The Vitus brand is owned by mail order giants Chain Reaction Cycles, with the range – which covers mountain and road bikes – available exclusively from them. The buying process is therefore straightforward – go to the website, choose a bike, add it to your basket, pay, then wait a day or two until a huge box arrives on your doorstep. Bikes come mostly assembled – you just need to straighten the bars.
The frame
Next to the distinctly refined Trek, Canyon and Cube,
the Vitus looks a tiny bit industrial, especially around the rear end –
although the replaceable bolt-on dropouts on both sides are a nice touch. It
definitely looks like there’s been some deployment of the big Far Eastern frame
part catalogue here, but it’s not as if using the same head tube or chainstay
pivot as some other bike detracts from the performance in any way. Money saved
by not designing from scratch things that already exist is money that can be
spent on parts. The important thing is that everything works and it’s all in
the right place.
One notable cost-saver is that the Escarpe only comes
in three sizes. It’s a pragmatic decision on Vitus’s part – the sizes on offer
will fit the needs of at least 90 per cent of the population – and actually
makes choosing a size easier, which is useful when you’re buying online.
You’d probably want the help of a shop to decide
whether you’re best with a 17.5in or 18.5in Trek, for example, but most people
would be able to narrow themselves down to small, medium or large. Of course,
with significant gaps between sizes you’re more likely to have to compromise your
riding position compared to bikes that come in five or six sizes, and you may
find yourself doing a bit of swapping around of stems.
On the subject of stems, the Vitus comes with a pretty
short one. At 65mm on a size large bike, the Escarpe’s front end is distinctly
handy, especially as the 740mm bar is the widest here. The steering components are
a good fit with the Escarpe’s long, low, relaxed frame.
The kit
Somewhat to our surprise, the Escarpe is the only bike
here to come with a 2x10 transmission. The triple crankset clearly isn’t dead
yet. The 24/38t chainrings and 11-36t cassette give a decent range of gears,
with less chain flapping about than a triple. A Shimano XT Shadow+ clutch rear
mech keeps what chain there is in check, and there are ISCG tabs on the frame
if you need even more security.
Most bikes come with the same size tyres front and
rear, but the Escarpe has a big 2.2in Continental X-King out back and an even
bigger 2.4in X-King up front. Given the shape of the Vitus, a set-up that gives
scope for more grip at the front is a sound choice.
The ride
While the Vitus doesn’t have the design flair or
construction refinement of the big-brand competition, it doesn’t seem to matter
all that much out on the trail. Of all the bikes here, the Vitus is the one
that’s closest to the currently in-vogue slack/long/low geometry style. It’s
also got the most travel. The combination of these factors makes it the obvious
choice for anyone wanting to get a little crazy.
The Escarpe pretty much demands a committed riding
style – with a long front centre (the distance between the bottom bracket and
front wheel axle) and short stem, you need to haul yourself forward to keep the
front wheel biting, but the relatively low front end and wide bar make it easy.
Even if that’s not your natural riding style, it’s well worth trying to get
into it. The shape of the Vitus makes it poised and confidence-inspiring on the
hairy stuff, and it’ll still hustle its way through tight singletrack if you’re
prepared to put the effort in.
About the only place where the geometry falls short is
when you’re winching up steep climbs – you really need to get your weight
forward and low to keep the front end tracking straight rather than wandering
off line. Only you will know if that’s an issue for you – for us it’s a price
worth paying for the Escarpe’s ‘pocket downhill bike’ descending abilities.
The RockShox suspension is well up to the task too.
RockShox rear shocks have come on massively in recent years. Once largely the
preserve of entry-level bikes, they’re now being specced on increasingly spendy
tackle. The Escarpe’s Monarch is every bit as good as the Performance Series
Fox Float that it’s up against at this price point, and in some ways better –
many riders (us included) like the lively feel that the Monarch delivers. You
don’t get any multi-position compression damping cleverness, but if you’re of the
“set it and forget it” persuasion then the RockShox shock’s easy-touse rebound
clicker and simple lockout lever will be just the ticket.
SO GOOD
Up-to-the-minute geometry serves up high-speed thrills
Corking parts spec for the money Sensible all-up weight considering its
capability
NO GOOD
Only three sizes Not the most sophisticated construction
The Vitus is a little unsophisticated in places, but
you can’t argue with the value or the ride
ISCG mounts - Tabs on the bottom bracket shell that allow
you to mount a chain guide.
Compression Damping - The damping circuit in shocks and forks
that controls how fast they move when you hit a bump. Low-speed compression
damping is often adjustable so you can minimise ‘bob’ from pedalling.
WEIGHT 13.7kg (30.2lb)
FRAME Hydroformed 6061-T6 aluminium, 140mm (5.5in) travel
SIZES 15.5, 17.25, 19in*
FORK RockShox Sektor Gold RL Solo Air, 140mm (5.5in) travel
SHOCK RockShox Monarch RT
HEADSET FSA Orbit
WHEELS
Hubs: Easton EA70 XL Disc
Rims: Easton EA70 XL Disc
Spokes: Stainless
Wheel weight: 2.0kg F, 2.6kg R
TYRES Continental X-King, 27.5x2.4in F, 27.5x2.2in R
CRANKSET/BOTTOM BRACKET FSA V-Drive, 24/38t /FSA MegaExo
DERAILLEURS Shimano Deore XT F, Shimano Deore XT Shadow+ R
SHIFTERS Shimano Deore XT
CASSETTE/CHAIN Shimano, 11-36t, 10-speed /KMC X10
BRAKES Shimano SLX,
180/180mm
BAR/STEM/GRIPS Vitus Riser/Vitus forged/Vitus Lock-On
SADDLE/SEATPOST Vitus / Vitus Alloy
PRICE: 2875$
