds the bigger bagged MTF on the front. Across all my current wheels with these tyres I ran 26.5psi up front and 29psi out the rear.

Rim only:  $1080.00 RRP
Convergence/I9 Hydra: ($3250.00 RRP)

Sector – 28mm internal width – 28H and 32H – 495g
Triad – 30mm internal width – 28H and 32H – 505g
Fuse – 33mm internal width – 28H and 32H – 523g

On the trail

I received the Convergence wheel quite early on and with limited rim data or figures, just with the information that they were the new premium rim offering targeted at Enduro and hardtail riders. With that in mind, I often fit up product without weighing and asking questions as an unbiased first ride can often speak volumes more. The wheels feel light and snappy straight off the mark, very responsive out of the saddle and with a noticeable weight reduction over my usual test rigs wheels.

Pointed straight into the rockiest trails I could find, I wanted to see how the low profile Convergence rim would take trail chatter and abuse. I am a huge fan of lower profile rims, however what brands land on as the “sweet spot” varies greatly, with some so low profile they are effectively a leaf spring with little to no lateral support for riders over 70kgs.

The Convergence rims take the sting of repetitive impacts and trail noise exceptionally well, my test trails “felt” less fatiguing with less arm pump over their 400m of increasingly rough terrain.

Does all this vertical compliance effect the lateral stiffness of the convergence? I high tailed it to my local bike park to square off some turns and hit the jump lines and while they don’t feel as stiff as the We Are One Union wheels I usually ride, they didn’t feel far off them at all being stiffer than two other low profile rims I have on rotation. We Are One’s idea of a “Sweet Spot” is is in my opinion a great mix of vertical compliance and lateral stiffness which would suit aggressive riders looking for a fatigue reducing and confidence inspiring wheel set.

I look forward to putting in some more time on these wheels and seeing what they are capable off and how they hold up to abuse now that our trails are drying up and getting faster.