What do you think of this Opus bike?
 

I'm considering the Opus Classico Lightweight Step-Through.
It's $1000 CAD (about $750 USD).

Looking at the specs, do you think it's a good choice? I want something lightweight and fast.
For one thing, is 9-speed okay for terrain that varies from flat to hilly? It's for commuting and hauling groceries.

edit: nevermind. test rode this bike - not a fan.

may like a wider range cassette rather than a narrow one , regardless of brand name on the frame..
9 "speeds" means the cassette has 9 cogs . nothing about their sizes.

What did you not like about the bike? I've like the looks and specs of the Classico step-over model, but those Opus bikes aren't common where I live.

sodsbodkings Can you go into more detail?

it was reasonably fast but not as fast i wanted it to be. also, not as lightweight as i had hoped - i'm not sure if 22 lb is the weight of the size Small, cuz I tried size Medium and it felt heavy.
i don't know why it's so hard to make a step-through that's lighter than 22 lb - my friend's 21-speed road bike, made of aluminum, $1500 CAD, feels much lighter.
the W-shaped handlebar shape felt a very weird to me. i suppose it's cruiser-style.
and you can't easily adjust the handlebar height - you need bike mechanic skills or pay the shop to do it. so you're sitting in a weird slightly hunched over position.
the seat is not comfortable, you feel every bump in the road, particularly because you're sitting partially upright, so you'lll need to buy a new seat to replace it asap.

it's nice enough. but not worth $1000 CAD to me.

As you go lighter, things get more expensive, including materials and production processes. Thinner frame materials are harder to weld, and may require more advanced equipment for welding and heat treating. Lightweight frames are usually made from tubing that's thinner in the middle than at the ends, and even spokes are done that way on lightweight bikes. Road bikes tend to have skinny tires and rims. It is possible, though I'm not a mechanical engineer, that a step-through is not as strong as a trapezoidal frame, and has to be thicker to compensate. The little bits add up too.

As a pure exercise in curiosity, there's a site called "weight weenies" where people make a hobby of weighing every tiny part of their bikes, and they have a database of weights. You can really see how much variation there is.

Then there's pure marketing. Bike makers use weight to differentiate their offerings.

Thanks for that feedback.

Opus bikes are available in the USA? I thought it was a uniquely Canadian brand after Jamis left the market here.

Not that I've seen. But used bikes do wander south of your border once in a while. It's how I ended up with a Norco in Texas, someone from another state or country brought it here. :)

Nearly 99% of bike shop personnel, when prompted by “commuting & hauling groceries” will direct a buyer to a bike that is not quick. It will be heavy so as to not feel flimsy when loaded up with a bunch of stuff in its racks/bags.

Often, as much as 80% of the not-quickness is due to the puncture-resistant tires. If you want to believe the hype, you can speed up the slowest old cruiser bike with a fresh chain & sprockets and some supple René Herse Extra Light Tires. But those expensive tires are rather prone to punctures... a non-issue for people who have a natural comfort with wrenches.

Most bikes (commuhauling or not) will have your body hunched over some to get your torso’s weight over the front half of the cranks’ rotation to facilitate forward movement.

When thinking of any bikes that, in stock form, don’t have you hunched over, I can only think of three- 1) recumbents 2) Rivendell Atlantis 3) beach cruisers


best wishes with your search.

I'm totally comfortable with wrenches, and still prefer a puncture resistant tire. The inconvenience of any kind of breakdown is compounded when the bike is loaded with cargo, you're on a tight schedule, or you're riding in darkness / rain / snow.