Want light? Open’s latest super limited offerings are sure to deliver on that. Dubbed the Illegal Duo, the pair of bikes get their name from a diabolical plan to build them light enough to be under the 6.8kg UCI Limit. For Road bikes.
Two models will be offered, the fully rigid ORA and the Lauf Leaf Spring fork equipped LOLA. There will only be 10 ORAs built with numbers yet to be released on the LOLA. See how you build a sub 15 lb mountain bike after the break.
As a rigid bike, the fork duties for the ORA are handled by a custom Green Machine Whiskey No. 9 Disc carbon fork with a QR15 axle. 
Open claims their O-1.0 frame is still the lightest production 29er hardtail frame with a sub-900g weight for a large frame. That makes the O-1.0 a great starting point for trying to build a sub 15lb mountain bike.
While the bike was built with SRAM XX1 for the build weights, the ORA will be sold as a fuselage only and only 10 of them at that. That means the drivetrain is not included and wheels are optional. The THM Clavicula M3 crank with XX1 spider and BB is included though.
A host of color matched AX lightness parts are included in the build including the optional new AX Lightness LRS tubeless wheels which feature wider rims and Tune hubs.
Included with the ORA fuselage for the large sum of $6700 (excl VAT):
- OPEN O-1.0 green machine frame
- Whisky 9 Disc 15mm fork
- AX Lightness Hera 31.8 handlebar
- AX-Lightness Rigid 31.8 Stem
- AX-Lightness Europa Seatpost
- AX-Lightness Leaf saddle
- THM Clavicula M3 crank with XX1 spider and BB
If you choose to run the AX Lightness LRS wheels and SRAM XX1, you should end up with a 6.4kg (14.1lb) Large rigid 29er without pedals. Yikes.
Not a fan of rigids? Open is also working on a prototype called the LOLA which will feature Lauf’s Leaf Spring fork. With a weight of just 980g, the addition of the 60mm travel suspension fork will only bump up the weight to 6.6kg ( 14.6 lbs). LOLA is still in the works, but both bikes are said to be on display at Eurobike at the AX Lightness booth, A2-207.
