Issue #017, Review - December 13, 2015

Vitus Sommet VRX 2015 Review

Vitus promises performance for a fraction of the price of bigger brands, a very tasty prospect and our test team couldn’t wait to see what the Sommet had in store for us!

This article is part of our Enduro Bike Group Test 2015.

The Vitus is a new kid on the block packing some serious punch, backed by the retail supergiant Chain Reaction Cycles and developed in-house in the Emerald Isle. Designed from the ground up to be a trail slayer, the new 155mm Sommet is aimed at the rider who wants to ride the toughest trails fast!

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Working with Chain Reaction has its perks, and the specification of the Vitus Sommet VXR is impressive: the Marzocchi 350 NCR fork looks great, and we know the SRAM X1 1×11 drivetrain performs well. The Vitus 740mm riser bars have a nice rise and sweep, but we would like to see a little more width on a bike with this travel and intent. The 6061-T6 aluminum frame looks burly, and the four-bar V-Link suspension packs 155 mm of rear travel, driven by a RockShox Monarch Plus RC3 DebonAir hiding neatly inside the pierced seat tube. The Vitus Sommet comes up a little short in reach compared to some of the other bikes in the test, so those between the two sizes may want to size up.

Now we know that the Vitus Sommet is a good bike – we spent a lot of time on the higher spec PRO model and loved it. The secret’s in the design: with a falling leverage rate to the sag point, the bike sinks into its travel with almost no resistance. Once at the sag point, the bike is very stable and the progressive rate helps the bike return quickly to a balanced position. This results in a rear end that is buttery smooth over small impacts, ramping up quickly on big square-edged hits.

A bit heavier than others on the test, but it still climbs and descends well.

On the climbs the Vitus Sommet performed fine; it carries more bulk than some of the bikes in the test at 14.61 kg, but it hauled itself up the hill well. The V-Link rear suspension action feels plush, poppy, and playful, and remains very balanced around the sag point, showing minimal pedal feedback when we put the power down. The burly frame feels very stiff and accurate and powers up technical climbs well. We did find that when the RockShox Monarch RC3 DebonAir was put in firm mode the rear end broke traction easier than we had expected, so rough climbs were best hit in open mode.

All of the test team liked the WTB Vigilante front and Trail Boss rear tyre combo, which was perfect for an all-round shredder, even if they did add a little weight. We also liked the Shimano SLX brakes, which are class-leading for budget stoppers.

The rear suspension movement was clean but the same could not be said for the Marzocchi up front.

When the terrain turned downwards, the Vitus was happy to charge hard with a compliant rear suspension. The slightly shorter (compared to others in the test) wheelbase made the bike exceptionally good at snapping through tight turns and it feels very stable in the air, but it did feel less confident through very rocky terrain. It’s a real play machine and perfect for gnarly trails in the woods.

Details

Good rubber: The WTB Vigilante TCS Dual DNA compound front and Trail Boss TCS Dual Ply rear tyre combo are good all-rounders. They add to the considerable weight of the bike, but provide great grip and puncture protection. — **Good rubber:** The WTB Vigilante TCS Dual DNA compound front and Trail Boss TCS Dual Ply rear tyre combo are good all-rounders. They add to the considerable weight of the bike, but provide great grip and puncture protection.

Budget Stoppers: The Shimano SLX brakes may be considered budget brakes, but their performance is nothing but high-class. Throughout the testing they performed exceptionally and provided confidence-inspiring deceleration. — **Budget Stoppers:** The Shimano SLX brakes may be considered budget brakes, but their performance is nothing but high-class. Throughout the testing they performed exceptionally and provided confidence-inspiring deceleration.

Clever integration: The RockShox Monarch RC3 Plus DebonAir is neatly integrated into a pierced seat tube basket. This helps keep the centre of gravity low and allows Vitus to create a suspension kinematic that provides a fun and engaging ride. — **Clever integration:** The RockShox Monarch RC3 Plus DebonAir is neatly integrated into a pierced seat tube basket. This helps keep the centre of gravity low and allows Vitus to create a suspension kinematic that provides a fun and engaging ride.

Specification: Vitus Sommet VRX 2015

Fork: Marzocchi 350 NCR 155mm
Rear Shock: RockShox Monarch Plus RC3 Debonair 160mm
Drivetrain: SRAM X1
Brakes: Shimano SLX 180 / 180mm
Seatpost: RockShox Reverb Stealth
Stem: FUNN Strippa 45mm
Handlebar: Vitus Rise Bar 740mm
Tyres: WTB Vigilante TCS / WTB Trail Boss TCS
Wheelsize: 27.5″
Wheels: WTB Frequency Team i23 TC / Formula
Price: € 3,099

Strengths

Very playful suspension.
Good Tyres.

Weaknesses

Marzocchi 350 NCR felt unbalanced.
Heavy weight.

Conclusion

If you are after a fun bike for shred sessions with your buddies in the woods, or a tough bike for privateer racing, then the Vitus Sommet would be an affordable and trusty companion. We liked the poppy and engaging ride from the rear suspension, but unfortunately in this test an underwhelming Marzocchi fork did not allow us to fully exploit the bike’s potential.

For more information on the bike visit Vitus website