Vitus Argal - Anyone know anything about these?

[jamesdak]

Picked this frame up recently on a whim but can't find much about them. I did find one mention in an old Vitus Catalog. Mine is 130mm rear spacing but I also found a post or two online mentioning 126mm spacing so maybe they were made for awhile?

It'll be built up with a Ultegra R8000 groupset soon but I'm just curious about these and would love to hear anyone's insight into them.

Here's on shot of it as I had it mocked up a bit to size it for a stem.

I'm also curious about these rear dropouts. Are these adjustable somehow? By that I'm talking about the top of the dropout where it goes into the seat stay and that allen bolt there. I realize that the RD hanger is replaceable.

I also assume this is just to hold the cable housing?

Anyway, if anyone has info to share on these I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

 

[otherself]

Re:

Thats a blast from the past . I remember my LBS (the size of a garden shed) had an Argal hanging from the wall circa 1997. It seemed to be there for years ... up till 2000. It was in a dark teal green afaik. Tig aluminium, lightish (1.5kg).

I know Vtus were still producing steel models in the mid 90's but they were largely for the french market. The range was rechristened with names such as TXO, XO, GTI steel tubing. I think LOOK had taken the company over by this time.

 

[jamesdak]

Re:

Well this is getting closer to being done. I've got the right wheels in, proper stem, handlebars, and the perfect saddle for it.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to use the yellow cable housing with this instead of black.

I may have to go down to a 700 x 23 tire on this or at least the rear. There's only a tad over 4mm of clearance between the rear tire and the seatpost. That's a short chainstay on this one.

 

[JoeCarrigan]

Re:

Here is some anecdotal info from an old eBay ad
1995 Vitus Argal Al Frameset, 56cm, w/Headset, Seatpost, Bottom Bracket, XLNT!
Description I built this Vitus Argal from a frameset several years ago. And it was used as a display bike off and on at a local bike shop. I never rode it, and I think that it was new when I got it. I have never seen another, although I once chatted with a guy in France who had the same bike, so it isn't a one-off. He claimed that it was the best frameset that Vitus ever built. You can see another for sale in Europe. That one is from 1996. This frameset is(I believe) a 1995. The frameset is 56cm(C-C) With a 56cm top tube. The seat tube rises above the top tube to 60cm. Chainstays are 40cm. All aluminum, with very nice welds. The top tube is horizontal. The rear brake cable is internal to the top tube. The down tube, top tube, and the seat tube are bilaterally ovalized to stiffen the bottom bracket and the head tube. The color is a dark sapphire blue metallic. With Gold highlights. The logo and decor is all paint(no decals) This frame will come with a new Stronglight integrated headset. A new Mavic bottom bracket, and a new Vitus pantographed Aero seatpost and seatpost clamp.

 

[Jonny69]

The rear stays were bolted like that on the 979 frames as well. I don't know the real reason, given that the rest of the 979 frame is bonded, but it might be to accommodate different size frames using the same dropout

 

[JoeCarrigan]

Do you know where I can find any of the plastic things for the rear brake cable where it enters and exits the top tube?
I thought I found some, they arrived today and are completely the wrong shape.

 

[jamesdak]

The rear stays were bolted like that on the 979 frames as well. I don't know the real reason, given that the rest of the 979 frame is bonded, but it might be to accommodate different size frames using the same dropout

Yep, that's what I found out with more research. The manual that came with the bike even say they were "removable".

 

[jamesdak]

Do you know where I can find any of the plastic things for the rear brake cable where it enters and exits the top tube?
I thought I found some, they arrived today and are completely the wrong shape.

I don't, sorry.

 

[kelletcycles]

Re:

I bought a Vitus Argal (ARGon/ALuminium) frame from Graham Weigh Cycles in 1997 having seen it reviewed in Cycling Weekly. It was built for me with a Campag Chorus 9 speed groupset. It was my ‘best’ bike for a number of years. I used it in a charity ride from Morecambe to Scarborough and a number of visits to the Alps. It was later used as my winter bike and even powder coated. I have recently reclaimed it from a family member and discovering the interest on Retrobike etc decided to rebuild it with, mainly, favourite items from my spares collection. It is now being re-sprayed and I will send details and photos to this forum.