August 26, 2021 - Having owned and raced a 2017 Opus Prime full-suspension mountain bike, one of my favourites, I was more than excited when given the opportunity this summer to test their Railtrail e-bike.
The Opus brand was founded in 2000 by Montreal-based distributor, Outdoor Gear Canada (OGC), and their local rep made the hand-off. With a few pointers, I was all smiles and ready to ride.
The heart of the Railtrail is the Shimano STePS E-6100 e-drive system along with a 418Wh semi-integrated battery. At 2.88 kg the system is 210 grams lighter than the previous generation, and 20% more efficient. With an average of 250 watts of pedal assist, the StePS setup provides up to 500W of boost to get you going.
The battery is removable and lockable, which is very convenient for charging and a great anti-theft feature as well. The claimed 125 km of range also matched our testing.
Equipped as well with a Shimano Deore 1 x 11 drivetrain, the Railtrail can tackle just about any gradient and the Shimano 4-piston hydraulic disc brakes are at the ready when stopping power is called for.
Sporting an aluminum frame to keep the weight down, along with a Suntour XCM-34 100 mm front fork with lockout, you’ll be soaking up bumps on your commute or off-road adventures.
The head unit and cock-pit controls on the Railtrail work intuitively, with “up” and “down” buttons to select your choice of three levels of pedal assist, along with a handlebar SC-E5000 display that allows you to scroll through speed, distance, odometer and more data.
For my first outing I headed to Bennies Corners in Lanark County where I ride quite frequently as the mountain bike trails there are not extremely technical, and offer a nice mix of fast-flowing forest singletrack along with some gnarly rocky sections.
Though the Railtrail is not marketed as a hard-core mountain bike, I was surprised at how nimble it felt, both on the fast twisty singletrack, and also on some technical rocky climbs.
The Kenda Booster tires are geared for dry off-road terrain and delivered confidence, comfort and control while the Suntour XCM-34 front shock did a good job of smoothing out the rough stuff. Overall I was impressed at how well the Railtrail hid its almost 50lb weight – all e-bikes tend to be heavier. Purists may consider removing the stock kickstand via two Allen bolts when riding bumpy rougher trails.
The transition between assist levels was very smooth and initially pleasantly aggressive to get you going from a stop. Keep in mind that the maximum assist speed is 32km/hr (for this class of e-bike in Canada), as you may notice the bike’s weight when the assist disengages, which can seem abrupt depending on the situation.
The battery life for this single-track adventure was impressive with over 2/3 of charge left after almost 1.5 hrs of spirited riding. I would not be surprised to surpass three hours with a single charge on mountain-bike trails or other terrain.
The Railtrail’s walk-assist feature is another welcome bonus if a dismount occurs on a steep climb, as the extra weight is noticeable as with most e-bikes.
To activate the walk-assist on the SC-E5000 unit press the “down” button until a small foot appears in the display, and then press it again to engage the motor. To deactivate the walk-assist press the “up” button.
For riders who are keen to access even more options including customized settings, the display unit can be upgraded which will allow you to connect with Shimano’s smart phone E-Tube app.
Commuting around town for errands was equally a breeze on the Railtrail and my daughter reported her fastest and funnest 20-km ride on it.
It was time to check out the Railtrail on a favourite gravel ride that’s a bit hilly and includes a dozen or so kilometers of actual rail trail, which is part of the Trans Canada Trail system.
Having a fairly upright seating position the bike felt very comfortable, and the Shimano STePS E-6100 propels you like you’re a super-fit 20-year-old. The 40km route was no match for the Railtrail, and the medium and high-assist modes allowed me to easily maintain a 32km/hr average speed.
After winding up and down the Lanark countryside I arrived home with just under half a charge left in the battery and about 30km of range left according to the display. I have no doubt that with more conservative riding, the 125 km range would be not a problem, but keep in mind that in Eco mode, the weight of the bike is more noticeable.
Most of our family members took it for a spin and after putting the Opus Railtrail through its paces on single-track mountain-bike trails, hilly gravel roads, genuine rail trails, and city street commutes, my wife summed it up best as “unbridled fun!”
The versatile Railtrail can handle a wide variety of terrain making it a great candidate for riders who are looking for an affordable e-bike that can do it all, and most everything in between.
The SRP is $3679.99 and for more information please visit here.
