Open has always done things a little differently, and their latest bike takes that to a new level in the weirdest and most wonderful ways.
It’s aero, but designed for loaded bikepacking. And it’s light, even though you’re strapping a lot of stuff to it. And it’s how it achieves those competing interests that makes it so intriguing.
Building on the foundation of the U.P.|U.P.PER. 2.0 frame, this new model integrates bikepacking features while maintaining the platform’s focus on speed across varied terrain.
The frame keeps its top tube bag mounts, adds three mounting eyelets under the toptube for strapless frame bag attachment, plus lots of bottle cage mounts on and under the downtube.
Later this year, they’ll also release a dedicated aero frame bag developed with Apidura.
U-Turn Adventure Fork
Complete bikes and framesets come with the all-new OPEN U-Turn Adventure fork. Compared to the U-Turn Aero fork, the Adventure model is redesigned with a shallower leg profile to improve comfort…
…but it’s the integrated cargo slots that make it completely unique.
These slots let you strap soft bags or items with Voile straps directly to the fork legs without requiring additional cages, using the fork structure itself as support. For those preferring traditional setups, the included cargo barrels accommodate standard cage mounting, too.
They stick with their bolt-through brake mount, too, which means no in-molded rivnuts that (however unlikely) could work loose and become a failure point.
Geometry & Cockpit
Each frame size has individualized geometry and tube shapes, built around OPEN’s A.I.R. geometry (Agile | Integrated | Refined) for “road bike-like agility” with larger gravel tires.
Side note: If you’ve ever dramatically changed the size of your tire and all of a sudden your bike handles weird, that’s because gravel bikes in particular have a huge range of tire size options, and they’re often optimized around a specific and narrow range. So, when a brand says it’s optimized for “X”, it’s probably more than just marketing speak. Here, you’d want to run 45mm tires to take full advantage of OPEN’s design.
The OPEN B.A.R. cockpit system is an integrated handlebar available in 10 sizes with adjustable length (introduced here) that addresses the common fit limitations of one-piece bars.
Each bar allows 15mm of stem length adjustment in 5mm increments, enabling more precise positioning than traditional stems that typically jump in 10mm increments. Adjustments require only loosening clamps, repositioning components, and retightening.
Oh, and 50mm Gravel Tires are “the worst”
For tire selection, OPEN maintains that 50mm tires represent a performance compromise, which is putting it nicely. Actually, they say they’re the “valley of death”, offering the worst aerodynamics and the worst performance. They claim that 45mm tires on the ultra-wide modern rims offer the best aerodynamics and decent rolling.
Thus, the new OPEN U.P. 2.0 Adventure is designed around 45mm (and smaller) tires for aerodynamic benefits, with a maximum 46mm tire clearance.
Want to go bigger? Wait for the upcoming WI.DE 2.0, which is designed for 55mm and larger tires, which they say offer the least rolling resistance for the smoothest, fastest ride.
OPENcycle.com
