Bicycles

Retro-futuristic bike turns heads in Monte Carlo

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ECCE Cycles' Opus Cruise – a blast from the future?
ECCE Cycles
The Opus Sport has semi-dropped handlebars
ECCE Cycles
The Opus Sport has an all-black color scheme
ECCE Cycles
ECCE Cycles' Opus Sport
ECCE Cycles
ECCE Cycles' Opus Sport
ECCE Cycles
ECCE Cycles' Opus Cruise – a blast from the future?
ECCE Cycles
The Opus Cruise features accents in natural brown leather and chrome
ECCE Cycles
ECCE Cycles' Opus Cruise
ECCE Cycles
ECCE Cycles' Opus Cruise
ECCE Cycles
A wooden Opus prototype on display at LikeBike Monte Carlo
ECCE Cycles
A wooden Opus prototype on display at LikeBike Monte Carlo
ECCE Cycles
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How does a bike manage to stand out at LikeBike Monte Carlo, an international luxury bike show that's currently in its second year? Well, it helps if looks like it's rolled straight out of a Flash Gordon comic – and ECCE Cycles' Opus certainly does.

The Opus was created by Belgian architect/designer Pierre Lallemand, and was developed in partnership with Belgium's Ripley Bikes. Although a wooden-framed model is on the way, it's currently being offered in two carbon fiber versions – the Opus Cruise and Opus Sport.

Both models feature a leather Brooks saddle and handlebar grips, along with a Gates Carbon belt drive, an 11-speed Shimano Alfine rear hub transmission, and a nice retro-looking headlight. There's no word on weight.

The Opus Sport has an all-black color scheme
ECCE Cycles

The Cruise is a little more "rustic"-looking for lack of a better word, featuring accents in natural brown leather and chrome. While the Sport is equipped similarly to the Cruise – albeit with lower handlebars – its color scheme is pure stealthy black.

If you like what you see, you can place a pre-order through the link below, with shipping expected to begin at the end of September. Should you wish to hold out for the wooden Opus, it ought to be ready by the beginning of next year. Be aware, though – a company rep tells us that prices start at €9,500 (about US$10,798) for the two carbon models, while the wood will go for €15,000 to €18,000 ($17,049 to $20,458).

The Opus can be seen in action, in the following video.

Source: ECCE Cycles

View gallery - 10 images
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7 comments
tacheonabike
i like the look and design of the frame , looks retro and avant garde at the same time, but that price , given even run of the mill components a max at 2k...... a rich fools plaything to cruise down the tree-lined avenue to the gatehouse!
exodous
Yeah, that bike wouldn't take long to vanish where I lock up my currently. I think every bike with that frame design is in the multiples of ks.
f8lee
Huh, and here I see it as an updated version of the SoftRide bike from over a decade ago....
NL4M
Bike does not seem to dress friendly (re-the photo of the lady)
sk8dad
So, owning an uber-expensive retro incarnation of the Trek Y Foil will help me increase my odds of having multiple near-collisions with an attractive cyclist of the opposite gender who is riding a similarly expensive model that will ultimately result in romantic intimacy framed by a backdrop of a beautiful sunset? Sign me up...but do you offer any assurances that the bike will deliver beyond just being expensive and looking different just to be different?
ljaques
Only TWENTY GRAND for a bike shaped like a wannabe Nike logo swoosh? Cool? no. Bogus! Absolutely.
unklmurray
I do not understand why they make such things,....while this a nice and pretty bike ,It is way too expensive to be bought by most people! I don't understand the why,it just wasted 15minutes of my time just checking this expensive waste of time..........LOL :-)