From the 4th of July in Los Angeles, to the bucolic mountains and valleys of Switzerland, it has been a wonderful week. The icing on the cake was arriving in Dombresson, Switzerland to a box containing the Open U.P. you see pictured above. This is a bicycle I’ve been wanting to ride for some time, so it is a pleasure having the opportunity to do so in such a perfect setting. U.P. is short for unbeaten path, and the roads and trails in the Val de Ruz are a perfect testing ground for this bicycle. My quick first impression is that the U.P. is indeed ready for anything. And unlike some gravel bikes, the U.P. feels fast, undoubtedly due to the short chain stays. The dropped drive side chain stay allows the bicycle to accommodate a vast variety of wheel and tire sizes – from 27.5 mountain bike wheels to 700C wheels with 40C tires, the bike has many possible combinations. I’ll post a more detailed review down the road, but for now, I am having fun going up and down the Swiss slopes on the U.P.