Open Gravel Bikes
Open gravel bikes occupy a category that, frankly, Open Cycle helped create. When Gerard Vroomen and Andy Kessler launched the brand, they weren't following a trend - they were setting one. The Open UP demonstrated that a bike could carry road-bike geometry and Q-factors while swallowing tyres that most gravel riders only dreamed of running. That idea has since spawned an entire fast-gravel market, but few brands have matched what Open still does best: engineering without compromise.
The lineup breaks into three distinct platforms. The UP (Unbeaten Path) is the benchmark all-road frameset - aggressive, fast, and capable of running 700x45c. The UPPER shares identical geometry but sheds around 180 grams through a more complex carbon layup. The WI.DE (Winding Detours) goes further still, clearing 650b x 2.4-inch tyres for the kind of riding that borders on trail MTB. All three are sold primarily as framesets, meaning your build spec is your own business.
For UK riders juggling South Downs flint, Peak District rocks, and the odd muddy Welsh bridleway, that flexibility matters enormously. Compare the best UK prices on Open framesets and custom builds below.
Prices and availability can change quickly. Delivery charges are not always included in listed prices.
Final price, stock status and delivery terms are set by retailer. We may receive a commission on purchases made.
Decoding the Open Gravel Lineup
Start with the Open UP. It's the frame that put the brand on the map - a carbon frameset with dropped chainstays, aggressive gravel geometry, and clearance for tyres up to 700x45c. It rides with the directness of a road bike but doesn't flinch when the tarmac ends. Think of it as your one-frame answer to a mixed-surface season: fast enough for a sportive, capable enough for a multi-day bridleway trip. It suits riders who want speed as the default and off-road performance as a strong secondary.
The UPPER is, in plain terms, the UP with better carbon. Same geometry, same clearance, same riding character - but roughly 180 grams lighter thanks to a more intricate layup process and a lighter U-Turn fork. That might sound marginal, but on a frameset you're speccing from scratch, starting lighter gives your component choices more room to breathe. Riders chasing a sub-7kg build or simply wanting the best Open has to offer will gravitate here. It costs more, and it's worth understanding exactly why before you commit - the weight saving is real, not marketing.
Then there's the WI.DE. This is Open's most capable platform, designed around a 650b wheel with clearance for 2.4-inch tyres. South Downs flint, Peak District rocks, Welsh winter mud - the WI.DE handles conditions where a standard gravel bike would have you walking. Critically, it still uses a standard road crankset thanks to Open's dropped chainstay design, so you're not sacrificing pedalling efficiency for the extra rubber. If your rides regularly blur into MTB territory, or you're planning Scottish bikepacking on rough tracks, this is the platform to look at. Canyon gravel bikes offer wide-tyre options at more accessible price points, but they don't match the WI.DE's combination of tyre volume and road-like pedalling stance.
Open is a frameset-first brand. That's not a limitation - it's the point. Custom Open gravel builds let you match groupset, wheels, and contact points to how you actually ride, rather than accepting a compromise build chosen to hit a retail price.
The Engineering Behind the Frames
The dropped drive-side chainstay is the detail that makes everything else possible. Open pioneered this design to solve a genuine engineering problem: how do you run a short chainstay, a wide tyre, and a standard road crankset simultaneously? The answer was to offset the drive-side chainstay downward, creating clearance for the tyre without widening the Q-factor or lengthening the rear end. It's a genuinely clever fix, and it's why Open frames feel like road bikes to pedal even when you're running chunky rubber.
The TRCinTRS carbon layup is worth understanding if you're comparing the UP to the UPPER. TRCinTRS stands for 100% aerospace-grade carbon with zero cosmetic layers - no paint, no filler, no weight spent on appearance. The bare carbon finish isn't just a style choice; it's what's left when you remove everything that doesn't add structural value. It's also why Open frames look the way they do: functional, slightly raw, and immediately recognisable. Factor gravel bikes take a similarly engineering-led approach to carbon, though their aesthetic sits closer to conventional finishes.
The U-Turn fork mounts flat-mount brake calipers directly into the carbon without adaptors. Fewer parts, less weight, cleaner load paths. It's the kind of detail that gets overlooked on a spec sheet but that engineers notice immediately. Combined with the wire-stay rear triangle - a design that uses slender seatstays tuned for vertical compliance - the frame absorbs road buzz and trail chatter without needing a dropper post or suspension. Long days on UK gravel feel noticeably less punishing as a result. Cervélo gravel bikes pursue a similar ride-quality philosophy through their own layup engineering, and they're worth comparing if Open's frameset-only approach doesn't suit your buying preference.
Running an Open in UK Conditions
The BB386EVO bottom bracket standard is one practical consideration worth flagging early. It's not unusual, but it does mean using a press-fit shell - and UK winters are hard on press-fit bearings. Fitting angular contact bearings from the likes of C-Bear or Chris King is a straightforward upgrade that pays back quickly when you're riding through Peak District grit or post-rain Welsh bridleways. Don't skip this step if the bike is going to work year-round.
The bare carbon or 'Ready to Paint' finishes look exceptional, but they're not self-healing. A set of Invisiframe or RideWrap protection film goes on easily and deals with the kind of abrasive flint mud that eats through clear coat on conventional frames. It's a small cost relative to what you've spent on the frameset, and it keeps the finish looking honest rather than battle-scarred after a single South Downs winter.
The real versatility of an Open frame in the UK comes from the tyre options. Run 700x40c fast-rolling gravel tyres through summer and the bike is quick enough to keep pace on road sections between bridleways. Swap to 650b x 2.1-inch knobbly rubber in November and the same frame becomes a credible winter bike without the weight and faff of a separate mud bike. That wheel-size flexibility - particularly relevant on the UP and UPPER - is one of the genuinely practical reasons riders choose Open over more conventionally specced alternatives. For riders who want a more off-the-shelf complete build rather than a custom project, 3T gravel bikes offer a comparable wide-tyre philosophy with complete build options. And if budget is a real constraint, Canyon's gravel range provides direct-to-consumer value that's hard to ignore, even if the engineering pedigree sits in different territory.
Open Cycle gravel bikes for sale on Bikesy are listed as framesets and, where available, complete builds through authorised UK retailers. Use the price comparison below to find the current best price on the platform and size you're after.
Open Gravel Bikes FAQs
What is the difference between the Open UP and UPPER?
The UPPER uses a more advanced carbon layup and a lighter U-Turn fork, cutting around 180 grams compared to the standard UP. Geometry, tyre clearance, and ride character are identical across both frames - you're paying for weight reduction, not a different bike.
What is the maximum tyre clearance on the Open WI.DE?
The WI.DE clears up to 700x46c on standard wheels or 650b x 2.4-inch MTB-width tyres on smaller wheels. Despite that volume, it runs a standard road crankset thanks to Open's dropped chainstay design, so pedalling efficiency doesn't take a hit.
Do Open gravel bikes come as full builds or just framesets?
Open sells primarily as framesets, which suits riders who want to spec their own groupset and wheels. That said, select UK premium retailers do offer complete factory builds or custom builds on Ready-to-Paint frames - worth checking with authorised stockists directly.