OPEN Cycle MIN.D. frameset

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.


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.