Vitus returns to the United States
If you utter the brand name, Vitus, to many American cyclists, an image immediately comes up of cutting-edge bonded aluminum frames from decades past, all polished and shiny. Maybe even Greg LeMond comes to mind. But like so many legacy brands, the Vitus of today bears little resemblance to the Vitus of yesteryear, and the modern version is a direct-to-consumer brand with aggressive pricing and seemingly excellent performance – and now, those bikes are once again available in the United States.
Vitus is initially bringing a limited selection stateside, although the selection still includes road, gravel, trail, enduro, and kid’s bikes – 14 models in total, with more planned for later.
On the road side, the Vitesse EVO CRS eTap AXS is Vitus’s lightweight all-rounder, featuring a modern-looking carbon fiber frame with nominally round tube shapes that prioritize stiffness over aerodynamics, clearance for 700×30 mm tires, a hidden wedge-type binder for the round 27.2 mm-diameter seatpost, a BB386EVO press-fit bottom bracket shell, and – hallelujah – only partially internal cable routing. Vitus will offer six sizes in total, but just a single SRAM Force eTap AXS build kits with Reynolds AR29 carbon wheels for now. Claimed weight is 7.62 kg (16.8 lb) and retail price is US$4,600.
Riders that prioritize aerodynamic efficiency (but are still looking to save a buck) are instead directed to the ZX-1 EVO CR eTap AXS. That bike is built around a more overtly aero carbon frame with deeper and more aggressive-looking cross-sections throughout (including an aero seatpost), clearance for 700×30 mm tires, a hidden seatpost binder, a BB386EVO press-fit bottom bracket shell, and fully hidden cable routing using FSA’s ACR headset system. Claimed weight with a SRAM Rival eTap AXS wireless electronic groupset and Prime Attaquer wheels is 7.98 kg (17.6 lb), and retail price is US$3,800.
There are also two gravel models.
The Substance CRX 1 HT is the nicer of the two, featuring a carbon fiber frame with somewhat conservative geometry and clearance for 700×40 mm or 650×47 mm tires, partially external cable routing, and a threaded bottom bracket. The build kit clearly emphasizes capability with a RockShox Rudy XPLR suspension fork, a SRAM Rival 1 mechanical 1×11 groupset, Prime Orra Alloy 650b aluminum wheels wrapped with versatile 47 mm-wide Maxxis Rambler tires. Claimed weight is 10.1 kg (22.27 lb), and retail price is US$3,200.
The Substance CRX 2 uses the same frame, but matched with a rigid carbon fiber fork and outfitted with a Shimano GRX 400 2×11 mechanical groupset and faster-rolling 700×40 mm Maxxis Receptor tires mounted to WTB Speedterra i23 aluminum wheels. Claimed weight is 9.2 kg (20.28 lb), and retail price is US$2,500.
Vitus is also helping American kids get into the drop-bar scene with the Razor Disc aluminum road bike (with either 24″ or 26″ wheels) for US$900-1,200, and the Energie cyclocross bike, also built with an aluminum frame and offered with 24″ or 26″ wheels for US$900.
Vitus is warehousing all of these bikes in Utah for quicker delivery, and all are backed with a “30-day ride guarantee” and supported by a “US-based team of customer care representatives are at the ready for any questions riders may have before, during, and after their purchase.”
Will Vitus see similar success here as it’s seen in its other markets? How plentiful will the supply be? How well assembled are the bikes? How easily will customers be able to get things like warranty support? All of those questions are yet to be answered, but in the meantime, you can find more details and check out the rest of the Vitus range for the United States at us.vitusbikes.com.
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