Commuting is a breeze with the Opus E-big City

There is no better way to get to work or another urban destination than a bicycle. It’s healthy, fun, and fast. Bicycle commuting also makes economic sense. But not all city bikes are made the same. An ideal bicycle for the city needs to be nimble, work well in all weather conditions, and be reliably safe to name just a few important points. That’s why it was such a pleasure to review the E-big City from Opus, an electric bike designed with the city in mind.

Let’s take a look at what makes this new bicycle, priced at $3,499(CAN), such a force in the urban wilds.

The past few weeks, we’ve been putting this bicycle through the paces on the streets of Canada’s biggest city. And, from the first pedal, the powerful Shimano E5000 motor and 418Wh battery that drives the E-big City impressed.

The battery is housed on the down tube. Although different models of e-bike have the battery in different locations, the down tube is ideal for commuters who can easily lock up the bike, and then unlock the battery and carry it up to work for charging before the ride home.

Operating the locking system is a breeze.

This pedal-assist e-bike has a display control that sits beside the left handgrip. Here, basic information is displayed regarding speed and distance, as well as allowing riders to choose from three levels of power assist.

This feature is significant as it pertains to battery life, amongst other things. While traveling on flat roads or declines the highest level of assist isn’t needed, but going up any significant hills, it is easy to increase the assist, lower the gear to increase pedal stroke, and ascending is a cinch. The pedal assist and controls flattens and cuts the city in half making any destination a reasonable and sweat-free ride.

The 1-9 gear ratio worked well, and we certainly weren’t missing anything on this point.

When Momentum first picked up the E-big City what followed was a bicycle trip of approximately 25 kilometers. One that includes a trip through the downtown core, along the waterfront, and up a significant hill to the final destination. So, there was no waiting to test out the battery life and the motor.

With the E-big City, the pedal-assist automatically cuts out at the legal limit of 32 km/h. So, this bicycle is not a speedster, and that’s just fine. It has its own purpose. It’s also got some weight to it, clocking in at 43.6 pounds with the battery.

The battery has a range of 125 kilometers on a full charge with will last approximately six hours. When tested on frequent jaunts of multiple hours there was never an issue of battery life, and the amount of energy remaining in the battery is clearly indicated on the display.

On the ride back from the shop, the 25 kilometers flew by with relative ease. And, one of the best features regarding the motor was the quickness of the assist that allows cyclists to almost immediately get up to a reasonable city travel speed and stay there. In urban areas, there is little use for traveling too quickly, especially without protected bike lanes. More protected bike lanes! But traveling at a good and steady clip, easily, is essential.

In addition, the city of Toronto always presents any number of hazards while commuting: streetcar tracks, massive potholes, construction debris, and just rickety old roadways. Not to mention random pedestrians popping up here and there.

The E-big City is equipped with the perfect tires to tackled city streets. The Kenda Kwick Seven.5 27.5 x 2.4 are substantial in thickness, but not overbearing. Meaning, there were no issues pedaling over obstacles, avoiding any streetcar track issues, or really anything the city threw in front of it. But, with an aluminum frame and fork, it was also nimble and maneuverable.

One trip included a somewhat brief, but quite hefty deluge of rain. What luck! To commute by bicycle means to handle the rain, whether on a regular bike or an e-bike. The E-big City is, of course, water-resistant, and continued to function admirably despite a serious amount of rain. The Shimano MT201 hydraulic disc brakes were sharp and responsive and provided very good braking power even when at high speeds in the rain.

The Opus E-big City is also equipped with front and rear fenders that did wonders, and are essential equipment for any serious two-wheeled commuter. There are also front and rear rack mounts, again a boon for city commuters.

For comfort, the saddle and seat post do a fine job. Nothing to get over the moon above. But enough cushion for the average rider. The handgrips are contoured and padded, although were a bit slippery during the rain.

There is a solid, well-functioning kickstand that we found ideal, and used all the time. Why doesn’t every bicycle have one of these? It’s such a simple thing. More kickstands!

The flat black colourway offers an understated style without drawing too much attention. Just how we like our bicycles.

So, is this the e-bike to tour long distances in the countryside? Maybe not. But it is a fantastic e-bike for the city, and would make commuting a breeze. We thoroughly enjoyed our time checking out the E-big City and were impressed by both its reliable power, and its myriad of features designed for urban cycling.

Opus bicycles are designed in Montreal, Canada, many of which are hand-assembled right at the headquarters. And we like that. The brand concentrates a lot of its efforts on bicycles made for cities.

Please, check out the E-big City if in the market for an e-bike city commuter.