www.ogc.ca
Price: $5,740
Weight: 15.9 lbs.
Components: Shimano Dura-Ace 20, Mavic Ksyrium SSC SL Wheels, ORA carbon bar, stem, and post
Frame & Fork: High Modulus Carbon with Profiled Aluminum seat tube and ORA AC OS all-carbon fork
Geometry: 73.5°/73.3° (head/seat)
Sizes: 44-54cm in 2cm increments (compact frame)
Comments: Light and stiff”¦the way to be.

Taking its name from a type of musical composition, made famous by Johann Sebastian Bach, this Opus carbon ride really could be called a masterpiece. Right out of the box, the bike is stunning “” the gray-and-yellow finish is visually striking “” and the weight is incredible; the bike almost floats out of your hands. The Opus Tocatta is the centrepiece of the Opus bike line “” a gorgeous carbon machine with top-of-the-line components and parts. The result is a fantastic ride.

Weighing in at a svelte 15.9 pounds, the bike gets its lightness from the mostly carbon frame. The Tocatta is a carbon frame with a profiled aluminum seat tube with carbon S-shaped stays. As are many bikes these days, the Tocatta is a compact frame, which gives it a sleek and styled appearance. I’ve had no problems over the past few years jumping on a compact frame and feeling as comfortable as I do in a broken-in pair of favourite slippers; with the Tocatta, it was the same.

From the first ride out on the cold November roads of the Greater Toronto Area, I was impressed by the Opus machine. The bike felt nimble and responsive “” I could jump out of corners with great power due to the stiff ride. Climbing was a breeze “” even though it was little more than 0°C when I tested the machine “” I felt fast and summery as I rode my favourite hills on the Tocatta.

It took a while to get used to the Selle Italia SLR Ti Rail seat “” I’ve used it before “” but as many testers say, it just takes a few hours in the minimalist saddle to make you wonder why you weren’t sitting on this your whole life. I found it to be exceptionally comfortable climbing while seated, no doubt aided by the fairly relaxed geometry of the bike.

I really enjoy having the Dura-Ace 10 speed. It’s always a pleasure to use new components “” crisp and clean and snappy “” and Shimano’s top-end component group complements this bike as if they were husband and wife. Truly, for a frame of this calibre, it would be a shame to put any other level of groupset on it.

The cockpit is nice enough with the wonderfully ergonomic and larger Dura-Ace 10-speed levers, but add on the beefy ORA Carbon Wing handlebars, with the little grooves on the tops for your fingers, and oooh la la “” we have a front end that makes you never want to stop riding.

The bike came with Mavic Ksyrium SSC SL wheels, which are standard and are reliable racing wheels for most bikes. If I owned this rig, I think it would be necessary to spend a few more bucks to get some carbon wheels to match the bike, but for all-around quality, they are definitely sufficient. These Mavic wheels are sturdy and absorb pretty much every pothole and crack in the road you throw at them. The Vittoria Open Corsa EVO CX tires were fine as well “” but if these wheels were for training or racing, you might want to put on a more robust tire. The yellow highlights definitely match the colour scheme, as does the funky yellow shade on the SLR seat.

To close, the nicest feature of the machine was its ability to combine an incredibly lightweight frame with an exceptionally responsive ride. It’s a bike that is definitely sexy and hot, and you are going to want to show off on your local group ride or the next race. It’s a bit costly but definitely comparable to a top-end carbon-fibre machine with Dura-Ace 10-speed. It’s understated in its sleekness “” but pick it up or hop aboard and you will soon realize that the Tocatta is a symphony on wheels. And really, can you ever truly put a price on greatness?