RE: [CR]Vitus question

As a tubing maker Vitus goes way back, there's a shot of a '55 PLX-10 with Vitus tubes here: http://home.iag.net/~davidg/PX10_Gallery.htm

and Sheldon mentions them here: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/velos.html

but as a frame/bicycle maker my recollection goes to the late 70's. If this 992 has an integral Mavic headset it can't be much older than about 5 or 6 years. The current ones look like: http://www.tunds.com/992.htm

David Bilenkey Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

-----Original Message----- From: classicrendezvous-admin@bikelist.org [mailto:classicrendezvous-admin@bikelist.org]On Behalf Of wspokes@penn.com Sent: January 23, 2002 11:36 AM To: John Everett Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org; wspokes@penn.com Subject: Re: [CR]Vitus question

Thanks for the feedback thanks for the feedback John. The bicycle frame in the photos I have is positively carbon fiber. It closely resembles the TVT design carbons I have seen. She probably got such a good deal because she raced at a Pro level and got everything on discount, also the $1000 was frame and fork only. Therefore I guess $300 would be an even better deal. this bicycle frameset has an integral Mavic headset if that helps. How far back does vitus go as a company? I had a Vitus cyclocross from probably the mid 80s, it was the bonded aluminum. I only used it for under a month and the bike came apart near the seat tube practically severing my femoral artery...Long Live Steel!

Walter "arteries intact" Skrzypek Falls Creek, Pa

John Everett <jeverett@wwa.com> wrote:
> > A friend asked me some questions about Vitus bicycles and I really
>don't have a clue. Maybe some feedback from the group would help. Her
>Vitus is a model 992 carbon fiber.

The Vitus 992 is a bonded aluminum bike; not a fiber of carbon to be seen.
> It was priced around $1,000 when it was new.

Someone got a really good deal. My Dura Ace equipped 992 cost about $2200 when new in 1992, the year the 992 was introduced.
>At the time she got it along with a few old bikes from early 80s that
>she bought for a combo deal because they were in her size. I am not
>postively sure from the pictures of this bicycle that she sent me, but it
>doesn't look to be from that age.

It isn't. See above.
> She was trying to sell it at $300 for
>the frameset but she wants to know more about the frameset also so she
>knows what she's talking about. She almost listed it as being from the
>same age as the other bikes she got at that time but I told her to wait.
>She is a tiny one and rides a 48cm-49cm. This one is a 48 cm center to
>center. top tube length is 51.5. Small bike for a small woman. I remember
>seeing adds in Bicycling when I was first starting to ride in the late 80s
>with Vitus, 9 carbon frame design, is this correct!

Vitus has made frames from almost every imaginable material, carbon fibre included.
>? How far back is this company's history? I am sure they probably weren't
>the innovators of carbon fiber designs but were they one of the "Firsts"?
>I looked on the CR site and didn't find any info. if this is beyond the
>time realm, I am sorry and you can email me offlist? But I am hoping to
>help her get some answers before she listed this for sale as being an
>older bike. I have pics if it helps someone define an age. Thanks again.

You're welcome.

jeverett@wwa.com (John V. Everett)