80's VITUS 979 frame - what threads and sizes

SJLcp

Hi

I have just aquired a vitus 979 off Ebay and am unsure about some of the threads - it being french and all - would be grateful if someone who has one could help me with the following

B/B - English?
Headset - 1" (English)? alternatives being 25.4 (italian) or 25mm (french)?
Stem diameter in steerer 22.2mm?
SeatPin 25mm?
Rear triangle spacing 126mm?

If anyones interested i have found some old mavic components to put on it including the original SSC rear/front mechs and levers, hubs and the more recent plate shaped chainset that boardman used to ride. Unsure about what to do for stem/bars/seatpin?

Rims will be campag omega's to match the period.

Getting quite excited by it - sad isn't it :-)

kant314

post some pics on here when you get it built up.
Sounds fantastic!

hopster

SJLcp wrote:

Hi

I have just aquired a vitus 979 off Ebay and am unsure about some of the threads - it being french and all - would be grateful if someone who has one could help me with the following

B/B - English?
Headset - 1" (English)? alternatives being 25.4 (italian) or 25mm (french)?
Stem diameter in steerer 22.2mm?
SeatPin 25mm?
Rear triangle spacing 126mm?

If anyones interested i have found some old mavic components to put on it including the original SSC rear/front mechs and levers, hubs and the more recent plate shaped chainset that boardman used to ride. Unsure about what to do for stem/bars/seatpin?


Rims will be campag omega's to match the period.

Getting quite excited by it - sad isn't it :-)

I had one myself in the early 90's. Should be english thread bottom bracket with a 25mm seatpost and 126mm ends. IThe wheels I had on mine were ma40 on Ultegra. Light whippy frame but a little flexy for heavier riders.

See if you can pick up an old campag chorus seatpost, which is what I used. Classic cinelli 64-42 with a cinellis stem perhaps or if you like deeper drop look for some 66's?

Headset I fitted an ultegra I think. 25.4 crown race I think.

Have fun.

Salsiccia

SJLcp wrote:

Hi

I have just aquired a vitus 979 off Ebay and am unsure about some of the threads - it being french and all - would be grateful if someone who has one could help me with the following

B/B - English?
Headset - 1" (English)? alternatives being 25.4 (italian) or 25mm (french)?
Stem diameter in steerer 22.2mm?
SeatPin 25mm?
Rear triangle spacing 126mm?

If anyones interested i have found some old mavic components to put on it including the original SSC rear/front mechs and levers, hubs and the more recent plate shaped chainset that boardman used to ride. Unsure about what to do for stem/bars/seatpin?

Rims will be campag omega's to match the period.

Getting quite excited by it - sad isn't it :-)

Was that the small-ish one being sold by someone in Spain? If it was, I must admit I took a long hard look at it myself, before I decided my wife might leave me if I bid and won...

BTW those old Mavic bits are flipping lovely, don't forget to put up some pics when it's all done!

LangerDan

Best of luck with build - I've always wanted to own one!

1) 25mm seatposts - a right PITA to find. USE do some of their posts in 25mm but would look out of place on a retro build. Look made a 25mm titanium seat post (have one on my Look) with a beige / champagne anodized finish. Selcof also made bright polished 25mm posts with a SR-type saddle clamp. Both are out of production AFAIK, but they some times turn up on Ebay.

2) One option on the bottom bracket is to use the Mavic SSC sealed threadless unit which had conical cups on both sides. The problem is that BB needs to be conically faced to match and I don't know if anyone has the correct tools anymore. One a steel frame, you can bodge it in but it would be a mistake with an alloy BB shell. The SSC unit would match the rest of the groupset.

3)Mavic also made a quill stem that turns up occasionally on ebay - look at the continental shops.

4) What are you doing for brakes? IIRC, period Mavic callipers are rare. Mavic often used to be paired with Modolo, though the performance was fairly dire.

proto

I have a Vitus 992 so this may not be relevent to your 979. However, my seat post is 25.4 (1.0") not 25.0 My frame came with a Vitus seatpost which I subsequently swapped for a Campag 25.0, but had to use a USE shim, a very thin one!

All threads are English/BSA.

Hope that helps.

SJLcp

Many thanks for all the helpful replies - good to hear confirmation on all the size

Very interesting comments on the MAVIC SSC b/b - I have sourced one on Ebay and am waiting for its arrival - understand point about the b/b facing - does anyone know a good shop in S/E London that will be able to do this please?

Everyone is saying its 25mm seatpost so I would be interested to hear any other experiences - unless I can find a MAVIC pin I will probably go for C/Record which I can get.

Stem wise I would much prefer a MAVIC stem/bar combo rather than Cinelli but this stuff is REALLY hard to get now - we'll see.

THanks Again!

stevec205gti

My dad's 979 is hanging up in the garage - he's had his since the very late 80's. I'll try and remember to measure the post for you tonight. Stem wise it has a Cinella one fitted, along with Cinelli bars and the old Campag Record Delta brakes - looks lush!!!

Unfortunately - my dad's about 8 inches shorter than me so I've not ridden it much as it's a bit small (and when I the same height I was only about 14 so he didn't trust me on it!!!!) but it's a really nice ride - very responsive. With Mavic GP4's and old Shimano 600 groupset it weighed in at 17 - 18lb

SJLcp

Hmm - GP4's - I like them - had them on an old Raleigh Road Ace in early 80's and must admit to a fondness - although I never enjoyed the whole "tubs" experience although now i'm older I would be able to afford more than one spare!

Delta brakes are also very nice although I've done that one and want to find some MAVIC/MODOLO items.

Am coming round to the idea of another Cinelli IA stem though ...

Monty Dog

Regarding fitting the Mavic 851 BB - I had one many year ago - it's a 45 degree chamfer so if your bike shop search draws a blank, a local machine shop might be able to help out. I had mine done at Dauphin Sport - now Cycles Dauphin at Box Hill Surrey, They might stil have the old tool festering in the workshop.
Regarding suitable bars and stem, Modolo produced some Mavic branded bars and stem that you might be able to track down on ebay. There's plenty of Cinelli bars of the period on ebay - a pair of Giro d'Italias are suitable too. Likewise, putting together a complete SSC groupset of the period- you may have some fun trying to track down some Mavic SSC rims though to complete the ensemble..

SJLcp

Have just received the bottom bracket which is a work of art - I see the point about the chamfers - this clearly requires the b/b shell to be machined for this to work - thanks for the tip about Dauphin Sport!

It also looks like this b/b uses the same tool as the hubs to remove the cartridge bearings - if they are the same quality as the hubs they will last for ever.

Have also just received the later plate shaped MAVIC chainset which is REALLY nice - but am now starting to realise that collecting all the right MAVIC parts is going to be a challenge - oh well ...

stevec205gti

Been out and measured the seat post - it's 24.97 - so pretty much 25.0. The one fitted to his bike is a Shimano 600 post.

SJLcp

Steve

Excellent - thats very kind of you - 25mm it is

THanks - now just need to track a MAVIC one down :-)

oopfoo

Another alternative is the 25mm offered by American Classic or an actual Vitus seatpost. I've seen the Vitus seatposts on US eBay on occasion, though 25.0mm have been rare. Personally, I have a full-Mavic 979, but have settled for the American Classic seatpost as it's more easily replaced after the 979 grub-screw digs out a chunk. You'll find that there were some 979-specific seatposts made with a flat down the rear, which allows the grub screw to properly engage and alleviates the damage caused in normal, round seatposts.