14.05 kilograms brings up the rear in this tuning competition. Just a quick glance at the bike, which is partly built with XT parts, proves that it could have weighed considerably more. Nevertheless, the bike felt quite sporty within the test group and climbed well despite the slack seat angle. Downhill, the rear suspension, nominally equipped with 178 millimetres of travel, felt like less travel, but offers sufficient reserves on rough terrain. We played it safe when choosing the sturdy XT brakes and the mighty wide riser bar. Wider tyres could have further improved the downhill performance. The lack of an ISCG mount indicates that MTB-Cyletech sees its Opium 7 more as a long-stroke tourer than a downhill machine.
CONCLUSIONDespite the impressive 178 millimetres of suspension travel, the Opium 7 leaves a rather sporty impression.
Special featuresgem-set spacer, chain guide without ISCG mount
Priceapprox. 6300 Euro, frame 2499 Euro
DistributionMTB Cycletech, Tel. 0041/447732020, www.mtb-cycletech.com
