Vitus 980

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Typhoon Ken
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Vitus 980

Postby Typhoon Ken » Fri Mar 14, 2014 4:56 pm

G'day All,

I just picked up this up off Fleabay, added bonus was it was literally just around the corner.

The details - 55 cm Vitus (Super Vitus 980 tubing), 6 spd, Simplex FD, Suntour 5000 RD, Simplex downtube shifters, Stronglight cranks, Stronglight headset, Weinmann 405 brakes/levers, Normandy hub - Aerohead 36h front rim, Unknown hub - Araya rear rim, Unknown bars, stem, Turbo saddle.

The plan is to repaint (not powdercoat) the frame and replace the decals (Cyclomondo), and polish away years of neglect on everything else. New tubes, tyres and most likely a repro Turbo saddle. I am leaning towards the repaint in the same Kermit the frog green.

One thing is apparent, the Super Vitus tubing is super light. I'll post in the bare frame and fork thread when I have it stripped down.

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NASHIE
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Re: Vitus 980

Postby NASHIE » Fri Mar 14, 2014 6:45 pm

Nice pick-up, don't mind the green should look good

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Re: Vitus 980

Postby LG » Fri Mar 14, 2014 8:50 pm

It begs the question, why do you feel the need to repaint it? The paint looks better than a number of my bikes.
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munga
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Re: Vitus 980

Postby munga » Fri Mar 14, 2014 8:58 pm

i've often struggled with the same thing: "do i paint it and treasure each new mark and scratch as a part of my own journey, or do i keep the 'patina' of the original bike and appreciate it for what it's been through already?"

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Typhoon Ken
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Re: Vitus 980

Postby Typhoon Ken » Fri Mar 14, 2014 9:10 pm

It looks a lot better than it is. It will be a keeper so a full respray is the go I reckon

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munga
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Re: Vitus 980

Postby munga » Fri Mar 14, 2014 9:47 pm

munga wrote:i've often struggled with the same thing: "do i paint it and treasure each new mark and scratch as a part of my own journey, or do i keep the 'patina' of the original bike and appreciate it for what it's been through already?"
Edit: Case in point

Image

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HappyHumber
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Re: Vitus 980

Postby HappyHumber » Fri Mar 14, 2014 10:33 pm

You'll just have to keep that 'kermit' green though, Ken... :D.
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munga
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Re: Vitus 980

Postby munga » Fri Mar 14, 2014 10:37 pm

HappyHumber wrote:You'll just have to keep that 'kermit' green though, Ken... :D.
agreed.

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jonbays
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Re: Vitus 980

Postby jonbays » Sat Mar 15, 2014 12:01 pm

Very nice indeed and yes that Super Vitus 980 tubing is super light. I had a Peugeot PSV10 built with it .

Here some interesting comparisons for you.

TUBING:(MOST COMMON WITH AVERAGE WEIGHT FOR COMPARISON PURPOSES).MAKE TYPE WEIGHT (IN GRAMS):
REYNOLDS 501 2025g, REYNOLDS 531C 1800g, REYNOLDS 531P 1700g

REYNOLDS 653 1700g, REYNOLDS 753 1650g

COLUMBUS AELLE 2345g, COLUMBUS GARA 2305g,COLUMBUS CROMOR 2190g, COLUMBUS THRON 2250g, COLUMBUS SP 2300g, COLUMBUS SL 1930g, COLUMBUS SLX 1960g, COLUMBUS TSX 1950g, COLUMBUS NEURON 1885g, COLUMBUS PRX 2310g, COLUMBUS EL 1935g

TANGE INFINITY 2405g, TANGE 2 2290g, TANGE 1 2220g, TANGE PRESTIGE 1950g,

ISHIWATA 022 2200g, ORIA ML 25 2100g

VITUS 171, VITUS 172, VITUS 181 1790g, VITUS 888 2030g,
VITUS 971 ?, VITUS 980 1507g

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munga
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Re: Vitus 980

Postby munga » Sat Mar 15, 2014 1:08 pm

1507g??

NASHIE
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Re: Vitus 980

Postby NASHIE » Sat Mar 15, 2014 1:34 pm

My Vitus 58cm 979 frame, 1505g on the kitchen scales

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munga
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Re: Vitus 980

Postby munga » Sat Mar 15, 2014 1:45 pm

979 is alloy tho. 1500g for a steel frame is very impressive!

NASHIE
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Re: Vitus 980

Postby NASHIE » Sat Mar 15, 2014 1:54 pm

If the 980 really is that light, i would pick the steel frame 980 over the 979 anyday

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Typhoon Ken
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Re: Vitus 980

Postby Typhoon Ken » Sat Mar 15, 2014 2:20 pm

On the kitchen scales the 980 just went 1760 for the frame only and 650 for the chromed fork.

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jonbays
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Re: Vitus 980

Postby jonbays » Sat Mar 15, 2014 4:03 pm

Just to clarify those weights are typical tube set weights not a built frame and forks. My old Peugeot PSV10 built with SV980 tubing weighed in at 9.8kg complete bike with pedals and clips which was very light but only in a retro steel sense.

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Typhoon Ken
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Re: Vitus 980

Postby Typhoon Ken » Sat Mar 15, 2014 4:13 pm

Yes mate guessed that. Still isn't too bad for an old jigger

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Typhoon Ken
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Re: Vitus 980

Postby Typhoon Ken » Sat Mar 29, 2014 4:52 pm

Well things are progressing well, the frame is with Peter at Star Enamelers being sprayed in the same fluorescent Kermit Green. I have started the quite rewarding task of polishing everything else.

Today I started to pull the unknown rear hub apart and found a setup I've never encountered. Google, Sheldon and a few others got me sorted, its a Maillard Helicomatic. I suppose it is a French bike so you are likely to get the weird and whacky. Very simple to strip down when you know how.


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Typhoon Ken
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Re: Vitus 980

Postby Typhoon Ken » Sun Mar 30, 2014 12:31 pm

Here's the Maillard Hub, very simple in the end.

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Splined hub body

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Freewheel

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Lock Ring

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Assembled

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Sheldon Brown didn't think too much of them but simple in design and still working 30 years later (84 stamped on hub body, matches the 84 markings on the 405 Brakes).

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Typhoon Ken
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Re: Vitus 980

Postby Typhoon Ken » Sun Apr 06, 2014 11:13 am

The work continues and more lessons learnt. The tyres and tubes were perished so when I stripped it down I just ripped them off and binned them straight away. Anyway I found some gumwall style Michelin Kevlar tyres (700c) on eBay and got them delivered. I fitted up the front Aerohead rim, all good. Went to fit the rear Araya and not even close, its a 27 inch. Doh!!! Makes sense as it looks to be the original, early to mid 80s the frogs were still using 27s. Lesson learnt, never assume.

What would everyone do, leave it with the 700c / 27 inch mix, convert the 700 to 27 or the 27 to 700?

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munga
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Re: Vitus 980

Postby munga » Sun Apr 06, 2014 2:42 pm

for convenience, i'd think about 700c front and rear. looks like your brakes will reach.

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Typhoon Ken
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Re: Vitus 980

Postby Typhoon Ken » Thu Apr 10, 2014 5:23 pm

Been doing a bit of polishing while I am waiting for the frame to come back from Star Enamellers.

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geoff_tewierik
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Re: Vitus 980

Postby geoff_tewierik » Thu Apr 10, 2014 6:57 pm

Shiny!

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QuangVuong
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Re: Vitus 980

Postby QuangVuong » Thu Apr 10, 2014 7:44 pm

Wow, that's a great job on polishing! Hand polish or big buffing wheel? The chrome turned up well on the forks too!
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Typhoon Ken
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Re: Vitus 980

Postby Typhoon Ken » Thu Apr 10, 2014 7:58 pm

I sandpapered a fair bit by hand first then used a buffing wheel on a grinder and a dremel with a little buffing wheel for the fine stuff. Dirty job though. The forks came up with a rub of alfoil and water.

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mark field
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Re: Vitus 980

Postby mark field » Fri Apr 25, 2014 9:02 pm

sweet work with the polishing, im currently going through the nightmare of polishing parts for my 82 Ducati using the ozito dremel style tool with autosol polish and lots of sweat, i can fully appreciate the effort you have done, you should be proud. hopefully the painters will have such care in regards to quality of finish as shown by yourself. im watching this thread with enthusiasm. so what's the latest progress then??
steel is the real deal.

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