Bike Check: Dustin Adams’ prototype We Are One DH rig from Canada Cup finals

There were all kinds of interesting bikes flying down Sun Peaks for Canada Cup finals but one stood out more than the rest. We Are One Composite’s founder Dustin Adams was not only racing, winning his Masters Men’s 35-44 category, but racing on a prototype downhill rig from his Kamloops, B.C.-based company.

The raw-carbon frame looked almost like a finished product, other than the word “prototype” lettered on the top tube in We Are One’s font. A closer look shows the Kamloops, B.C. brand’s downhill prototype has such a finished look as it is currently based around parts from an Arrival frame. The rear triangle is a stock XL Arrival rear end. The front triangle is the front half of an XL Arrival frame with a custom back end. The linkage connecting the two halves is also entirely new.

We Are One DH prototype

The prototype is still in the testing phase, though based on Adams’ win, clearly quite far along in that process. As such, it is quite modular. Adaptable linkages and shock mounts allow the shock to move on two axes, up and down and side to side. There’s also a flip-chip in the rear triangle and the ability to swap out different dogbone links and linkages. All of this lets We Are One engineers fine-tune kinematics on the frame, shifting leverage ratio, progression and geometry.

“Like everything we do, it’s entirely in-house. Engineering to design to production,” Adams said of the bike. And, with the WAO founder winning his category on his home course, racing too. However, he adds that you should probably expect to see other riders really start to open the throttle at races as more prototype frames are created. While it’s just a prototype right now, Adams does want to see it in production eventually. The timeframe for that, and what exactly the final frame will look like, are still up in the air, though.

Bringing We Are One fully into the DH scene

With Adams being a former World Cup downhill racer, it’s exciting to see We Are One taking another step into the world of DH. The Canadian brand’s Made-In-Kamloops wheels already have a strong presence, of course. Adams is also excited to be getting more involved in downhill, especially with the DH scene enjoying a renaissance at home and impressive levels of success internationally.

“Looking at the under-17, under-15 and younger categories, downhill in Canada is set to blow up in the next few…