# Vitus Stag Frames



## Fai Mao (Nov 3, 2008)

Does anybody know anything about the Vitus Stag frames that Chain Reaction Cycles in the UK sells?

The price looks amazingly cheap but I wonder, do you get what you pay for? I have used Chain Reaction for parts because of the free shipping world wide but never for a frame

Honestly, I can't find a frame that cheap and I LIVE in China where everything cheap is made.


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## takmanjapan (Mar 24, 2004)

*Blowout pricing*

Vitus has changed ownership a few times in the last few years. I think Cyfac now owns the rights to the name. I think Cyfac bought them sometime after 2007. I have certainly seen some Vitus in japan that are dead ringers for Cyfacs. I suspect Chain Reaction bought out the UK-distributor stock and are trying to get them out the door at cost or perhaps less?


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## frpax (Feb 13, 2010)

Man, that is inexpensive... but a 4 pound frame seems a bit heavy


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## Fai Mao (Nov 3, 2008)

A 4 pound frame is not heavy for a fast commuting or touring bike and that appears to be what this is. CRC has the frame listed under hybrids rather than road bikes. I accidently purchased the Stag fork when I clicked on the wrong picture and placed the order without double checking. The front fork can easily fit a 28 mm tire. If you scroll over the picture site you can see that there are rack mounts on the seat stays and single eyelets on the rear fork. What I don’t know is the wheelbase and geometry of the frame as CRC do not have it listed and haven’t replied to my queries about it. 

Since I already had the front fork I went ahead and ordered the matching frame. I really need a backup bike and one with different riding characteristics from the Sam Hillborne would be good. The Sam is just so plush, a little faster feeling bike would be nice sometimes, especially if I don't need the fenders, generator lights and racks that are generally installed on the Sam. Many years ago I had a Vitus 929 I hope this is stiffer than that! Those frames were such incredible noodles that they felt unstable to me.


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## Fai Mao (Nov 3, 2008)

Built the frame up today and rode it for the first time.
The total build came out to just over 18 lbs which is the lightest bike I've ever owned. I think it is possible that the 4.3 lbs weight listed might include the fork because the bike should not be that light with the components it is built with.

I'll post some photos in the next couple of days as the ride today was on borrowed wheels because the final wheels are still being built. 

Impressions after 20 plus miles - This is much more of a road bike that can take wider tires than a hybrid no matter what CRC list it as. It is a compact frame so you show a lot of seat tube. 

It is also a classic aluminum bike. It is stiff, and despite the longer wheelbase and wider tires has a fairly busy if not harsh ride. However, remember I normally ride a super laid-back Sam Hillborne so my perception is skewed. Also, I built this bike on a very limited budget and the saddle was one of the places I saved some cash.

The final BB length for the triple crank was a 107 mm.

Sweetness and Light
Acceleration is good and the bike is surprisingly stable. It is a fun bike to ride. You probably won't win the TdF on it but you can keep up with the local fly boys no problem. If I fitted this bike with drop bars I could time trial on it. I have no idea what the geometry is but it does not ride like a commuter and seems to be rather steep.

The frame will probably take 32 mm tires without a fender (Mudguard) in the rear and has no problem with the 28's I intend to run. It will take a 28 mm tire with a fender in the back. Oddly, the rear has a lot more clearance in back than the front; it would be difficult to squeeze a fender around the 28 mm wide tire in front. 

There is a kickstand/BB Generator plate that has an attachment for a fender which is a really nice touch.

The paint appears to be rather well done. The finish is really pretty. Over all the bike is really pretty; understated colors and tasteful graphics. The welds are a little industrial but for USD $209 Now lowered to $89.00!!!!!)for a frame and fork what do you expect? I kind of expect a welded aluminum bike to have big ugly welds. 

The bike looks like a racer not a hybrid-commuter, very good styling with the straight bladed fork, especially with the compact frame this does not look like a commuter bike

The bottom bracket was faced and square as was the head tube. Installation of the headset and bottom bracket was cinch. 

The threads in the bottom bracket were clean as were the threads in the rack bosses.

The bike does not have a braze-on for a front derailleur so you can use a wide variety of crank and chain wheel combinations. You simply need a 31.8mm clamp on derailleur.

There is a replaceable derailleur hanger. I don't know how I'd get a new one that fits the frame if the one on the bike breaks but in theory I could.

Chain Reaction Cycles got this order out fast. They are not great about answering questions about products but they ship what you order quickly and their prices cannot be beaten. I don't know how they do it in the UK but they do and I am glad they do. The free shipping worldwide will keep me a customer. You can order this bike on Wednesday, and have it in about a week.

Not everything was sweetness and light.
The upper bosses for the rear rack are useless because they are blocked by the brake caliper. There may be a rack somewhere that would fit this bike but I don't know where it is. I tried to fit a Nitto, Soma Deco and Blackburn none of them could work with those bosses. There are two work-a rounds; 1. Use an old, non-recessed rear brake and flip it around so that the brake is mounted inside the chainstays. 2. I modified the Blackburn mounts and mount the rack to the brake bolt but it took some work. This isn't a problem if you do not plan to use a rack. However, it is simply a poorly thought out placement and should never happen. It looks to me like at one point they wanted to put cantilever or V-Brake studs on the frame and then didn't. If the bike had cantilever bosses this problem would go away.

There is only one water bottle mount. Not a big deal but many commuters use one bottle cage for a water bottle and the other for a battery pack for lighting systems. If you need another bottle mount you'll have to get some clamps

The hole to mount the cable guide under the bottom bracket cable guide was not threaded. I solved this by taking the bottom bracket out and inserting a small screw with a very thin head through the hole from the inside. I then secured the cable guide with a nut. I wonder if that is the way all French bikes do this? 

The bike uses short reach brakes. This keeps the frame from being able to to take bigger tires. It would benefit from a little more room under the brake bridge and fork crown.

Other observations
This is the first bike I've owned that has no friction option with an indexed front derailleur. This was supposed to be a bike to help me recover from my Shimano allergy but the indexed front derailleur caused an immediate relapse and sudden and uncontrollable fit of cursing in 5 languages. The rear shifts great but that indexed front is pure baboonery. The other issue, also caused by the idexed front derailleur was that the crank calls for a 115mm BB. But since the shop didn't have one of those I used a 118 thinking "Its only 3 millimeters, how much can that hurt?" I had to go back an buy a 115mm at another shop. The shifter would not move the derailleur far enough to reach the big ring and would throw the chain off the small ring. B.S.!!!! If this had been a friction or ratcheting front shifters I could adjusted the limit screws and it would have worked great. Why do people put up with indexing front shifters?

Beyond that issue the shifters are really good. I like the way the hubs look. 

Quick list of components
Frame & Fork: Vitus Stag 52 cm
Shifters: Campagnolo Bullet
Front Derailleur: Campagnolo Mirage CT Triple 9-speed
Rear Derailleur: Campagnolo Euclid
Rear Hub Shimano: 105 
Front Hub: Suntour XC Pro
Rims: WTB Dual Duty 700cm
Tires Continental 700X28
Seatpost: Generic aluminium
Saddle: Selle Italia Regal
Handlebar: wide riser bar
Stem: Easton E30a 90mm
Headset: Cane Creek S3
Bottom Bracket: Generic 107mm sealed unit
Pedals: KMC Platform with toe clips
Cassette SRAM 11-32 8 speed
Chain KMC 
Calipers: Tektro 538 Big Mouth Medium Reach
J-Tech Shiftmate #1 Campagnolo to Shimano


* The wheels listed above are not on the bike yet. Today's ride was done on Mavic rims and unidentified hubs.

*A note to potential buyers of this frame. The 48 cm and smaller frames use 650C - Mountainbike sized wheels. the 52 cm and larger frames use 700 c road wheels *


Some frame stats. 
Stand over for the 52 with 700X28 mm tires is about 77-78 cm 
Chain Stay length is 42 cm
Top tube appears to be 54 cm (It is a sloping top-tube and that makes it a bit difficult to measure)
I have no idea of the frame angles but they are steeper than the 71.5 on my Sam Hillborne


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## Fai Mao (Nov 3, 2008)

Here are some pictures of this bike.

Some notes
I changed out the Shimano shifters and derailleurs. I couldn’t get the front to index properly despite everything being the proper year and model. 

Instead I used an antique Campagnolo Euclid rear derailleur and bullet shifters. I didn't have an 8 speed triple Front Derailleur so I used a Mirage Compact 9 speed front derailleur. I will probably have to find an actual Campagnolo triple - 8 speed derailleur as the 9 speed one rubs at the extremes. But, since you shouldn't use those gears anyway maybe not. Interestingly the Bullet Shifters are index only, front and rear. I could get them adjusted and working when the Shimano ones wouldn’t. I set the shifters up wrong the first time around and have since corrected the apparent problem with the cable routing. I say apparent because it worked just fine and seems to be what you get if you follow the instructions. For those not familiar with these shifters the mechanism is not in the ring but under the grip. The whole assembly turns on the bars. It isn't really like a grip shift at all. I used a 11-32 SRAM 8 speed cassette on a 105 hub in back. The Euclid rear derailleur is rated to 34 teeth but will barely take the 32. I guess that the length of the derailleur hanger has shortened over the years.

This is a pretty good bike and excellent for the money. Especially since CRC just lowered the price for the for the Frame and fork to USD $89.00.


Left Side of Bike









Front Left. The Bullet Shifters have a rather odd noodle to route the cables. You have to be really careful when installing them otherwise you get this type routing. Though I am not sure that Campagnolo didn't intend it to be done this way.










Front - I don't know if placing the bar-ends in the center like this is Fred Aero or not but it works for me









From the Saddle









Closeup of the Bullet Visual Display. The ring around the outside has since been adjusted so that the gear number shows correctly


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## d----t (Aug 25, 2010)

FM.
Great posting. looks like a sweet set up and thanks for all the details on the bike. Im thinking of getting the same frame from CRC as limited budget. is yours the 52cm version and if so what height are you? and does it fit you well?
Thanks
DT


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## Fai Mao (Nov 3, 2008)

d----t said:


> FM.
> Great posting. looks like a sweet set up and thanks for all the details on the bike. Im thinking of getting the same frame from CRC as limited budget. is yours the 52cm version and if so what height are you? and does it fit you well?
> Thanks
> DT


I am about 5 foot 11 inch to 6 foot. I have a 33 inch inseam 

Yes it is a 52. 

I like this bike a lot. It is my main backup-commuter. It is such a different bike from the Sam Hillborne that it is a good change of pace. I must admit I like it better after putting the old Campagnolo ATB derailleurs and shifters on it. Also you really need a comfortable saddle with this bike as the frame is quite stiff.

I should also note that my initial reference to the weight of the bike was with a very light set of wheels, no pedals and with a very light weight and flexy set of bars and no rear rack. with pedals, rack, Heavy Campy shifters and derailleurs, chromed steel riser bar shown in the photo, and a bottle cage the bike is in the low 20+ range 22 or 23 pounds which is still way lighter than the 28 + luggage of the Sam but sort of porky for an aluminium bike. However, I could easily drop 3 to four pounds with lighter tires and swaping out some of the parts.

One person emailed me and said that this frame was designed for 650C wheels rather than the 700X28 that are on it. In a way that would make sense BUT CRC sold the front fork as a fork for a 700 cm bike. However, a 650b or 650c conversion on this frame would be very possible if you used a longer reach brake.


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## whittlei (Aug 31, 2010)

*I built one too!*

Hi,

Encouraged by your posting I built a Vitus framed "bitser". I actually built it for my girlfriend but think I'll use it myself as it's really nice to ride (and she's still muttering about the top tube!). I normally ride a Colnago Dream, but the roads are so poor where I live that I need dental care after every ride  (well not really but it is harsh) so I've been riding my old Muddy Fox mountain bike fitted with some 26 x 1.6 slick road tyres.

Anyway to the Vitus. I've spec'd it up as follows:

Frame	Vitus Stag Frame Inc Fork - 48cm
Bottom Bracket	Shimano 5500 Splined Bottom Bracket 109.5mm English
Headset	Cane Creek S3
Stem	Reused and old ITM
Seatpost	Carbon – borrowed from my racer
Seat	Borrowed from my racer
Seat Clamp	Brand-X Seat Clamp & QR – 31.8 
Bars	Kore Lite Alloy Black MTB bars
Grips / Bar Ends	Ergon GC2 Grip / Barends
Wheels	Shimano Deore 505 Wheels
Tyres	Continental Sport Contact MTB Road Tyre 26x1.3
Brakes	Tektro R538 AG Brakes Road 57mm
“Groupset”	
Front	Shimano 105 Chainset Octalink Double 5502 - 170mm 39.50
Rear	Shimano Deore 9 Speed Mountain Bike Cassette 11/34 HG50
Front Der	Shimano R440 Front Derailleur 9sp - 31.8mm Band On
Rear Der	Shimano Deore Rear Derailleur Shadow M592 - SGS Long Cage
Chain	Shimano HG93 Chain 9 Speed
Controls	
Shifters	Shimano LX 9 /27 Speed Gear Shifter Pod Set 
Brakes	Shimano R550 Brake Levers - Flat Bars Only
Pedals	Shimano PD M324 SPD Clipless MTB / Touring 

It rides really well, like a hybrid and weighs in at just over 10kg's. The gearing is great for the hilly roads where I live, plus it's comfortable. I'm about 5' 8" tall with a 29" inside leg, and the 48cm frame is fine.

Everything went together really easy although I was a bit worried about the wheel sizes. I'd just bought a pair of the Deore 505 wheels and some Continental Road tyres for my MTB so tried those and they were just on the absolute limit of what I could fit so I stuck some smaller 1.3 tyres on and as you can see they fit fine. I just need to cut the fork tube to length and get a saddle that matches the bike and I'm done.

I worked out the cost to build and it came in at just under £500 which might seem a bit steep, but when you look at the spec and weight it isn't that bad really.

Cheers,

Ian


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## Fai Mao (Nov 3, 2008)

My tires look like that as well. I have a different model Tektro brake which give a bit more room so I could squeeze fenders (mudgaurds) in there if I trimed them a bit. I also need to lower my bars just a little bit. I commute and ride high bars to see but the ones on the Vitus are just a bit high.

The weight is about what mine would be if dropped the steel bars, rack and 480 gram tires I could easily save enough to get the bike at or just below 20 lb or 9.5 KG. 

You are the second person that bought one of these that replied publicly and about the fifth that sent me an Email or private message. I guess I started a trend in in the bycycle world.

Enjoy the bike. 

CRC took my review of those frames down which puzzles me because it was not that bad. I like my Vitus.


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## Paul Kiernan (Jul 18, 2010)

I also built up a couple of these frames. This first one .....










..... is a road bike for my son, who had been dropping me on the toughest climbs in Ireland on his mother's hybrid. I wanted something that could be adapted as a light tourer hence this frame with plenty of clearance for wider tyres and mudguards and the rack mounts is ideal. The fork is a CSN Blackstorm carbon with mudguard eyes and again good clearance. The groupset is a Shimano 105 which Merlin were selling off for £300. I needed to fit a 57mm drop rear brake which even at it's lowest setting is only barely reaching. This seems to be different to Fai Mao's, whittlei's and my second bike below which seem to have a shorter drop!! If you look closely at the photos of all 4 bikes you can see the difference. Also, mine had fittings for two bottle cages so there are clearly different versions of these frames. Wheels are Planet-X Model C's which are strong and light and I was lucky enough to buy unused, second-hand for €90. Total weight is just under 9kg and complete build cost was around £600.

This second bike .....










..... was intended as a hybrid for my daughter but her mother has taken rather a shine to it so my daughter may end up inheriting her mother's Dawes Discovery 201 instead. Components were basically anything that was going cheap on CRC so £5 headset, £6 bottom bracket, £6 saddle, £3 front mech, £7 stem, £7 forks, etc. The total weight is about 10.5 kg and build cost was about £225. The steel forks weigh 1.25kg but I just bought the carbon forks in this thread so when I fit those it'll take the weight down to a very respectable 9.7kg or so.

I am very, very pleased with both bikes and can strongly recommend these frames to anyone. I even bought a third one which I have stuck out in the shed until I need it!

I'd like to thank Fai Mao who helped me with the sizing and some other issues. If anyone needs any more information feel free to contact me and I'll be delighted to help.


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## Fai Mao (Nov 3, 2008)

You are welcome. Thanks for asking

I like the 26 inch wheels on your bikes. Mine is running 700c by 28mm tires and WTB Dual; Duty rims


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## shooey (Sep 17, 2005)

The price dropped on some to $48.29, whoa.


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## geosonic (Sep 30, 2010)

Dear friends,
I m interested to buy a Vitus Stag frame from chain reaction.

I would like to know the geometry of frames 48 and 52 (top tube c-c , seat tube c-c and c-t)

I would like to build a hybid bike but i don't know if it is possible with these frames

I am 1,75 and my iscream is 82

Thank you...


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## Fai Mao (Nov 3, 2008)

The 52 cm has 700c wheels the 48 is a 650c MTB wheels. 

Yes you can build them as a hybrid, look at my photos. I am running 700X28 tires on cyclo-cross rims with no problem. The 52 cm frame would be a good candidate for a 650B conversion. I can put my 650B wheels in this frame and it runs 35mm tires on Velocity Dyad rims just fine provided the brakes reach.

The frame will absolutely bottom out short reach brakes and has as much clearance as you can get for that type brake. I use a medium reach brake and have the pads at the top of the slot

I have no idea about the frame angles but they appear to be pretty steep. My guess is that the seat tube is 74The top tube on the 52 appears to be about 55 cm C2C if I measure straight across. The chain stays are not as long as real touring bike but longer than most racier road bikes. I can put a set of small panniers on the bike for commuting and have enough heel clearance for my size 44.5 feet.

The Vitus Stag, aluminum, 700c front fork does not have as much clearance for tires as the rear of the bike.

This is a 7005 Aluminum frame and rides like one. If you are looking for a really cushy ride this is not it. But with a good saddle, and the right tires this is a good hybrid bike.

Once again look at the photos of the various built up versions of this bike above. You see mine which is a commuter, another one that looks like fast flatbar, almost MTB and a road bike. It is a very versatile frame.

A last note. At the price they are selling those frames buy it. Even if it is not exactly what you want it is easily worth the price


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## Fai Mao (Nov 3, 2008)

Some frame stats and angles for the 52 Stag. The 48 would be different

Stand over height is about 77-78 cm (30 inches) for the 52 frame with 700X28 mm tires 

Chain Stay length is 42 cm center of bottom bracket to center of axle

Top tube length appears to be 56 cm (It is a sloping top-tube and that makes it a bit difficult to measure) 

The bike seems to have about 7.5 to 7.8 cm pf bracket drop which would explain why it feels so stable. It also means that you tend to drag pedals in corners

The 700 c aluminum fork on mine which is not the same as the one in other people's photos has just enough room for the 28 mm tire. I could perhaps squeeze a fender or mud-guard in there but it would be tough and probably require trimming the fender. The rear can easily accommodate a 28 and fender or a 32 without a fender

I have no idea of the frame angles but they are steeper than the 71.5 on my Sam Hillborne. My guess is that the seat tube is 74 but it could be just the stiff aluminum frame


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## d----t (Aug 25, 2010)

*My Stag built for Commuter and winter rides*

Well Ive finally got my stag made up after looking around for a cheap project.
Ive built mine as a road bike despite the hybrid geometry. Im 6-2 and have managed to get a bike that is in between my road bike and my TT bike. The only difference being a slightly shorter length, by about an inch off the road bike. Im ok with this as with the cold winter rides to come this is probably going to be more comfortable when on the hoods. Its been simple and straight forward to build up with no hidden issues

Pros of this frame in the build.
1. Cheap as Chips. CRC still has them at £35 which is a steal.
2. Reasonably light but probably irrelevant for the build that most people will do with this.
3. Cheap as Chips (Its worth mentioning again)
4. Frame Alignment is superb and better than some alot more expensive frames.
5. Versatile. On this posting weve seen this frame be built up in many different guises.

Cons
1. Weld quality isnt great for a so called £200 frame. Brilliant for a £35 frame tho. Time will tell what a battering in the hills this winter will do.
2. An idiot designed this with only 1 bottle position &
3. Upper rack mounts clash with the rear brake!
4. Lower rack mounts are horizontally too close to the base of the seat stays meaning that the uprights of the rack could damage the frame. Ive resolved this with 4 washers either side to pack out this over sight.
5. The frame was not faced on the non drive side for the BB. This is not a problem for an internal BB, but will have to be faced for an external one.

My Spec:
Frame: Vitus Stag 52 cm in black and silver (£35)
Forks: Unbranded full carbon fork (£50)
Bars: Deda Narrow for commute (reused)
Stem: Cannondale (reused)
Headset: M Part Sealed bearing (£12)
Seat: Awaiting a Flite
Post: Unbranded 400mm (£10)
Wheels: Awaiting new tyres but cheap 32H winter wheelies
Front Brake: Unbranded normal drop (reused)
Rear Brake: Shimano R450 Long drop (£17)
BB: Square tapered sealed unit (reused) Awaiting an external BB (£12)
Chainset: Unbranded 39/53 (reused) Awaiting a Tiarga 4550 (£40)
Chain: XT/Ultegra HG93 9 speed (£18)
Block: Ultegra 9 12-26 (reused)
Front Mech: Tiagra (£4)
Rear Mech: Ultegra 9 (reused)
Shifters: Ultegra 9 (reused)
Muddies: Mk1 Road Cruds
Frame: Awaiting brake mount, failing that ill mount the rear brake on the inside of the frame.

I shall probably upgrade after the winter and get some '09 Rival shifters, block and chain as my hack shifters are limited to the first 7 gears!

To sum up if your thinking about getting a new frame or making up a hack get this frame bought before they sell out. Its a cracker!!!!!


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## Paul Kiernan (Jul 18, 2010)

Nice bike, d----t. I hadn't noticed that about the BB facing, I just whacked on the 105 and tightened it to correct torque! Seems OK so I'm not touching it now!

If you need a cable cutters these ones from PBK are good value  .


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## Paul Kiernan (Jul 18, 2010)

Just an update on some parts I used which are compatible with these frames. Both my bikes are 52cm by the way. I also bought a 56cm which I'm thinking of transferring my road bike groupset and finishing kit onto for the winter.

Headset - http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=45631
Bottom Bracket (68,122.5) - http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=22376
Cranks - http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=41893
Brakes - http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Miche_Performance_57mm_Drop_Brake_Calliper_Set/5360040668/

Also, if you want to use a quill stem with a threadless fork, this seatclamp in 28.6 size fits perfectly over the 1 1/8" steerer. Description on how to tighten here but if you have a compression adjuster like this one for a carbon steerer you could fit it temporarily, tighten the clamp, and then remove it .


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## d----t (Aug 25, 2010)

Good spot paul on my cables! Im a lazy mofo. And cable Cutters over rated! Extra clutter to the tool box! In my defence I could sight that it is a training bike so the extra weight and drag will make me stronger for the 10's early doors next season! Actually it is solely down to not having any cable caps to complete the job and I just hate unfurled cables!


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## Fai Mao (Nov 3, 2008)

I agree with a caveat; this frame wasn't designed by an idiot, it was designed in France. On second thought..... The single water-bottle mount and the location of the rack bosses is the biggest drawback to these frames. See my review for two work around methods for this problem. 

My frame had a BB Shell that was perfectly square btw


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## electrician (Oct 18, 2010)

Hi, guys! I'm a rider from Greece who likes recreational and commuting cycling.
I was searching the net and was lucky enough to catch this great site:thumbsup: 

I had seen Vitus frames clearence on CRC, and thought that it was ideal for building a nice commuting bike for my sister. The price was too low, so I took the risk and finally ordered the Vitus Bomp frame on *44cm* and the Renza fork. 

Now I'm looking forward to the delivery, but I' m confused about the wheels size I should buy 
I inquired about this CRC tech department and was told that the proper size is "650c"!
If this is true, it will be too hard to find cheap 650c wheels and wider tires to use on city roads...


650c wheels are mainly used only on triathlon/TT bikes, the rim has a diameter of 571mm as standarized by ETRTO

Common 26" MTB wheels have a rim diameter of 559mm

The difference is 12mm only. I may not be a problem with modern adjustable V-brakes, but I'm suspecting a problem with the wheel hubs, as MTB and road frames have different spacing


To make my confusion worst, on this french site refers that 44cm size uses Rigida Sphinx (26”) wheels and CST 26x1,15” tires.

I hope this is the true spec and CRC makes wrong!
It would be strange such a bike to use these narrow and weak 650c rims...

*whittlei*, have you measured the dropout spacing of your frame?

Anyway, I'll post again since I receive the frame.


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## Fai Mao (Nov 3, 2008)

I think CRC is wrong. The guy you talked to was probably trying to differentiate between the French 650B wheel size which is something of a fad right now in certain circles.


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## whittlei (Aug 31, 2010)

Hi, I'm actually away from home for next week so can't measure, but the frame I have is also the STAG which I think is probably different anyway, so my measurements might be misleading. They take caliper brakes not V. 
What I did notice is that there are two different STAG frames available - I got one of each - the red/blue one I got takes 26" MTB wheels with 1.6 tyres and the black/grey one 700c wheels.
If you need more info mail back and I'll measure more, but it won't be until the end of next week.

Cheers,

Ian


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## electrician (Oct 18, 2010)

Hi all,

Using the internet wayback machine,
got some very basic info from the old Vitus website

```
www.vitus.fr
```
After inspecting the old webpages for Stag and Bomp bikes, here's the conclusion:

*Stag*

Stag 2005 (unknown color) available sizes 44cm (26"), 48cm(26"), 52cm(700c), 56cm(700c)
Stag 2006 (possibly the Red/Blue/Grey) available sizes: 48cm (26"), 52cm(700c), 56cm(700c)
Stag 2007 (Black/Gunmetal) available sizes: 48cm, 52cm, 56cm (all sizes 700c)


*Bomp*

Bomp 2005 (unknown color) available sizes available sizes 44cm(26"), 48cm(26"), 52cm(700c), 56cm(700c)
Bomp 2006 (possibly the Yellow) available sizes are undifined on site but possibly 44cm and 48cm are on 26",and the larger are on 700c
Bomp 2007 (Silver/Gunmetal) available sizes 44cm(26"), 48cm(700c), 52cm(700c), 56cm(700c)

Now I'm confident that wheel size for small frames is *the common 26"* (559mm) and dropout spacing should be 135mm.

Fai Mao, whittlei thanks for replying


*UPDATE:* I received the frame and unfortunately the dropout spacing is 130mm. So, I have to build a wheelset with road (130mm) hubs and mtb rims for a 8/9 rear cassete.


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## geosonic (Sep 30, 2010)

*vitus bomp project*

This is my project!!!
I bought a vitus bomp frame from chain reaction so i built this bike.

I am very grateful to Fai Mao, whittlei, d----t and especially to Paul Kiernan for his help...


<a href="https://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=387300483&albumID=2082639&imageID=36712032"><img src="https://hotlink.myspacecdn.com/images02/133/e48ee4062370453aa38bb27b642dadf1/m.jpg" alt="" /></a>

<a href="https://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=387300483&albumID=2082639&imageID=36712039"><img src="https://hotlink.myspacecdn.com/images02/125/13aeab1358084a86b08238958fa08f0f/m.jpg" alt="" /></a>


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## geosonic (Sep 30, 2010)

*better photos*


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## Paul Kiernan (Jul 18, 2010)

Nice job, Geosonics. Bike looks great. I especially like the suspension forks, they work well with the frame. Glad it all worked out so well and I was more than happy to be of help.

Hopefully this latest addition to the list of bikes that have been built will encourage more people to have a go at it!


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

that stag looks a lot like my flyte cx bike. but the flyte has canti posts and disc and rack/fender mounts. it could be the same frame, just with those changes. if that is the case, it is a very comfortable bike for me. i really love th eway it fits and rides. in fact, i did a quick 20 miles on my caad5 last night then hopped on the flyte to run to the pharmacy. the first hing i thought was, "wow. how come this bike feels so much better and i can go jsut as fast with less effort?" must be fit.

https://web.archive.org/web/20060828090740/www.flyte1.com/soar/janette/store/images/XLS3_XC-BIKE_xl.jpg


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## ultraman6970 (Aug 1, 2010)

Not my taste but for 50 bucks is a steal  SO why not?


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## geosonic (Sep 30, 2010)

*parts of vitus bomp*

The parts of my bike:

Frame: Vitus Bomp 48cm - Silver/Gunmetal
Bottom Bracket: RPM Square Taper 68-122.5mm
Headset: FSA Intellaset (No28) 
Crankset: Suntour Square Taper 170mm 28.38.48 Black/Silver
Fork: Suntour Suspension Fork - M2000 700c 50mm Black 
Cassette: SRAM MTB PG820 Cassette 8sp 11-28
Front Derailleur: Shimano Tourney 8sp Triple TZ31 31.8 
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Acera 
Gear Shifters: Shimano Acera STi Brake & Shifter Combo 8sp 
Front brake: Shimano Deore V-Brake 
Rear brake: Brand-X V-brake Rear - Black
Seatpost: Brand-X Alloy Micro Adjust Seatpost 27.2mm 350mm Black
Seatclamp: Pro-Lite black 31.8mm
Saddle: Felt Facade (from the other bike i use...)
Grips: Brand-X Grips Touring Black / Grey
Chain: KMC Z82 8sp Half Silver Each
Handlebar: Zoom matt black alloy 
Spacers: FSA Alloy 20mm 1.1/8" Black (and other 3 unknown spacers 10mm)
Stem: Promax adjustable ahead stem
Stem top cap: neco 
Tyres: CST traveller 700 x 28
Tubes: Michelin AirStop Butyl 700 x 25-32c Presta (40mm)
Wheels: Shimano R500 
Pedals: VP pedals 9/16¨

^ the weight of the bike is about 12.5 kg


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## electrician (Oct 18, 2010)

Hi, I'm coming back to this thread to ask some help from anyone own a *small (26"/650c) version* of Bomp or Stag.

Eventually I built a 44cm bomp frame, but by a mistake I didn't get the matching (650c) forks from CRC while were in stock 

So I bought an alloy MTB rigid fork from ebay with an axle to crown legth of 41cm
I couldn't fiind anything shorter that time
The bike is very fast and light (~10.3kg) but I think its geometry isn't the best one!
These forks caused the front end to be too high for a fitness bike

I'm thinking of replacing it with this shorter Surly 26" 

So, I'd be grateful to anyone could measure for me the length of the original 650c Vitus forks (from QR axle to where the crown race sits)


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## Paul Kiernan (Jul 18, 2010)

Hi electrician,

I have the Vitus Renza 650c forks on one of these frames and the measurement from centre of QR hub to fork crown is about 360mm as near as I can measure (within a couple of mm either way). Hope this helps and good luck.

Paul


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## electrician (Oct 18, 2010)

Paul Kiernan said:


> Hi electrician,
> 
> I have the Vitus Renza 650c forks on one of these frames and the measurement from centre of QR hub to fork crown is about 360mm as near as I can measure (within a couple of mm either way). Hope this helps and good luck.
> 
> Paul


Paul, thanks for measuring, and for your contribution to the thread


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## Airbag (Jul 9, 2011)

Hi people,



Thanks to everyone for pics of Vitus Stags 'n Bomps.


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## zxl098890 (Jul 9, 2011)

merida do you know merida'[sbike is also very good


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## Fai Mao (Nov 3, 2008)

I agree this frame was the bargain of the decade, especially if you were building it up from your parts box.

I am surprised at how well this frame rides; especially for an aluminum bike

CR could have done a better job listing some frame parameters and what size wheels each frame used.

I got incredibly lucky that I bought a frame in a size and COLOUR that had 700c wheels though I I am thinking about procuring some long reach brakes and converting the bike to 650c or 650b


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## geosonic (Sep 30, 2010)

we are waiting your photos...


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## Airbag (Jul 9, 2011)

Er... <fiddle> 
My idiot post count isn't high enough. Let me see what I can do.


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## oldcannondale (Jul 23, 2011)

Nice Post Fai Mao and Paul K, lots of details. I agree and find an uncanny resemblance to my wifes Giant Dash, a flat bar road bike with 28s. I get in trouble when she finds out I've been riding it. Our roads are chip and seal and frankly my old Cdale R700 is a rack compared to hers. Long story short a very practical fun easy to ride bike all around, my wife tells me shes not gonna change bikes, thats how much she loves that thing.


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