Hi all … after quite a few years not riding I’ve got the bug again and looking at 130/140 trail bikes around 2k , this vitus has caught my eye but I dont know much about them. I would mainly be riding Cannock Chase with a few trips to Wales occasionally.

vitus escarpe vrx

or something like the canyon spectral perhaps?

spectral 7ex

This will be my 1st FS bike after years on an old GT hardtail (size M) which i feel is slightly too small for me (I’m just under 5’11)

A lot of the reviews Ive read lately keep saying that bikes are coming up short in size – but the bikes own websites keep recommending a size medium for my height which is no help when ordering over the internet.

Thanks in advance

Stu.

They’ll be shorter than you were once used to, but it does sound like you’d definitely be best on a medium, not large. Vitus & Canyon are both good value for money but thats because you buy direct, something which sounds like it’s not best suited to you at the moment tbh, you’d be better to sling your leg over some bikes at a local bike shop. They’ve both got a lot of travel, something I think new riders are drawn into getting too much of. Saying that I’m sure you’ll enjoy whatever you get – I’d personally go with the Canyon, in a medium.

Thanks for your advice …. much appreciated.

I’m going to go to my local leisure lakes this weekend and have a good look around.

I was looking at the Spectral 18 months ago and kept reading that they where short in the top tube so maybe this is playing in the back of my mind …. I think they have made it longer on the 2015 & 2016 models from what I’ve read anyway.

Thanks again.

Currently really enjoying my Vitus Escarpe. It’s the 290 but I think the toptubes measure up the same as the 27.5 versions. I’m 6’3 and riding the XL. An MBUK review claimed it was short but it’s the longest reach I’ve ever owned.

Yes, but it’s a tt bike so possibly not the most relevant to this discussion!

at 5ft 11in I think you should get a large

the spectrals have some very good builds for 2016 I noticed.

I’ve just splashed out on the Vitus Sommet, which is the Escarpe’s bigger brother. I’m 6’4″ and have gone for the XL. It’s a great bike, was hooning it down some stuff in the Pennines at night time, on trails I’d never ridden before, with guys who had and it was keeping up no problem. Not noticed any problems with the reach. Have previously owned a Turner 5.Spot, Turner Flux and Norco Sight. Probably the closest comparison is the 5.Spot. Is it as good as that? No. But then the 5.Spot frames retailed at £1,895.00 and I got the whole bike for £1600. If you go for the Vitus you will not be disappointed, but the Canyons review very well too. FWIW I’ve always found Chain Reaction to be very good from a customer service point of view, not so sure that can be said of Canyon

If you’re looking at Canyon Spectral, you’ll need a large. I’m very slightly taller than you and I found the medium cramped.

thanks for all the feedback

diplomatt – read some great reviews on the 290 so that’s a possibility , a few people who I ride with have Cube 29ers and they cant fault them , especially the way they seem to roll over everything! I Dont know why most of the mag reviews seem to think most current bikes seem short for some reason so its good to hear otherwise.

funkrodent – I like the look of the Sommet but probably too much bike for me at the moment, never been let down by CRC either which is a good point.

glad to hear your both enjoying them

wrecker – what were your thoughts on the spectral? what model/year was it you tested ?

Sommet VRX, love, next question? 🙂 Reviews say 99% of bikes are too short unless they have stupidly long reach or 1 metre wide bars. The Sommet has longer reach than an Enduro 650b or a Capra. Those bikes being “short” has hardly held them back sales wise…….

I got the Sommet in the sale, great value considering X1, Reverb Stealth etc, I have just put on some carbon bars I had and changed the forks to a set of Mattocs, oh and the rear tyre was made of lead….

Not looked at the 2016 ones but expect great value again. TO remain unbiased, Canyon also great, can’t really go wrong with either. Both have same potential issues with warranty being online purchase only but I suspect with Vitus (ie CRC) things would be simpler plus their stock levels tend to be more accurate than Canyon..

dlr – sorry to be nosey but how tall are you ? and what size frame did you go for ? I’m just under 5’11 with a 32′ leg so not sure which size to go for .

read some great things on the mattoc fork , previously was only looking at bikes with Pikes but now def considering some with manitous or xfusion after reading how they have improved + being cheaper

I think it was the escarpe described as short?

The sommet is long-ish iirc.

Is on my shortlist for next bike.

wrecker – what were your thoughts on the spectral? what model/year was it you tested ?

Last years. I liked it, there’s nothing to dislike about it TBF.
I would recommend that you also consider the Giant Trance. Not as eye catching spec as the canyon, but a really good bike.

I’ve looked at the Escarpe as a possible next bike and on a large the ETT is listed as 620mm and the Reach as 450mm, this seems pretty on point with other modern frames, no?

Numbers on the Vitus site suggest TT length same across Escarpe/Escarpe 290/Sommet.

Matt

Very happy with my vrx the only thing I have changed from new is the shifters.

I’ve got the Rapide 290 and when I had a warranty issue recently CRC were excellent and made a decision very quickly.

Just sold a Vitus Optimum carbon hard tail. Loved the bike but decided to buy a very good value full susser (see Cannondale thread!).

5′ 10ish and went for a medium.

I’m quite tempted by the 2016 Dominer DH bike when I get one early next year – the 2015 one went 25% discount fairly quickly so if the 2016 did that I would probably go for it. Assuming I don’t find out they’re bins on wheels before then that is 🙂

Wideopenmag review here

Not too long, not too short

The bike is low, slack and fairly long (though not the longest we’ve seen by far). With a short stem, wide bar and loads of stand-over height the bike cries out for aggro riding on aggro trails and has been a blast on the rooty, muddy natural off-piste stuff we’ve been throwing it down. The geometry finds a nice middle ground between stability and playfulness. Where (for example) our Nukeproof Mega TR feels long, surefooted, planted and very stable at the slight expense of flickyness, manuals and little hops the Vitus offers a nice middle ground of stability and playfulness.

thanks for that link …. seemed a pretty good right up , just the sizing issue to sort now . Thinking the medium will be fine as the large seat tube is going to be too long with the 125mm dropper for me I think.

Thanks for the help folks.

I am currently riding a medium 2015 spectral 650b and am 5’10” ,when the canyon sizing calculator put me on a medium frame I was very dubious but eventually trusted them albeit reluctantly but I have to say I’m glad I did as it fits me perfectly.

Anyone else getting on with a Vitus?
Currently eyeing up the carbon Sommet cr.

I haven’t ridden one but having checked out the bikes and chatted with the vitus guys for ages at the bike show bike last year, I was impressed

Stay away from Canyon, if you have any issues they have crap customer service.

Same height as you, on a escarpe 29 in large. Ive managed to squeeze a 150mm dropper in too. Great bike, prefer it to my 2014 stumpjumper evo