OPEN × Rene Herse U.P.P.E.R. Frameset, Limited Edition

It’s no secret that we love great carbon bikes. And there’s arguably no better carbon bike than the OPEN U.P.P.E.R. It’s light. It has just the right amount of flex to climb like a mountain goat. It feels stiff (in a good way) when you’re pushing the pedals on the flats. Its acceleration can only be described as ferocious. The geometry has been widely copied by almost every other gravel bike. It’s equally at home on gravel and on pavement. It’s what we had in mind when we proposed the ‘all-road bike’ as a new type of bike, way back in 2006.

This is the bike that pioneered the dropped chainstay to increases tire clearance—a feature that has been copied by the entire industry. OPEN still does it better than most, and the U.P.P.E.R. has room for 650B x 52 mm or 700C x 40 mm tires, yet it’s shorter, lighter and more agile than gravel bikes designed for huge 700C tires.

The U.P.P.E.R. is the ultralight version of OPEN’s classic U.P. all-road bike. Weights of 880 g for the frame (size M) and 370 g for the fork are pushing the boundaries of what is possible, yet there’s no compromise in ride quality or performance. OPEN’s U-Turn fork is one of the most compliant carbon forks we’ve tested—something we appreciate not just on gravel, but also on the paved backroads where riding is the most fun.

To create a modern interpretation of Rene Herse’s aesthetic, we’ve worked with award-winning Tokyo design studio There There, who also designed our book The All-Road Bike Revolution and our water bottles. The color is inspired by the classic ‘Bleu Herse,’ now in a matte finish to reflect the different properties of carbon as frame material, rather than steel. The insides of rear triangle and fork blades are painted midnight blue, making the bike look slim and fast. OPEN’s signature multi-colored rings on the head tube and fork blade, plus the OPEN logo on the seat tube, complement the classic Rene Herse logo on the down tube.

The prototype OPEN × Rene Herse U.P.P.E.R. you see in the photos is Jan’s personal bike. Fresh from the photoshoot, he’s already enjoyed it on some big rides, and he can’t wait to take it on epic adventures in the Cascade Mountains.

World-wide shipping is $ 80. North American orders will be shipped from the USA. European orders will be shipped from the EU. Customers outside the USA or Europe may incur customs duties and taxes.

Since this is a custom-made product, all sales are final. Please make sure the frame dimensions are what you need before you order. Frames carry a full warranty from OPEN Cycles.

Pro Tip: The mid-trail geometry of the U.P.P.E.R. works best with slightly wider handlebars. When using bars with a flare that are measured at the bottom (like Rene Herse handlebars), we recommend 44 or 46 cm bars.