# Opus Bikes.



## shawnt2012 (Jun 2, 2012)

Hey all, New here and just wanted some first hand experience on Opus bikes, Canadian members will probably be more familiar with them since they are Canadian made, But could not find a specific forum for them. My question is just overall quality of these bikes, I am looking at a 2011 Opus Strat 


Any suggestions? Price range is minimal ( $650 )


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## rafasancan (Jun 2, 2012)

I bought this year the new Opus Strat 2012 at 570$ and I must say I am really happy with it. I nearly do 50% of the time road biking and 50% mountain biking. Basically, I just switch from road to mountain biking when I find a trail on my way and that bike is perfect for that. The specs on it are decent. It's a 600$ bike, so don't expect to find the best components on it. The derailleurs work well, the suspension is really smooth (and the lock-out on it is REALLY useful for road biking). Also, as I go for long trips of road biking (150 km and more in one day) I put the handlebar on its lower position (so the aerodynamics are better), and I also have two sets of tires (slick tires and mountain bike tires) so when I go for road biking I put on my slick tires, and when I go for mountain biking I use the original tires coming on the bike. The brakes on it are good too, smooth and responsive. Last thing, but no the least, the handlebar is larger than usual because opus puts the large size handlebar for medium size bike and up. The advantage of this, is having a better control off road, the disadvantage is having a bigger air resistance when biking at high speed. 

When I bought it, I hesitated between the opus strat 2012 and the specialized hardrock disc 2012. The reason why I bought the opus is because I was more comfortable and stable. Both of them has similar specs, but the opus has a better suspension. Opus uses shimano and Specialized uses Sram (personnally I don't like the sram shifters). Also, after buying it I discovered that Opus is a bike company from Montreal and they are eco-friendly and they also build some bikes in Montreal. So, as I am from Montreal I was quite surprised to learn this lol

Anyway, before buying any bike, go to different bike shop and try them out to see which one is better for you.


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## shawnt2012 (Jun 2, 2012)

Thanks for the reply!, I was told by my local bike store that they were made ( some ) in Montreal, Canadian company etc, Which is pretty cool. It seems that we do the same type of riding so I think this bike is the perfect fit for myself, The Hard Rock is nice, but not 100% on the frame style and bit more on the price tag. Now did you get the 2012 Strat for 570$ on sale or something? Because if my local bike store is selling the 2011 model for 560$ then that's a bit silly!.


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## rafasancan (Jun 2, 2012)

I got the 2012 strat at 570$ (regular price) and when I bought it, the 2011 strat was 470$ I think. So yeah, if your local bike store sells a 2011 at 560$, maybe you could get a better price. Maybe, the prices vary from a province to another, but if I was you I would check in different stores to see what are the prices for this type of bike.


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## shawnt2012 (Jun 2, 2012)

Perfect, I will be doing some talking with the local bike shop to see why they are charging that, But definitely will no be paying full retail for an older model. Thanks again!.


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## machine4321 (Jun 3, 2011)

There prices seem very good for the spec. Even saw a carbon well spec'ed for like 2600 cad. 

They had a tent at the race i was at. Nice looking stuff


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## shawnt2012 (Jun 2, 2012)

Well I got the 2011 Strat for a good deal with a few items thrown in!.


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## 006_007 (Jan 12, 2004)

I think you need a few more things attached to the handlebars 

Nice looking bike - that green is really sharp.....now go get it durty


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## shawnt2012 (Jun 2, 2012)

Hahaha!, I need to get a smaller light for sure ( but it's actually green led  ), And I've had way to many times when my cellphone falls out of my pocket and goes skipping down the road!, also like to use a GPS program while biking to. Just put on the Gusset grips last night and some gold aluminum acorn valve caps, end caps for the grips were to big so it was a pain in the butt shaving them down. So far I am really impressed with it, the only other high end bike I've ever owned was a Haro V-Frame? ( I think ) about 9 years ago. Although I have to take it into the shop tomorrow, have a high pitched humming sound coming the front hub, thought it was the wind whistling through something at speed, but stopped and spun the wheel and there it was.


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## 006_007 (Jan 12, 2004)

shawnt2012 said:


> . Although I have to take it into the shop tomorrow, have a high pitched humming sound coming the front hub, thought it was the wind whistling through something at speed, but stopped and spun the wheel and there it was.


Maybe the reflector. 

Or possibly (more likely) a rotor rubbing the pads/caliper.


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## shawnt2012 (Jun 2, 2012)

006_007 said:


> Maybe the reflector.
> 
> Or possibly (more likely) a rotor rubbing the pads/caliper.


The reflector is off now, I asked why the put them on.. safety they said.. I giggled. lol.

and It's not coming from the pads or rotor, I have them tuned in pretty good.


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## shawnt2012 (Jun 2, 2012)

Well after almost 2 months with the bike, I couldn't be more impressed. I had one major issue that was worked out quick by my LBS ( Who I purchased it from ). I had to have my forks replaced on warranty, the one I had on made this crazy cracking sound when front brakes were applied, also lockout wasn't working. I brought it down to them today since my replacement forks arrived, 3 hours later I got the call and headed down. As soon as he pulled it out, I yelled out " WHITE?! " in amazement!, He thought I wasn't going to like them, but considering they are spanking new 2012's, Highest end Suntour XCT's, and went from my old 80mm travel to 100mm! Now don't get me wrong, I know these aren't the best, but not the worst either. :thumbsup:


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## livewosleep (Jan 9, 2016)

*Opus Bikes General Info and Experience*

Would like to bump this general Opus thread as I do have lots of experience with Opus bikes. Opus bikes I currently own a 2010 Prime F1 and two 2011 Fhast F1 Carbons (one ridden by my girlfriend). Opus bikes I have owned include a 2007 Opus Andante, a 2007 Stakh 1, and a 2009 Sentiero and Legato. Most were customized over the years. I don't have any pictures on this laptop, but I could dig some up if anyone has interest.

I would like to mention that I bought my first Opus bike almost 10 years ago. There is hardly any user generated information for Opus found when Googling, however from 2008 to about 2012 there were a handful of accessible forum posts warning of failing carbon and alloy frames from Opus. Though, I never heard of a frame with carbon tubes bonded to alloy tubes failing at one of the bonds.

I would also like to first mention something you may already know. Bike companies are for the most part marketing platforms. In many cases there is not much difference between bikes from major brands at consumer level pricing. I do not consider Opus to be a major brand, and they have done some things differently in the past. There were some very innovative frame designs pushed into the mainstream markets, and even some rumors of major brands ripping off Opus designs. Opus is a company that also caters to pretty much anyone and everyone in the bicycle retail market.

For road bikes, my 2007 Andante was an alloy frame with U-571 formed top tube and carbon seat and chain stays. It was very light and stiff, and Opus made many variations of this frame style through the years with a small rear triangle and unique top tube, some all alloy, some complete with carbon front triangles as well. They are excellent frames from a performance perspective. I have ridden other bonded alloy/carbon frames from the same period (BMC SLT01, Norco CRR Team), and the Andante was comparable, it out performed both in climbing and acceleration as well.

In mountain bikes Opus did less with fancy tube forms, though the lines on the frames are still pleasing. They did however go with Virtual Pivot Point (VPP) suspension styles as seen on popular brands like Santa Cruz and Intense. Both my Stakh and Prime are VPP frames though with minor generational differences. The VPP design is great for cross county as the suspension stroke is initially more difficult to initiate (not the technical way to explain it), but basically it eliminates the pedal bob and associated energy loss felt with many suspension designs. This makes traversing flat land and climbing much easier, and there is no need for a rear lock out when the shock is set up properly. I have owned an Intense Spyder XVP in the same year as the Stakh, and found the two bikes comparable in performance.

For the Fhast carbon hardtails, they were both custom frame up builds (26er). The geometry on older Opus mountain bikes was slightly bigger than many of the major brands I found when riding (a Large Opus feels like a 20" frame in Specialized/Giant/Trek). I usually ride a 19-19.5" frame at 6' tall, all my Opus bikes are larges with minimal setback seat posts and 75-90mm stems. My personal Fhast has been great. Lightweight, nimble even at the large size, and has taken a decent beating from gaps, wrong turns, and straight up bails. I used a Cane Creek 44mm adapter headset to install a fork with a tapered steer tube, also use a 15mm thru axle in the front. The tapered tube and thru axle improve the steering confidence and stiffness compared to my Stakh.
My other Fhast (Girlfriend's) had been good until tearing it down for an annual service this year to find that the bottom bracket alloy insert was loose. This bike was not ridden hard nor abused (not nearly worked as hard as my personal Fhast). The insert rotates freely about 10 degrees, there is lateral movement barely detectable, and the finish has flaked off all around the edges of the BB shell. Verdict is still out on whether Opus or a dealer will be able to do anything or help toward a new frame. This is a common failure in road and mountain bikes for major brands as well (even $2,000+ frames from Look and Cervelo). Hoping it is a one-off manufacturer's defect and that the issue can be resolved.

All other Opus bikes I have ridden have hit the mark, no notable remarks however no complaints either. Again, being bikes they're all relatively similar to other manufacturers with Shimano parts and Mavic wheels. Some of the colour schemes of the recent past were fairly acquired with respect to tastes, however not bad compared with some of the Italian jobs. Another thing I have notices is that these bikes and frames appear to hold their value well (according to asking prices for used bikes). Though it may have a lot to do with their uniqueness and rarity, it hopefully also says something about the build quality of their bicycles. I am also hoping that it has a lot to do with their quality of service. I have been chatting recently with some unhappy Opus owners, however it is 1,000 times easier to find an unhappy costumer these days than a satisfied one, as they're typically very quiet.

If anyone else has experience with Opus bikes or with Opus customer service directly could you share?

Worth noting, Opus warranty is "original purchaser" only. Carbon and Alloy frames appear to be lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship. Dual (Full) suspension frames are all restricted to two years. Bicycles and parts (including paint and decals) are warrantied for one year. For a warranty claim you require the proof of purchase (receipt) and the bike should have been registered with Opus within 10 days of the purchase date. If you make a successful warranty claim you will also be responsible to pay for any labour, shipping, and insurance, if your dealer isn't interested in covering those costs.

Thoughts?


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## Sean917 (Jan 10, 2016)

*My Opus and experience with the company*

I know this thread is old, but I found myself on here checking out Opus and figured I'd contribute my experience with em as its been outstanding. I'm sad to see Opus has discontinued many of their mtb platforms this last year 2015, but the general opinion among my circle is they'll bounce back with more models in the future.

I currently own a 2014 Opus Fhast 3.0 which is their lowest price point carbon 29er, MSRP $2600. Got it on sale this past October. Outstanding bike, only concern was shifting issues within the 1st month on it. Turned out to be a problem with the internal routing (cable catching in the carbon tube), my lbs contacted Opus about it and Opus requested it back. Turns out they'd had this issue before. It was shipped there and returned within 1 week, (from Hamilton On to Montreal). I paid no shipping or labour. Awesome customer service experience.

Now onto to the meat and potatoes of it. Weighs in at 25lb 13oz without pedals, so roughly 26lb rolling. Not bad for my 1st carbon bike. I love the full Shimano SLX group set, lots of bikes come with a mix of deore/slx/xt/xtr etc.... I love the uniformity of it and it turns out to be a great value/performance pkg. Same go's for the fork, its obviously not the most expensive fork but it works perfect for what the bike is intended for, it's a Rockshox XC 32 solo air 100mm. 1st air fork, easy to adjust and it's a fire and forget, lock out works great too. The wheel set is impressive as well as its a decent set of Mavic Crossride's with strait pull spokes, definitely not Easton XC90 Carbon's but are a really great quality wheel set. Overall impressed with the bike and its capabilities. I've ridden 70k rail trail rides (strait on gravel), and 3-4hr XC rides with decents that push my full sus enduro bike. Mega difference going from 26"-29", that said this thing is fast and climbs! Lots of 1st's on this bike. full carbon frame, air fork, clipless pedals, Shimano everything, and appropriate platform to suit the riding I do. I'd recommend an Opus to anyone looking for their 1st serious trail/XC bike, or anyone looking for a great priced full carbon hard tail (if your bike shop still has any!). Actually liking the fact that they're not making these anymore (for now) as it makes it that much more exotic.


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## bikerfisher11 (Oct 13, 2013)

Bumping this thread because I'm very interested in landing a 2015 Fhast 3 or Prime 3. 

For those who have rode the Prime, how did you think the rear end handled with the 455mm chainstays? The spec looks good on them.

Fhast 3 looks great for the price, I"m trying to decide between a carbon HT frame or the alu full sus.

For the Fhast 3, how did you find the vertical compliance? Was the frame overly stiff or did it help soak up some bumps as well?


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