I went to pick up an old Fuji and a Miyata at lunch and the guy asks if I'd be interested in another bike, I didn't have the cash but I looked at it anways.

A soon as I saw it I thought Peugeot (it's debadged) because it looks just like the Comete someone asked about recently although this one is labled Vitus so I'm wondering if this frame is questionable like the Comete?

Here's pics from the Comete inquiry, like I said it looks virtually identical in construction but it has vitus decals.







Should I snatch this one up?


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It's labled Vitus because it's a Vitus.

You are most likely looking at a Vitus 979.
Like most other bikes, if the frame has not been abused or is visually showing any corrosion or impact damage, it should be generally OK, despite all the bad opinions that had been thrown at the Vitus frames all these years, there haven't been any real evidence that the frames were badly designed and prone to tube/lug separation with normal use. It was mostly just paranoia/rumors spread by people who sometimes never even owned one of these 979s. Unfortunately, the damage had been done and the "stigma" had stubbornly stuck to these bikes, so auction prices on these frames are very depressed.
Tons of people still ride 979s these days without any problems.
BTW, that guy who sold that Comete at eBay has another NOS one on auction presently! I think it's a smaller size than the last one.

Chombi

I realize it's a Vitus frame, my question is about the frames reliability.

It's far too small for me but at the price he wants for it I'm pretty sure I can make decent money on it but I won't try to flip a bike with a frame that might come apart or have the stigma of a recall attached to it.

Well, I would just base my purchase offer on the value of the components alone. Then you are covered either way. When I am pressed to make a really quick decision, I just do about a 10 second inventory on parts, and act accordingly. That method has worked well for me, I call it "grab now - study later".

I think I'll try to pick it up, it's got a Campagnolo wheel set on it and I'd imagine those alone are worth what he's asking for the bike.

That's why you called it a Peugeot?

No I called it a Peugeot because it looks virtually identical to the Comete I had seen here. If another bike builder used frames like that I'd appreciate any info you may have about them.

I did some more searching and found this on Velospace which looks even more like the bike I saw today https://velospace.org/node/4179



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Please note that the Peugeot Comete had a very different method of tube/lug attachment, via the "Pechiney" method, supposed to have been developed by the aerospace industry. IIRC, it's a "dry" mechanical method that does not use any glues (Someone here can confirm, I'm sure,) while the Vitus frame tubes were to lugs attached using "Aerospace grade glues". So you are really looking at two different types of Al frames here.

Chombi

Aside from the fact that both are aluminum tubes attached to a lug.... there's not much visual similarity. Seat stay cluster............

Thank you, this is the kind of help I was looking for. I'm not afraid to admit I'm learning all the time about these things, that's why I ask the experts like you guys.

I had only seen the pics of the Comete once and then I ran across this bike today and took a quick look at it in a hurry in a poorly lit basement so I apologise for not being able to make a perfect ID on the frame.