Medium is roughly the same size as a large Epic EVO. Size up with caution, especailly if you want to run a longer than 35mm stem or a longer dropper.

I’m 6’2, but shorter legs and have a large. while I could easily have got a XL and probably used a 40-50mm stem, the 540mm seat tube would be a tad tall. running 70mm stem on the large, could go down to 60mm, if I wanted to I guess.

I do fall between sizes in most bikes, but decided that something with a 500mm reach should be OK for me to size cautiously with!

I’ve signed up here just to specifically reply to you. I’ve had the rapide FS CR now for about a month n half and haven’t a bad word to say about it.
I’ve ridden a 100mm hardtail for the last 3/4 years and done nearly everything on that, from trail centres to absolute natural gnar too.
The rapide feels like the absolute perfect upgrade bike for me as I’m currently canal and single track riding to and from work each day which totals around 25 miles there and back.
I went with the XL and I’m 6″3, with the big stem it came with, it did feel a little big. Don’t slate me, but I’ve changed out the stem and bar to a 35mm hope stem and hope carbon bars at 800mm, which I previously had on my hardtail, it feels ideal now for smashing the work miles in and what I’m comfortable with. (I will however probably change the bar at some point and go with 760mm)
I’ve managed a few night rides in the woods and down some pretty steep tech stuff along with some steady rock gardens and it’s handled everything so far.
Making the change from the hardtail, its an absolute breeze uphill and aggressive enough to ride fairly quickly downhill too. Every time I get on it, I feel like I just want to keep going and going.
I’ve never done any proper xc races, but I’ve already decided on having a crack at a few races next year.

I’m 182cm and have a large with a 125mm dropper. Sometimes wish I’d gotten a medium with a longer drop as the steep seat angle makes the seat right between my thighs when I lean back going down the steeps so I end up leaning forward more than I should.

Going to try a 150mm dropper on it and see how I get on but was worried I’d have to slam it right on the seat post clamp which I don’t like so got the 125mm

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/martinddd/TF4Kx4]2021-11-14_05-13-08[/url] by martinddd, on Flickr

So here it is, spent a bit more than planned. Did it’s first ride today 37miles & 4238′ sooooo much traction compared to my HT, didn’t feel the need to lock it out, rode really nicely. Loved it.

My build weighs in @ 26.8lbs complete (pedals, 180ml sealant, dropper, bottle cage, 2.4″ tyres, i28mm rims etc), you could probably get it down to 25lbs with a 32mm SID fork, SIDLuxe shock, different cranks, wheels & tyres.

Many thanks to @lovewookie for answering all my questions.

Looks really good, I hadn’t heard of the Vitus Rapide let alone the Carbonda! The geometry looks almost exactly what I would like, it’s very tempting

Hows everyone who has one, getting on with theirs?

I’m still fettling mine to get it feeling right. dropped the stem down a bit, but may end up with a 50mm. however I’m a bit concerned as it feels very short with the 70mm in, so I’d most likely need to move the saddle back a touch. However, I am finding that I’m needing a lot of pressure for sag. I’m about 88Kg in my socks and had about 290psi in the SIDluxe to get 25% sag and not have it overly active. I have a Fox DPS in at the moment, about 310psi for the same, though it’s a much more active shock in open position I’m not yet convinced the medium setting is managing that any better than an open setting on the SIDLuxe. Maybe I should just get the shock set from Medium to firm low speed compression.

I did notice that with the shock out of the frame, the bike will support itself. As in, the suspension kinda floats on the flex in the stays. However, I didn’t manage to measure how much the eye to eye is, so where that relates to in terms of shock stroke.

conversely I’ve had to drop about 20psi from the fork than I would with a non slack frame. maybe slackness, may be longness, may be both.

Guess just persist for a bit longer. After longer rides I do find I feel like I’ve had more of a workout compared to my normal, traditional geo bike!

🙂

Has anyone had to replace or buy a spare rear mech hanger for their bike/frame yet ?
Mrs Yet1man has got the 100mm NS Synonym and we are trying to get a spare mech hanger but failing so far. NS bikes won’t post to the UK, CRC don’t have any as far as we can find, North shore Billet don’t make them. Anywhere else we can try ?

@Yet1man https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/vitus-rapide-fs-rear-gear-hanger/rp-prod206049 is showing as in stock, if not buy direct from http://www.carbonda.com/ who are great to deal with.

@lovewookie

Hows everyone who has one, getting on with theirs?

Great so far, i fitted a second hand but new SID Select+ to the front of mine, initially 120mm but managed to get hold of 100mm & 110mm air shafts, tried 100mm and didn’t like it as too twitchy so opted for the Goldilocks option of 110mm which seems great as 60psi. Got a Deluxe Ultimate rear shock @160psi, run it in the middle position of the 3 compression settings unless honking up a long road climb when i’ll add compression if i can be bothered. I’m running both around 27.5% sag.

Worth noting that SID forks are really 10mm short of their advertised travel as that final 10mm really has to be earnt by squashing the bottom out bumper with an almighty big hit, which is real difficult to achieve.

When I unpacked my frame without a shock fitted it supported itself like you mention, this eased a bit when i thread locked the bolts but was still there, i put it down to built in chainstay flex, but like you i didn’t measure the eye to eye to see where in the travel it was occuring, was definitely towards the end of the stroke.

Mine came in at 12.2kg inc pedals, 2.4″ tyres, dropper, i28mm rims and the Select+ & deluxe suspension (could loose 300g using an Ultimate & Luxe).

Liking it so far, coming from 27.5 HT the 29er wheels feel “bigger” but i’m sure i’ll adapt. I think it suits my local doorstep riding, 20 miles / 3000′ of ascent yesterday, easier on my back, digs in on real steep loose surfaces. I’m happy.

I’ll be ordering a complete bolt kit in the new year and probably another spare hanger, just in case.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXwMpl0MGgA/?utm_medium=copy_link

@qwerty looks good. I think I should’ve gone with the XL, though a 21.5″ seat tube is still way too tall for me.
Got mine in the classifieds, not sure of price though, considering it’s only a couple of months old, think it’s about right. :-/

Matt page has reviewed one here:
https://off.road.cc/content/review/bikes/2021-vitus-rapide-fs-cr-review-8933

Does anyone know what base tune the rockshox shock needs for this bike?

Ive got the FM936 Carbonda bike, but was a bit niave to shock selection when i got it, and its a bit weird at the moment with the Medium/medium tune rockshox ultimate. Feels plush through to midstroke, & +1 LSC gives it nice pedalling, but then it dives through the last part of the stroke on big hits, even with extra volume spacers. I suspect it needs a high compression base tune, but it may just be my riding style.

Similarly, I’m reapproaching this as an idea (building it up to race xc and do easy trail riding) and can’t get over whether to buy medium or large.

500mm reach is absurd; my large SB130 is 480 and that feels good. The medium is 475, or 470ish once you put a 110 fork on. Surely that length and wheelbase are going to be a total nause to manhandle around your average UK XC circuit, especially once you factor in a 60mmish stem. FWIW I’m about 5’11/6.

I’d say a high compression would work best. I found the m/m setting on the sidluxe not too bad, providing I whacked a lot of pressure in it, but pedalling would benefit from a higher compression, if you can find someone to do it.

I fitted mine with a fox DPS, that sorted a lot of things out in the medium stiffness setting.

(@continuity my large is still in the classifieds btw..open to offers ;-))

@lovewookie

Pretty set on the flyweight build as I want to race it buddy – and v expensive to find 250g elsewhere!

I’m also a short arse by comparison and am tending towards medium…

@continuity
fair enough.
in seriousness, if you’re near 6′ a large is probably better. vitus have the sizing recommendations pretty close tbh, and a large is 5’10-6’2. I’m 6’2 and my large feels quite small.

Strange recs tho no? A modern large Enduro bike usually comes in at 475-480, which is the medium here.

I fitted a RockShox Deluxe Ultimate RCT Debon Air 380lb to mine,there wasn’t a lot to choose from at the time. The other option was a SID Luxe but they offer no compression damping, just open or locked. The Deluxe Ultimate RCT was a good buy, I run it in the neutral compression setting pretty much all of the time, I may use the higher compression setting for a long road climb, I don’t use the fully open setting and never the lockout. Works well and suits me and the frame.

Can anyone that has fitted a dropper to their ‘Rapide’ give me some pointers ?

Does the cable simply run down the downtube and into the BB and then up the seat tube ? There is a hole between tubes, so this is obviously possible, but… the hole is pretty small and the edges seem sharp, plus it seems a little tight in the BB area for the cable and the BB centre tube !?

thought it ran down the downtube, over the top of the BB shell and up the seat tube. the hole in the BB shell being a point to push it up from.

NB this is for the BSA BB ones.

if you’re concerned about the sharp edges, take a bit of light sanding to it.

I routed my dropper cable in from the BB, one end up the seat tube, the other up the downtube, last bit was a tad tight but worked well, better than trying to pass a length of the cable outer past the BB area.

Sorry it’s another dropper post query. The specs say it’ll take a 31.6 diameter seatpost, would this 100mm dropper that’s currently on offer fit within the frame? The online reviews suggest that there’s a spare cable port for an internally routed one?

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/brand-x-ascend-dropper-seatpost-100-125-150

(I’ve not got the bike yet, I’m intending buy Size L, at 6 foot 2). I’m not fussed about being able to drop it massively, I just want to make sure the highest height, is sufficient (if that makes sense)

Mine came with a 30t chainring which seems a little under geared but anyone know what’s the biggest that can be fitted? Probably go 34t if i can…looks like it could cope but thought id check

@bossworld that’s the one i just fitted with 125mm drop on medium frame

Reviews on CRC say 34t max, mate

I had to give up and move on. CRC/Wiggle aren’t taking CycleScheme again until H2 2023. Gone for an Orbea Oiz H10 TR instead