# stop me before I bid again...Vitus 979



## caterham (Nov 7, 2005)

too late....





I know, I know.... they were horrid bikes... quirky handling french noodles...
... but hey, all the Gods of the Tour rode these things back in the glory days... 

guess I'm incurable... sure is a nicely preserved example tho.'couldn't resist.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Not horrid at alll...That is a very clean example...


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## caterham (Nov 7, 2005)

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the reassurance. I've always wanted one of these bikes and this one spoke to me. The franco Mavic/Stronglight component theme is perfectly suited and the bike clearly hasn't had much use. It should make a nice counterpoint to my italian rides and it even sports my favorite saddle. 
You wouldn't happen to recall if the stem diameter is 22.0(french) or the more conventional and available 22.2 ? From the setup in the pics provided,the previous owner looks to have been maxed out on her and was using a shorty 8.5 cm stem and a narrow 38mm bar. I'll almost definately be needing to replace them fairly soon.Hopefully (fingers crossed), I can use one of my spare 22.2 Cinelli 1-R / mod64-40 barsets rather than spending my time scouring around for a french bar and stem combo in my size.

best,
k


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## zmudshark (Jan 28, 2007)

caterham,

I think you did very well on that purchase. Surely there can't be a better example outside of a museum.

I'll be more than happy to take the seat, wheelset and stem/bars off your hands if you end up regreting your purchase. That alone should get you close to the purchase price

Regards,
John


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

All of mine(I've owned three) have a 22.2 stem...English threaded BB....25.0 seat post...

Seriously, the 979 is a great "all day" bike...Don't think flex...think comfort... I still ride mine all the time. 

When I had my custom single speed built last year, I gave the builder my 979 frame and told him that I wanted this geometry....


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## bushpig (Jun 24, 2006)

Wow! I had been watching that and would have bid harder had I known the condition!


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## Kuma601 (Jan 22, 2004)

Nice find...are the bars leather wrapped/stitched-on?
Same pedals too...LOL

I still enjoy mine.


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## zmudshark (Jan 28, 2007)

I saw Caterham's bike in person when I picked up this Merckx from the same collection: http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showpost.php?p=1175372&postcount=108

I would say that the bike has been ridden very rarely, if at all. Both the Vitus and the Merckx were dirty from sitting for awhile. So it was hard to tell from a quick look over. I didn't realize the Merckx was unridden until I started taking it apart and cleaning it. It would not suprise me if the Vitus was unridden. We'll have to wait for caterham to get it in his hands.

Yes, the bars are wrapped in stiched, black leather. As you can see from the seat, it is doubtful it has been ridden, now that I look more closely.

There is one more bike in the collection, a 49cm Assenmacher, with the owners name painted on the top tube. It looked to be the bike he rode. I don't know if it will be sold eventually or not. The owner has passed and his daughter is selling them, at least that's the story I heard.

I'm very glad you got it, k. Anyone else, I would have outbid, and I can't even ride it


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## DannyBoy (Feb 19, 2004)

*I am officially depressed............*

I know a man with a NOS one of these in my size but he won't ship to New Zealand, only within the US - BooHoo.

I'm trying to twist his arm. 

Nice bike. I found a review of one of these in a very old copy of Bicycle a while back - comfort was the key word.


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## caterham (Nov 7, 2005)

RE: (Dave Hickey)>>> All of mine(I've owned three) have a 22.2 stem...English threaded BB....25.0 seat post...<<<

Thanks for that. English standards'll make life a lot easier and vastly improves the odds of a getting an optimum fit. 3 bikes and duplicating the geometry on a custom? That's quite a testimonial,Dave.


RE: (Kuma601)>>> Nice find...are the bars leather wrapped/stitched-on?
Same pedals too...LOL<<<
They're Rhode Gear leather grips. Those were a real bear to stretch and stitch over Cinelli bars. Classy look and feel tho. Nice bike you got there, mister Bear.'Looks like something that I would own  

RE: (zmudshark) 
>>>I think you did very well on that purchase. <<<

Most definately. Thanks for being such a bad influence. I owe you one.

>>>>>>I'll be more than happy to take the seat, wheelset and stem/bars off your hands if you end up regreting your purchase.<<<

No regrets,z. Just getting to fondle that lovely Stronglight 107 crankset 's got to be worth something, no? My only worry is that at the present rate of acquisition,I'll have to stencil "day of the week" monograms on each bike to make sure they all get ridden .

best,
k


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## caterham (Nov 7, 2005)

Update...

Vitus arrived yesterday, safe and sound.....spent the day tearing it down and cleaning it up from years of slumber.... condition even better than the pics would suggest.... wheels will need some light truing..., old conti sew-ups were toast as expected... using a spare tubular wheelset for now....installed a longer reach stem and wider bar..ahhh... that's better.... new cables, bar tape,cleaned and repacked the hubs, btm-bkt,headset... no grit at all... must not have seen much,if any rain.... very clean and no signs of wear or abuse... a thorough wipedown, bit of mother's polishing paste and a coat of meguiar's and she looks like she was fresh off the dealer's showroom.bike screamed for a nice chrome silca frame pump and i obliged. NOS vintage mavic water bottles in yellow and TA cages on the way from a UK seller.

Took her out for a shakedown and general acquaintance ride... suitably impressed ...curiously smooth and comfortable ride qualities quite different to my steel and alu-carbon rides...very pleasant ... didn't notice any appreciable flexiness in the short but relatively flat rides so far... will have to do some out of saddle stomping in the next few days to tell if that's to be an issue..... unique cornering and tracking compared to my italian rides... an interesting combination of handling characteristics that i'll need to test & explore... will have to ride her some more to see what is inherent to the bike's geometry and how much is setup, fitting, etc... in the meantime, I'm quite pleased, even surprised and looking forward to putting in some serious mileage.

So ere's where I might need some guidance.... the bike came with a Mavic derailleur set- looks pristine... works just fine..... however..... I have a complete Simplex Super LJ retrofriction set in gold anodize that I have a fondness for... have another set of Huret Jubilee's ,front and rear, less shifters ,also in very good to excellent condition . Never have really compared shifting performance between them. 
Which would you choose ( and why) or should I just go with the Mavics? 

tia.

best,
k


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## Unica (Sep 24, 2004)

No experience of the other mechs you mention, but if you want to get rid of the Mavics...


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## zmudshark (Jan 28, 2007)

We need more pictures!


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## zmudshark (Jan 28, 2007)

Oh, and I would stay with the Mavics. Why? Because the fellow that put the bike together originally obviously put some careful thought into it. Leave it (mostly) original.


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## caterham (Nov 7, 2005)

zmudshark said:


> We need more pictures!



okie dokie,z- you asked for it,dude....


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

In my opinion, that is as close to perfection as you can get....Stunning


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## kiwisimon (Oct 30, 2002)

Beautiful example, looks almost off the shelf. How noodly is it?


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## zmudshark (Jan 28, 2007)

Too bad it didn't clean up that nice.

Can I send my bikes to you for a detailing? Love the seat, that's the same one as on the Merckx. If you find it uncomfortable I know where you could get rid of it.

Keep the Mavic drive train. It just 'looks right'. The pump is a nice touch, just finishes it off beautifully.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

I thought the same thing...There is a tiny microscopic spec of dirt on the downtube. 

shame shame


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## caterham (Nov 7, 2005)

zmudshark said:


> Oh, and I would stay with the Mavics. Why? Because the fellow that put the bike together originally obviously put some careful thought into it. Leave it (mostly) original.


yeah. you're probably right. The original owner obviously cared and took a large effort to make sure the bike's theme and aesthetics were just right. In deference to him, I'll maintain it with the same spirit and vision...at least for the time being. 
Maybe I'll alternate between deraillleur groups, swapping them out for a change of pace after major tuneups. Then again, maybe the Simplex's will sprout into another project some day?
Did I say another project already? Sheesh. somebody shoot me..... please.
; )
k


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## OneGear (Aug 19, 2005)

i don't know much about old bikes but that my friend, is beautiful.


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## zmudshark (Jan 28, 2007)

Now you have to post again when the new cage and bottle arrives.

It never ceases to amaze me when you post pictures of your bikes. Perfect bikes with fantastic photos, thanks for sharing them!

j


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## caterham (Nov 7, 2005)

thanks all.
Dave, since you appear to be the resident Vitus expert, what's your take on my new arrival's vintage? I know there ain't much to go on but judging from the components, my guess is around '89, probably no older than '88.
tia.

best,
k


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

I've never seen those Vitus decals before. I have one that has the same script but it's plain yellow. Mine is 1987-88. 

The seatpost grub screw was on later models. The very early frames had a traditional seatpost clamp...

The components sure say it's earlier than 1987-88 but maybe the original owner bought a frameset and added his own...


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## JP (Feb 8, 2005)

Who in the world was that collector? The other example was spotless too. Nice ride.


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## Kuma601 (Jan 22, 2004)

Beautiful!!! You did very well on this one. 
I like that Mavic rear derailleur and would keep it there too.


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## caterham (Nov 7, 2005)

Dave Hickey said:


> I've never seen those Vitus decals before. I have one that has the same script but it's plain yellow. Mine is 1987-88.


 Hi Dave,

Thanks for the tip in looking for the differentations in graphics. I've found one pic so far of a bike with the same decalling as mine where the owner claims his to be of 1988 vintage.

k


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## zmudshark (Jan 28, 2007)

caterham,

What are you wrapping our bars with? Are you wapping from center to end?

Please share with us.

thanks-
z


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## caterham (Nov 7, 2005)

>>>What are you wrapping our bars with?<<<
dunno what it's called-had it laying around for a while ,no box- just some odd vinyl/neoprene tape i found with a stitching down the centre that struck me as having a nice retro, pseudo-leather look to it.' feels a bit odd/plasticky but it's fairly cush. sometimes appearance wins. 

>>>Are you wapping from center to end?<<<
yup- centre to end (sometimes a 2 piece wrap going from both the centre and the ends and meeting at the hoods)
that's a hangover i've kept from the old benotto cello tape days to give a bit more bite/grip on the outside of the bends. you gotta wrap it *very* tightly to pull it off tho and it doesn't work at all with soft, pliable wraps like cork tapes as the edges will just fold over..i think it makes a much smoother & tidier termination at the bar centre. 

best,
k


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## paredown (Oct 18, 2006)

Found this thread, since I had a question about the Vitus 979.

Anyone want to hazard a guess what would be a reasonable price for a late '80s with Dura-Ace components in pretty darn good shape?

(It is not a piece of rolling art like Caterhams--definitely had a few more miles on it...):idea:


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

$300 to $400 for a complete bike is about right


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## doowde (Aug 27, 2007)

Sean Kelly won a few  races on a Mavic SSC equipped 979. LeMond won a tour (86? 85?) on an SSC equiped bike (think it was a look but may have been a 979). That is a great rear derailler- light and quick shifting. Not a fan of modolo brakes though. The hoods and levers are unergonomic (at least for my hands) and it takes a lot of force to work em. Too bad it doesn't contain the ssc cranks (orginal was similar to campy super record)and quill pedals(also similar to super record). I still remember seeing the complete SSC groupo at a LBS about 21 years ago. Nice bike, the 979 is uber classic! Performance used to sell like 8 colors of them for about $420.


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## caterham (Nov 7, 2005)

.....


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## doowde (Aug 27, 2007)

I always thought that was one of the ugliest cranks. I'm talking the one before it. I don't know if it was made by stronglight (wouldn't surprise me), but it looks more like the traditional super record crank. It had a completely sealed bottom bracket that went with it.


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## pl8ster (Nov 30, 2006)

OneGear said:


> i don't know much about old bikes but that my friend, is beautiful.


My thoughts exactly. I got chills looking at those pics...amazing bike you've got there.


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## barry1021 (Nov 27, 2005)

*My neighbor rides one with identical decals*



caterham said:


> Hi Dave,
> 
> Thanks for the tip in looking for the differentations in graphics. I've found one pic so far of a bike with the same decalling as mine where the owner claims his to be of 1988 vintage.
> 
> k


he says its 26 years old.


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## numbers (Sep 5, 2008)

what brand seat post do you have on this bike. I'm looking for a replacement for my 85 peugeot carbon fiber. The stronglight on there now looks like crap ;-)


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## CurbDestroyer (Mar 6, 2008)

That reminds me. I've gone through I think 3 sets of Mavic GEL 280's. I've pulled spokes out, and if they made it that far the side of the rims will get wavey then fall apart. I finall learned my lesson and went wil GL330's


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Is the Peugeot carbon seat tube 25.0? I thought they used a very rare 23.0....

If it's 25.0, there are plenty...check eBay for campy, dura ace, or american classic.


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## Richard (Feb 17, 2006)

Like somebody else said, it may be "noodly" but Sean Kelly won a lot of sprints on a 979. Stiffness isn't all it's cracked up to be.

I like it - a lot.


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## numbers (Sep 5, 2008)

Dave Hickey said:


> Is the Peugeot carbon seat tube 25.0? I thought they used a very rare 23.0....
> 
> If it's 25.0, there are plenty...check eBay for campy, dura ace, or american classic.


Yeah, it's 25, but not a lot on feebay right now. One in the netherlands for over $100 then shipping! Any one have one they are looking to part with?


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

How about $12.99..I have this post in another size and it's very nice for the price

http://cgi.ebay.com/Kalloy-Road-MTB...VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247


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## Peanya (Jun 12, 2008)

That'll definitely (look, it's spelled right!) turn heads when on a group ride!


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## Todman007 (Jul 16, 2006)

*Vitus 979*

I purchased my Vitus from a LBS in about 1997 (used). It came with Dura Ace derailleur and Shimano 600 components and a Biopace Chain ring. The bike is a thing of beauty in it's own right, however the ride was scarier than a bike ride should have to be. 

On downhills the bike shimmies even when you press your kness against the frame. The frame is very noodlie in that when I would stand up to pedal the bike would shift all on it's own. And when riding along the city streets the bike gave the sensation of wanting to get sucked into every passing bus or large truck that passed by. Whew!! 

Your example is the same tubing as mine except mine is blue in color. I suppose it's great to have examples of these older bikes around to help us appreciate all that goes into design and function of biking. 

Enjoy your find. I did mine if only briefly.


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## tracke30m3 (Jul 18, 2008)

A bit OT, but has anyone with a Vitus 979 tried fitting 700 x 28 or 30 tires?

Am thinking of using my 979 as a commuter and for comfort's sake I'm trying to fit the widest tires possible on it.

Thanks.


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## dudeuk (May 7, 2005)

nice find man, hope the following may help date her
modolo had being making aero levers for a couple of years by 1988 i got some for my 2nd custom build new old stock in 1988 (had my eye on them in the lbs shop window from 1986) 
simplex shifters they were the lightest ones available at the time shown on all the pro set ups of the time in the magazines .
by the late 80s most bikes of this quality were fitted with mach2cd or open 4cd rims aero profile was comming into fashon
im going to guess tha t this fine steed was assembled around 1984 1985 lovley rig hope this post helps to date her


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

caterham said:


> ... they were horrid bikes... quirky handling french noodles...


They were? Mine wasn't. It was the smoothest bike over the rough stuff I ever had. They didn't impede Sean Kelly's sprinting either.


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## monocognizant (Sep 12, 2008)

That is a beautiful bike! Great job cleaning it up.


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## Old_school_nik (May 21, 2002)

*That is a very well presevred Vitus...here's my not-so-well preserved 979 frankenbike*

Built bike in summer of 1986 some interesting/ unusual components:

Very cool Vitus fuchsia color
1st gen C-Record seat post
Super record Drive train w/ Mavic sealed unit bottom bracket the kind that is pressed in with beveled/tapered lock rings
Front Cobalto brake (missing stone of course) Rear Super Record
Mavic 501 hubs
Highly unusual Cinelli 1a 13cm black stem
Cinelli Giro D' Itala bars
C record/Super Record shifters (1 of each) somewhwere I have the matching sets.


I keep meaning to clean it up...

Nik


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## Kuma601 (Jan 22, 2004)

It is nice to see the Vitus love continue. The past week, I've had mine out. While it is forgiving, it is an enjoyable ride each time...

One more pic to this thread:


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## moonstation2000 (Sep 5, 2008)

I picked one up off ebay about 3 weeks ago, but it's not nearly as nice as yours.


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