lotekmod

I think I'm finally ready to start on a Vitus 979 project that I've long been considering. I used to ride one in the early 90's and had a love/hate affair with the bike, but the frames are cheap enough for me to take the chance on revisiting one. I'm on the fence between a 54cm and 55cm frame and I can't seem to find reliable information on geometry. I believe the 55cm is ideal (55st x 55tt) but the 54cm frames are much more common and I have found some information that supports the fact that both sizes have the same head tube length of 140mm. I have found multiple listings stating the 54cm has a 140mm HT, but only one listing on a 55 also giving 140mm HT.

That is really a key dimension for me since I am long legged and smaller frames with short head tubes leave the handlebars too low. But if the 55 and 54 both have the same headtube length then they will both work, and the 54 might even be better with the shorter top tube.

So, to make a long story short, anyone have a 55cm Vitus 979 that could give me a head tube length?

Bandera

Vitus's official sizing was measured center to center.
My late production model 979 55 C-C is 56 C-T w/ a 56 TT and a 145 HT.

-Bandera

lotekmod

Hmm, interesting. I did know that Vitus measured c-c on the seat tube but I have seen many sources that give the same length for top tube (54cm marked frame, 54 c-c ST, 54 c-c TT for example) and some that give slightly longer top tubes like yours.

Thanks for the info! I'll add it to my database

Bianchigirll 

Did they make them in one cm increments or just 2cm?

lotekmod

1cm increments, at least in middle sizes. Vitus did us one favor by stamping the frame size on the head tube. I have seen photos of 51, 53, 54, and 56 stamps just doing a quick search.

Normally I'm not very picky about frame size- anything around 54-56cm I can get to work, but there are plenty of these frames out there and I'm in no rush so I can afford to be picky and patient.