The Open UP is literally the perfect bike for me, but I refuse to spend $3000 on a frame. Since there are no cheaper options, I decided to take a leap of faith and get this open mold frame for $550. It mimics the Open geometry to a T, and has the same tire clearances too. I copped an entire Ultegra 6800 Hydro groupset for $400 (Lucky! The guy just wanted to get rid of it), and the wheels for $300, and had cockpit parts lying around, so I only spent $1250 on this sub 19lb machine!
It's been an awesome bike. The geometry is the best: slacked out head tube to make it stable off road, road bike short chainstays in the back to keep acceleration peppy. With road tires it's just as fast as my road bike, yet when I throw my 650b 48c Panaracer Gravel Kings on it's extremely capable on dirt. I was initially skeptical about its durability, but it's shrugged off the past 5000 miles of rough roads and MTB trails easily. As for compliance/comfort, idk. I have no benchmark to compare to since this is my first gravel bike, but it's sufficient for my needs with the fat 650b tires.
My only complaint has been the proprietary seatpost. I had some issues with it slipping at first, but carbon paste and sandpaper solved that. And the aero profile is stupid on a gravel bike, and I'm sure a round seatpost would've been more comfortable. But for the price I paid, I'm not complaining.
