NOS Vitus at Nashbar

[eddief]

These look mighty fine. What is the history of these framesets and anything to suggest a purchase?

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=130&subcategory=1176&brand=&sku=13102&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

[David Kirk]

Sean Kelly won everything known to man on one........

Dave

[zap]

Wow, someone still has these frames. I have a few friends that still ride these.

[jerk]

Sean Kelly won everything known to man on one........

Dave


let's rephrase that. sean kelly won everything known to man inspite of being on one.
jerk

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . for 17 years before getting the Queen Bee. It’s now fitted out as a tri-bike that I take out several times per year. When I got it, it had (and still has) Campy Nuovo Record drivetrain and early Dura-Ace brakes.

Compared to what most other bikes looked like in 1985, there’s no denying it’s a pretty frame. I found mine to be very responsive but rather harsh on long rides with the aluminum fork. They were some of the first AL frames and were glued, not welded, and then the whole frame was put in an autoclave where the glue polymerized. Mine was noodly around the bottom bracket and would ghost shift on hard sprints if the front derailleur was not adjusted juuuuuust right. It also had a scary habit of developing a shimmy on fast downhills. Once I learned to clamp the top tube between my legs on the descents it was fine, though. I originally ascribed these problems to the frame, but later have been told the shimmy could just as well have been the tires or wheels and the ghost shifts could have come from the chainrings bending as much as the frame.

I think it’s neat they have found some NOS to sell, but I think they’re asking way too much for them. Things have really moved on from 126mm spacing and 1” steer tubes in general. I had also thought mine was rare after seeing only a few others on the road in those 17 years, but check on eBay today and there are often quite a few--some can be had in very good condition as a complete bike for less than the $500 they are asking for just the frame.

That being said, it would be so cool to have a red one shod with Heliums with those red rims, and red everything else! . . . :p

BBDave

[Dr. Doofus]

Your Doof would love one, simply because of your guy's obsession with semi-crappy bikes that suit his semi-crappy talent and 80s obsession...speaking of which, Tenpole Tudor never sounded better than they did this morning as your Doof got ready for the ride singing "wunderbar...wunderbar" at the top of his scrawny lungs...whatever....

[vaxn8r]

Waaaaayyyy overpriced. I'd think about $250 would be just about right...even then????

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . on eBay just for personal interest, and I’m sure if you look for a month or so you could pick up a complete bike in good to very good condition for the price they are asking for the frame.

BBDave

[Spectrum Bob]

I have a Vitus 992 – Royal Blue, very pretty frame with a Mavic integrated head set - a lot stiffer in the bottom bracket than the 979 – I rode it for about 7 years before I got my Spectrum – I did find the corning a little vague over 35 mph – one of these days I plan to make a fixie out of it

[dnovo]

"And the lucky second prize winner will get two of these remarkable frames!" I agree with el Jerk, one step above self abuse, and also agree with the other poster's observation that way overpriced even for this crap. Tried one about two years ago, when I was offered a 'like new' fully built up ride for about this price. Thanks but no thanks. Dave N.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . I agree that the frame may be “crap” by TODAY’S standards, but at the time they were new they were leading edge for race bikes. Sean Kelly rode one for a reason. The frame is remarkably light and really stiff--look at what else was available at the time. It just looks to me like some twenty-something purchasing guy at Nashbar found these and got a little too enthusiastic. It’s not the first time I’ve seen a purchasing, ah, “mis-step” in the Nashbar catalog. Last year they actually had some Girvin flex-stems they were trying to get ride of for like $5 apiece. And Performance is STILL trying to get rid of some all-carbon Aspide saddles in different colors for $270 a shot. Ouch!

Ease up, man . . . :p

BBDave

[dnovo]

Sean rode one because he was paid to do so, Dave. A pro will ride what he is paid to ride, and may be riding something entirely different than the production frames sold to the public. That is hardly something unique to Vitus. Why should we encourage anyone to spend too much money (the Nashbar price is silly) on dated framesets that were marginal for their day, and downright scary by current standards. And I would lighten up if we weren't having an ice storm here and could have gotten out to ride this morning rather than spend a boring hour on the trainer here next to the computer. Okay, I'm cranky, but I have an excuse today. Dave N.

[bubba]

. . . Sean Kelly rode one for a reason. The frame is remarkably light and really stiff--look at what else was available at the time.

BBDaveCheck your Metalurgy 101 and youngs modulus. Standard diameter aluminum cannot be light and as stiff as steel.There was a very good reason for going to oversize tubes with aluminum.

[Big Dan]

The Vitus 979 is / was a lot of things, but one thing it wasn't was stiff... :confused: ....no way, no how.
I dumped one on the curb in front of my house and no one even pick it up....In the end it sounded like maybe it needed a little more glue on the seat tube bb joint............ :crap:

[vaxn8r]

I'll second that they were not stiff at all. Noodly would be more appropriate. But at least the fork transmitted plenty of road harshness.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . confusing “stiff” with “harsh” . . . and I never meant to “encourage” anyone to buy one of these frames at the wildly overpriced Nashbar sale. But I would still hardly characterize them as “crap.”

Yes, I’m a bit cranky today, too! ;)

But keep in mind that the 979 was my “wonderbike” . . . it was my first “real” racing bike and I loved mine dearly--and still do. Now, however, it is a “wonderbike” of another kind after my getting a Serotta--I look at it and wonder why it took me so long to get a new bike! ;)

Plus, it MUST be a good bike--they named a saint and a dance after it! :rolleyes:

BBDave