Remember that guy in high school who drove a '65 Pontiac GTO? You know, the one that that was basically salvaged, but he spent three summers working on before he got his drivers license bringing back to life? It looked a little rugged on the edges, a few of the body panels had dents he hammered out himself, the chrome was a little rusty, and the whole thing was spray painted primer black. But under the hood, you could see the magic. The engine was fully restored, with brand new seals and perfectly polished valve covers. It had the old 6.4L block that he'd stayed extra hours in the auto shop to tear apart and rebore to 6.6L. Damn, that thing was scary fast.
Well, our latest Open MIND build brings back some of those memories, but of course, without the rust and dents - a wicked fast road bike with a rugged raw finish and a super dialed build.
The Frame
While it draws familiar cues from its gravel siblings, the MIND has a ride and identity all its own. First, we took an RTP frame and left it bare, its svelte and slender tubes helping to keep the weight low the ride dreamy. The thin black primer keeps the carbon frame protected yet leaves a delightfully raw, industrial look.
The Cockpit
The cockpit features premium pieces from a blend of our favorite suppliers: A Pro Vibe aero bar mated to an Enve carbon stem, both finished in matte carbon to blend perfectly with the MIND frame. The bike has an ISP, but mounted to its top is a MOST saddle.
The Drivetrain
For this build, the rider picked Shimano's Dura-Ace Di2, a proven groupset that provides deft, flawless shifts with light action controls. Gearing runs 11-28t at the back, with 50/34t rings up front providing a capable range for the mountainous California and Colorado terrain that lays ahead for this very special machine. Those rings are also mounted to an SRM Origin Ttrilobe crank for precise power tracking and exceptional stiffness.
The Wheels
Zipp's new 353 NSWs perfectly complement the build. Incredibly light and a stellar ride on any surface, their sawtooth profile gives this all-black speed machine a mean and aggressive silhouette. For tires, we went with a pair of 700x30 Schwalbe Pro Ones.
The Finishing Touches
Remember when we said this thing was dialed? While this MIND doesn't tote a re-bored engine, we did tear apart the rear derailleur and rebuild it with CeramicSpeed coated titanium pulleys. And we even installed a coated bottom bracket as well. Finally, we ditched the stock headset and replaced it with one a Chris King - black, naturally - and dropped in an EE compression plug.
Lean, mean, and ready to rally, we love how this one turned out. With its stripped back finish and detail rich build, this MIND is a true sleeper of a build.
If you've been thinking of an Open build of your own, we've got a few MIND frame in stock. Drop us a line to get a project going for yourself!
Back to Journal