We Are One Arrival 170 – in our North America’s Finest showdown

There are nice looking mountain bikes and breath-taking mountain bikes. And then there’s the We Are One Arrival 170, which makes everything else look average. But is it just gorgeous, or can it also deliver on the trail?

For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: North America’s Finest – 7 models in review

We Are One are a Canadian carbon manufacturer from Kamloops, known mainly for their high-end carbon wheels and no-questions-asked warranty policy. Founded in 2016, We Are One have already made a name for themselves in the mountain biking world, and their portfolio now includes all sorts of components, from wheels to handlebars, stems and now bikes. What sets them apart from many manufacturers is that they produce everything in-house at their headquarters in British Columbia – including their carbon frames. Their debut bike, the Arrival, is available in three variants with 130 mm, 152 mm and 170 mm of travel, respectively. All three versions share the same carbon frame, which is paired with different swingarms and suspension. We tested the Arrival 170 enduro bruiser, which generates 170 mm of travel front and rear. Our test bike rolls on 29″ wheels, but it is also available as a mullet version. In size L, the Arrival 170 tips the scales at a very reasonable 15.3 kg, while retail price is a juicy $ 8,299. Since We Are One are still a relatively small manufacturer, they’re not distributing their products in Europe yet. Instead, you can buy your We Are One Arrival directly from their website. That said, if you do so, you’ll have to add custom duties to the final price. In Canada, We Are One also rely on a small network of local bike shops.

The We Are One Arrival 170 in detail

If Batman were a mountain biker, he would definitely ride a We Are One Arrival. With its unique, futuristic design language, the Arrival looks like an intergalactic travel machine, a real head turner that looks extremely fast even when stationary. The frame’s faded finish transitions elegantly from lacquered sections into exposed, raw carbon patches. The shuttle guard on the down tube is complemented by a plastic skid plate in the bottom bracket area, which both protect the frame against stray meteorites and nasty black holes. Through this plastic guard emerges the rear brake hose, which then draws a small arch around the bottom bracket only to disappear into the swingarm. Unfortunately, the chainstay protector is rather small, resulting in loud chain slap – however, a generous portion of mastic tape should do the trick! A small carbon fender prevents mud and water from splashing on the lower link of the Twin Link rear suspension.

The spec of the We Are One Arrival 170

Our test bike is still the 2023 Arrival 170 model, which is why it’s specced differently from the bike you’ll find on We Are One’s website. The suspension consists of a RockShox ZEB Ultimate Charger 3 fork and matching Super Deluxe Ultimate coil shock. Shifting is taken care of by a wireless 12-speed GX Eagle AXS drivetrain, while SRAM CODE R four-piston brakes with a 200 mm rotor at the front and small 180 mm disc at the rear do stopping duties. However, the small rear rotor overheats far too quickly, resulting in poor braking performance and a vague bite point. We recommend upgrading to a bigger rotor that does justice to such a powerful, beautiful enduro ripper. The 170 mm SDG Tellis dropper offers too little travel for a modern enduro bike, restricting freedom of movement on the bike. For the rest of the spec, We Are One also use many of their in-house components, including the cockpit, which consists of a We Are One Da Package stem and matching 800 mm carbon handlebar. Needless to say, We Are One also supply the Convergence Triad Carbon wheelset. The rear hub relies on the wider Superboost standard, which is supposed to improve stability, but also makes it harder to source spares. The wheelset is paired with Vittoria Mazza tires front and rear, both in the Enduro casing, which consists of a double 120 tpi nylon layer – a similar concept to the MAXXIS DoubleDown casing, and a perfect match for an enduro bike.

The geometry of the We Are One Arrival 170

The We Are One Arrival 170 is available in three sizes M, to XL, offering a suitable size for riders between 160 cm and 193 cm tall. Our test bike in size L combines 472 mm reach and 437 mm seat tube, which is pleasantly short on paper but doesn’t allow you to insert the short-travel dropper post all the way into the frame. Chainstay length is 437 mm long in frame sizes M and L, and are 3 mm longer on the biggest XL frame.

Size	M	L	XL
Top tube	593 mm	620 mm	647 mm
Head tube	95 mm	100 mm	105 mm
Head angle	63.7°	63.7°	63.7°
Seat angle	76.6°	76.6°	76.6°
Chainstay	447 mm	447 mm	450 mm
BB Drop	19 mm	19 mm	19 mm
Wheelbase	1.240 mm	1.275 mm	1.298 mm
Reach	447 mm	472 mm	497 mm
Stack	619 mm	624 mm	627 mm

The We Are One Arrival 170 on the trail

On first impressions, the We Are One Arrival 170 is quite squishy, with the rear suspension bobbing slightly when pedalling uphill, even with a firm suspension setup. We recommend activating the climb switch on long fire-road climbs, although this comes at the expense of traction, which becomes particularly noticeable in technical climbing sections. The steep seat angle places you in a comfortable, upright pedalling position, though this puts a slight pressure on your hands on level ground. Riding uphill, the Arrival is a comfortable companion and the front wheel always remains planted on the ground, even on steep climbs.

Uphill, the Arrival’s rear suspension bobs noticeably. We recommend activating the climb switch on long fire road climbs.

On rough terrain, the Arrival 170 really comes to life, providing a plush ride with tons of traction and excellent composure.

When you drop into a trail to shred your way back down into the valley, you feel as if you’re sitting on top of the bike, rather than being integrated into the frame. While this feeling doesn’t inspire too much confidence at first, you’ll quickly get used to it, with the intuitive handling conveying a pleasant feeling of security when you hit the first turns. Flowing trails don’t interest the Arrival, with the plush suspension providing little support in the mid-stroke and sucking up the rider’s inputs like a sandbag, thus requiring a great deal of physical effort to pump through rollers and berms. However, the Arrival really comes to life in rough terrain, generating tons of traction while at the same time ensuring excellent composure, with the plush rear suspension showing its bright side and conveying huge amounts of confidence.

Tuning tips: Mastic tape on the chainstays | 200 mm rotor at the rear

Our conclusions about the We Are One Arrival

With its locally-built carbon frame and unusual look, the We Are One Arrival 170 is an extremely cool concept and a real head turner. However, some frame details, like the short chainstay protector and the seat tube’s shallow insertion depth, still leave plenty of room for improvement. On the trail, the Arrival lacks a smidge of mid-stroke support, but offers a plush ride with plenty of traction and composure.

You can find out more about at weareonecomposites.com

The test field

For an overview of the test head to: North America’s Finest – 7 models in review

All bikes in test: Alchemy Arktos 150 (Click for review) | Chromag Lowdown 158 G2-Build (Click for review) | Devinci Chainsaw GX Enduro (Click for review) | Kona Process X CR (Click for review) | Norco Sight C2 (Click for review) | Transition Carbon Patrol X0 AXS (Click for review) | We are One Arrival 170 GX AXS

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Words & Photos: mschneider