OneUp Headquarters Tour
You know you’ve hit Squamish when you see this, The Chief. It’s a 2,297 foot tall granite dome that towers over the Sea to Sky highway.
OneUp Components is a small startup that specializes in drivetrain components. It was founded by three former RaceFace engineers and is based in Squamish, a small mountain town only a few kilometers (which are like miles, but only smaller) from Whistler. While most mountain bikers tend to stop here for coffee en route from Vancouver to Mecca, the area is home to some of the best mountain biking in the world.
This adorable building serves as the think tank for a group of mountain bikers.
It all starts in this cute little building which to my American sensibilities, appears to be a picture perfect caricature of a modern English cottage.
The interior isn’t massive, but it is open and inviting.
There are components and prototypes spread throughout the office.
While it appears neat on the surface, every available space is littered with prototypes, sketches, and notes.
Every office needs bike parking.
The rear wall serves as bike parking and holds a couple of autographed athlete jerseys from some guys named Jared Graves and Richie Rude.
OneUp produced a 50T rear cog that works with Shimano 11 speed drivetrains. It’s called the Shark and this is the bad ass product logo.
Returning to bikes for a moment, let’s all appreciate how awesome this sticker placement is.
Does the world need another variant of the Marsh Guard? Also, this fender isn’t listed anywhere on the website…
For those unfamiliar, this device is an all-in-one brewing system.
Tool chests are tucked under almost every counter, although OneUp did find room for this – the Grainfather. This little accessory is an all-in-one brewing system that will set you back almost a thousand dollars in the States, which should give you an idea of how serious these Canadians take their homebrew.
Homebrew, cider, and mixers take precedence in this fridge.
In fact, they’ve allocated nearly half the office fridge to their homebrew concoctions. Those enjoying the gluten-free lifestyle will be pleased to note the healthy selection of ciders
#butfirstcoffee
Not into beer? Perhaps this machine is more your style.
In addition to tools, the workspace is brimming with drivetrain components.
Sharing the same space as the break area is this spread of tools.
And whatever you do, don’t piss off their customer service rep.
Minidriver meet Minnie Driver.
Behind the main space is a large closet, which is used for warehousing a small amount of product…
Click here to view the embedded video.
…as well as this, The Drop Tower of Destruction. Which, to put in less grandiose terms, is their testing rig.
Due to their current size and limitations on infrastructure, you’ll notice that OneUp does not currently have a machine shop. When they’re developing new products, they generally work with their suppliers overseas to develop rideable prototypes.
They will sometimes work with an outside company to have components 3D printed, but because they can’t ride the resulting product and the long turn around time, it’s not their preferred method.
Directly outside the office, is the Mashiter Creek. It is a protected salmon habitat and marks the border of their parking lot. It also doubles as one hell of a way to end a ride.
And that’s it. That’s OneUp. Just a couple of guys in a modest office who like riding bikes, drinking beer and making rad shit. When you think of it like that, it’s kind of amazing to see how successful they’ve become. Their chainrings, sprockets, and other drivetrain products are among the best on the market and yet their entire team consists of fewer people than some companies PR staff.
If you like their components or if you already run some of their stuff, let us know in the comments below.
For more information, visit www.oneupcomponents.com.
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