Monday, May 23, 2016

The Opencycle Up

   Since I started working on this post, I have been seeing ads for this bike popping up around, which is encouraging! Or creepy if you don't know how targeted advertising works. Capitalizing on the hot new gravel bike trend, the Opencycle Up super flexible road frame to fit all your adventure bike crazy needs.
   The first time I saw something like this was on r/bicycles. This is a 27.5" mountain bike set up with drop bars. When you stick on 2" tires, you have an outer diameter of about 700c.

Motobecane 

   The issue with the above bike is that the geometry is mountain geometry with road parts, resulting in less than ideal handling. Opencycle built a bike with proper road geometry. The frame clearance allows you to run a 27.5" wheel with up to a 2.1" tire, or a 700c wheel with up to a 40c tire. 
   The Up, for Unbeaten Path, is an adventure bike, built as a quiver killer that can handle road, gravel and single track. The perfect bike for a Grinduro? You bet. 

The Opencycle Up

   What is the advantage of this? Versatility! The rims and frame allow for almost any tire selection. Thinner slicks for road riding all the way to 2" knobbies for an adventure, you're covered. They also allowed for more crank clearance by dropping the driveside chainstay:

Look at all that clearance. 


   The idea is not entirely unique - Cannondale sells the Slate, another adventure bike built around 27.5" wheels and with a locking short travel Lefty.

Competition?

   The Opencycle Up. Not to be confused with up.opencycle, a windows server service. 

2 comments:

Bill said...

That chainstay bend is dramatic

Bill said...

That chainstay bend is dramatic