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Vitus Escarpe VR Review with SRAM NX Eagle

Vitus Escarpe VR Review with SRAM NX Eagle

Well blooming heck, this is a bit tasty isnt it! The Vitus Escarpe VR complete bike available at just £2299 – with a spec list that makes for great reading!
Vitus are Chain Reaction Cycles own ‘budget’ in house brand of bike, and the budget tag isn’t anything to be put off by, because these bikes mean business.
It has no less than 7, 5 star reviews here….

We have ridden countless version of the Escarpe over the past few years and we were very impressed by the competent handling and surprising build quality for such a cheap bike. This 2020 incarnation looks fantastic with its sleek lines and the great suspension platform stays the same.

The Vitus Escarpe VR features some great components at this price point. Nothing on paper will let you down and nothing obvious needs changing straight away, even for the more serious MTBers out there. Even the tyres are great out of the box – usually even around this price point, complete bikes will be lacking in the rubber – but the Maxxis Minion DHF up front is sound and the Rekon rear is a good climber.

The frame offers 140mm of travel, a slight increase on previous years, and should be just great for most styles of riding. The Escarpe is designed to ridden aggressively and can handle the rough stuff well. The 150mm Rock Shox Lyric forks enable you to plough through rocks at speed and although a slight miss match with the rear end, the geo is just right. The Lyric Forks are really top of their game at the mid range market – they offer a lot of adjustability and match well with the rear shock. You wont find a better fork on any bike for under £3k.

Check out that rear shock the RS Deluxe Select + RT, tuned in for the Escarpe platform – loads of adjustably and tokens included – gives a fantastic dialled in ride for both climbing and descending. The 140mm of travel genuinely feels more – having riden both the Sommet and the Escarpe there is not too much difference in the amount of travel both offer – especially when the rear shock is dialed in well, you wont find yourself being left behind on the descents, the Escarpe can handle anything the Sommet can even with 20mm less travel.

 

We love the expensive SRAM chainset and NX Eagle 12 speed Groupset. The Sram Guide T brakes shouldn’t let you down and are really dependable stoppers – realistically your only worthwhile upgrade would be to Hope E4’s, thats not to say the SRAM Guides are the second best brakes on the market, but you really wont need much more power than these on a trail bike. The Brand X dropper post is a dependable performer, no hassle, no flashing lights and relatively simple to service compared to more expensive models, it will serve you well!

Plus points:
• Great suspension platform with excellent geometry.
• 12 Speed group
• Dialed rear shock and forks.
• Looks amazing.
• Fantastic Value.

Negatives:
• Slightly heavier than expected at nearly 15kg, but still no fatty.
• Slight miss match on front and rear travel, won’t bother most but could prove to be a bit wallowy up front unless you get your suspension set up 100% correctly.
• Brand X dropper comes with mixed reviews, although not seem much better at this price point.
• Has competition from the longer travel Vitus Sommet – and doesn’t out-climb its big brother by much.
• Seat tube on the frame is loooong – make it difficult to get the seat really low for some riders – choose your frame size wisely especailly if you like to get the seat down low!

We think for the money and LOOKS (yummy), this Vitus is in a league of its own.
27.5 wheelsize or 29 wheelsize – you decide!
Get it direct at CRC for only £2299, available in 3 sizes.

Also available from CRC sister (owner) site Wiggle! Check out their 0% interest free deals if thats how you roll!


Providing every rampant run with 140mm of rear travel, the Escarpe gives an unbeatable trail-riding experience, allowing you to climb to the highest highs and drop back down with confidence and composure.

High-Performance, Alloy-Framed, Full Suspension MTB

This VR model comes kitted out with a top-end 150mm RockShox Lyric Select Charger RC fork and 140mm RS Deluxe Select+ rear shock to bear the brunt of every bump and bang on your way across the mountain. It also comes with SRAM 1×12 NX Eagle gearing, SRAM Guide T disc brakes, plus internal dropper post routing for the Brand-X Ascend dropper post. This venturesome Vitus rolls you smoothly and steadily on its WTB ST Light rims and 2.6” wide Maxxis 3C tyres, to give a tubeless-ready, high-grip and easy-handling experience as you weave your way to off-road excellence.

• Escarpe 6061-T6 alloy 27.5” frame with boost spacing and modern aggressive geometry
• 140mm rear suspension, 150mm front suspension
• SRAM 1×12 NX Eagle groupset
• Brand-X Ascend Internal Dropper Post
• Metric Trunnion-mount shock with sealed bearing upper shock mount
• Maxxis Assegai / Minnion tyres
• Tubeless-ready Maxxis 3C Tyres with tubeless rim tape fitted and valves included

 

Built, Tuned and Tested
Rest assured that each bike is fully built, tested and tuned by Wiggle’s team of qualified bike mechanics to ensure your bike arrives in perfect condition. Find out which size fits you by clicking the size chart tab.

Note: Manufacturer may reserve the right to change the specification of that listed or shown on this page.

Buy Vitus Bikes from Chain Reaction Cycles, the World’s Largest Online Bike Store.

Also available from CRC sister (owner) site Wiggle! Check out their 0% interest free deals if thats how you roll!