OPEN has reinvented its do-anything WI.DE. gravel bike around a single, audacious number - a 66mm tyre - and in doing so has built one of the most extreme drop-bar bikes money can buy.
A gravel bike built around the tyre
Most bikes start with a frame. The WI.DE. 2.0 started with the tyre. OPEN - the boutique brand co-founded by ex-Cervelo engineer Gerard Vroomen - drew the frame around a 700x66mm (29x2.6in) casing, then figured out how everything else could fit around it.
The signature move is a "double chainstay drop": the drive-side stay dives behind the bottom bracket into a carbon box structure, side-stepping the tight pinch-point between tyre and chainring. Combined with ditching two-by drivetrains entirely, that lets OPEN clear near-MTB rubber while only stretching the chainstays from 420mm to 440mm.
By the numbers
“Keep the rider fast, let the tires handle the trouble.”
Geometry and specs vs the original WI.DE.
WI.DE. 1.0 vs 2.0 (size M)
| WI.DE. 1.0 | WI.DE. 2.0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Max tyre clearance | 61mm (2.4in) | 66mm (2.6in) |
| Chainstay length | 420mm | 440mm |
| Wheelbase | 1,014mm | 1,055mm |
| Drivetrain | 1x or 2x | 1x only, electronic |
Specs: Cycling Weekly
The numbers tell the story of a bike that grew up. The wheelbase is 41mm longer at 1,055mm on a medium, the stack is up slightly for a more upright position, and the head and seat angles are barely touched - so it should still steer like the quick, road-flavoured WI.DE. people fell for.
What is it for? BIKE-Magazin reckons OPEN is closing the gap to the mountain bike while keeping drop bars and road-bike agility. The open question, as that same outlet puts it, is whether the audience for a 66mm drop-bar bike is big enough - this is a tool for terrain most riders never touch.
Price, builds and buying it in SA
None of this is cheap. Framesets start at $3,200 (~R52 800) / EUR3,200 (~R60 000) raw, rising to $3,500 (~R57 800) paint-ready and $4,000 (~R66 000) painted. Two complete builds are offered: SRAM Force AXS with Zipp XPLR wheels at $8,000 (~R132 000) / EUR8,000 (~R150 000), or SRAM Red AXS at $10,200 (~R168 000) / EUR10,200 (~R191 000) (prices per Cycling Weekly). Frames are made in Portugal and sold direct, with pre-orders opened mid-May 2026 - there is no confirmed South African distributor yet.
View data table
| USD | |
|---|---|
| Frameset - raw | 3200 $ |
| Frameset - paint-ready | 3500 $ |
| Frameset - painted | 4000 $ |
| Force AXS build | 8000 $ |
| Red AXS build | 10200 $ |
In Rand (approx, @ today's rate): Frameset - raw: ~R52 800 · Frameset - paint-ready: ~R57 800 · Frameset - painted: ~R66 000 · Force AXS build: ~R132 000 · Red AXS build: ~R168 000
What the first looks say
Three outlets on the WI.DE. 2.0
Independent verdicts from across the cycling press — follow each link for the full review.
An extreme-terrain specialist
“The Open WI.DE has been designed to traverse terrain others wouldn't deem rideable.”
Read the full reviewClosing the gap to the MTB
“OPEN pushes the boundary between gravel bike and mountain bike even further.”
Read the full reviewA new development approach
“The combination of XXL tyre clearance, aerodynamic cargo fork and agile road geometry demonstrates a new development approach.”
Read the full reviewThe honest balance
- Class-leading 66mm tyre clearance - near-MTB air volume in a drop-bar chassis
- Stays kept to a short 440mm despite the huge rubber, for a lively feel
- Deep bikepacking integration: U-Turn AC/DC+ aero-cargo fork, downtube Fidlock bags, frame-bag mounts
- Modern, serviceable standards - T47 threaded BB, UDH hanger, 27.2mm post (dropper-ready)
- Adjustable B.A.R. one-piece cockpit (15mm of reach in 5mm steps, ten width options)
- 1x and electronic only - no 2x, no mechanical groupsets
- Premium pricing: $3,200 (~R52 800)+ frameset, $8,000 (~R132 000)+ complete
- Genuinely niche - only pays off on terrain that actually needs 66mm
- Long 1,055mm wheelbase asks a lot on tight singletrack versus a real MTB
- True 66mm gravel tyres are still scarce, so choice is limited today
An editorial read on the concept, not a ride review - nobody has properly tested it yet. As an engineering statement it is outstanding; as a bike you can actually buy and shoe in South Africa, it is niche.
Tap to vote — see how readers lean
Buyer questions
How big a tyre does the Open WI.DE. 2.0 take? +
Up to 700x66mm - that's 29x2.6in, roughly cross-country mountain-bike width. OPEN says jumping from a 50mm tyre to 66mm nearly doubles the air volume inside the casing.
Can I run a 2x (double chainring) setup? +
No. The 2.0 is 1x and electronic only - SRAM AXS or Shimano GRX Di2 - with a maximum 46T round (or 44T oval) chainring. Dropping the front derailleur is what freed up the clearance.
What does it cost? +
Framesets are $3,200 (~R52 800) (raw), $3,500 (~R57 800) (paint-ready) or $4,000 (~R66 000) (painted). Complete builds are $8,000 (~R132 000) with SRAM Force AXS or $10,200 (~R168 000) with SRAM Red AXS, both on Zipp XPLR wheels. Prices are USD/EUR; SA pricing is not confirmed.
Is it basically a mountain bike with drop bars? +
It is deliberately close. Reviewers describe it as closing the gap to the MTB, but it keeps road-bike geometry, a 440mm chainstay and an aero-minded frame - so it rides far more like a fast gravel bike than a trail bike.
Can I buy one in South Africa? +
Not easily yet - OPEN sells direct from Europe and there is no confirmed SA distributor, though the build kit (SRAM AXS, Zipp wheels) is available locally. Check the price-watch above for any live listings in our catalogue.
Sources and further reading
- New Open WI.DE 2.0 takes gravel clearances to a whole new level — Cycling Weekly
- Launching the WI.DE. 2.0 — OPEN Cycle
- Open WIDE 2.0 Gets Gnarly (and Aero) with 66mm Tires — Bikerumor
- OPEN Cycle launches the OPEN W.I.D.E. 2.0 — Gravel Cyclist
- Gravel with 66mm tyres: OPEN narrows the gap to the MTB — BIKE-Magazin
- 66mm of tyre clearance: the WI.DE. 2.0 pushes the boundaries — TOUR-Magazin
The WI.DE. 2.0 is less a new gravel bike than a statement about where gravel is heading: when the tyres get this big, the line between drop-bar and mountain bike all but disappears. It is brilliant, slightly bonkers, and priced for true believers.
For most South African riders chasing the local dirt-road and stage-race scene, a 45-50mm gravel bike remains the smarter buy. But if your idea of fun is riding singletrack on drop bars - and once the rubber to fill 66mm of clearance arrives - nothing else does it quite like this.
