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

FAST, FUN, FREEDOM

The first U.P. combined road bike speed plus go-anywhere capabilities to start a whole new category. Now original U.P. features such as dual wheel size compatibility and a dropped chainstay are the standard for performance gravel bikes.

The third generation U.P. & U.P.P.E.R. frames are lighter, nimbler and more fun than ever. They also still pass our ultimate test: We only offer frames we want to ride ourselves.

And because we’re “working hard to stay small”, you always speak directly with the people who developed the bikes.

WHAT IS THE
U.P.(P.E.R.)?

  • With road tires, it is a very fast road bike
  • With big road/cross/gravel tires (32-40mm), it’s a go-anywhere bike perfect for mixed surface rides and most gravel routes
  • With 650b mountain bike tires, it's unstoppable on very tough terrain yet much faster on pavement than you'd expect thanks to the road position

So the position lets you get out of town and reach the gravel/dirt/trails quickly (unlike a mountain bike). Space for big tires lets you tackle any route (unlike a road bike). And you can do that with one type of tire for everything or finetune your ride with multiple wheelsets or tires.

TWO VERSIONS

The differences between the U.P. and U.P.P.E.R. are weight and color:

  • U.P.P.E.R. frameset saves approx. 180g over the U.P.
  • U.P.P.E.R. is available in matte black, the U.P. in green and blue. Both are available in RTP (Ready-To-Paint) so you can have it custom-painted.

There is no difference between the U.P. and U.P.P.E.R. in geometry, durability, stiffness, tire clearance or capability.

REVIEWS & AWARDS

We’re honored that so many people believe in the direction the U.P. is taking. Most importantly of course our customers, but also all the professional magazine reviewers who love the bike and what you can do with it (for a longer list of reviews, check here). Sometimes people worry that magazine reviews are not independent because they rely on advertising, but we have never and will never advertise, so these magazines have "nothing to gain” by liking our bikes.

Velonews

“Ultimately, Open has created what the gravel category should aspire to: exceptional comfort and unparalleled versatility.”

Tour magazin

“An incredible bike. Despite the mountain bike tires, you feel like you’re riding a road bike.

Innovative frame concept, smart details, light. With this versatility, the U.P. will likely offer an important push to the development of all gravel bikes.”

Peloton Magazine

“What is truly amazing is the attention Open paid to making it work exceptionally well in every configuration. The U.P. doesn’t just accept different [wheel/tire] standards - each feels native.

Their stated motto is ‘Working hard to stay small’. The quality and versatility of the Open U.P. might make that very difficult.”

Cyclist Magazine UK

“I’ve ridden other gravel bikes before and have often felt they compromise too much in the search for versatility – being sometimes sluggish on tarmac yet not quite capable of handling more technical trails. The UP is very different.

Open has seemingly sprung light years ahead, fully realising the potential of modern tyre, wheel and frame technology. This is truly a rare and exceptional bike, and one that has literally broken new ground.”

Road Bike Action Magazine

“With a frame design unlike any other that maximizes its versatility for both on- and off-road use, Gerard Vroomen engineered the best gravel bike to date.”

Bicycling Magazine

“The Open U.P. will change where you ride. A long-term review of this gravel/’cross/road bike proves that it really is as versatile as it promises. It feels natural on pavement and somehow still takes to the dirt like it was designed for it—a blend I’ve yet to experience with other bikes.”

FeedTheHabit

“I really shouldn’t start my review with this, but I’m going to. The Open UPPER has become my all-time favorite bike. Period. End of story. If you buy one, you’ll love it.”

GearJunkie

“The bike rocketed around town and to the trailhead much more aggressively than a mountain bike. Once on the gravel, the bike flowed into its comfort zone. With less aggressive geometry than a true cyclocross bike, it churned through the miles in comfort and inspired 'one more detour before we go home' type riding.”

Gran Fondo Cycling Magazine

The New U.P. stays ahead of the competition: “There are no question marks about this bike’s ability to have fun - that’s a guarantee whether you’re entry-level or elite. Its handling, weight and design are phenomenal, lending this bike the skills to roam on tarmac, gravel or singletrack with aplomb.”

For more reviews, check the list here.

TIRE CLEARANCE

The U.P. fits mountain bike and gravel tires up to 2.1” (54mm) in 650b. It also fits 700c gravel, cross and road tires from 28-40mm wide (exact tire sizes depend on manufacturing tolerances and rim width, so always check and make sure you have 6mm clearance between tire and frame).

More importantly, and more difficult to achieve, the U.P. handles well in all these configurations, as customers, media and award judges confirm time and again. So whether you ride it with road or mountainbike tires, on pavement or off-road, you always have nimble, responsive and confidence-inspiring handling.

DROPPED CHAINSTAY

Probably the most copied feature of the original U.P., but still few fully understand why and how to optimize this.

Chainring(s), frame and tire all fight for space just behind the bottom bracket. Mountain (and some gravel) bikes solve this with a wider crank, but that hurts your pedal stance (Q-factor) and thus your pedaling efficiency.

Instead we drop the right chainstay to move it out of this crowded area, allowing it to be wider and therefore stiffer (twice the width will give you eight times the stiffness!)

TRCinTRS™ TECHNOLOGY

Forget “100% hi-modulus aero-space carbon”. It’s not about high- or low-modulus, it’s about the right carbon in the right spot (or TRCinTRS™ as we mockingly call it).

Fact: stiffer carbon is more brittle. So it's great for stiffness (on the sides of the downtube) but bad for impact loads (for example around the headtube).

Hence the best lay-up is a blend. We strategically place the ultra-high modulus (very stiff) carbon where we can, and tougher grades of carbon where we must. That’s how our frames are both light and durable.

U-TURN

The U-Turn is the first fork truly optimized for flatmount brakes. Standard flatmount front brakes include an adaptor to switch between 140mm and 160mm disc rotors. But nobody should ride 140mm rotors in the front, so it’s a feature without a benefit at the cost of weight, stiffness and complexity.

The U-Turn’s Smartmount is a direct-mount with thru-bolts without adaptors, just like the rear brake. The position of the mount is adjusted to perfectly match 160mm rotors. Lighter, cleaner and safer.

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

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.

FLAT-OUT DOWNTUBE

The downtube drives stiffness, connecting your steering center to your drivetrain. The flat sides places strips of ultra-high modulus carbon where it matters most.

ZERO-SETBACK SEATTUBE

A zero-offset seatpost is lighter & more efficient, so we have designed our seattube angle such that most riders can use a zero-offset rather than an off-set seatpost.

INTERNAL ROUTING

Internal cables & hoses stay clean & protected and frankly, they look better. Our MultiStop design accepts 1x, 2x, mechanical, Di2 and eTap.

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.

STRAPLESS BAG MOUNT

Attach your tool/​spare/​camera/​phone/​food bag more securely without velcro straps. Bags offered by for example Revelate Designs, Apidura, Dark Speed Works and XLab.

SPECIFICATIONS

U.P.U.P.P.E.R.
Frameset Price (USD, excl. sales tax)$3,200$4,500
Frame-only weight size M, ±3%1,040g880g
Fork-only weight, ±3%390g370g
SizesS/M/L/XLS/M/L/XL
Stock colorsVarious (see store), RTP (Ready-To-Paint for custom painting (inspiration gallery, see here)Matte black, RTP (Ready-To-Paint for custom painting (inspiration gallery, see here). TOUCH-UP PAINT for stock colors can be found here.
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
For serious gravel and off-road (on any brand of bike), we recommend a rear derailleur with a clutch or cage damper (Shimano GRX (1x & 2x), SRAM Force eTap AXS & Red AXS (1x & 2x), SRAM Apex1, Rival1, Force1, Campagnolo Ekar)
Shimano crank fit
All road cranks
SRAM crank fit
All DUB road, Force 1 BB30
Powercrank fit
Detailed information here
Front derailleur mount
Bolt-on, removable
Recommended ring shape
Flat (for example Wolftooth)
Maximum 1x ring size
General guidance: 50t (flat ring, not available in all sizes with all BCDs so check with your crank supplier), 46t (SRAM offset ring). Note: clearance depends on chainline & chainring. 2mm space is required so please verify.
Maximum 2x ring size
Clearance depends on crank & chainring model. 2mm space is required. For most current generation cranks, the following applies:50t (outer ring), 36t (inner ring)
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
37mm “REAR” brake bolts for 30mm “chainstay” (SRAM part# 00.5318.005.008)
Front brake bolts Shimano
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
140mm or 160mm
Rear brake 140mm mount
Direct mount
Rear brake 160mm mount
Use adaptor for SRAM (00.5318.018.001) or Shimano (ISMMAR160DDA)
Rear brake bolts SRAM (140mm & 160mm disc)
2x 27mm (SRAM part# 00.5318.005.004)
Rear brake bolts Shimano (140mm & 160mm disc)
2x 33.2mm (Shimano part# Y8N208010)
Rear brake set-up Campagnolo
“140mm” (rear) caliper + 140mm rotor (no adaptor) OR 160mm rotor + rear adaptor, 2x 29mm “screw for 20-24 mm rear mount thickness” (part# AC18-DBSC29)
MultiStop internal system
1x & 2x mechanical, Di2, eTap (eTap only included in U.P.P.E.R. frameset)
Headset
Integrated IS42/28.6 | IS52/40 with 45x45 degree lower bearing). For example Cane Creek BAA1161 + BAA1131, Chris King DropSet 2 or Token Omega A83
Seatpost
27.2mm diameter, standard set-up zero-offset
Fenders
Compatible with clip-on style fenders (we prefer the SKS Speedrocker)
Cage mounts
Seattube, downtube, under downtube
TT bag mount system
100mm front-post-to-headset-edge
Indoor trainer compatibility
Detailed information here
Installation information
Shift cable installation
Brake hose installation
Seattube collar installation
Torque specs & BB installation
Max. weight (total rider+luggage)
120kg / 264 lbs (EN/ISO/internal test standard)
Warranty
Detailed information here
Included with frameset: Headset, seattube collar, thru-axles, 2 RD hangers, 1 FD mount, cover bolts for FD mount posts, 4 MultiStops (2x, 1x, Di2, eTap - eTap only included in U.P.P.E.R. frameset), cable exit stop, BB guide, cable liners, noise-reduction foam sleeves, bottle cage bolts, manual
Buy now

GEOMETRY

 SMLXL
rider height¹5’2"-5’8"5’7"-5’11"5’10"-6’3"6’2"-6’7"
stack
522551580604
reach
365376387401
standover²743767791815
headtube
angle		69.5°71.0°72.5°72.5°
headtube
length		105130155180
fork
offset		50505050
seattube
length		500540560580
seattube
angle		72.5°72.5°72.5°72.5°
seattube
angle (norm.³)		74°73.5°73.5°73.5°
toptube
length		528549570591
toptube
length (norm.³)		514540560581
BB
drop		70707070
front
center		592598604622
rear
center		420420420420
wheelbase1002100810141032
¹Rider heights are suggestions; for more accuracy use the stack/reach of your current gravel/cross/road bike or a full fitting session.
²Standover varies with tire size and is measured to the top of the toptube directly above the BB.
³Normalized dimensions to compare to frames with standard seattube instead of our zero-setback seattube design.

BUILD SUGGESTIONS

The U.P. and U.P.P.E.R. are such versatile frames; there are many ways to spec your dream bike. Wheel size, tire size, mechanical or electronic drivetrain, 1x or 2x, the list is endless. Our Bike Of The Month builds shown below (including specs) are meant to inspire you for your own build.

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

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

OPEN X WBR

OPEN X WBR

U.P. Continental 150th Anniversary

U.P.s WE DID IT AGAIN

MY OFFROAD ROAD BIKE

JOBRAD U.P.

U.P. ELECTRIFIED with new SRAM AXS

ICE U.P. ON A STICK

OMATA-U.P.

OPENxENVE-U.P.

CENTO U.P.P.E.R.

ROADIE U.P.P.E.R.

DT SWISS INSPIRED U.P.

Green Machine

The New U.P. - Feeling blue?

ASSOS-U.P.P.E.R. Limited Edition

U.P.P.E.R. C.L.A.S.S.

Zio's U.P.

My U.P.-GRADE

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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