In case you’ve not heard of Vitus before, it is one of the in-house brands of Chain Reaction Cycles (and now Wiggle). It has a compact range of bikes, previously a little closer to the entry-level end of the market. On the gravel front, the Substance was introduced last year as a steel-framed #dirtydropbargoodness adventure/gravel toy.
It proved popular, so for 2019 Chain Reaction Cycles has decided to add a carbon model to the ranks. Its eye is on those of us who maybe want something a little lighter and performance oriented than it’s easy to wring out of a steel frame at this price. Vitus has retained the key features of its steel model, like a sloping top-tube and 650b/700c wheel compatibility.
The Substance CRX comes with an all carbon fork, full SRAM 1×11 Apex groupset with hydraulic brakes and 650b “roadplus” wheels. It is priced at £1799.99.
The steel version (known simply as the Substance) is still available, with a full carbon fork, Shimano Sora 2×9 groupset, TRP Spyre cable disc brakes and 700c wheels. It keeps it’s entry-level credentials, costing £949.99.
Finally, there is a flat-bar version of the steel Substance, with an almost identical set up to its curly barred version, other than the obvious. Even the price is identical.
Full specifications, geometry charts and ordering from Chain Reaction Cycles.
