You might think that with OPEN being a 2-man company, Andy and I talk all the time. And while there are weeks when we speak daily, our travel schedules often mean a week goes by without a call. And we don't tend to bother each other with emails too much either, only things we're stuck on that require a nudge from the other will disturb our inbox peace.

This week is one of those weeks, as Andy has been visiting OPEN retailers in the US on his way to SeaOtter. And so this evening I get an email, and it contains no text, not even a subject. All it contains is this:



What does that mean? Does he want to show me he is having a good time at the Bicycling party, or have we actually won the Editors' Choice award? Rather than asking him, I figure google is a better way to go (preserving his inbox peace). And there it is, fresh off the pixel press at bicycling.com:

Open’s genre-defying Unbeaten Path (or just U.P. for short) might be the bike for someone who only needs, or wants, one bike to do it all. It accepts wheel and tire combos from 28mm up to a mountain-bike 2.1 knobby. Three bottle mounts and top tube bag bosses make it ideal for bikepacking or other adventures, and the light, stiff carbon frame is built for durability and efficiency.

We loved its handling, especially given the bike’s impressively broad range. The geometry feels tighter than many gravel bikes, with a snappy, light feel reminiscent of a good road race bike. But it’s extraordinarily capable, handling rough logging roads and precipitous gravel descents with ease, while still feeling sprightly and responsive on pavement. —Joe Lindsey

What the Editors Said: “I just had a great time on this bike and I love the idea that it’s a bike that can ride almost anything—if you have two or three wheelsets, there’s pretty much no ride you can’t do.” “This bike is really exceptional to cover all those bases as well as it does.”

Well, there you have it, we won the thing. Although I am still convinced Andy just wanted to show me he was having a good time.