Keywords: open,spare parts touch up paint open cycle

FAQ: touch-up paint, derailleur hanger & locknut and specs

Gerard Vroomen - 30-Apr-2021
The 3 most common questions I get asked are: 
  • Where can I find a new rear derailleur hanger and/or locknut
  • Where can I find orange/green/blue/brown/grey/ touch up paint
  • I need this little part (Multistop cable stop for eTap, brak caliper bolt lengths, BB guide, headset spec, etc)


This blog will hopefully answer those. Our motto from the start has been "working hard to stay small". What small exactly meant wasn't really defined, except that we should still be able to find time to ride a bike and do some other things. 

I thought this could still mean we have quite a few customers, as long as we didn't have too many different frame models. More models means more work, whereas a store buying one frame at a time is not that different in the amount of work from a store buying 10 frames at a time. 

In reality though, more frames means answering more questions, and aside from supply chain, answering questions is now one of the big chunks of time we spend at OPEN. Often this is fun and meaningful work, as we can really help people find what they need (or don't need). But a lot of questions are also unnecessary, they cost us time but they also cost our customers time as they wait for an answer.

No doubt the main reason is our website. It has a lot of information on it, but that also means people cannot often find what they are looking for. So while I think about how to solve that, I thought I would also write a blog in the hope that it would be easily found in Google searches and lead you to the right spot. So here we go:

Rear derailleur hangers (including the locknut) can be found at the top of the page here: https://opencycle.com/store/accessory

Touch-up paint for almost all our standard colors can be found on this page. The exception is matte black and custom painted frames. For those your best source is a car body repair shop, which have thousands of paint colors in stock. Just bring in your bike and have it matched.

Headset specs depend on the frame model. If you go to the specifications section on model page for the UP(PER), WIDE or MIND you will find the specs and also links to the most popular brands that sell them.

Brake caliper bolts depend on the frame model as well and are also listed in the specification sections for the UP(PER), WIDE and MIND.

Anything else that is related to specifications, odds are you can find the answer in those specification sections for the UP(PER), WIDE or MIND and spare parts on the Accessories page of the store. Even things like "which travel bag works with the extended seatmast of the MIN.D. can be found there.

If you really can't find it, then of course please don't hesitate to contact us with the contact form on the left. We'll keep working hard.

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HURRY U.P. - PART 2

Next

BOTM: The Simple MIND - Part 1

What you should know about Cranks & Bottom Brackets

Lack-of-Judgement Day

Online store

Cape Epic part 1 - Hello Africa

Developing new models

Stuff your sorries in a sock!

Comments & Questions

OPEN
Thanks and good luck with the website revamp - I actually consult this site a lot for blogs and tech specs so it does a good job of information transfer for me at least.

I have question about hangers in regards to their lifecycle ( derailleur hangers for the WI.DE). I recently had one bend and needed to be replaced, but I can't possibly understand how it got bent. So my question is do you guys find that these hangers are bending often? Do you get lots of requests for them? Was my recent experience a fluke?
Post #1 of 29. Posted by Jeff on 30-Apr-2021 10:49:27 GMT in reply to blog [0<--23105]
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OPEN
Mine was bent when it was shipped to me, fairly severely, even though the box was in good shape. I ended up ordering 3 replacements through the shop where I got my bike, and noticed that 2 of them were a newer, stouter model. So I suspect this was a common issue. The new one has held shape well, btw.
Post #2 of 29. Posted by Jon on 30-Apr-2021 11:13:06 GMT in reply to post #1 [23105<--23106]
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OPEN
Oh interesting! When did you get the bike?
Post #3 of 29. Posted by Jeff Shamp on 30-Apr-2021 11:17:13 GMT in reply to post #2 [23106<--23107]
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OPEN
May 2020
Post #4 of 29. Posted by Jon on 30-Apr-2021 11:20:16 GMT in reply to post #3 [23107<--23109]
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OPEN
The derailleur hangers is sort of a sacrificial part - it is designed to bend or break before any damage to the actual derailleur. They often bend if the bike falls or is place on the drive side, or the derailleur is otherwise hit with some force. Your local bike shop should have tool to straighten it if it's just bent a little and not cracked or over-stressed. In a pinch if you roll down a hill off a trail (speaking from experience) or something and find you can't shift properly afterward, you hang even straighten it enough with your thumbs (carefully).
Post #7 of 29. Posted by JeffW on 30-Apr-2021 15:08:37 GMT in reply to post #1 [23105<--23113]
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OPEN
Geez, sorry for the typos in this reply! Thumbs aren't working today...
Post #8 of 29. Posted by JeffW on 30-Apr-2021 15:09:38 GMT in reply to post #7 [23113<--23114]
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OPEN
You're all good, thanks for the reply. interesting to know that, for some bends, it can be gently repositioned. If I'm planning a backcountry trip with this bike, I should bring at least one hanger then.
Post #10 of 29. Posted by Jeff on 30-Apr-2021 15:27:30 GMT in reply to post #8 [23114<--23116]
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OPEN
That said, with today's drivetrains hanger alignment is more and more important, so bending it back is hard. And in addition, the area that is bent also becomes stronger (until it breaks obviously), so when you bend it back, it tends to bend back in a slightly different location than where it bent the first time. The result is almost never a perfectly straight hanger.
Post #12 of 29. Posted by Gerard Vroomen on 30-Apr-2021 15:58:52 GMT in reply to post #7 [23113<--23118]
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OPEN
Usually they bend obviously in a crash. That's what they are designed for, to make sure they bend and not your more expensive rear derailleur or the frame. Bending it without a crash is rare, but it can happen, for example with a very violent shift, or a branch getting stuck, stuff like that. There is always some impact needed for them to bend. We do have 2 different versions, depending on the type of use. Nowadays the WIDE ships standard with the tougher version, but that version is relatively new.
Post #11 of 29. Posted by Gerard Vroomen on 30-Apr-2021 15:56:43 GMT in reply to post #1 [23105<--23117]
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OPEN
Is there any way to verify which one I have? I’m planning a trip to the Utah backcountry on my WIDE and I really want to be able to shift the whole time.
Post #16 of 29. Posted by Jeff Shamp on 30-Apr-2021 17:17:10 GMT in reply to post #11 [23117<--23124]
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OPEN
The stronger version has a rib on the back, so looking from the back there is a flat surface that even partially wraps over the carbon of the dropout, instead of just hanging off the inside of the dropout.
Post #17 of 29. Posted by Gerard Vroomen on 02-May-2021 06:29:10 GMT in reply to post #16 [23124<--23125]
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OPEN
Hi Gerald,

How about some OPEN branded headset caps?
Post #5 of 29. Posted by Norm Corriveau on 30-Apr-2021 11:45:46 GMT in reply to blog [0<--23111]
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OPEN
I'll put it on the list. It's a long list though.
Post #13 of 29. Posted by Gerard Vroomen on 30-Apr-2021 15:59:22 GMT in reply to post #5 [23111<--23119]
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OPEN
That's all I can ask. Thanks.
Post #15 of 29. Posted by Norm Corriveau on 30-Apr-2021 16:09:12 GMT in reply to post #13 [23119<--23123]
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OPEN
I'm affraid I sent you too much email these last weeks :D sorry guys ! love your job and bikes, keep doing it.
Post #6 of 29. Posted by Hugo on 30-Apr-2021 12:04:44 GMT in reply to blog [0<--23112]
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OPEN
no worries, this post was not aimed at anybody in particular. It's just that I was getting a lot of emails (relatively speaking) about touch up paint and I was wondering "why don't people just google this?" And then I tried myself and noticed that google had trouble finding it. Now this blog post is a top hit in google search for this topic, so hopefully it helps.
Post #18 of 29. Posted by Gerard Vroomen on 02-May-2021 06:30:33 GMT in reply to post #6 [23112<--23126]
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OPEN
So the turquoise WIDE is not considered standard color, hence no touch-up paint stick?
Post #9 of 29. Posted by Mathias on 30-Apr-2021 15:15:06 GMT in reply to blog [0<--23115]
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OPEN
It's not really OUR turquoise.
Post #14 of 29. Posted by Gerard Vroomen on 30-Apr-2021 16:00:00 GMT in reply to post #9 [23115<--23120]
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OPEN
Even though I don't own an OPEN frame I regularly read your blog posts as I always find something inspiring in them. You and Andy have really become role models for me on how to run a business. One day someone clever will invent a name for it and it's going to be all the rage. Major kudos.
Post #19 of 29. Posted by Xaver on 03-May-2021 04:04:08 GMT in reply to blog [0<--23127]
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OPEN
Thanks Xaver, glad you like it!
Post #20 of 29. Posted by Gerard Vroomen on 06-May-2021 08:38:25 GMT in reply to post #19 [23127<--23130]
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OPEN
Hi Andy and Gerard,
Just purchased a beautiful Up grey matt frame. I'm hesitating between GRX Di2 and SRAM Force. Looks like SRAM has an edge, but read concerns about front derailleur chain drops. World seem to be split in two camps (no issue at all or lots of proper setting issues). What's your take on this.
Many thanks.
Atb
Thierry
Post #21 of 29. Posted by Thierry on 16-May-2021 14:19:24 GMT in reply to blog [0<--23135]
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OPEN
Good morning... Loving my Grey/Red U.P... The "glossy gray" touch-up paint __is__not__ meant for this frame color? (just wanted to check)
Post #22 of 29. Posted by Michael on 17-May-2021 10:49:22 GMT in reply to blog [0<--23136]
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OPEN
Hi Michael, it's not the same, but for the new grey UP frames, we should have the touch up paint in stock in around 3 weeks from now.
Post #23 of 29. Posted by Gerard Vroomen on 17-May-2021 15:40:22 GMT in reply to post #22 [23136<--23138]
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OPEN
Gerard - Many thanks! (and loving the UP with both 650 __and__ 700!!!! It's a bike that helps me __want__ to ride...)
Post #25 of 29. Posted by Michael Riley on 20-May-2021 14:12:15 GMT in reply to post #23 [23138<--23147]
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OPEN
Hi Gerard,
What about the "standard" Grey from your complete WI.DE Bikes. Will this color also be in stock in near future?
Post #26 of 29. Posted by Lars on 28-Jun-2021 15:51:42 GMT in reply to post #23 [23138<--23206]
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OPEN
I see from your product page that you cannot ship ‘complete bikes to the UK at the moment’. Can you still ship frames? If you can when will you have stock of the UP?
Post #24 of 29. Posted by Russell on 19-May-2021 07:03:37 GMT in reply to blog [0<--23144]
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OPEN
Andy,
I recently took delivery on a Ready to Paint UP. Love it! I’ve decided to leave it ‘Ready to Paint’ for now as I love the Matte Black-like appearance of it. my question: can I possibly obtain the “Open” Decal set that would normally come with the UP frame? All that came was the “M”label indicating the frame size.
Post #27 of 29. Posted by David on 02-Jul-2021 14:37:58 GMT in reply to blog [0<--23219]
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OPEN
Hi David, unfortunately no such OPEN decal exists. For our own painting, we use a water based decal that would not work on the outside like you intend. And the custom painters doing RTP frames usually paint the decals on (or produce their own).
Post #28 of 29. Posted by Gerard Vroomen on 02-Jul-2021 17:01:06 GMT in reply to post #27 [23219<--23220]
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OPEN
Ah. No problem at all. Thanks for the prompt reply….and making a great bike!
Post #29 of 29. Posted by David on 02-Jul-2021 17:10:55 GMT in reply to post #28 [23220<--23221]
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