2021 Vitus

Rapide FS CR Mountain

The Vitus Rapide is a pure XC race bike, just not in the traditional sense. Yes, it’s got 100mm travel, the full carbon frame weighs only 2,080g and it wants to be in the mix with the best XC race bikes on the market, but take a closer look at the rest of its vital stats and you’ll instantly see that the Rapide FS is heavily influenced by the progression of modern trail bike geometry. Most obvious is the whopping 500mm reach on the size L frame, which puts the front wheel in a different time zone compared to most European XC bikes. Granted, the 66.7º head angle isn’t crazy slack but when combined the reach and 440mm chainstays, the Rapide FS has a footprint that gives you the confidence to really let the bike run, where the steeper head angle helps keep the front end weighted even on flat, high-speed turns. Vitus hasn’t gone completely against the XC establishment however. Like most XC race bikes the Rapide FS frame uses a flex-stay suspension design to keep the weight in check. Vitus hasn’t eliminated the seatstay bridge however, as doing so would have meant over building the pivots and carbon rocker link to compensate for the loss in stiffness. It’s also the primary reason why the Vitus has longer chainstays than Canyon’s Lux; 440mm Vs 431mm. When combined with the longer front end however, the Vitus feels very balanced and neutral. Suspension There are two distinct versions of the RockShox SID: one with beefy 35mm upper tubes and the SL version with a lighter 32mm chassis. The SID on the Vitus Rapide is the latter. And it’s not just the slimline chassis that gives it a 210g weight saving, RockShox has replaced the air-spring cap with a lighter valve cap and uses a 2.5mm allen key as a rebound adjuster to whittle away precious grams. Once you’ve set your rebound damping on the fork the Allen key can be removed to further save weight. Just don’t do it immediately as you’ll need it to adjust the rebound on the RockShox SIDLuxe shock, as there’s no rebound dial. Both the shock and fork are connected to a handlebar remote that gives two suspension settings, open and locked. The RockShox remote feels plasticy and a little flimsy, compared to the Fox until on the Canyon, but you can still thumb easily between both settings with minimal effort. In the open setting the suspension on the Vitus feels sensitive, so there’s no second guessing which mode you’re in. And while the anti-squat is higher than you’ll find on any of Vitus’s trail bikes, it’s not so high as to cause biopacing when you drop the hammer. It still offers plenty of support though, so hard pedalling efforts don’t get absorbed by the 100mm rear suspension. The upside down shock layout, pioneered by Scott to great success, gives one of the cleanest routes for a remote lock out. Also with the slender end of …Continue reading »

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The Vitus Rapide FS CR is a new cross-country focused bike, with the CR being the lower of two models in the range, retailing at £2,499. It delivers impressive performance with geometry that makes it fun and capable downhill while still being quick uphill. The component selection also helps to keep the overall weight competitive. There are a couple of components equipped that prevent it from being perfect. Still, it offers excellent value with performance a match for bikes twice the price. Cross-country racing: Where next for the UK? Will your next bike be a gravel bike?

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