The OPEN WI.DE. is a firm favourite since it won our previous gravel bike group test by a large margin. To defend its title, it enters this round on voluminous 650B tires and relies on a wireless mullet drivetrain from SRAM for the gears. Is that enough to beat the competition snapping at its heels and defend the title?
For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best gravel bike 2022 – 19 models on test
The OPEN WI.DE. knows how it’s done: it’s previously won our annual gravel bike group test. Not just once. Twice! So, it’s no stranger to the podium. The difference is that the Swiss bike was running 700C wheels both times it won the test. This time around, it rolls on 650B wheels and it does so on the most voluminous tires of the test field.
The ENVE AG28 gravel wheels have a generous internal rim width of 28 mm and are fitted with 650 x 54B Schwalbe G-One Bite tires. The tires are nicely supported on the rims, making more of a U- than an O-shape despite their width. This high-volume tire/wheel combination is perfect if all you want to do is play around on the trails aboard your gravel bike. But can it hold on to the incredible versatility that we praised the OPEN for before and thereby take the win once again?
Thanks to the freewheel’s many points of engagement, the Industry Nine hub on the rear wheel sounds like a nest of angry hornets. But you get near-instant engagement and thus propulsion when pedalling.
The OPEN WI.DE. has plenty of mounting points, making it well prepared for bikepacking tours. You’ll even find two bosses under the down tube and another pair under the bottom bracket. No other bike has that!
As usual from OPEN, the callipers on the fork and chainstay can be bolted directly to the frame when using 160 mm rotors. Doing so offers improved stiffness while minimising weight.
OPEN WI.DE.
€ 7,600
Specifications
Seatpost ENVE Carbon Road Bike Seatpost
Brakes SRAM Force eTap AXS HRD 160/160 mm
Drivetrain SRAM Force eTap AXS mit XX1 Eagle AXS-Schaltwerk 1x12
Stem ENVE Road Carbon Stem 100 mm
Handlebar ENVE SES AR ROAD HANDLEBAR 420 mm
Wheelset ENVE AG28
Tires Schwalbe G-One Bite 650 x 54B
Technical Data
Size XS S M L XL
Weight 8.34 kg
Specific Features
clearances for up to 650 x 61B or 700 x 46C tires
chainstays dropped very low
160 mm rotors front and rear with the callipers bolted directly to the frame
lots of mounting points, including four bosses under the down tube/bottom bracket
The chainstays of the OPEN WI.DE. drop significantly on both sides, steering clear of the tire and chainring on the drive-side. Together with a 1x drivetrain, this allows them to run super fat tires.
The ENVE SES AR road handlebar is flattened on the tops and features a corresponding carbon layup, offering additional damping. Due to the lightly flared drops, the handlebar is gravel riding compatible.
The 650 x 54B Schwalbe G-One Bite tires inflate to a true width of 53 mm on the ENVE AG28 wheels with an internal rim width of 28 mm, making them the widest tires on test by far.
I just want to play – with the mullet drivetrain and high-volume 650B tires, the OPEN is always up for a bit of off-road fun.
OPEN also rely on high-quality carbon components from ENVE for the seat post, stem and handlebar. The 100 mm ENVE Road Carbon stem is combined with a 420 mm wide ENVE SES AR Road handlebar, which provides good aerodynamics, damping and ergonomics with its flattened tops and lightly flared drops. Taking care of the gears, you get components from the mountain bike sector. OPEN have chosen to combine the shifters and cranks from SRAM’s Force eTap AXS groupset with the SRAM XX1 Eagle derailleur for a mullet setup, giving you a 1×12 drivetrain with a 40 t chainring up front and 10–50 t cassette at the rear.
| Size | XS | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube | 464 mm | 495 mm | 530 mm | 550 mm | 564 mm |
| Top tube | 510 mm | 530 mm | 550 mm | 570 mm | 590 mm |
| Head tube | 99 mm | 125 mm | 150 mm | 170 mm | 196 mm |
| head angle | 68.0° | 69.0° | 71.0° | 71.5° | 71.5° |
| Seat angle | 72.5° | 72.5° | 72.5° | 72.5° | 72.5° |
| Chainstays | 420 mm | 420 mm | 420 mm | 420 mm | 420 mm |
| BB Drop | 80 mm | 77 mm | 75 mm | 75 mm | 75 mm |
| Wheelbase | 990 mm | 1,004 mm | 1,009 mm | 1,022 mm | 1,042 mm |
| Reach | 346 mm | 358 mm | 370 mm | 382 mm | 394 mm |
| Stack | 520 mm | 545 mm | 570 mm | 595 mm | 620 mm |
Jacket Pas Normal Studios Escapism Stow Away Jacket
Jersey Pas Normal Studios Escapism Wool Jersey | Pants Pas Normal Studios Escapism Bibs
Shoes Rapha Explore Shoes | Socks Trigema Sport Socks | Special Watch Uhr
With a 500% gear range, the OPEN is on par with the 3T Exploro Ultra and slightly behind the BMC URS LT ONE with its 520%. However, thanks to the slightly smaller circumference of the 650B wheels, this setup gives you roughly the same gearing on the climbs as the BMC, though you’ll spin out sooner when riding fast. The bike’s gearing suits its character very well, which is more on the playful and lively side than all-out speed. The WI.DE. accelerates quickly and willingly, able to keep up with the test field, though it has a significantly harder time holding that pace due to the smaller diameter and higher-volume tires.
While the tires aren’t the best in terms of speed, they perform very satisfactorily in terms of damping, lending the bike an excellent level of comfort. Thanks to their large volume and the compliance of the ENVE components, small vibrations and impacts go entirely unnoticed. The bike also offers a pleasant and reliable level of damping on bigger hits. As such, the OPEN WI.DE. is an excellent bike for rough terrain, capable of taking on the BMC URS LT ONE in terms of damping, though the BMC is at greater risk of puncturing its comparatively narrow tires. The voluminous Schwalbe tires on the WI.DE. also provide excellent grip on loose terrain – when accelerating, braking and even when cornering. All these characteristics result in a confidence-instilling ride.
Tuning tip: a second wheelset in 700C to make the bike significantly more versatile
Paired with 160 mm rotors front and rear, the powerful SRAM brakes are bolted directly to the frame, providing reliable stopping power – brilliant! The key to the previous wins of the OPEN WI.DE. with 700C wheels was its balanced handling, offering a perfect combination of agility and composure. The smaller 27.5″ wheels have a direct influence on this balance. Although the handling remains excellent and intuitive, it sacrifices some of its composure for even more agility and playfulness on technical terrain and flow trails. Unfortunately, this makes the OPEN tend to feel wobbly, especially when riding slowly, and the voluminous tires come at the cost of precision.
The OPEN WI.DE. is still a superb gravel bike with its voluminous 650 x 54B tires, and the concept of the fat tires and mullet drivetrain setup makes sense, though only for a niche market, specialising in rough and technical terrain. For that kind of riding, it’s a blast. Compared to its test-winning 700C predecessors and the best bikes in this group test, however, it clearly lacks the versatility to keep up at the faster end of the use-case spectrum. Therefore, it can’t defend its title and must relegate the top spot to the competition.
Riding Characteristics
4Agility
- cumbersome
- playful
Stability
- nervous
- confident
Handling
- demanding
- balanced
Fun factor
- boring
- lively
Comfort
- firm
- comfortable
Value for money
- terrible
- very good
Our conclusion on the OPEN WI.DE.
The OPEN WI.DE is a fun bike that makes a high-quality impression and features top-end components, performing especially well on rough surfaces and technical routes. The frameset itself still plays in the Champions League of gravel and only falls short of the test victory due to the choice of the wheel size. If you’re looking for a bike that’s fast on hardpack and the occasional asphalt stretch, you should opt for a more efficient bike and 700C wheels.
Tops
- versatile frame platform
- voluminous tires offer comfort and traction
- fast engagement of the hub
- ENVE AG28 rims provide plenty of support for big tires
Flops
- lack of efficiency on hardpack and asphalt
- limited precision of the fat tires
You can find out more about at opencycle.com
The testfield
For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best gravel bike 2022 – 19 models on test
All bikes on review: 3T Exploro Ultra (Click for review) | BMC URS LT ONE (Click for review) | Cannondale SuperSix EVO SE (Click for review) | Canyon Grizl CF SLX 8 eTap Suspension (Click for review) | Cervélo Áspero GRX Di2 (Click for review) | CUBE Nuroad C:62 SLT (Click for review) | Curve Kevin of Steel III (Click for review) | Falkenjagd Aristos R (Click for review) | Felt Breed 20 (Click for review) | FOCUS ATLAS 6.8 (Click for review) | GIANT Revolt Advanced 0 (Click for review) | OPEN WI.DE. | Ridley Kanzo Fast (Click for review) | ROSE BACKROAD EKAR LTD (Click for review) | SCOTT Addict Gravel Tuned (Click for review) | Specialized S-Works Crux (Click for review) | Stelbel Nina XCr (Click for review) | Storck GRIX.2 Platinum (Click for review) | Wilier Rave SLR (Click for review)
No, it’s not about perfect race tracks, it’s about efficiency. Fast, fleet-footed and efficient – those who want to speed along high-speed passages need a defined and spritely bike that accelerates with ease and efficiency. Nevertheless, reliable components are important too. We interpret “Smooth tarmac” bikes as follows: Hard efforts at high speeds with a maximum efficient bike on a consistently well-paved road. Effort-joy ratio: 80:30 (not everything has to be 100%!)↩
… also known as bike riding. Broken-up roads in the hinterland, deadlocked gravel roads, loose surfaces – sometimes muddy, sometimes bone-dry. For this, it takes bikes with super all-round, handling and wearing qualities uphill and downhill. Effort-joy ratio: 50:50↩
If you want to use your bike almost every day, you usually do not need an extremely tuned racing machine. Solid components, which are able to cope with the rigours of continuous usage in any kind of weather, are part of the basic equipment. At the same time, the bike should have practicable details: integrated fenders/assembly options, luggage racks/attachment points and a light system or at least the option of installing bike lights. The position on the bike should be rather relaxed, the overall comfort high, so that the Afterwork Ride becomes a cure and not a curse. Effort-joy ratio: 30:70↩
You can find more info about our rating system in this article: Click here! ↩
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Words: Photos: Benjamin Topf, Peter Walker
