# Vitus 992



## Don Duende (Sep 13, 2007)

Does anyone know much about this bike, I am restoring it for my daughter, who is going away to college and wants to take up cycling. She wants it to be both cool and pretty. I want to know what the Vitus was all about in the world of cycling. The bike belonged to a friend of mine who passed away and we never had the opportunity to talk about it. The bike has not been used the past 4 years.

It needs new bar tape, white, if she stays with the saddle.The San Marco Rolls saddle cleaned up easily and is a little worn around the edges. I think she will love the saddle. Campy 8 speed gruppo is in great condition and the Vittorria tubulars tires probably need replacing.

I vaguely recall the Vitus was all the rage back in the 80's way before I was into cycling. All suggestions will be given consideration as I am new to this stuff. Does anyone know what size/diameter handlebar/clamp a Cinelli Giro d'Italia is? 26.0 or 26.4 ? What about the seatpost size? Tire recommendations for a cheap, durable tubular tire, too.


----------



## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Great bike....If the bars are original, they are 26.4... Cinelli changed over to 26.0 around 1996.... 

I've owned many 979 but never a 992....That one looks almost too nice for a college bike


----------



## Don Duende (Sep 13, 2007)

She has a Specialized beater MTB to ride around campus. The Vitus is to get her hooked on road cycling. I told her to invest in a good lock and always store the Vitus inside. If she doesn't fall in love with the Vitus, I'm taking it back. Sounds cold, I love my daughter but I wouldn't want to lose that bike.


----------



## orbeamike (Nov 20, 2004)

I hope she realizes how much of a treasure this bike is to a classic Campy aficionado like myself. I have never owned a Vitus, but always liked them back in the '80s. 
I think it was around '95/'96 that Campy started stamping group names on the parts, and '91 was 1st year production of the 8 speed ergos (although 1st year had different design than yours). Your bike dates between '92 to '95. Tubulars are not exactly friendly for a newbie, I hope she is patient. 

Beautiful ride.


----------



## ericm979 (Jun 26, 2005)

Neat! The 979 used a 25.0mm post. The seat lug on this one looks like the latter 979 "setscrew" type. 992s are pretty rare. 979s were very popular in the 80s. Many pro teams raced them, often rebadged to look like the sponsors' bikes.


----------



## Don Duende (Sep 13, 2007)

When getting a new set of tubular tires, should I have them glued or taped on? Should a can of Vittoria Pit Stop, Specialized Airlock or Stans Sealant be used preventively to "seal" the tire? She should probably keep a can in her saddlebag. 

Luckily, my daughter's boyfriend will be working at the campus bike co-op. He's gonna learn about tubies!


----------



## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

I had a 979 back in the '80s. They are a flexy frame which makes them very nice over rough roads. That flexyness never hurt Sean Kelly who rode one as a pro for many years. He was the best road sprinter of the era. It takes a 25mm seat post.


----------



## Doctor Who (Feb 22, 2005)

That bike has some very nice (read: worth some money) components on it. It's definitely not a beater that you want to leave outside the campus union. Plus, those thin-walled aluminum tubes will likely dent pretty easily, especially if it's locked-up all the time. 

I'd suggest she get a cheap Schwinn or Trek to use as a class commuter, and save that bike for road riding.


----------



## Vitus992 (Dec 17, 2008)

Months late for this thread I know, but I just *have *to post. I have a Vitus 992 that I use as my winter bike (sorry guys :blush2: ). It's beautiful: the frame is not painted, it's just 'natural' with clear lacquer and the Vitus decals. It's built from a mix of C. Record/Chorus/Veloce with Athena (!!!) 9 speed Ergos. Wheels are Mavic Open 4CD, bar and stem both Cinelli and the seat pin is the Vitus own brand one - itself a thing of beauty, topped off by the most comfortable saddle I've ever sat on - a Selle Squadra. I love this bike more than the full carbon Wilier I also ride. It just feels superb, although the fork flex is a little un-nerving under hard braking pressure!

BTW: I thought Kelly rode 992s - did he really ride 979s too??


----------



## brewster (Jun 15, 2004)

Yes. I've had beaters stolen on the college campus. That baby would last a couple hours if left somewhere, even locked. Make her protect it her life.....well, maybe a good sidearm.

brewster


----------



## CurbDestroyer (Mar 6, 2008)

I'll take it. At the time I didn't like it too much because of the integrated headset. Everybody I knew who wanted one got the 979 instead because who would a headset you can't replace the cups on . . . Oh how times have changed.


----------



## Henri65 (Nov 24, 2008)

I commute on Tufo S22 tubulars. They arn't super supple, but they last a long time and are pretty tough. I do run Stan's in them, so on the rare occasion that I have puncture, it's just a matter of re-inflating them and letting the sealant work.


----------



## ultimobici (Jul 16, 2005)

Vitus992 said:


> BTW: I thought Kelly rode 992s - did he really ride 979s too??


Kelly rode 979 alloy & carbon while with Sem & Kas in 80's. 992 was early 90's while with Festina. Think he won MSR on a 992 after descending the Poggio like a man possessed in pursuit of Argentin.


----------



## jhr (May 31, 2002)

FYI 979 = 1979 and 992 =1992 the year each model went into production/sale. The 979 was replaced by the 992


----------



## TWB8s (Sep 18, 2003)

jhr said:


> FYI 979 = 1979 and 992 =1992 the year each model went into production/sale. The 979 was replaced by the 992



Thanks for that. I've always liked Vitus' way to keep the years straight. The 992's also had the larger headsets.

here's my 787 set up for this 'cross season. guess what year I bought it...


----------



## takmanjapan (Mar 24, 2004)

Betcha bought it in 1989 - French tri-color paint in the bicentennial year?

Takmanjapan


----------



## TWB8s (Sep 18, 2003)

takmanjapan said:


> Betcha bought it in 1989 - French tri-color paint in the bicentennial year?
> 
> Takmanjapan



Yup. My younger brother has one too. Oschner was blowing them out for $100 with the 25.0 seat post back then. Over the years this Vitus has done everything from races, tours, snowy 'cross races and commuting. It may be a noodle, but I don't dare complain after what I paid for it. 

The weird thing is I hate the paint, but many people have commented how they love the red/white/blue fade and wonder what I paid for the "custom paint." Until you mentioned the French Bicentennial I never thought about why they'd painted it that way.


----------



## Cracky (Oct 3, 2004)

was diggin around for more info on my bike.

I have a 787 that was my bros. he got it back in the day.
It has treated me well. Its seen lots of use incl some races...
I bike with it to campus everyday...and park it there just fine... lol no problems so far *knocks on wood* in two years. 

though I do find this bike to be a really harsh ride....*ive ridden other newer bikes* and this one blows them all away in the pain dept.... but apparently people say they are
a soft ride? which confuses me a lot because it aint a soft ride at all. lol 

im 6'1 200lbs btw and the frame is still doing well!


----------



## Peanya (Jun 12, 2008)

That's one good looking bike!


----------



## abarth (Aug 12, 2008)

Wow she is a very lucky girl.


----------



## sekaijin (Aug 22, 2006)

jhr said:


> FYI 979 = 1979 and 992 =1992 the year each model went into production/sale. The 979 was replaced by the 992





TWB8s said:


> Thanks for that. I've always liked Vitus' way to keep the years straight.
> 
> here's my 787 set up for this 'cross season. guess what year I bought it...


1787? Dang that bike has held up really well.


----------



## rook (Apr 5, 2009)

I loved my old Vitus. It was TOTALLY flexy and rode like a noodle, but what a magic carpet ride. My gosh, it was the smoothest riding frame I have ever ridden. I was sad to see it go. Too bad there are no more skinny tubed aluminum frames out there. For those weekend centuries, nothing could be as perfect as the old Vitus. BTW, I had a Vitus 979, real skinny tubed bike like the kind Sean Kelly rode. The one in the pic at the very top of the page is a 992 which had bigger diameter tubes than my old 979.


----------



## m_vitus979 (Jun 7, 2009)

*Vitus 992 components suggestions*

I recently acquired a Vitus 992 frame with fork combo. I am in the process of gathering information to build up this bike. Any suggestions on the followng parts? I wanna keep it vintage and keep cost low. Parts I am interested in are the followng. 

bottom bracket
crankset
derrailleurs front and back

Please provide exact model number and specs. 

Your input is kindly appreciated


----------

