Vitus is a world-famous brand which produces bikes of all types, from children’s balance bikes to race-ready road machines. Blending a rich history of frame building with a modern approach to bike design, Vitus are now synonymous with making some of the best riding, value-focussed bikes on the market.
This Vitus Bikes Buying Guide and News page will keep you up-to-date with all the latest news from Vitus.
2022 Bikes Update
| 2022 MTB | Launch Date | Updates |
| Sentier | March 2022 | Colour and specification |
| Mythique | March 2022 | Specification changes |
| Nucleus | March 2022 | Colour and specification |
| Dominer | March 2022 | Colour and specification |
| E-Sommet | March 2022 | Colour and specification |
| Sommet | March 2022 | Colour and specification |
| Escarpe | April 2022 | Frame update |
| Rapide HT | April 2022 | Colour and specification |
| Rapide FS | May 2022 | Colour and specification |
| 2022 ROAD/CX | Launch Date | Updates |
| Energie EVO | LIVE | LIVE |
| Vitesse EVO | February 2022 | Colour and specification |
| ZX-1 EVO | February 2022 | Colour and specification |
| Emitter | March 2022 | Colour and specification |
| Zenium | March 2022 | Colour and specification |
| Auro | April 2022 | Colour and specification |
| Razor | June 2022 | Colour and specification |
| 2022 GRAVEL | Launch Date | Updates |
| Substance | March 2022 | Colour and specification |
| E-Substance | March 2022 | Colour and specification |
| 2022 UTILITY | Launch Date | Updates |
| Mach | March 2022 | Colour and specification |
| E-Mach | August 2022 | New frame |
| 2022 KIDS | Launch Date | Updates |
| Energie Kids | April 2022 | New frame |
| Nucleus Kids | April 2022 | Colour and specification |
| Razor Kids | April 2022 | New frame |
First Look: Vitus Rapide 2021
Vitus have released a full-suspension version of their popular Rapide cross-country bike.
The Rapide FS CR and FS CRX are built with speed and performance at their core, featuring a full carbon frame and 100mm of travel, making them ideal for cross-country racing and rapid trail riding.
Vitus Rapide design highlights
- More travel doesn’t always mean bigger days out. Although the 2021 Rapide is fitted with short travel suspension, it can still rip! With lightweight components and wheels, this bike combines speed and fun to give you epic days in the saddle.
- RockShox SID suspension front and rear. The CR and CRX have been kitted out with the super-fast, super lightweight RockShox SID SL fork, paired with the SIDLuxe, RockShox’s lightweight rear shock designed for racers.
- 29″ World Cup winning tyres. The 2021 Rapide models are fitted with semi-slick, cross country Maxxis Rekon Race tyres. With ST Swiss X 1900 wheels for the CR and 1700 wheels for the CRX these bikes were built to be fast!
These fiery cross country bikes are fast, agile and stable. When out in the hills, they making climbing enjoyable and easy. The Vitus Rapide has become a Vitus staff favourite for anything between flowy trail and natural features thanks to its ability to ask its rider to demand more from their rides.
Vitus launch 2021 E-Sommet full-suspension mountain bike
Vitus have released details of their 2021 collection of E-Sommet electric mountain bikes, with the new models sporting an updated internal battery design plus improved geometry and kinematics.
It was no easy task to improve on an already award-winning bike, but Vitus have worked hard to evolve the bikes’ ride qualities, while modernising key features.
“We wanted to double down on what customers loved about our previous E-Sommet which was the ride. With our new E-Sommet you can do everything you can do on your enduro bike, but just more of it… All the benefits of a large travel enduro bike with the assistance on the way back up.” Vitus.
Watch the E-Sommet in action:
Vitus E-Sommet 2021 Design Changes
- Internal battery frame design
- The E-Sommet is now updated with an integrated battery design, incorporated all aspects of the system within the frame. Engineers designed a battery door on the bottom of the downtube, and by adding strength in key areas and placing a cutout on the flat surface it ensured the frame retained all the riding performance.
- Bigger battery = more range
- A larger 630Wh battery with the Shimano EP8 system, which has 36% less pedalling resistance versus the Shimano E8000 ensures you get more out of the battery with greater range. Combine this with the enhanced frame performance to ensure you enjoy every segment.
- Updated geometry
- Vitus have updated the geometry to give a more confidence inspiring ride. Key changes are slacker head angles and reduced BB drop to aid technical climbing. The effective seat tube angle has also been steepened and it’s been made progressively steeper as you go up the size range. This ensures that each frame size has an optimal sagged saddle position with no compromise.
- Shimano EP8 motor
- Shimano EP8 sees the introduction of a new magnesium housing, offering greater assistance on a wide range, weighing 10% less than the previous Shimano E8000, and 20% more torque going from 70Nm to 85Nm allowing you to take on the steepest climbs and toughest trails with traction and control.
- Improved suspension design
- Vitus have gone with the same fixed lower shock mount as the recently released Vitus Sommet and Escarpe, allowing them to refine the suspension kinematics. An improved consistent progressive leverage curve gives more consistent feel, support and damping.
First look: Vitus Sommet and Escarpe 2021
Vitus have released details of their 2021 Sommet and Escarpe full-suspension bikes, both of which have been overhauled with brand new carbon frames and updated geometry and suspension.
Available with either 27.5” or 29” wheels, the Vitus Sommet is the brand’s 170mm enduro bike, while the Escarpe is a shorter travel 150/140mm all-rounder trail bike.
Vitus kindly hooked us up with a pre-production bike to ride and take a closer look at (spoiler alert – it rides amazingly) so I thought we’d have a little look at it right now. If you want a full rundown of the new bikes and all the nitty gritty spec details, keep reading below…
Vitus Sommet / Escarpe 2021 design highlights
Based around a carbon front triangle with an aluminium rear end, the new framesets were developed in tandem for 2021, allowing each of the bikes to share the same R&D learnings from the brand’s award-winning bike design team.
- Updated Geometry for a more confidence inspiring ride. The new frames have slacker head angles and lower bottom bracket drop on both the Escarpe and Sommet platforms. Vitus have also steepened the effective seat tube angle and made it progressively steeper as you go up the size range. This ensures that each frame size has an optimal sagged saddle position with no compromise.
- Adjustable Flip Chip. Both platforms come with an adjustable flip chip allowing you to increase the head angle by + 0.5 degrees and lift the bottom bracket by 6mm. This gives you the option to tweak your ride depending on the terrain you’re riding.
- Improved Suspension Design. Vitus have gone back to a fixed lower shock mount to allow for their new flip chip, which also allowed Vitus to refine the suspension kinematics. An improved consistent progressive leverage curve gives more consistent feel, support and damping.
Let’s take a look at some of the new bikes…
Vitus Escarpe 2021
Quick up the hills and even quicker going back down. The Vitus Escarpe is a true confidence-inspiring all mountain trail bike. It’s available in three spec options with two wheel sizes for each: Escarpe CR 27 & 29, Escarpe CRS 27 & 29 and top-end Escarpe CRX 27 & 29.
Vitus Escarpe CRX 2021 specs
Built around a T700 carbon front triangle with alloy 6061 rear end, the Escarpe CRX uses a Fox 36 Factory GRIP2 fork with 150mm of travel paired with a Fox Float DPS Factory rear shock offering 140mm of travel. A Shimano XT 12-speed groupset takes care of shifting and it has a DT Swiss M1700 wheelset laced with Maxxis tyres. Finishing kit from Brand-X and Nukeproof round off this trail slaying machine!
Vitus Sommet 2021
Primed and ready to race the world’s most testing enduro trails, the all-new Sommet has improved suspension kinematics, geometry and an all new frameset ready to take on whatever you throw at it.
Available in three spec options with two wheel sizes for each, including the Sommet CR 27 & 29, Sommet CRS 27 & 29 and top-end Sommet CRX 27 & 29, above is the high-end CRX model.
Vitus Sommet CRX 2021 Specs
Built around a T700 carbon front triangle with alloy 6061 rear end, the CRX uses a Fox 38 Factory GRIP2 fork with 170mm of travel paired with a Fox Float X2 Factory rear shock. A Shimano XT 12-speed groupset takes care of shifting and it has a DT Swiss E1700 wheelset laced with Maxxis tyres. Finishing kit from Brand-X and Nukeproof round off this Enduro World Series-ready bike!
The new Vitus Escarpe and Sommet models will be available at Chain Reaction Cycles very soon…
