Vitus 979 Dural

[4Flares]

Hi all,

This is my 2nd post, and hello to everyone. I've enjoyed reading your threads as a lurker for a couple of months now.......so it's about time I come out!! I thought I'd share my latest purchase with you.

I rode as a teenager, but a bad accident, on the Great Ocean Road, one training trip, put the shitter up me, and well, I've probably ridden 4 or 5 times since then, which was nearly 20 years ago.

However, during the last tour, I got the urge to get back on the bike, and subsequently have been looking for a classic steel bike, 80s or earlier. My missus reckons it's the beginning of my mid-life crisis, god love her. It probably is.

I'm still searching for a steelie, but I'm pretty happy with what I've picked up. I remember these, well, I had a friend who had one of the earlier Carbonfibre Vitus - which had the problems with the glued lugs - they would come undone. This happend to him. At that time, there was only a guy in Perth who could fix them, anyway, he made it worse, and sent all the pieces back to us in a box.

I've found a little bit of info on the net inregards to the 979 Dural, but was wondering if anyone had any extra info?? Or stories about Vitus', etc. I would be most appreciative. Hopefully, one day I'll have a classic steelie to talk about.

(As I do not have a sufficient post count, I can't post the image links - is there a way around it? Edit : I've just read the sticky post. Doh.)

I'm really happy with the condition. It is apprarently from 1988. Mavic Rims, Shimano 600 (with the Biopace chainwheel). I must admit, the more I look at it, the more I fall in love.

Lets hope the top tube doesn''t breakway, when I'm going around the corner.

cheers,
damian

[europa]

Send the links to me Damian and I'll put them up for you.

Mid life crisis? The woman's nuts, there's no crisis except the lack of time and money

Richard

[4Flares]

Send the links to me Damian and I'll put them up for you.

Mid life crisis? The woman's nuts, there's no crisis except the lack of time and money

Richard

Cheers Richard.

Links forwarded.

[europa]

And here they be

[europa]

Lovely. Far too many gears of course, and I bet those pedals spin backwards as well but she's a gorgeous old bike

Richard

[tallywhacker]

Nice looking bike. Anodised blue I'm assumng. Any chance of getting a closeup of the seat tube lug, it looks interesting.

[4Flares]

Nice looking bike. Anodised blue I'm assumng. Any chance of getting a closeup of the seat tube lug, it looks interesting.

No problem, I'll take them tomorrow.

The seat post (25.0mm) is secured, not by a clamp, but by a single bolt.

[Mulger bill]

G'Day Damian

Geez she's pretty

Welcome back to the two wheeled obsession, the more the merrier.
Don't go listening to the odd types here and put a track hub on her.... well not for a while anyway

Shaun

[europa]

G'Day Damian

Geez she's pretty

Welcome back to the two wheeled obsession, the more the merrier.
Don't go listening to the odd types here and put a track hub on her.... well not for a while anyway

Shaun

Ignore him, he rides a mountain bike. FIX it and be done with it, you know you want to

Richard

[Mulger bill]

G'Day Damian

Geez she's pretty

Welcome back to the two wheeled obsession, the more the merrier.
Don't go listening to the odd types here and put a track hub on her.... well not for a while anyway

Shaun

Ignore him, he rides a mountain bike. FIX it and be done with it, you know you want to

Richard

Didn't even need to bait the hook

You're forgetting Deni Richard, then there's the projects in the shed, one of which will be fixed. IF I can sufficiently sweet talk the GLW

Shaun

[uMP2k]

I just love these frames - in fact one of my main incentives for lossing some (read lots ) of kilos is so that I can find myself one to restore and ride it without breaking it!

[GaryF]

I'd love to have a Vitus 979 like yours. Sean Kelly rode one in the 80's but I suppose you know that. I have heard that they can become 'soft' with age. I believe the bonding loosens but I've never actually seen this for myself. I also believe a bikeshop called Action Cycles in Melbourne imported the frames.

Wouldn't it look great with 'drilled out' components as was the fashion in the 70's and perhaps an Omas replacement titanium bolt set. A real lightweight bike.

[MountGower]

Error. This post can no longer be displayed.

[europa]

More Vitus images. This bike is stunning - I think I hate him

Richard

[Double-Gee]

I never thought I would see myself drooling over a pushy, but this one has style and charisma and, and.... I like it... lots.

I spotted the cadence magnet on the crank arms, but saw no other wires or bits and pieces. Does this bike sport one of them fang-dangled wireless jobbies?

[tallywhacker]

like the seat cluster, very unusual. I take it the screw at the back screws into the seatpost. Shimano 600 group set, very nice

[4Flares]

Thank you for your kind words, and not so kind words, Richard.

I took her to a local track the other night and she just wants to go. Off the saddle, the flex is very noticably, nothing alarming though. I'm about 85kgs, so I reckon someone in the 70-76kgs range???, would be perfectly suited to the Vitus and would fly around.

Double-Gee : spotted the cadence magnet on the crank arms, but saw no other wires or bits and pieces. Does this bike sport one of them fang-dangled wireless jobbies?

It came with a Cateye Astrale - plenty of wires. I have an old Cateye TM100 cordless that I will eventually put on.

tallywhacker : I take it the screw at the back screws into the seatpost.

Correct. The image is not clear, it's just an allen-key bolt. I'm going to adjust the seat, so I'll see if there's anything else unusual about the set up.