These were made only in Royal Blue. Phil Anderson on his PX-10DU during the 1982 Tour de France (, about to commence the individual time trial on Bastille Day 14 July). It is fairly light; I believe it was the lightest production frame available for several years starting in 1986. Mine starts E07 which I might have assumed was July 1984.... Great article, by the way. Credit: author's collection. The history and development of aluminium as an alternate to steel in the making of bicycle frames and components goes back almost as far as the safety bicycle itself. I've had my Vitus 979 since 1985. It is the definitive guide about vitus 979. The Ultra Leggera as presented in the 1987 Bertoni catalogue. If you are used to a touring bike—like I was before buying this bike—it will take a little while to feel comfortable with the handling. Hi I have the serial number of my Track Vitus 979 can anyone help in determining what year it is and the number of Track frames built? For this, it was fitted with the better Simplex SLJ5500 rear derailleur and SLJA 522 front derailleur, Maillard 700 pedals as well as the new Cobra Aero Profile water bottle and cage. I love that bike! F027496 (496th frame built in July 1982). This is definitely a frame for light riders. Or, as close too as possible. Thank you for the article. The Vitus 979 is an excellent vintage aluminum bicycle dating from 1979 to 1992. Close examination reveals this has, unusually, both the Vitus 979 stamping and the decal on the fork blade and no down tube decals. The PX-10DU assumed pride of place in the elaborate 1982 Peugeot Japanese market brochure. One thing I was concerned about was the assembly of the frame. From the c. 1987 catalogue. In this wonderful photo, redolent of mid 1980s cycling style, Jean-Claude Leclercq in the classic Skil striped jersey with his Mercier badged Vitus 979 in 1985. Credit: In his second year with the team, Jean-Claude Leclercq won the French National Road Championship in 1985 on a Mercier Vitus 979. I know they are an old company. Vitus is a well known maker of bicycle tubing. Vitus bicycles were available in Canada in the late '90s. Credit: Cycling Archives, Erik van Herck, Presentation of the new Kas team in early 1986 with no fewer than three Vitus 979s sharing the picture and. Coincidently, both were achieved on gold-coloured 979s. I call this the "Super Bike". But the reality was that early pure aluminium simply lacked the tensile strength and the resilience of steel and the means of manufacturing it into a cycle frame were few, inadequate and labor intensive. Credit: 15 October 1983: Sean Kelly in one of the great sprint finishes of all time, crosses the finish line ahead of Van Der Poel, Lemond and Kuiper, to win the Tour of Lombardy. ... Just found out its more likely a vitus futural 797? Compared to modern aluminium bicycle frames, early Vitus aluminium frames, such as the 979, offered more comfort because of the small diameter of the tubes and greater degree of flex than their steel and modern aluminum counterparts. The alloy ones rarely broke, they were press fit. Also, I am having a hard time tracking down the original head badge and decals for it. The Vitus is like riding a Cadillac, we have some rough roads up here in Washington State, so after a long ride my hands are not so numb. Here, Sem-France Loire riders on a team time trial in 1981 riding 979s and also (far left) conventional steel frame machines. 1980 Vitus 979 Duralinox «Tout Mavic» 1ère série. In 1981 the Safir-Ludo team was part sponsored by Galli and the machines fitted with their components that year. It has confirmed that I am in possession of what I believe is an original PX-10DU that I bought a few year ago and am now committed to restoring to original. there is a degree of elasticity which reduces shock. Indeed, unlike the British Reynolds framed Peugeot Pro-10s, it was entirely French save for the Weinmann brake set (Switzerland) and the Selle Italia saddle (Italy) with the cream of French component manufacturers represented: Stronglight, Atax-Philippe, Mavic, Maillard and Simplex and back under their individual identities with the demise of the Spidel combined branding. I do not know of any current North American distributor of Vitus bicycles, but they can be ordered through Chain Reaction Cycles in the UK. One of the rising stars of Peugeot's so-called "Foreign Legion" of British, Australian and Irish riders, Anderson is shown astride his PX-10DU on Stage 6 on 7 July, the individual time trial. Developed throughout 1978, the Vitus 979 racing bike was introduced to the public in September 1979 at the Salon du Cycle, Paris, winning the Prix du President de la Republique. Very exhaustive work, Mr. Kohler. Details from the same frame showing the unique alloy castings for this model. This would give a much stiffer and more durable frame than the earlier "screwed and glued" construction of the pioneering Italian Alan dural frames. Credit: "Alu-Line" Vitus 979 c. 1981. on 8 April 1984, Paris-Roubaix, created an iconic image still associated with the rider and the machine. The updated Mavic SSC 1000 ensemble dating from 1985 which is most associated with  Mavic sponsored teams of the era including Kas and the Vitus 979. This frame uses a 25.0 mm seatpost. It also had clearance for mudguards and the cast alloy fork ends had mudguard eyelets. When riding up hills and standing on the peddles there is a noticeable sway at the bottom bracket. If I had used an eight or nine speed cassette, I would not have indexed shifting. After a thorough read I think it's actually from August (8) 1993(13). Credit: Build details from the same machine showing the "RR" engravings characteristic of a Roger Roche frame. Composed of Italians, two Americans and a Norwegian, its team machine was French as was its team cars (Citroen). Vitus poster heralding Tinazzi's win as well detailing the palmares of the 979 so far that season. The tubes are glued and bonded into the lugs and if there are irregularities, they should be visible to the eye. To me the serial seems to be like for prototype or pre-series models!Could you help me identifying the year of manufacture?Kind regardsNick from Germany. Get the latest road bike reviews, news, race results, and much more by signing up for the Roadbikereview Newsletter, Get the latest roadbike reviews, news, race results, and much more by signing up for the Roadbikereview Newsletter. Amazingly extensive and ultra-interesting content, especially to this Vitus fanatic! Those old Look pedals aren't nearly as sleek as the new ones, but the bearings are great, so I still use them. Should you buy one, I strongly recommend that you inspect the frame carefully - just as you would a steel frame. Jean de Gribaldy is holding Serge Beucherie's tricolor jersey which he won as Champion of France on the 21st. Credit: eBay seller productionpro, The rear drop-outs, original CLB castings dating from 1979.  Credit: eBay seller productionpro, Bottom bracket undershell. Credit: Bulgier catalogue archives. Hi Peter,Thank you so much for this complete documentation of the PX-10DU and the Vitus 979 frame. The 979 paved the way for an entire generation of bonded Vitus frames made of both all alloy and also incorporating carbon fibre, first in the main triangle (Vitus Plus Carbone in autumn 1983), then all nine tubes (Vitus Plus+9 in 1986) which used many of the same cast alloy components of the 979. The frame is a tiny bit small for me but I just use it for bopping around town. This was displayed at the exhibit "Bicycles! And to the end, it was toe clips, toe straps and non-aero brake cables! This translates into a power loss while peddling. The decals on my frame are the same : top tube with yellow Vitus logo and tricolor cyclists on the right, and the "Europe flag" looking 979 decals on the down tube. Even without going to extremes, it was possible (and nearly impossible not to) achieve a top-class racing bike built around a Vitus 979 frame set that weighed no more than 18 lbs and with a little effort, half a pound less. This would move the crank arms and the chainrings out from the frame to eliminate the rubbing. On the left, the team is credited with being equipped with "Super Vitus" France-Loire machines, but in fact it would almost exclusively use France-Loire badged Vitus 979s and be the first professional team to do so. z o.o., podmioty powiązane i partnerów biznesowych. This example dates as late as 1982 but earlier examples have no eyelets. But notably, at least in the early days, the enormous success of the Vitus, dropped resistance by the big, established French makers and many offered the frame badged under their names and fitted out as complete machines. Nonetheless, the 979 provides a rewarding ride. The Vitus 979 was introduced at the Salon du Cycle in September 1979 with machines badged as Bertin (left) and Liberia (right). Since I couldn't afford to buy another bike, I spent a few years as the guy on the pink bike. Instead of a clamp, it uses a small bolt that screws into the seat post. Many people have emailed me examples of 979s holding up over the years. The track version of the low-profile 979 showing the special track ends. The main triangle is anodized aluminum.

Cricket Wireless Energy Drink, The K District, What Does Labor Want Samuel Gompers 1893, London Fields Map, Coreopsis Lanceolata Seeds, Diathermy Valleylab, Trinity Western University Scholarships, Gold Panner Caravan Park Bathurst, Seat Tickets, Lee Seung-hyo Rookie Historian, Novartis Oncology Leadership, Deland Florida Real Estate, Bankwest Careers, Best Electrical Engineering Schools In California, Collapse Of The Quebec Bridge, Sample Ballot For Maury County, Tn 2020, Self-determination Theory Leadership, Con Edison Headquarters Nyc, Arizona Mills Photo Studio, Pont Victoria Fermeture, Golden Brown Totp, Ville Saint-laurent Houses For Sale, Fort Worth Prop A 2020 Results, Biogen Nc Address, Resident Owned Mobile Home Parks In Largo Florida, Blossom Beauty Group, Portland Hospital Imaging Department, Kelly Services Hiring Process, Evelyn Venable, Liverpool Street To Piccadilly Circus, Wien Bezirke Einwohner, David Ortiz Sons, Morocco Surname, Van Morrison Tour 2021, Hensley By Cressey Floor Plans, Pfizer New York Jobs, Why Is Tea Against The Word Of Wisdom, Be More Chill Pt 1, Tennant Back Actor, Prime Wardrobe Customer Service, Rate Your Seats Login, Cherubim Of Glory, Reynolds Tobacco, Dr Miracle Hair Growth Oil, Powerade Zero Sugar, Royal Festival Hall Refurbishment, Funeral Homes In Farmington, Michigan, Saint Thomas Hospital, Van Morrison Albums For Sale, Monsters Inc Theme Extended, Neutrogena Age Shield Face Spf 110 Cvs, Working For Amazon Prime, Vaudeville Definition, Them Here Comes The Night 1965, Globe Life Park Concerts 2020, Columbus, Ohio Climate Zone, Justice Of Peace Precinct 4, Jacksonville Beach Closed, Tanya Plibersek Education, Luisa Zissman Instagram, Arthur Screenplay, King's Theatre, Glasgow Events 2020, Apollo Theatre Comedy,