Chat Noir
Devout Dirtbag
The other year I obtained a complete PX10DU Vitus 979 reasonably close to the original French spec. For detailed information about Vitus bike frames, including Peugeots, read Peter Kohler’s superb blog:
https://on-the-drops.blogspot.com/2016/ ... s-979.html
Bike stripped down easily. Weinmann brakes virtually NOS, levers bit more worn. Spidel RD in good condition, and easily changed gears. Front derailleur also Spidel and virtually unmarked. Down tube shifters in good condition. Stem made by Atak. Wheels Maillard Pro, with heliocomatic hub on rear. Both in good condition. Couldn’t remove Stronglight 105 fixed cup, and not certain whether French or English. Phone call to Cycle Heaven in York and they said bring it along. Few minutes later 2 grown men grunting and hanging onto the frame as they used their custom tool and a very large bench vice to loosen and then free the cup – turns out it was French. I would never have shifted this.
The threads all French, sometimes very obviously, like the BB, sometimes much more subtle, like the headset, so only careful tightening/untightening to ensure no mistakes. Sadly, damaged one of the upper brackets on the Spidel seatpost, the smoothest and most exact fitting on any bike I have, whether steel, aluminium or carbon. Not a mark on the tubing inside, as if never been on the road. Looking inside steel frames (I have an endoscope to help wire a camper van) reveals masses of grot and worse.
So, frame cleaned, waxed and polished, beautiful understated finish and love the lack of decals, apart from Vitus logos and a discreet plastic Peugeot lion and name. All components stripped, cleaned, waxed and lubed, as appropriate. Suitable 25 mm seatpost sourced (unused Shimano 600, but want to get the Spidel back on when I can find spare part). Wheels Maillard 700 Professional with unbranded anodised rims. Little bit of truing required but these run beautifully smoothly. When I stripped the hubs the grease looked original and nothing showing any signs of wear. Fresh grease and these run as smoothly as any other old wheels I have. Helicomatic hub on the rear, bit of fun finding out about these and acquiring the obligatory bottle opener / cassette removal key. No idea when this was last removed but the merest ‘tweak’ with the key and the smallest cog was free. Dismantled, cleaned, lubed and now works a treat. The retrofriction shifters were a bit more complicated to suss out. The left side didn’t come apart so simply cleaned and lubed. The rear shifter came to pieces and I put the last but one washer in the wrong way round, although the way it looked like it would fit. Result, gears slipping, usually at any point where road goes up or pressure on pedals, so would slip into higher gear just when you need to go low. Hours spent fiddling and researching on internet eventually saw me reverse the final washer and it worked. Tightening or loosening the fixing bolt allows slight increase or reduction in friction – these are impressively good shifters. The rear shifter moves getting on for 180° between top and bottom, which feels unusually far (but then a few years since I used downtube shifters), and the thread is another ‘slightly different’ French one, so mustn’t mess up any of the threads.
So, frame made August 1983 and built up pretty close to the French catalogue for that year. Weighs an astonishing 19 lbs and these wheels are very fast. I’ve been down Terrington Bank just north of York many times on many bikes over the years, sometimes with judicious use of the brakes to steady my head or deal with any wobble: freewheeled down on the Vitus and happened to glance down at the Garmin, bit alarmed to see 46 mph, but the bike tracking and running totally smoothly so just carried on. When I got home told me had reached 47.2 mph. This bike is effortlessly quick and a delight to ride.
Frame Vitus Duralinux 979 Serial number F037946 1983
Forks Duralinux 979 1983
Headset Stronglight A9
Bottom bracket French thread, Stronglight
Chainset Stronglight 105
Pedals Ofmega sintesi with toe clips
Toe straps Christophe
Rear derailleur Spidel 5X610
Front derailleur Spidel X11
Brakes and levers Weinmann Carrera 400
Stem Atax Peugeot 90
Bars Phillipe Professionel
Seat post Shimano 600 (NOS – 25mm)
Saddle Spa Aire Ti
Bar tape Spa leather bar tape
Wheels Maillard 700 Professional, Simplex skewers
Maillard Helicomatic hub
Rims Anodised grey, no name
Freewheel Helicomatic 6 speed 14 – 24 + freewheel removal tool
https://on-the-drops.blogspot.com/2016/ ... s-979.html
Bike stripped down easily. Weinmann brakes virtually NOS, levers bit more worn. Spidel RD in good condition, and easily changed gears. Front derailleur also Spidel and virtually unmarked. Down tube shifters in good condition. Stem made by Atak. Wheels Maillard Pro, with heliocomatic hub on rear. Both in good condition. Couldn’t remove Stronglight 105 fixed cup, and not certain whether French or English. Phone call to Cycle Heaven in York and they said bring it along. Few minutes later 2 grown men grunting and hanging onto the frame as they used their custom tool and a very large bench vice to loosen and then free the cup – turns out it was French. I would never have shifted this.
The threads all French, sometimes very obviously, like the BB, sometimes much more subtle, like the headset, so only careful tightening/untightening to ensure no mistakes. Sadly, damaged one of the upper brackets on the Spidel seatpost, the smoothest and most exact fitting on any bike I have, whether steel, aluminium or carbon. Not a mark on the tubing inside, as if never been on the road. Looking inside steel frames (I have an endoscope to help wire a camper van) reveals masses of grot and worse.
So, frame cleaned, waxed and polished, beautiful understated finish and love the lack of decals, apart from Vitus logos and a discreet plastic Peugeot lion and name. All components stripped, cleaned, waxed and lubed, as appropriate. Suitable 25 mm seatpost sourced (unused Shimano 600, but want to get the Spidel back on when I can find spare part). Wheels Maillard 700 Professional with unbranded anodised rims. Little bit of truing required but these run beautifully smoothly. When I stripped the hubs the grease looked original and nothing showing any signs of wear. Fresh grease and these run as smoothly as any other old wheels I have. Helicomatic hub on the rear, bit of fun finding out about these and acquiring the obligatory bottle opener / cassette removal key. No idea when this was last removed but the merest ‘tweak’ with the key and the smallest cog was free. Dismantled, cleaned, lubed and now works a treat. The retrofriction shifters were a bit more complicated to suss out. The left side didn’t come apart so simply cleaned and lubed. The rear shifter came to pieces and I put the last but one washer in the wrong way round, although the way it looked like it would fit. Result, gears slipping, usually at any point where road goes up or pressure on pedals, so would slip into higher gear just when you need to go low. Hours spent fiddling and researching on internet eventually saw me reverse the final washer and it worked. Tightening or loosening the fixing bolt allows slight increase or reduction in friction – these are impressively good shifters. The rear shifter moves getting on for 180° between top and bottom, which feels unusually far (but then a few years since I used downtube shifters), and the thread is another ‘slightly different’ French one, so mustn’t mess up any of the threads.
So, frame made August 1983 and built up pretty close to the French catalogue for that year. Weighs an astonishing 19 lbs and these wheels are very fast. I’ve been down Terrington Bank just north of York many times on many bikes over the years, sometimes with judicious use of the brakes to steady my head or deal with any wobble: freewheeled down on the Vitus and happened to glance down at the Garmin, bit alarmed to see 46 mph, but the bike tracking and running totally smoothly so just carried on. When I got home told me had reached 47.2 mph. This bike is effortlessly quick and a delight to ride.
Frame Vitus Duralinux 979 Serial number F037946 1983
Forks Duralinux 979 1983
Headset Stronglight A9
Bottom bracket French thread, Stronglight
Chainset Stronglight 105
Pedals Ofmega sintesi with toe clips
Toe straps Christophe
Rear derailleur Spidel 5X610
Front derailleur Spidel X11
Brakes and levers Weinmann Carrera 400
Stem Atax Peugeot 90
Bars Phillipe Professionel
Seat post Shimano 600 (NOS – 25mm)
Saddle Spa Aire Ti
Bar tape Spa leather bar tape
Wheels Maillard 700 Professional, Simplex skewers
Maillard Helicomatic hub
Rims Anodised grey, no name
Freewheel Helicomatic 6 speed 14 – 24 + freewheel removal tool
