Vitus 979

earlethomas · #1 10-16-2019, 06:31 PM

What are your impressions of the Vitus 979? How would it hold up to longer distances, centuries and beyond?

fiamme red · #2 10-16-2019, 06:42 PM

Very comfortable frame on rough roads, even with narrow tires (I have 23 mm on mine).

Flexible enough that climbing out of the saddle can lead to ghost shifting. I'd recommend lower gears than on a stiffer frame.

Best for lighter riders, though I still enjoy riding mine at 180 lbs.

You can get a lot more information here: https://on-the-drops.blogspot.com/20...vitus-979.html.

earlethomas · #3 10-16-2019, 09:03 PM

Thank for the reply, think I'm going for it...

Fivethumbs · #4 10-16-2019, 09:26 PM

Watch this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gez5oR6i_hE

Michael Maddox · #5 10-16-2019, 09:41 PM

About 10 years ago, I built one up with a Mavic group.

I read all I could about the mythical tube separations, and found several people who could disassemble and reassemble the bikes using modern adhesives.

I never did it, however. I rode the bike and LOVED it. It just felt COOL to ride. but it was SUPER flexy...one of those bikes where you can SEE the bottom bracket lurching about under heavy loads.

Still, the cool-factor is very high with these.

Louis · #6 10-16-2019, 09:51 PM

I got a red one a while back when Nashbar was having a NOS blow-out and was planning on using it, but after taking a hard look decided against it.

They're very nice, but I wouldn't use one for anything more than Sunday ice-cream rides. The bonded fork looks (IMO) to be super-scary and is an accident waiting to happen. Think about how old those glue joints are...

They're lovely frames, but I think they're best suited for either decoration on a wall or very light use. No way would I do any serious riding on one.

Jere · #7 10-17-2019, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by earlethomas

What are your impressions of the Vitus 979? How would it hold up to longer distances, centuries and beyond?

Hi
Rode a blue one 30 years ago I think it had Shimano bio pace chain rings
I actually raced the thing !
I’m light so maybe that’s why don’t remember hating it.
I do remember it’s the first bike I learned to put my knee on the top tube
at high speed to keep it from Wobbling you off the road.
I had Harry H from Philadelphia glue the rear brake bridge back on.
Than I had him make me a Cirt bike out of Titanium that’s another long
story

tony_mm · #8 10-17-2019, 02:04 AM

I used one 25 years ago. Very comfortable bike.
Like many riders I used it for trainings during the winter etc...

merckx · #9 10-17-2019, 05:26 AM

A Sunday ice cream ride.

Spoker · #10 10-17-2019, 07:54 AM

The last 150 km of P-R is where that frame still will do very well.
I heard heavier people breaking the Alans, but not the Vitus. There where way more Alans around though.

tv_vt · #11 10-17-2019, 08:02 AM

How do you pronounce Vitus? I always thought it was Vee-tuse, but the guy in that video says Vi-tes.

fiamme red · #12 10-17-2019, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tv_vt

How do you pronounce Vitus? I always thought it was Vee-tuse, but the guy in that video says Vi-tes.

You are correct, and the man in the video is not. It's a French company.

ghammer · #13 10-17-2019, 08:25 AM

I had one back in the day, and raced it as a junior. I was light(ish) as a 16 year old (66-68kgs), however those frames *did* go unglued at the head tube/downtube joint. We'd use rivets to hold them together and then the bike would last another season or 2. the big advantage was that the bike was very light for its time, but flexed a lot. It was also loud on the creaks, but the bike was generally very good for racing. The fork was no issue, the whole flex thing is exaggerate, the main appeal was that it was very comfortable, tracked straight, but flexed. sure was an eye candy. I think more than the issue of the head tube coming unglued was the disastrous rear derailleur hanger. If you crash, you better pray nobody runs into your rear wheel because that thing was flimsy and would break easily. I'd suggest King Kelly went through a few of those a season. No way that frame survived his torque and the massive km volume he'd put on the bike.

jemdet · #14 10-17-2019, 08:44 AM

I occasionally see them locked up here in Brooklyn. There's a guy who rides one around Prospect Park. They look the business.

That being said, I would never ride one. A fellow forum member showed me a photo of a bonded frame (Alan, I believe) that had failed at the headtube during a ride. Completely sheared off. Hard pass.

ultraman6970 · #15 10-17-2019, 09:04 AM

The quality control for the frames that came to the US and S.america were totally different, the ones that made it to the american market are still up and running fine. If you go to s.america probably you wont find a single one still standing fine at all.

When the market is bigger for a large margin manufacturers really fix the stuff because is not the same to have a market of 5000 bikes a year than 50 bikes a year.

The alan IME lasted less time than the vitus but the contructions were different. One had the tubes screwed to the lugs, the other one was just glued. The other thing is that epoxy glue now a days is totally different than what it was back 70s and 80s. As for the forks, well... no comments, that's the only reason I always talk myself out of getting a 992...