October 31, 2012

Opus Zermatt City Bike Review

Momentum Mag reviews the Opus Zermatt.

Written by: Sarah Beuhler

Review

Price $664 USD/ CAD

Find it at opusbike.com

Available in Canada bike stores, US bikes stores spring 2013

This bike is designed for comfort with builtin, matching fenders, well-placed kickstand, and a chainguard so I didn’t get chain oil on myself, for once! The built-in rear rack easily hooked my basket on, which made the bike look like something out of an ad for daisies and mineral water.

Tell Your Friends

The key word with this bike is comfort. From the padded grips to the cushy seat, I felt totally comfortable at all times. I found my posture actually improved. Everything is set up so naturally that it felt more in line with the bike to sit as straight (but not tense) as possible.

Wish List

This bike is such a beauty and so comfortable that my only suggestions would be whimsical or cosmetic – maybe a flower holder on the handlebars or a tiny robot that whispers into your ear.

Ideal Rider

This is the bike for an “Urbanista.” A city bike that can take you from home to the beach to the bar and then home again. For regular commuting you’re probably going to want a bike that is a little more responsive. Luckily though, it’s light enough to carry up a flight or two of stairs. I would love to keep this bike (mid-thirties, moderate to heavy frequency of trips) and my mom should totally get one, too.

Overall

As soon as I picked this bike up people gushed over the design, the paint job and how comfy it looked. I felt happy taking this bike everywhere, and felt particularly at home riding to the beach in the sun.

This bike was generously put together by OPUS.

3 Comments

Jim
February 28, 2017
I have had my permit for 3 years now, the only down side is the rear disc brake cable freezes up in the winter. The way it’s designed, it allows water to run down the cable. The front is ok because it is installed opposite or upside down to the back brake. I installed a set of hydraulic fluid disc brakes to solve the problem.
Momentum Mag
January 5, 2013
Hello Kim. Sounds like you’ll be interested in the Nuovella model from Opus. It features a 7-speed Shimano internal gear hub, drum brakes, full chainguard, and skirt guard. Read our review here: https://momentummag.com/articles/opus-novella-bike-review/
kim
December 31, 2012
If this had a 7 or 8 speed internal hub, they’d have my money so fast my wallet would burn. Why a derailleur? Seriously? On the website the ad copy for this bike is all about the hardcore sell to the slow bike crowd and yet… derailleur. Can’t shift at a stop, more difficult to manage when loaded down with panniers (as I like to haul.)
Really too bad.
And they’ll kill this half-hearted attempt and not try again because “the consumer just doesn’t get it” when it’s them who totally missed the heart of the matter.