A spin on the Cervin

Wendy McLellan takes a spin on the Cervin
Photo: Sam Leung

See the original article from "The Province"

A spin on the Cervin 09

It's a bike that demands a wicker basket filled with fresh flowers. And do they make helmets yet that look like wide-brimmed hats?
I was riding around the driveway of a North Vancouver hotel, but Opus's new urban bike, the Cervin, had me imagining I was cruising a cobbled street in Europe on the way to a cafe.
The colour -- "creme brulée with a sand finish" according to the bike's designer Stéphane Le Beau -- is too pretty for spandex. Luckily, the bike comes outfitted with a chain guard so riding in a skirt is a possibility.

The upright frame is a comfortable change from the forward-leaning posture typical of North American bikes, and it's kind of nice to see the scenery while you ride.
The fenders and rack come with the bike, and are painted the same creamy colour. To make it even more irresistible to the stylish neighbourhood cyclist, it has soft, brown stitched-leather handles and a matching brown leather seat.
It looks great, but it's also got potential as a commuter bike with 24 gears, high-quality components and an attractive retail price of about $575.

Le Beau said he designed the bike with a downtown Montreal resident in mind. (We forgive him for that -- he is from Montreal -- but the bike will likely be just as popular on the West Coast).
"I could have called it the café bike," Le Beau said. "It's really for a city person. It's not a bike to take on long tours, but it's great for commuting or for neighbourhood shopping."
It may be time to consider another set of wheels for those little neighbourhood trips.

Urban bike sets wheels a'whirring
High gas prices, green concerns have people flocking to cycle shops.

It's a good time to be in the bicycle business. High gas prices and an interest in doing something to help the planet are convincing more people to switch to two-wheelers for local transportation -- and bringing a new group of customers into bike shops that used to be populated by cycling enthusiasts and kids.
"We're selling tons of commuter bikes. It's a big market right now," said Chaz Romalis, owner of North Vancouver's Cove Bike Shop.
"Business is awesome. The price of gas is driving people to start commuting by bike. Sales are up 200 per cent for asphalt bikes -- it's just taking off."
Romalis was one of the B.C. bike retailers who attended yesterday's preview of the 2009 models of Opus bikes.
It's the first time the Montreal-based bike manufacturer has given B.C. retailers the first look at its new models, and an indication the eight-year-old company is ready to push harder in the western market.
After launching in 2001 with a small line of road bikes, Opus, which is owned by Outdoor Gear Canada, introduced 52 models across a range of styles, from entry-level bikes to all-mountain bikes and high-end, road-racing bikes you can dangle on one finger.
But it was the new line of urban bikes that grabbed the retailer's attention yesterday. The bikes, which will be priced at less than $600, have the Old-World style of traditional European bikes combined with lightweight aluminum frames and gears.

Stéphane Le Beau, a bike designer for Opus and a world champion cyclist, said he designed the two urban bikes for people who want to ride around their neighbourhood rather than drive to the shops, as well as for commuters who live less than 10 kilometres from their workplace.
"I wanted a bike to ride on the street, a perfect city bike," Le Beau said. "It's not flashy, but it has a certain style. I think it's really going to catch on."
George Inglis, co-owner of Ace Cycle Shop, said hybrids and commuter bikes are the biggest sellers at his store on West Broadway in Vancouver.
"People are looking for a bike for the neighbourhood, something to save on gas money," Inglis said. "And these bikes look good, not the same-old same-old."
Bruce Wenting, owner of Wentings Cycle in Mission, said his customers are looking for bikes to use for short trips rather than for commuting long distances, and he predicts the urban bikes will be popular.
"It's like, all of a sudden there's this new invention that's cheaper than a car for getting around," he said.

Rob White, vice-president of sales for Outdoor Gear Canada, said cycling enthusiasts remain a major part of Opus's market, but bike commuters are getting more attention from North American industry.
"People are turning to bikes for commuting to do something for the environment, for their health and to save a buck on gas," White said. "Five years ago, it was cool to show up at work in a Hummer. Nowadays, the cool people show up on bikes."

The Province
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Page: A26 / FRONT
Section: Money
Byline: Wendy Mclellan
wmclellan@theprovince.com
Source: The Province


Opus Cervin 09 - Available December 08
(large picture
photo : Marc Dussault

The Slow Bike mouvement

À vrais dire, il y a certainement déjà plusieurs définitions du Slow Bike. Mais s’il fallait que l'on définisse selon ce qu'on ressent de cette démarche, ce ne serait pas par « lenteur » mais bien par « calme », ce ne serait pas non plus par « vélo », mais plutôt par « objet ». Objet dans le sens de design, d’outil, de fonctionnalité et d’esthétisme. Attrait de l’objet? Oui, cet attrait qui fait qu’on est poussé à utiliser l’objet et, dans un sens, à le respecter.

Mais c’est avant tout ce fameux « calme », si rare en milieu urbain qui est à la base du concept. Si rare? En fait, pas si difficile à trouver si on pense autrement. Il faut savoir redéfinir son trajet, se déplacer en s’écartant du brouhaha effervescent et grondant de la ville. Il est de ces rues, dans toutes villes aussi achalandées soient-elles, qui sont baignées de sérénité, même, quelquefois, juste à côté d’une grosse artère.

En observant nos congénères vélocipédiques, on réalise que la plupart d’entres eux sont en fait des automobilistes à deux-roues qui établissent leurs parcours cyclistes selon ce qu’ils connaissent derrière un volant. Alors pas étonnant que ceux-ci se retrouvent quelques fois dans des situations mal adaptées à leur nouvelle condition. Et c’est probablement ceux-là mêmes qui témoignent au tout venant des dangers du cyclisme en milieu urbain.

Le Slow Bike, c’est savoir prendre une parallèle, dans tous les sens du terme, autant en choisissant un parcours alternatif qu’en pensant autrement ses déplacements. C’est faire de ses déplacements un moment à soi, pour soi, un moment de réflexion. C’est voir les choses sous un autre angle, diraient certains. Mieux encore, c’est voir les choses dans la même direction, sous le même angle, mais avec une interprétation différente, plus posée, plus… calme!C'est alors que l'on s'apercevra d'un détail d'architecture qui nous avait jusqu'à présent complètement échappé, une juxtaposition de couleurs sur une façade, une odeur passagère et inspirante, une scène de rue fugace presque cinématographique, un regard croisé nous laissant une certaine émotion, un son, une musique, une fraîcheur...

Le "Slow Bike" est une sorte d'éveil des sens, une sensibilisation à son environnement. Lorsqu'on a goûté à cette dimension vélocipédique, il est difficile de revenir en arrière et chaque sortie, chaque déplacement devient alors une raison supplémentaire au bien-être. Et on a juste envie de recommencer.

Une autre définition de l’adepte du slow bike, selon Montreal Cycler :
« L’adepte du Slow Bike ne se change pas pour se déplacer en vélo, en allant travailler ou faire ses courses. Il circule à une vitesse qui permet de mesurer chaque coup de pédale tout en ayant assez de marge de manoeuvre pour éviter les dangers. Circuler lentement permet de rester en contact avec son environnement. »
www.montrealcykler.blogspot.com/2008/06/slow-bike-movement.html

URBANISTA blog registration

URBANISTA - BICYCLES, ART & CULTURE

Good day,

By definition, if you propose yourself to participate in the URBANISTA blog, it’s because you love urban bike, art and culture!
This is creating a cultural blog, a community of urban cyclists concerned about their environment and their lifestyle.

The first step to become a co-author of this blog is to send us a text of your own by e-mail at: vinyl.21@live.com
If your first draft is accepted, you will receive an invitation from the URBANISTA blog through Blogger.com. Then you’ll have to officially register and publish your text on the blog.

Acceptance criteria to participate in the URBANISTA blog:

• You are an urban cyclist.
• You own an Opus bike of the Urbanista or urban line-up.
• You love to write.
• You like art and culture ... the good life, whatever!

Criteria and rules for posting an article on the URBANISTA blog:

• All topics are presented in the header. (Eg, art, artist, exhibition, transport, etc..). If a new subject appears, and it inspires you, feel free to create a text.
• All subjects must be connected in one way or another to urban bike.
• The texts can be short or long. It can be as simple as an observation, a reflection on your daily route or information on an exhibition, for example. A subject can also tickle your inspiration at the point of writing a new literary ... Free to you.
• The texts must be clearly tasteful and well written. Monitor your spelling whenever possible.
• If you embed an image, it must be clear of any copyright or must be mentioned at the bottom of the picture in caption (short text). Preferably, use your own pictures.
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• All text and photos vulgar, hateful, vindictive, racist, sexist and others, and plagiarism will be eliminated automatically and the right to participate in the blog will be revoked immediately.
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Thank you and welcome on URBANISTA, bicycles, art and culture.