Price: $2,480

Weight: 1.29kg (frame)

Components: Shimano Ultegra 9-speed, 3T Forgie bar and stem, Mavic Ksyrium
wheels

Frame & Fork: Columbus Zona tubing 7005 alloy, Profile BSC carbon fork

Geometry: 73.5° head tube, 73° seat tube, 56.5cm top tube

Sizes: XS, S, M, L(tested), XL, XXL

Comments: “Fast, light, and hot.”

www.ogc.ca

Canadian Pride: All Opus bicycles are designed and assembled in Canada. The
frames are welded and painted outside of Canada.

If asked what word first came to mind when the Opus Vivace arrived and I’d
unpacked it and assembled it, I’d have to answer “hot.” Because that’s just
what it looks like at first glance-sleek and sexy. The Opus Vivace is a
very nice-looking machine.

Looks aren’t everything, but they sure help, especially when you see a
gleaming red, snappy-looking bike with its polished Columbus ZONA oversize
tubes, clean-looking integrated headset, and nice fat carbon Profile BSC
fork. The Vivace’s “hot” look is amply complemented by a Shimano Ultegra
9-speed group, Mavic Ksyrium wheels, and 3T handlebar and stem.
This was my first opportunity to ride a compact-style bike, so I was eager
to see if I would feel as comfortable as on a traditionally sized bike. My
initial concern was ensuring that the bike would be the right size. In
fact, my 55cm centre-to-centre size was matched with a bike that was about
2.5cm smaller. And the frame did “look” small. After hiking the seat post
up to my correct seat height, it looked even smaller, resembling more of a
mountain bike.

I hopped on the bike, and all of my previous apprehensions disappeared
about as fast as I accelerated out of the driveway. “This feels good,” was
my first thought. The reach, the feel, and the sizing were perfect. It’s
hard, sometimes, to get used to a bike right away, but the Vivace felt as
though it had been custom-fit.
The bike was as responsive as any lightweight aluminum frame-a nice snap
that felt great with a jump out of the saddle-and was very solid through
the fastest corners. I really liked the feel of the light 1.29kg frame when
going uphill-fairly lightweight wheels and the integrated headset certainly
keep the bike’s weight down, and the carbon-fibre seat post is a nice
touch, too.

Shimano Ultegra seems to be the norm on many mid- to higher-end racing
bikes, and for good reason: gone are the previous nine-speed levers that
inevitably led to rattle and indecisive shifting. The more recently
designed Ultegra levers resemble those of the higher-end DuraAce, and feel
virtually identical with super-crisp shifting.

Having ridden many of Mavic’s wheels (the various Cosmic versions or
Heliums), I find that the Ksyriums are the perfect mix between the two.
They’re lightweight, still quite aero-feeling, and “look” very fast. The
Vivace’s wheels came with Vittoria Rubino Pros, which I have to say, even
when pumped up, just didn’t feel hard. If the bike ended up becoming a
permanent possession of mine, that’s probably the only thing I would change.
The Opus performed well at all levels, and, all in all, the folks at
Outdoor Gear Canada (OGC) have delivered a great-looking, fast-feeling,
quality road bike. Needless to say, having a “hot”-looking machine is
always a nice finishing touch on anyone’s resume.