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Return to ShopSuperlight version of the U.P. Combines performance-oriented road geometry & parts with clearance for mountain bike tires up to 2.1″. Part of Bicycling Magazine’s “Ten Greatest Bikes Ever” for its ability to be not just good but great on-road and off-road.
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.
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.
The differences between the U.P. and U.P.P.E.R. are weight and color:
There is no difference between the U.P. and U.P.P.E.R. in geometry, durability, stiffness, tire clearance or capability.
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.
“Ultimately, Open has created what the gravel category should aspire to: exceptional comfort and unparalleled versatility.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
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.”
The U.P. fits mountain bike tires up to 2.1” wide. But you can also fit a 47mm RoadPlus tire, 40mm gravel tire, a 32mm cross tire or a 28mm road tire, or anything in-between (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, 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.
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!)
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.
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”.
Vertically thin chainstays and seatstays provide compliance, while their lateral width and layup ensure rock-solid propulsion. Truly the best of both worlds.
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.
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 cables & hoses stay clean & protected and frankly, they look better. Our MultiStop design accepts 1x, 2x, mechanical, Di2 and eTap.
This design uses the same threads to hold the thru-axle and lock the derailleur hanger into the frame. Simpler, lighter, optimized for the stiffest thru-axle: Syntace X-12.
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.
U.P. | U.P.P.E.R. | |
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Frame-only weight size M, ±3% | 1,040g | 880g |
Fork-only weight,, ±3% | 390g | 370g |
Sizes | S/M/L/XL | S/M/L/XL |
Color | Green, Blue, RTP | Matte Black, RTP |
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.
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BB standard |
BB386EVO pressfit 86.5x46mm BB shell
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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 AXS & Red AXS (1x & 2x), SRAM Apex1, Rival1, Force1)
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Shimano crank fit |
All road cranks
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SRAM crank fit |
All GXP road, all DUB road, Force 1 BB30
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Powercrank fit |
Detailed information here
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Front derailleur mount |
Bolt-on, removable
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Recommended ring shape |
Flat (for example Wolftooth)
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Maximum 1x ring size |
Clearance depends on crank & chainring model. 2mm space is required. For most current generation cranks, the following applies: 50t (flat ring), 46t (SRAM offset ring)
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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)
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Rear thru-axle |
142x12mm superlight Carbon-Ti X-12
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Front thru-axle |
100x12mm superlight Carbon-Ti X-12
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Front disc rotor size |
160mm only
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Front brake caliper mount |
Smartmount 160 system attaches flatmount caliper, without adaptor, for 160mm rotors
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Front brake bolts SRAM |
37mm “REAR” brake bolts for 30mm “chainstay” (SRAM part# 00.5318.005.008)
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Front brake bolts Shimano |
43.2mm “REAR” brake bolts for 30mm “chainstay” (Shimano part# Y8N208030)
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Rear disc rotor size |
140mm or 160mm
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Rear brake 140mm mount |
Direct mount
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Rear brake 160mm mount |
Use adaptor for SRAM (00.5318.018.001) or Shimano (ISMMAR160DDA)
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Rear brake bolts SRAM (140mm & 160mm disc) |
2x 27mm (SRAM part# 00.5318.005.004) |
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Rear brake bolts Shimano (140mm & 160mm disc) |
2x 33.2mm (Shimano part# Y8N208010)
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MultiStop internal system |
1x & 2x mechanical, Di2, eTap (eTap only included in U.P.P.E.R. frameset)
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Headset |
Integrated IS42/28.6 | IS52/40
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Seatpost |
27.2mm diameter, standard set-up zero-offset
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Cage mounts |
Seattube, downtube, under downtube
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TT bag mount system |
100mm front-post-to-headset-edge
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Indoor trainer compatibility |
Detailed information here
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Installation information |
Shift cable installation
Brake hose installation
Seattube collar installation
Crank compatibility
Torque specs
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Warranty |
Detailed information here
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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
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¹ | Rider heights are suggestions; for more accuracy use the stack/reach of your current gravel/cross/road bike or a full fitting session. |
² | Standover varies with tire size and is measured to the top of the toptube directly above the BB. |
³ | Normalized dimensions to compare to frames with standard seattube instead of our zero-setback seattube design. |
S | M | L | XL | |
rider height¹ (cm) | 157-170 | 168-180 | 178-191 | 188-201 |
stack | 522 | 551 | 580 | 604 |
reach | 365 | 376 | 387 | 401 |
standover² | 743 | 767 | 791 | 815 |
headtube angle | 69.5° | 71.0° | 72.5° | 72.5° |
headtube length | 105 | 130 | 155 | 180 |
fork offset | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
seattube length | 520 | 540 | 560 | 580 |
seattube angle | 72.5° | 72.5° | 72.5° | 72.5° |
seattube angle (norm.³) | 74° | 73.5° | 73.5° | 73.5° |
toptube length | 528 | 549 | 570 | 591 |
toptube length (norm.³) | 514 | 540 | 560 | 581 |
BB drop | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 |
front center | 592 | 598 | 604 | 622 |
rear center | 420 | 420 | 420 | 420 |
wheelbase | 1002 | 1008 | 1014 | 1032 |
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.
SIZE | S, M, L, XL |
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GROUPESET | Shimano GRX RX810 1×11 42, Force 1 mechanical 1X drivetrain with hydraulic brakes, SRAM FORCE AXS DISC, Shimano GRX Di2 RX815 1×11 40 |
WHEELS | Black Inc Thirty, ENVE G27 650B, FULCRUM RAPID RED 5 DB 650B |
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