Some love the action, some ride to relax. So we offer this page in two themes:   ZEN ROCK & ROLL

MODERN CLASSIC

This is a very different OPEN yet it answers the same question: What do we want to ride? While we love pushing the envelope, we also love the classic bike aesthetic. In the MIN.D. both come together.

The joy of cycling starts even before the first pedal stroke, as you collect your MIN.D., feel its lightness, admire the sleek tube profiles, see the shimmering midnight blue, smile at the splash of color from the 4 OPEN logo colors fading into each other on the inside of the fork and chainstays.

Once on the bike, a strange combination of performance and comfort becomes apparent. Every gram of material has a function. Beyond it is nothing, other than the endless draw of roads unknown. This is the MIN.D. (MINimal Design); it exists because it’s the road bike we wanted to ride.

WHAT IS THE MIN.D.?

  • A high performance road bike frame using OPEN’s ultra-efficient tube shaping for power transfer, low weight & high strength
  • Continuous seattube design for extreme comfort without gimmicks
  • Tire clearance for modern road tires up to 32mm (since tire labelling is unreliable, always check tire clearance with the frame)
  • Available in standard 2x and dedicated 1x version
  • Classic, understated look in both shaping and color

TWO VERSIONS

The MIN.D. comes in two versions: standard and California. Same geometry, same functionality, but the latter is - you guessed it - Made In California at the Project California facility.

This R&D facility with a small factory was set up back in the day when Gerard was co-founder/owner of Cervélo. It resulted in both the R5CA and RCA models, two road frames that redefined lightweight bike frame production.

The facility’s owner/operator Don Guichard and Gerard have stayed in touch since. So when Don wanted to do a bike project again, we decided to go on a new journey to make something special.

While the two frames have a lot in common, the completely new tools and processes used in California result in a frame that is around 75 grams lighter yet stiffer in all directions except in the continuous seattube (where it actually provides even more flex than the original MIN.D. This combination makes the ride something very special.

To view a gallery showing the Californian production, click here.

REVIEWS & AWARDS

BICYCLING

“Open MIN.D Is a Road Bike Like Few Others. Why I fell for this radically conventional road bike:

  • Radially conventional light and stiff frame
  • Long-ride geometry ideal for going up and down big-mountain passes
  • Throwback round tubes give it a pleasing ride on rougher roads”

Cyclist

“MIN.D. California: A purist’s absolute dream bike, stiff, light with superb handling and classic, minimalist looks. But you’re gonna have to pay.”

Design & Innovation Award

“The MIN.D. is focussed on what's important: having fun riding! As a modern road bike all-rounder, the MIN.D isn't above hunting down KOMs or an outing on the next forest track. The agile and playful handling in combination with its sprinting abilities make it a fun machine on winding roads. The continuous seat tube, which removes the need for a traditional seatpost and clamp, has a lot of compliance, and together with the 700 x 32C wide Schwalbe Pro One tires and a moderately stretched riding position, contributes to a very balanced level of comfort.”

RoadBikeAction Editor’s Choice - Best Road Bike

“Besides spot-on handling, most impressive was how designer Gerard Vroomen was able to suffuse such modern-day performance and technology into a veritable less-is-more, package. Between the 25mm integrated seat tube, room for 32mm ties, small diameter tubes and subtle, multi-colored flare inside the forks and seatstays, the Open checked all the boxes.”

Cyclist Best of the Best - Endurance bikes

“Its combination of characteristics made the bike a delight to ride around the narrow, technical lanes I’m lucky to live amongst. The Min.D was light enough to make their 20% gradients manageable and stable enough to pilot down twisting, narrow descents with confidence. Plus the often broken road surface was no match for the bike’s big tyres. In short the Min.D has opened up new avenues and in so doing made riding a road bike a pleasure for me once again.”

Road.cc

“Brilliant frameset for fast climbing, and it's comfortable too. Overall, the Open MIN.D is absolutely fantastic. It balances stiffness with comfort that can really be felt on rough roads. The handling is razor sharp, making this a fun bike to ride both uphill and back down.”

Granfondo

“The OPEN MIN.D. is a harmonious road bike concept that sensibly combines classic and minimalist aesthetics with modern technology. The bike isn’t as revolutionary as the UP, but it strikes a perfect balanced between sportiness and comfort, whether on asphalt or the occasional gravel road short-cut. If you appreciate extravagant yet understated design, prefer agile handling and don’t want to commit yourself to a single type of terrain or distance, the frame set of the OPEN MIN.D. will make a good basis for your dream bike.”

For more reviews, check the list here.

COMFORT

Comfort is not about gimmicks, elastomers, electronic suspension or sub-atomic vibration damping graphene-infused nano-particles. It's about finding ways to ride further, for longer, while enjoying it.

A comfortable fit geometry comes first. Our aim is sportive (we still want to go fast) but with a realistic saddle-to-handlebar drop and reach.

Secondly, bad roads are one of the worst comfort killers, whether through cracks and potholes or simply through vibrations. Making your tires a tad larger is the most effective comfort boost while also improving rolling resistance and grip.

Finally, we create comfort through the frame shape and layup, in particular the seattube/seatmast and the seatstays.

CONTINUOUS SEATTUBE

The continuous seattube design is extremely small at 25mm diameter (30mm is normally the minimum if you want to fit in a 27.2mm seatpost). This change adds astonishing comfort to the frame. Removing the seatpost/seattube overlap at the toptube also means the seattube compliance continues uninterrupted.

Our own minimalist seattube top clamp is nearly invisible yet easily adjustable by 0-15mm and slip-proof. We even have our special MOCT saddle clamp (Measure Once Cut Twice) which is adjustable from 15-35mm. This also makes it much easier to resell your frame later on, although you probably never want to lose your MIN.D.

And don’t worry about traveling with the seatmast. We recommend the Scicon Aerocomfort 3.0 which let’s you travel without even removing the saddle (up to 80cm saddle height) or by removing the saddle+top clamp (up to 85cm saddle height). You don’t even have to remove the handlebars or twist them; all you do is remove the wheels and pack the bike. This bags fits tons of gear, rolls well and offers great protection.

SIMPLICITY

It may sound weird that we consider this one of the most important features of the MIN.D. But as Dieter Rams said: “As little design as possible” (we highly recommend the documentary and the book). This is a pure road bike, and nothing more. Simply because it doesn’t have to be anything else.

NEW ROAD HANDLING

We’ve done a lot of work on steering geometry in the past five years. Some of you in the Basel area may have seen us ride around on weird concoctions with adjustable headtube angles and chainstay lengths.

The MIN.D, takes everything we’ve learned from our road bike test mule and our gravel bike on/off-road geometry experiments, putting it back into a pure road bike geometry

R-TURN

The OPEN U-Turn was the first fork truly optimized for flatmount brakes by deleting the standard adaptor to switch between 140mm and 160mm disc rotors (you should always use 160mm rotors anyway for added safety & control at almost no extra weight). The adaptor is a feature without a benefit at the expense of weight, stiffness and complexity.

The R-Turn uses the same Smartmount direct-mount design with thru-bolts without adaptors, just like the rear brake. Together with new shaping and a new layup optimized for road, the R-Turn is the lightest disc brake road fork available.

Note: For SRAM or Shimano, remove the adaptor and use bolts recommended for a 30mm “rear chainstay thickness”. For Campagnolo, use a “140 mm REAR" disc caliper with bolts “for 30-34 mm rear mount”.

WIRE-STAYS

Vertically thin chainstays and seatstays provide compliance, while their lateral width and layup ensure rock-solid propulsion. Truly the best of both worlds.

MINIMALIST TOP CLAMP

OPEN-custom seattube top clamp with micro-wedge is barely visible, just the two countersunk set screws reveal the adjustment mechanism.

RITCHEY RAIL CLAMP

Clean, simple, hassle-free, that’s why the Ritchey system is so popular. The MIN.D. comes standard with the side plates for round 7mm and 7x9.6mm oval rails.

INTERNAL ROUTING

The MIN.D, internal routing is designed for electronic groupsets from SRAM, Shimano and Campagnolo. Shimano mechanical groups with cable stop on the front derailleur and all 1x groups.

THRUTHREAD DROPOUTS

Lock bolt secures the hanger in the frame using the same threads that secure the thru axle on the other side. Simpler, lighter & optimized for the stiffest thru-axle: Syntace X-12.

SMARTMOUNT

SMART-MOUNT 160

Flatmount brake calipers attach directly onto the fork & frame, positioned for 160mm discs. No front or rear adaptors/spacers required.

FRAME SPECIFICATIONS

MIN.D.MIN.D. California
Frameset Price (USD, excl. sales tax)
$3,900
$7,500
Stock colors
Midnight blue with 4-color fade, RTP (Ready-To-Paint for custom painting (inspiration gallery, see here). TOUCH-UP PAINT for stock colors can be found here.
RAW, custom (inspiration gallery, see here).
Frame-only size L, w/o metal parts, ±3%
870g (RTP, incl. full mast)
775g (RAW, incl. full mast)
Fork-only weight, ±3%
335g (uncut steerer)
Sizes
S/M/L/XL
RTP (Ready-to-paint)
A clearcoat is not needed for UV protection but recommended to protect against scratches and wear. Some customers leave the frame bare.
BB standard
BB386EVO pressfit 86.5x46mm BB shell
Recommended groupsets
  • Any Shimano, SRAM & Campagnolo 1x
  • Any SRAM AXS
  • For Shimano 2x mechanical, please contact us
  • For Shimano Di2, the minimum achievable saddle height (due to the Di2 battery fit inside the seatmast) is listed in the geometry table below
(please note the seatmast inside diameter reduces above the toptube, so you need enough seatmast length to fit the Di2 battery. Check in the frame before cutting the seatmast)
Front derailleur mount
Standard version with fixed, riveted FD mount and dedicated 1x version without FD mount
Rear thru-axle
142x12mm superlight Carbon-Ti X-12
Front thru-axle
100x12mm superlight Carbon-Ti X-12
Front disc rotor size
160mm only
Front brake caliper mount
Smartmount 160 system attaches flatmount caliper, without adaptor, for 160mm rotors
Front brake bolts SRAM
2x 37mm "REAR” brake bolts for 30mm “chainstay” (SRAM part# 00.5318.005.008)
Front brake bolts Shimano
2x 43.2mm “REAR” brake bolts for 30mm “chainstay” (Shimano part# Y8N208030)
Front brake set-up Campagnolo
“140mm” (rear) caliper + 160mm rotor, no adaptors, 2x 39mm "screws for 30-34 mm rear mount thickness” (Campagnolo part# AC18-DBSC39)
Rear disc rotor size
160mm only
Rear brake caliper mount
Smartmount 160 system attaches flatmount caliper, without adaptor, for 160mm rotors
Rear brake bolts SRAM
1x 27mm (SRAM part# 00.5318.005.004), 1x 32mm (SRAM part# 00.5318.005.006)
Rear brake bolts Shimano
1x 33.2mm (part# Y8N208010), 1x 38.2mm (part# Y8N208020)
Rear brake set-up Campagnolo
“140mm” (rear) caliper +160mm rotor, no adaptors, 1x 29mm “screw for 20-24 mm rear mount thickness” (part# AC18-DBSC29), 1x 34mm “screws for 25-29 mm rear mount thickness" (part# AC18-DBSC34)
MultiStop internal system
Di2, eTap, EPS, 1x mechanical (all groups)
Headset
Cane Creek Integrated IS42/28.6 | OPEN-custom Integrated IS47/38 (complete set part# CAA2011K. To purchase, go here.)
Seatpost
Integrated mast 25mm BB to saddle (to travel with the integrated mast, we recommend the Scicon Aerocomfort 3.0)
Seattube top clamp
OPEN-custom saddle top clamp with micro-wedge for 25mm seat mast with 15mm adjustment (MOCT top clamp with 15-35mm adjustment available separately)
Rail clamp
Ritchey rail clamp with side plates for round 7x7 and oval 7x9.6mm rails included
Travel Bag Recommendation
Scicon AeroComfort Road 3.0. Scicon has an easy WILL YOUR BIKE FIT tool. (use your current bike setup for dimensions A, B & D and use the wheelbase in our geometry chart below for dimension C).
Indoor trainer compatibility
Detailed information here
Installation information
Brake hose installation
Torque specs & BB installation
Seatmast installation video
Max. weight (total rider+luggage)
120kg / 264 lbs (EN/ISO/internal test standard)
Warranty
Detailed information here
Included with frameset: Headset, Seattube top clamp, Rail clamp, Thru-axles, 2 RD hangers, 2 MultiStops (Di2, eTap), cable exit stop, noise-reduction foam sleeves, bottle cage bolts, manual
Order Now

GEOMETRY

 SMLXL
rider height15’3"-5’7"5’6"-5’11"5’10"-6’3"6’2"-6’8"
BB-to-saddle rail max.2
700740780820
saddle height max.2
740780820860
Di2 saddle height5
690710735755
stack
535560585610
reach
361373385397
standover3743769792816
headtube
angle		71°72.5°72.5°72.5°
headtube
length		135158184210
fork
offset		50505050
seattube
length
(BB-to-top of TT)		467491514537
seattube
angle		72.5°72.5°72.5°72.5°
seattube
angle (norm.4)		74.0°73.5°73.5°73.5°
toptube
length		530550569589
toptube
length (norm.4)		515540559589
BB
drop		73717171
front
center		578584604623
rear
center		405405405405
wheelbase9719789981018
1Estimates; for accuracy use stack/reach of your current gravel/road bike or a fit session.
2Maximum when using 5mm spacer, giving 10mm safety margin on top (30mm margin with MOCT seattube top clamp). Assuming 40mm rail-to-saddle deck (40-45mm is standard for most saddles).
3Standover to the top of the toptube directly above the BB (varies with tire size).
4Normalized dimensions to compare to frames with standard (non-zero-offset) seattubes.
5The length of seatmast needed to install a Shimano Di2 Battery results in this minimum achievable saddle height (including safety margin).

BUILD SUGGESTIONS

Our Bike Of The Month builds below (including specs) show the kind of builds we like for the MIN.D. and will hopefully inspire you for your own build.

For even more ideas, check out the Customer Bike Showcase below with more specs & photos.

To be the first to see each new Bike Of The Month, be sure to get our updates:

Gerard's own "Keep an OPEN MIN.D."

MIN.D. California prototype

MIN.D.LESS

The Simple MIND

MIN.D. HERE AND NOW

CUSTOMER BIKE SHOWCASE

One of our favorite aspects of OPEN is how many customers we are in regular contact with. Often the discussion will involve bike spec, leading to many very interesting builds. Below you can find them, and if you haven’t uploaded your build already, we’d love to see it.

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