SOC13: Open Cycles’ AXX1 Mountain Bikes Weigh In, Plus Custom White Dual Electronic Build!

Wow, that’s so light. I wonder how it climbs althought I would be afraid to ride it in a rocky downhill.

that metal on the drive side chain stay doesnt look like it is a stock option either

I like the white bike’s build. Actually looks like parts I’d run on an every day high end bike. Why Open frame though? The stack is about an inch higher than I’d like for my height and I would opt for the frame with the 590-605mm ETT…

If someone could come out with a good sub-1200g sub 2k carbon 29er HT frame with a stack under 600mm, and 585-605mm ETT, without resorting to a 12.5″+ BB or 80mm fork… you don’t need a long headtube if you use carbon and plan the lay-up for strength and stiffness accordingly, right? How about slacker HA, longer fork offset, and 80mm HT, with a fork A2C around 500-510mm?

I love that part spec on the white one. iCD and Di2 is really cool.

Now I wonder if someone can rig a Shimano Di2 1×11 MTB? I wonder if a Dura Ace Di2 11 speed derailleur would work with XX1 components. Somebody with money, get on this!

@Lou – keep an eye out for news from whiskey 50 this weekend. Bicycle Haus, out of Scottsdale, AZ just built up a Kulhavy Olympic Red Epic to 9070 Di2 1×11

What rotors are on the white bike?

Nice eye candy. Till it costs less then $4000.00 pass.

Overpriced Asian plastic bikes?

We concede that not everyone will agree with the specs of the AXX1 bike, but it’s meant to be exotic and light weight. It’s purpose is to push the envelope of what a production bikes can be. We pride ourselves on making bikes that customers want, so if you wanted to change components, GO FOR IT! We will try and make that happen.

As for stiffness, the Open is one of the stiffest hard-tails we have ever ridden and paired with Lefty you would be very pleasantly surprised at how compliant and comfortable a bike can actually be. If you’re luck enough to be in SoCal let us know and we can schedule a demo for you.

Those rotors are made by a company called Scrub Components in Park City, UT. Great product that we highly recommend!

The cost of the paint job on the black bike is high due to the QC standards they have set for keeping the bike as light as possible. As mentioned above, they set a very strict limit of 35 grams for that frame, its a very complicated process, and in-turn adds a cost to the bike. For many riders, weight is a large factor and saving 100 grams on paint alone is worth the extra money.

We have also contacted Gerard about the comments about the geometry of the bike, he’s the expert so hopefully he will be on here soon to comment about his reasoning on the way the bike was designed.

frederick,
the metal chainstay protector shown ships with every one of their frames.

Nude Carbon and painted black are not the same thing…
That bike clearly has been painted black. Don’t care either way but its def not nude carbon.

To respond to some of the genuine questions:

@frederick, @Greg Kopecky: Indeed that is a stock item. We don’t attach it so you can line it up properly with whatever chainring size(s) you pick, but once you know that you can apply it easily (and there is some leeway in the size you pick, so you don’t have to be too worried about where you put it).

@MMyers: Indeed.

@pmurf: Yes, it sounds logical that 31.8 would be stiffer. But actually, the AX combo is very stiff and the advantage of a smaller clamping area is that you can optimize the bar in that section better and require a lot less material (the resistance to crushing is bigger with smaller diameter). Of course the real reason the combo is so stiff is that AX simply spends a lot of time getting it right. It’s something you see in many cases, lighter products are often stiffer than heavy parts because it’s those companies that work until they get it right.

@g: Depends on how you look at it. It’s a matte clear actually, and if there is any imperfection in that coating, then we repaint in white and sell it for $400 less. We do this because we realize some people find the weight very important, so when the frame ends up heavier we feel we should sell it for less. And we feel that is better than not selling it at all. Better for us because we don’t have to scrap a frame, and better for the customer who is not super-focused on the sub-900g thing.

@mtb, @Alex: The bike is surprisingly stiff and the durability of all the parts so far is excellent. We’ve had this bike since Eurobike (and AX Lightness has one almost identical) and all parts are still functioning flawlessly. The only bit we’ve changed is the spider on the THM, but that wasn’t due to any problem but only because we started out with the double spider until the single spider was available. If you happen to be close to one of the test ride events in the future, let us know and we’ll let you try for yourself (just check beforehand as we don’t always have the same bikes at every event).

@probikesupply: As for the geometry, we can talk all day about the formulas and concepts, but in the end it’s simple: We designed it with this geometry to make it ride the way it does. We feel this set-up gives you good stability at higher speeds but at the same time good agility in tight turns, which obviously is something many 29ers lack. As you know, when people come back from test rides it’s something they often comment on, the sort of “I don’t know how you do it, but it feels stable and turns very quickly at the same time”. In the end, to me that’s the most important feature of the bike, much more so than saving a few grams or the color of the paint.

And finally, thanks to those who showed up the past two weekends at SeaOtter and Houffalize test days. It’s nice to see how people respond when they ride the bike. And a special thanks to those who testrode in Houffalize. According to the organizers most of you put OPEN at the top of your favorites list in the end. Given that virtually all manufacturers were there, that’s humbling.

Cheers,

Gerard