My 2018 Vitus Escarpe VR

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Comments

  • tallpaul_s
    tallpaul_s Posts: 130
    edited July 2018
    Little update, the bike is still going strong, zero issues - nothing has broken or is creaking or coming loose. I've got about 400 miles on it now. A couple of weeks back I did a 52 mile ride on it, along pilgrims way if anyone knows Kent. Properly dusty too!
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  • wescasson
    wescasson Posts: 1
    Have you set it up tubeless yet? How much does it weigh?

    Lovely bike mate - thinking of getting one myself. How's the pedaling efficiency feel?
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,819
    Paul,

    Bike looks great. Seriously considering one of these having had my attention drawn to them by you in my Vitus Sentier thread.

    Would I be right in thinking the pictures on page one show your saddle height correctly set up and with the saddle at full extension? Do you happen to know what saddle height you run (BB centre to top of saddle)?

    As you know I'm just slightly taller than you so will have a decision to make between the large and XL sizes bearing in mind your comments on here about the sizing.
  • tallpaul_s
    tallpaul_s Posts: 130
    MrB123 wrote:
    Paul,

    Bike looks great. Seriously considering one of these having had my attention drawn to them by you in my Vitus Sentier thread.

    Would I be right in thinking the pictures on page one show your saddle height correctly set up and with the saddle at full extension? Do you happen to know what saddle height you run (BB centre to top of saddle)?

    As you know I'm just slightly taller than you so will have a decision to make between the large and XL sizes bearing in mind your comments on here about the sizing.

    Sorry, didn't see your reply - yeah that's my saddle height, from the middle of the BB to the saddle directly above the clamp is a fraction over 32 inches.
    wescasson wrote:
    Have you set it up tubeless yet? How much does it weigh?

    Lovely bike mate - thinking of getting one myself. How's the pedaling efficiency feel?
    Yeah I went tubeless very soon after getting it, I swapped the minion SS on the rear with the DHF on the front and got a 2.5WT DHF for the front, not had any punctures or issues, they both seated with no issues with a normal track pump. Weight is spot on as Vitus quote, mine with tubes and original tyres without pedals was 14.6kg, they quote 14.5kg so it's accurate. Haven't weighed it since I've gone tubeless.

    Pedalling is just fine, I actually prefer to leave it in the fully open mode on the shock, as in 'pedal' mode which isn't fully locked you get a strange oscillation as the shock compresses the small first bit of the travel and then firms up, then rebounds, and repeats. You can feel it like a rapid small bobbing movement which doesn't feel great. In the fully open mode it bobs less and is much smoother, I don't notice it bobbing at all.
  • Gary30
    Gary30 Posts: 2
    TallPaul_S wrote:
    Pedalling is just fine, I actually prefer to leave it in the fully open mode on the shock, as in 'pedal' mode which isn't fully locked you get a strange oscillation as the shock compresses the small first bit of the travel and then firms up, then rebounds, and repeats. You can feel it like a rapid small bobbing movement which doesn't feel great. In the fully open mode it bobs less and is much smoother, I don't notice it bobbing at all.

    Great looking bike!

    I'm torn between this and the Sommet VR, both similarly priced, Sommet is very slightly 'slacker' than this, but same frame and shares a lot of things.

    I ride a HT around my local trails, so I'm buying a slack FS for a bit more comfort and looking to do some uplift days soon. I don't want to buy a bike that's too slack if that makes sense as I doubt I'll be doing any extreme freeride lines, but don't want to compromise too much when I can always ride my HT on normal bike park type trails........

    Still can't decide which to go for :?
  • pkysela
    pkysela Posts: 8
    I had exactly the same dilemma and I went for the Escarpe VR. I predominantly ride trail centres and Peak District, don't do big jumps and needed it to climb relatively well as well as down. My biggest concern with the Escarpe were the OEM brakes, but they are actually pretty good.
    Unless you need the extra travel on the Sommet, because you bottom out on 150mm travel, then the Escarpe is probably a better bike for you.

    After a couple of months riding it, I'm very very happy with the bike
  • tallpaul_s
    tallpaul_s Posts: 130
    pkysela wrote:
    I had exactly the same dilemma and I went for the Escarpe VR. I predominantly ride trail centres and Peak District, don't do big jumps and needed it to climb relatively well as well as down. My biggest concern with the Escarpe were the OEM brakes, but they are actually pretty good.
    Unless you need the extra travel on the Sommet, because you bottom out on 150mm travel, then the Escarpe is probably a better bike for you.

    After a couple of months riding it, I'm very very happy with the bike
    Nothing more to add really, perfectly sums it up. The 140/150mm combination is a really nice 'do anything' travel. And on flatter, tighter trails the slacker sommet will be sluggish.

    Regarding the brakes - they're pretty good but do lack a little power at times.

    The first things I'll be upgrading at some point is to get a charger 2 damper and new debonair spring for the fork, and probably upgrade the brakes to a set of Hopes.
  • tallpaul_s
    tallpaul_s Posts: 130
    Haven't done much to the bike recently, bar a new set of rear pads - was tempted to get a set of metallic pads for the front but that would then mean a new rotor, and I'd have to get a 203mm which would then mean an adapter for the front to go from 180-203, and I'd rather put the £40-50 or so towards a set of Hope brakes :D

    I have just changed the dropper lever for a PNW components Loam Lever. it's sooooooooooooooo much better than the Brand X lever.

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    You can see in the photo where the brand X lever was slowly rotating on the bars and has rubbed away some of the anodising.
  • slc123
    slc123 Posts: 407
    I’ve seen that lever and man they look nice just way to rich for me. Very tempting though as I need one for my dropper on the new build.
    Cannondale Trail 27.5 | 2015
    Titus El Chulo 27.5 | 2017
    Trek Slash 9 27.5 | 2015 (building)
  • tallpaul_s
    tallpaul_s Posts: 130
    TBH they're about the same as the other high end remotes, the wolftooth is £60, the Oneup dropper lever is £40 - this one is £65 on amazon and is fully cnc machined alloy, a nice soft thumb pad, adjustment for lever throw, and a huge sealed bearing.
  • JBA
    JBA Posts: 2,852
    That looks like a nice lever. Pity they don't maker one that is iSpec B or iSpec II compatible though.
    I have a Wolf Tooth lever on my FS and it is very nice to use. Thinking of upgrading my hard tail so will add the Loam Lever to my list of possibles.
    “Life has been unfaithful
    And it all promised so so much”

    Giant Trance 2 27.5 2016 ¦ Sonder Broken Road 2021¦ Giant Revolt Advanced 2 2019 ¦ Giant Toughtroad SLR 1 2019 ¦ Giant Anthem 3 2015 ¦ Specialized Myka Comp FSR 2009
  • Shane900
    Shane900 Posts: 12
    have you changed rear cassette yet which one was you looking at as have same bike and as you say on some of hills wish i had that granny gear , have you suffered with creaking from seat ? mine is and driving me nuts lol.
    regards shane
  • tallpaul_s
    tallpaul_s Posts: 130
    No I didn't change the cassette, tbh now my fitness has improved I'm able to get up pretty steep stuff in the bottom gear, even when others around are walking :)

    And I've had zero issues with the seat creaking or noises - sounds like the bolts or seat rails could be a little dry on yours.
  • swod1
    swod1 Posts: 1,639
    Shane900 wrote:
    have you changed rear cassette yet which one was you looking at as have same bike and as you say on some of hills wish i had that granny gear , have you suffered with creaking from seat ? mine is and driving me nuts lol.
    regards shane

    I’d do the usual cleaning of seatpost and seattube should sort it.
  • tallpaul_s
    tallpaul_s Posts: 130
    Fitted a new dropper inner and outer cable as mine had become impossible to push, changed the routing too as it's pretty terrible with the original routing.

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  • Shane900
    Shane900 Posts: 12
    hi how you find the rear shock trying to get rebound dialled but keep feeling something not right it only really slows towards end and then it either all or nothing if you follow what i mean
  • tallpaul_s
    tallpaul_s Posts: 130
    Shane900 wrote:
    hi how you find the rear shock trying to get rebound dialled but keep feeling something not right it only really slows towards end and then it either all or nothing if you follow what i mean
    I literally haven't touched the rear shock since the initial set up, I set the rebound by using the kerb technique. For me it's been really good, so good sometimes that I thought I had a flat, it's lovely and plush and I'm normally using 80% of travel, a bit more if riding off 2-3 ft drops to flat.
  • tallpaul_s
    tallpaul_s Posts: 130
    Well, the Escarpe's time with me is coming to an end - the replacement has been ordered. Something 29er, with lots of carbon and gold forks... I'll start a new thread when it arrives.

    My last 'proper' ride on the Vitus was 3 days in Wales over the bank holiday weekend, 50 miles and 10,000ft of desecending! I did Cwmcarn Twrch, Afan W2, and then a BPW uplift day, the bike did not miss a single beat.

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    If anyone is looking for a size XL 140mm trail bike, for £1000 - it's up for sale on Pinkbike/ebay :D

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