Vitus 979 and my commute.
 

Hi everyone, i recently got myself a Vitus 979 from a friend who no longer needed it (got himself a car) and well im trying to see is its worth investing money into it so that i can commute and ride. The bike has pretty good components as it is now. Its set to single speed but does have a white industries flip flop for fixed gear (not my thing) I just want to know if its something i can sink money into. seeing as i dont have enough for something brand new. Besides for me liking the components, it's also extremely light and well that's what kinda sold me on this bike. I use to use an old Schwinn le tour so its a step up for me. On a side note (this probably isnt the right place) but do you have any ideas what a paint job might cost me for this bike? im not sure if aluminum makes it harder to paint or not. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vitus-979-Fr...item3389fb95f4 this an ebay frame of what id like to look like.

Sink the money in if you wish , but I'd get something less precious to commute on ..

the Derailleur hanger if bent much makes the frame scrap aluminum .

A Vitus 979 is never painted. The aluminum does not need it. You'll wipe out its value.

The junctions between the tubing and the lugs are vulnerable to corrosion if it gets wet. Not a good bike to ride in the rain often.

Yes i know but the bike has been painted prior to this (white and yellow) and well it just doesnt suit me. Seeing as its painted, i wanted to give it the original paint job the 979's came with.

I know aluminum frames are more fragile than the usual but ive looked over the bike and its in great shape. As for rain, i live in Los angeles where rain is rare.

The material , aluminum, was anodized then epoxy bonded, together.. ..
it was never painted,, the tubes were color dyed after anodizing .. the rest was not .

I suggest you do some research about what you have. Here is a start: http://vitus979.com/

It sounds possible that someone else has already trashed the bike - painted, singlespeed/fixie'd. Post good pictures of the bike if you want more accurate judgments. Better yet, post in C&V as this frame is well known there.

If the existing paint is actually paint and is not the original paint, then I would strip it off, polish the lugs, and paint or polish the tubes. Have to make sure the stripper is safe for aluminum and I'd avoid getting it in the tube-lug junctions. I don't know if stripper will remove the original anodization of the tubes, but you may not care about that.

Looking at the eBay link you posted, do you see something at the junction between tubes and lugs, e.g. at the seat post? You want to look there on your frame for any signs of corrosion, discoloration, etc.