Opus Railtrail
A Versatile eBike for City Commutes & Off-Road Adventures
Having owned and raced a 2017 Opus Prime full-suspension mountain bike, one of my favourites, I was more than excited to test the Opus Railtrail e-bike this summer.
The Opus brand was founded in 2000 by Montréal-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 E6100 e-drive system along with a 418Wh semi-integrated battery. At 2.88kg, 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 125km of range also matched our testing.
Equipped with a Shimano Deore 1x11 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 100mm front fork with lockout, you’ll be soaking up bumps on your commute or off-road adventures.
The head unit and cockpit 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 frequently. The mountain bike trails are not extremely technical, offering a nice mix of fast-flowing forest singletrack with some gnarly rocky sections.
Though the Railtrail is not marketed as a hardcore mountain bike, I was surprised at how nimble it felt, both on the fast twisty singletrack and 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 — 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 pleasantly aggressive to get you going from a stop. Keep in mind that the maximum assist speed is 32kph (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 singletrack adventure was impressive with over 2/3 of charge left after almost 1.5 hours 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.
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 smartphone E-Tube app.
Commuting around town for errands was equally a breeze on the Railtrail, and my daughter reported her fastest and funnest 20km 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 kilometres 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 superfit 20-year-old. The 40km route was no match for the Railtrail, and the medium- and highassist modes allowed me to easily maintain a 32kph 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 125km range would not be a problem.
Most of our family members took it for a spin. 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 looking for an affordable e-bike that can do it all and almost everything in between.
The SRP is $3,679.99. For more information, please visit...
www.opusbike.com/en