Probably the rarest bike on the planet.
Open MIN.D. California
If you have read Cyclefit newsletters and Journals, you will know that we are generally supporters at Cyclefit, where possible, of homegrown production. Seven is in Boston and make their bikes in the city walls. Passoni is in Milan and make their bikes in that city. You get the picture. We are also realists and accept that bicycle production is a fraught and painstaking business and domestic production is often prohibitively expensive.
And so we were extremely excited when we heard from Andy Kessler (Open CEO) that Gerard Vroomen (Open chief designer) was once again working with California-based engineer Don Guichard. Dan and Gerard last collaborated on the iconic and influential Cervelo R5Ca and the RCa.
The R5Ca and RCa were truly ground-breaking - frame weights of 600-700 grams over a decade ago and bikes that built up south of 6kg but north of £11k. Guichard and Vroomen alchemised pure magic in their Los Angeles laboratory. The inherently limiting factor of the project was the tiny output inherent in fabricating every part of the frame locally by skilled hand. Worthy but expensive.
Designed in Switzerland. Handmade in California
Every frame is by definition limited edition
MIN.D. California
The existing Open MIN.D. was a perfect starting point - a bike we loved at first contact at Cyclefit - both for its guiding ethos and astonishing ride.
The Californian model includes revisions to the tubing shapes, as well as a completely new carbon layup, special carbon materials, and ground-up Californian precision molds. This is an entirely different bike made on a different continent.
Only two frames made per week. Painstaking work.
""To be honest, it really didn’t need stiffer at all, but engineers will be engineers"
Same 25mm Integrated seat-mast
Paired-back factory performance.
Numbers on The MIN.D.
- The MIN.D. California is around 80 grams lighter than the standard MIN.D. But at the same time is rotationally stiffer in the critical bottom-bracket area.
Andy Kessler (Open CEO) comments:
"to be honest, it really didn’t need that at all, but engineers will be engineers!" - Incredibly, the California MIN.D. also offers even more vertical compliance through the proprietary Open seattube/seatmast, than the standard bike.
- Only two frames per week will be made in the Los Angeles laboratory.
- Weight for size L is 775 grams including integrated seatmast, which equals well under 700 grams for equivalent 'normal frame' that needs a seatpost
- The Open MIN.D. California costs The frameset (frame, fork, headset) is EUR 7,500 (including sales tax but excluding shipping and duty).
