CarbonSmith founder Ryan Shaun Smith shares how riding the V1 inspired him to invent some of the first aftermarket Onewheel accessories.
Vendor name: CarbonSmith
Location: Denver, CO
Products or services offered: CAD Design, Carbon Fiber 3D printing, Forged Carbon Fiber, Rapid Prototyping.
Most popular product: CarbonShield Bumpers
How/why did your business get started?
I started making parts for my personal Onewheel V1 in 2018 to enhance my own riding experience. My business is focused around performance motorcycle parts and was in its infancy at the time. I used my Onewheel V1 as a mode of transportation at the race tracks and after sharing my ideas on social media and getting a lot of positive responses I decided to add them to my website for other people to purchase.
Now, 4 years later, Onewheel parts have become a permanent part of my online catalogue and I have thousands of happy OW customers!
What needs did you see in the community that were not being filled?
At the time, riding the V1, there wasn’t a ton of opportunities for upgrades like there is today. There was only one other person making 3D printed bumpers and they were made from plastic and featured some neat innovations, but it didn’t satisfy all of my needs. So I went to the drawing board and invented all of the things that I thought the Onewheel needed in order to survive the abuse that I was putting it through.
I added front bumper and side rail protection integrated into the bumper. I invented Light Emitting Ports, or LEPs as I call them, that reflect the LED headlights to the top riding plane of the board so that during the daytime you can tell if the OW is on or off, as long as your headlights are on and working. I added mirrors to the bumpers to help increase the LED output, because they were not nearly bright enough at the time! Also, I was the first person to integrate power button and charge port protection into the bumper design as well as adding custom badges to the front so that you could personalize it to make it your own!
Aside from the front bumper innovations, I also invented a rear bumper replacement that included a stand that doubled as a handle for carrying the OW like a suitcase. All of these innovations were unique to anything else ever made and were necessary in my everyday Onewheel life.
Now 4 years later, I make bumpers for all models of OW from V1 to GT in a variety of materials and options. I also invented some other neat things like the Hook-N-Go, which allows you to tote your OW like a roller bag by adding removable wheels to the back and extending the front handle with a paracord handle. The Grab-N-Go is the only side handle that isn’t mounted to your board and also doubles as personal protection.
What makes your product different from similar products on the market?
Everything I make and sell is made to order and 3D printed on the most advanced Carbon Fiber Machines available today, the Markforged X7. Most of my Onewheel products are fully customizable and can be made with custom badges to further enhance your experience and express your style.
Do you have any new/exciting projects in the pipeline? What are they and when can we expect them to be available?
Currently making GT3 bumpers for the Onewheel GT!
