Open Cycle U.P. Gravel Flat Mount Complete Bike - EKAR Build, Blue

The original performance gravel bike, combining a performance-oriented road geometry & parts with clearance for mountain bike tires up to 2.1". Start on asphalt, hit the gravel, switch to single track. Its geometry makes you fast; its tires unstoppable.

In the box: Frame, U-Turn fork, headset, seattube collar, front & rear Carbon-Ti thru-axle, 2 derailleur hangers, 1 front derailleur mount, 3 MultiStops (2x, 1x, Di2), chainstay cable exit, BB guide, cable liners, noise-reduction foam sleeves, manual.

The first U.P. combined road bike speed plus go-anywhere capabilities to start a whole new category. Now original U.P. features such as dual wheel size compatibility and a dropped chainstay are the standard for performance gravel bikes.

The third generation U.P. & U.P.P.E.R. frames are lighter, nimbler and more fun than ever. They also still pass our ultimate test: We only offer frames we want to ride ourselves.

• With road tires, it is a very fast road bike

• With big road/cross/gravel tires (32-40mm), it’s a go-anywhere bike perfect for mixed surface rides and most gravel routes

• With 650b mountain bike tires, it's unstoppable on very tough terrain yet much faster on pavement than you'd expect thanks to the road position

So the position lets you get out of town and reach the gravel/dirt/trails quickly (unlike a mountain bike). Space for big tires lets you tackle any route (unlike a road bike). And you can do that with one type of tire for everything or finetune your ride with multiple wheelsets or tires.

The differences between the U.P. and U.P.P.E.R. are weight and color:

• U.P.P.E.R. frameset saves approx. 180g over the U.P.

• U.P.P.E.R. is available in matte black, the U.P. in green and blue. Both are available in RTP (Ready-To-Paint) so you can have it custom-painted.

There is no difference between the U.P. and U.P.P.E.R. in geometry, durability, stiffness, tire clearance or capability.

TIRE CLEARANCE

The U.P. fits mountain bike and gravel tires up to 2.1” (54mm) in 650b. It also fits 700c gravel, cross and road tires from 28-40mm wide (exact tire sizes depend on manufacturing tolerances and rim width, so always check and make sure you have 6mm clearance between tire and frame).

More importantly, and more difficult to achieve, the U.P. handles well in all these configurations, as customers, media and award judges confirm time and again. So whether you ride it with road or mountainbike tires, on pavement or off-road, you always have nimble, responsive and confidence-inspiring handling.

DROPPED CHAINSTAY

Probably the most copied feature of the original U.P., but still few fully understand why and how to optimize this.

Chainring(s), frame and tire all fight for space just behind the bottom bracket. Mountain (and some gravel) bikes solve this with a wider crank, but that hurts your pedal stance (Q-factor) and thus your pedaling efficiency.

Instead we drop the right chainstay to move it out of this crowded area, allowing it to be wider and therefore stiffer (twice the width will give you eight times the stiffness!)

TRCINTRS™ TECHNOLOGY

Forget “100% hi-modulus aero-space carbon”. It’s not about high- or low-modulus, it’s about the right carbon in the right spot (or TRCinTRS™ as we mockingly call it).

Fact: stiffer carbon is more brittle. So it's great for stiffness (on the sides of the downtube) but bad for impact loads (for example around the headtube).

Hence the best lay-up is a blend. We strategically place the ultra-high modulus (very stiff) carbon where we can, and tougher grades of carbon where we must. That’s how our frames are both light and durable.

U-TURN

The U-Turn is the first fork truly optimized for flatmount brakes. Standard flatmount front brakes include an adaptor to switch between 140mm and 160mm disc rotors. But nobody should ride 140mm rotors in the front, so it’s a feature without a benefit at the cost of weight, stiffness and complexity.

The U-Turn’s Smartmount is a direct-mount with thru-bolts without adaptors, just like the rear brake. The position of the mount is adjusted to perfectly match 160mm rotors. Lighter, cleaner and safer.

Note: For SRAM or Shimano, remove the adaptor and use bolts recommended for a 30mm “rear chainstay thickness”. For Campagnolo, use a “140mm REAR disc caliper” with bolts for a 30mm “rear chainstay thickness”.

Specifications: