Open WI.DE

[sparky33]

Here is my turquoise Open WI.DE.

The build is Ekar 42x 10-44, Enve 46 gravel bars, G27s on White Industries hubs and RH Umtanum Ridge Extralight 650bx55s.

[superbowlpats]

Fantastic build. Love the color

[Mr B]

A colleague has the same colour, it's fantastic.
Your build is pretty much how I'd do it, Ekar and Enve is a great combo.

[Jmj2323]

Top notch build right there

[madsciencenow]

Wow, really nice! How do u like the Ekar?


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[NHAero]

Pretty nifty! Hope to see it here, let's ride! I have my poor man's version in my Litespeed Unicoi dropbar with 26x2.2 tires.

[sparky33]

Originally Posted by madsciencenow

Wow, really nice! How do u like the Ekar?


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Ekar is quite good. Braking is excellent. Hoods are comfortable, and the shifting is very Campy-feeling. The array of cogs makes a lot of sense. I might size down to a 40T so I can make better use of the single steps at the top end of the cassette.

This group spend several months on my Stigmata - I like it the more I use it.

[Hilltopperny]

Very nice!

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[Miller76]

Is that the Yeti turquoise? I love it!!!


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[jpritchet74]

Absolutely fantastic build.

I don't see myself ever getting a gravel bike (just none of those roads near me), but if I did, this is EXACTLY what I would get.

[xeladragon]

Love the color! Almost went with turquoise for my road Zanc a few years ago. Anyway...

Hate to be that guy but... what's the difference between this and a rigid MTB? Do you still have your Stigmata and Lauf? How do you choose which to ride on any given day?

Those wheels look terrible BTW. Lemme do you a favor and take those off your hands, so you can upgrade to something nicer.

[sparky33]

Originally Posted by xeladragon

Love the color! Almost went with turquoise for my road Zanc a few years ago. Anyway...

Hate to be that guy but... what's the difference between this and a rigid MTB? Do you still have your Stigmata and Lauf? How do you choose which to ride on any given day?

Those wheels look terrible BTW. Lemme do you a favor and take those off your hands, so you can upgrade to something nicer.

You wouldn’t like these wheels - ride like squares.

This WI.DE frameset replaced my Stigmata frameset…a bike I really really liked. The geometry is similar, though the WI.DE is taller overall. Itch scratched. It rides like a good carbon gravel bike and is more comfortable than I had expected. That it fits jumbo tires does not hurt. I can see why Open made this alongside the roadie-er U.P.

So the WI.DE is not a road bike and it is also not a mtb, but it is a really good at being not quite the right bike for many occasions….like on today’s ride which was a bit of pavement, a lot of sandy gravel, and some trail. It was perfect.

The Lauf is currently on a hook, lending parts to other bikes, but the Lauf will roll again. That one is just too cool. What a neat bike.

These new Rene Herse Umtanum 650x55s are the bees knees.
Riding too skinny tires on dirt is dumb. I had enjoyed Thunder Burt 27.5x2.25s…decently comfortable, quick enough and reliable. Though the silly good cornering and pillowy goodness of the Umtanums is remarkable. No, not quick as a plump slick but not far off either. We shall see if the Extralight casing stands up on the irresponsible terrain these tires invite.

[xeladragon]

Originally Posted by sparky33

... like on today’s ride which was a bit of pavement, a lot of sandy gravel, and some trail. It was perfect.

That sounds like my ride today on your old Zanc... lol. Agreed... a road or mountain bike would've been more ideal for stretches here and there, but for a ride that's a mix of everything, nothing beats a bike with drop bars and plump, knobby tires.

Really liked your old Stigmata. Curious how the WI.DE compares after you have some more miles on it.

[sparky33]

Originally Posted by xeladragon

Really liked your old Stigmata. Curious how the WI.DE compares after you have some more miles on it.

A recent PM reminded me to check in on this question of Wi.De versus Stigmata....

Serial bike owners know that feeling when there is one bike that resonates more than the others. The Wi.de does that for me... and so did the Stigmata. This isn't surprising when one considers how much they have in common. Same head angle and rake, similar tire clearance, lightweight, quality carbon construction, etc. They are both snappy without being too stiff (think Hakka). With the right tires, they are fun to ride on dirt and on pavement. These are both terrific for the rides I do which cover pavement and dirt equally. The Wi.de (or that Stigmata) is the bike I would grab on my way out of a burning house.

I like the fit of the Wi.de slightly better and it is maybe a touch more comfortable overall. The Open looks a bit better to my eye.

Also, Ekar. It has grown on me. Wireless AXS is excellent in many ways, but the Campag hoods, brakes and cassette ratios are terrific too. Cables vs battery...it is a toss up given how well both systems work.

[NHAero]

I hope to see this one this summer here on MV. In fact, I think you should rent a van and bring all your bikes down so I can see and test ride them

Originally Posted by sparky33

A recent PM reminded me to check in on this question of Wi.De versus Stigmata....

Serial bike owners know that feeling when there is one bike that resonates more than the others. The Wi.de does that for me... and so did the Stigmata. This isn't surprising when one considers how much they have in common. Same head angle and rake, similar tire clearance, lightweight, quality carbon construction, etc. They are both snappy without being too stiff (think Hakka). With the right tires, they are fun to ride on dirt and on pavement. These are both terrific for the rides I do which cover pavement and dirt equally. The Wi.de (or that Stigmata) is the bike I would grab on my way out of a burning house.

I like the fit of the Wi.de slightly better and it is maybe a touch more comfortable overall. The Open looks a bit better to my eye.

Also, Ekar. It has grown on me. Wireless AXS is excellent in many ways, but the Campag hoods, brakes and cassette ratios are terrific too. Cables vs battery...it is a toss up given how well both systems work.