OPEN Cycle Gravel Bikes in West LA
One Bike Where You Used to Need Two
OPEN is a Swiss company run by two people who already changed what a road bike looks like once. They sell framesets, which means somebody has to build the bike. That part happens here in West LA, minutes from Santa Monica, on one bench at Bike Improve.
OPEN Sells You a Frame, Not a Bike
Gerard Vroomen co-founded Cervélo. Andy Kessler ran BMC. In 2012 they started OPEN with no pro team, no marketing department, and a deliberately tiny headcount, on the theory that a frame should be judged on the frame.
- The U.P. helped invent modern gravel: launched in 2015 with a dropped driveside chainstay, which let a road length rear end clear a mountain bike tire. Almost every gravel bike now copies that idea.
- Two wheel sizes, one frame: run 700c for road and fast dirt, or 650b with big rubber for rough stuff. Same bike, genuinely different personality.
- Frames, not complete bikes: you choose the groupset, the wheels, and the tires. Nothing is specced down to hit a price point.
- Small on purpose: no dealer network to feed, no team budget, no seasonal redesign for the sake of it.
A frameset build is where hand built wheels matter most, because the wheel decision is entirely yours to make.
OPEN Builds and Services in West LA
Buying a frameset is the easy part. Everything after it is the reason to buy one from a shop rather than a website.
- Complete frameset builds: groupset, cockpit, wheels, and tires specced around how you ride, then built and test ridden before you collect it. Talk to our builder
- Custom Wheels: the biggest decision on an OPEN. 700c or 650b, rim width, spoke count, and tension built to your weight. Get this right and the frame does what it was designed to do. Custom wheels
- Professional Bike Fitting: a frameset gives you full control of the cockpit, which only helps if the numbers are right. Book a fitting
- Tubeless Setup: big volume tires at low pressure only work sealed properly. Bicycle tires
- Tune Up and Drivetrain: mixed surface riding wears a drivetrain faster than pavement alone. Bike tune up
- Wash and Detail: grit in the bottom bracket and headset is what ages a frame you meant to keep. Bike washing
Explore OPEN Bikes
Three frames, one idea. Pick the one that matches how rough your riding actually gets.
OPEN U.P.
The original Unbeaten Path. The do everything frame, still the one most people should buy, and quick enough on pavement that you will not miss a road bike.
OPEN UPPER
The U.P. made lighter. Same geometry, higher grade carbon, for riders who count grams on long climbs.
OPEN WI.DE.
inding Detours. More clearance again, for riders running the biggest tires and the roughest routes.
Building an OPEN From the Frame Up
Four decisions that shape the bike more than the frame does. We work through all of them with you before anything gets ordered.
- 700c or 650b: the single biggest call. 700c is faster on pavement and hardpack. 650b with wide rubber transforms the bike on rough surface. Plenty of riders end up owning both.
- Wheels before groupset: if the budget is tight, spend on wheels first. A hand built wheelset changes how an OPEN rides more than moving up a groupset tier does.
- Gearing for where you actually ride: LA fire roads are steeper than most gravel gearing assumes. We spec for the climbs you do, not the ones in the catalog.
- Cockpit from the fit: a frameset means no compromise cockpit came in the box. Bar width, stem, and saddle all come out of the fit.
Where to Ride an OPEN
Rides where you would otherwise need two bikes. This is the whole argument for the frame.
- Kenter Fire Road from Brentwood: pavement to the trailhead, a steep dirt climb, and back down. The classic one bike Westside ride.
- Paseo Miramar to Parker Mesa Overlook: ride there on tarmac, climb the fire road, get the best ocean view in the city.
- Temescal Ridge: connects into the wider Westside dirt network. Good on 650b, workable on 700c.
- Topanga State Park via Trippet Ranch: longer fire road day with a road approach that is worth riding rather than driving.
- Mt Wilson Toll Road: the big one. Hours of climbing on mixed surface and the ride that justifies the tire clearance.
Fire roads are generally open to bikes in the Santa Monica Mountains, but singletrack access varies, so check trailhead signage. More options are in our West LA bike routes guide.
Living With an OPEN
Frameset builds reward attention. Four things worth staying on.
Clean around the dropped chainstay
The design that gives you the clearance also collects grit in a spot most people never look. Worth a look every wash.
Pressure, not pounds
Big volume tires are unforgiving of guessed pressure and transformative when it is right. Bring the bike in and we will find your numbers.
Torque on a frameset build
Nothing arrived pre torqued from a factory. Every bolt on the bike was done by hand, so check them like it.
Running two wheelsets
Swapping between 700c and 650b changes rotor position and gearing. Set both up properly once and the swap takes minutes rather than an afternoon.
Why Build Your OPEN With Bike Improve
OPEN gives you a frame and a set of decisions. The decisions are where a build goes right or wrong. At Bike Improve the same builder specs the build, laces the wheels, runs the fit, and assembles the bike, on one bench in West LA. No box, no guessing, and a shop that will still know your bike in two years.
Frequently
Asked Questions
Frameset questions, the differences between the models, and what it costs to build one properly.
Is Bike Improve an OPEN dealer?
Yes. Bike Improve stocks and builds OPEN framesets at our West LA workshop. Call 310-400-0363 to talk through a build.
What is the difference between the OPEN U.P., UPPER, and WI.DE.?
Does OPEN sell complete bikes or just framesets?
OPEN is primarily a frameset company, which is the point. You choose the groupset, wheels, and tires rather than accepting what a brand specced to hit a price. We handle the build here.
Can I run 650b and 700c wheels on the same OPEN?
Yes, and a lot of riders do. 700c is faster on pavement and smooth dirt. 650b with wide tires is far more capable on rough surface. Same frame, two very different bikes.
How much does an OPEN cost?
The frameset is one number and the build is another, and the build is where the range lives. Call and we will price a real spec rather than quote something meaningless.