BOSTON (BRAIN) — Canadian bike brand Opus Bicycles has signed a multi-year agreement with Vittoria Industries North America making VINA its exclusive distributor for the U.S. market.
Opus, the proprietary bike brand of Montreal-based distributor Outdoor Gear Canada, first entered the U.S. market five years ago with a dealer-direct strategy. For 2017, VINA will initially continue this strategy in select U.S. markets, with plans to expand nationwide in the coming years.
The Opus line includes a broad urban program covering urban performance, hybrid and its fashion-focused Urbanista models, as well as trail and youth bikes. For 2017, Opus is also introducing its Opus e-bike program.
“We’ve developed a very successful approach to the urban market,” Opus general manager Alain Bovet said. “We recognized that there are many types of urban cyclists and that a shop that wants to cater to this growing market needs a range of bikes for those different types of riders. That`s what we offer.”
“And that’s what appealed to VINA,” VINA president E.J. Riordan said. “Opus provides something unique to a growing segment of the bike market. They have an exceptional range of very attractive, well-spec’d bikes for urban cyclists of every description. Everything they produce is well thought out. And we had an opportunity to test their new e-bikes at their recent dealer presentation. We were very impressed, to say the least.”
VINA will roll out the Opus program in select U.S. markets for 2017. It will warehouse the bikes in Oklahoma. First deliveries are expected in early 2017.
For more information, VINA commercial director Dan McKenna can be reached at d.mckenna@vittoria.com.
For more about Opus’ latest plans for the U.S. market, see the Aug. 15 issue of Bicycle Retailer & Industry News.
