My first post here so hello to everyone

I've just bought a Vitus frame to do a rebuild over winter. Its decals say Vitus Seven Dural Racing. I've searched all over the net but can't find anything that resembles this frame, or mention of a Vitus Seven model. Although its aluminium with the heat bonded alloy lugs, its actually quite different from a 979 or 992. I also have a 979 and there are several differences. The Seven forks are almost straight, the head lug has a much longer section to the downtube, and the 2 rear forks connect into the seat lug, rather than to the sides like on the 979. This also has the grub screw to lock the seat stem, which I think was only used on early frames?

I'm a bit stumped, it can't be that rare. From the Vitus history I've read, its more likely to have a model number than a name. Vitus used the year they started manufacturing a model. Like 979's started in 1979 etc.
It has a campagnolo bb, which I'm sure is original, and the seat tube is 25mm, although it may be 25.4mm, even with calipers its hard to be sure of .4mm!

If there's any Vitus experts out there I'd be really interested on hearing what you think.

I don't know much about Vitus but this is pretty. I like that extended DT lug(?), I wonder if that is to move the joint from a high tension/torsion area?

It appears to be a further development of the venerable 979. The 979 did get the fastback seat lug with grub bolt, circa 1986/1987. The longer lug collars would be a logical development to stiffen the frame. My guess would be that this is at least early 1990s. A 130mm dropout spacing would confirm this.

There's reference to a Vitus Seven Sublime at this site:

https://www.giroposte.com/Frames.html

Better yet, I'd try this:

https://www.vitusbikes.com/contact

Thanks Bianchigirll glad you like it, I've become a slight Vitus addict since I bought my 979 The extended DT lug is interesting and much longer than on my 979, I can't find another Vitus with this type of lug.

Thanks T-Mar, good point about the dropout spacing, I've checked this and it is 130mm. Would this date the frame to the early 90's? As a frame it does seem more 'developed'. I read that the 992 (1992) replaced the 979, but although I've googled images of 979's and 992's I've not found any with these types of lugs. Pity there's no pic for the Vitus Seven Sublime I may try emailing them for details I've already tried vitusbikes 2 weeks ago with an email and I'm awaiting a response! Looks like they've reformed under the Vitus name to manufacture bikes again, so not sure what history files they would have.

130mm spacing indicates 8 or more cogs. The first 8 speed system was 1989 Dura-Ace. Not very manufacturers adopted 130mm spacing that year. In fact, Shimano designed the rear hub's locknuts with a conical outer face to facilitate insertion in a 126mm rear triangle. Campagnolo went 8 speed in 1991 and SunTour followed in 1992, which was also the year that Shimano trickled down 8 speed to 600 Ultegra. By that point, 130mm spacing was the standard on high end frames and bicycles. This would indicate it's no older that 1991/1992, but I also have a 1992 retail catalog and it shows three Vitus frameset, the Kevlar 9, the 992 and the 979. This would imply that your frame is no older than 1993.

My very old 992 shows some similar features (but not identical), except for the head-tube.

I don't mean to take this too far off course, but does anyone have a catalog that indicates the geometry for both the 48 and 49cm 979 or 992. Wondering primarily about top tube length.

Thanks

Thanks T-Mar and rufvelo. T-Mars point about it not being older than 1993 and rufvelo's 992 pic makes me wonder if it is a later 992. The seat stem lug is looks nearly identical. The other interesting point is that mine has the twin down tube and seat tube bottle mounting points. I've never seen a 979 with twin mounts. Seems the most likely contender Nice 992 rufvelo, hope mine builds us as nice as this. What speed cassette have you got?

All the 979 had mounts for two bottles as of circa 1985/1986. The 979 got the extra bottle mount at least one year before the fastback seat lug with grub bolt.

Hi smoore, this should help you out with the 979. Top one is the 49cm spec, unfortunately doesn't have the 48

Am I right in thinking the 992 replaced the 979, the last 979's being made around 1991?

robbied196, thanks for the geometry info. Some people aren't even aware there was a 48cm 979 but I've seen photos of two. Wonder what years they started making that size? I've also seen some color variations that don't seem common at all...including dark green, light blue and in Europe a bright gold, all anodized of course.

Funnily enough I've just seen a 48cm for sale on ebay UK, must be pretty rare. Here's an interesting site for a bit of 979 info. https://schutt.org/velo/vitus-979.php

Sorry, I don't know with any certainty. It may have replaced the 979 or just complemented the 979. I remember Nashbar having a big sellout of 979 about ten years ago. If it had been a replacement, you'd think they would have sold off the 979 much earlier.

Straight legged forks says it all, It's a much later Vitus Al frame, cerainly from the 90's

Chombi

Everything seems to point to it being a 90's frame, I was thinking 992 but then I found this, a 787 Futural. Still some differences, but the most similar so far. Does anyone know how many different aluminum frame models Vitus made?

Your bicycle definitely isn't a 992. They used an integrated headset and oval tubes. I vaguely recall the Futural model. It certainly does have the extended collar on the downtube but I believe the big design change was the incorporation of the mono-stay or wishbone seat stays. The pic is a cyclocross version with cantilever studs, but I'm pretty sure they also came in the traditional configuration for standard brakes.

Sorry to awaken this thread again, but I just bought a Vitus Seven on eBay (I had seen this thread when I was researching before I purchased) and now that I own one (complete with Campag Veloce 9 Speed Group), I was hoping someone might have since discovered some more info about the Vitus Seven. I believe Vitus ran into financial trouble in the mid/late 90s and effectively became an assembler/distributor of bikes (i.e. they no longer built bikes and all Vitus bikes since then were Vitus in name only). My main query regarding the Vitus Seven, given how scarce they seem to be, is : Was the model a last ditch by Vitus to raid the parts bin and make a bike out of parts from other models (The Seven looks like a 979 but fitted with the head tube from a 787 Futural although the chainstays look a bit longer than the 979 - or am I wrong?), or was it a model which Vitus hoped to expand its marketshare using feedback from the use of their other models?

Interestingly, I didn't realise until my bike was shipped to me, that the decals on the Vitus Seven are anodised into the aluminium (I had assumed they were transfers) and that makes the whole bike even more beautiful. Also my bike has a transfer/sticker at the front of the head tube "PEAN" if anyone has an idea about this, I'd love to hear it - apparently my bike has spent a lot of its life in France so it may be a French Bike Shop or Distributor Name.

Thanks.....

History on Vitus bicycles getts kinda muddled after the 80's.
Seems like th manufacturer was struggling along with many other French companies just to survive to the end of the century.
Thsi Vitus 7 bike is quite unusual and I myself haven't come across them till I saw the ones in this thread. For such a late model for them, It's surprising that there nothing really different and new about this frame other than the legnth of the tube extensions at the lugs. It's even surprising that Vitus kept the grub screw seatpost retention system on such a late bike as it's not really the best of their designs.
As kinda noted already, it seems like this bike was a rehash of the 979 line, maybe as a lower cost, last gasp from the company at that time before it was re-organized to its present form.
Why Vitus would pick such a ubiquitous name for it like "7" is weird, as it does not seem to denote anything about the bike, except for maybe the 7 aluminum tubes on the frame.
It will be interesting to find out how the graphics are applied to the frame as decals cannot be "anodized" to the frame as you noted as anodizing is actually a form of tinted (when colored), induced corrosion on the aluminum surface of the tubes. If they are indeed decals and seem to be coated over, that will most likely be some sort of clear coat paint over them.....unless the actual graphis are some sort of special process where it is actually anodizing of differing colors and shapes to form the graphics and not decals. I have not seen that yet.
Share with us more details when you get the frame in.

Chombi, thanks for the response. I've taken some photos - one to show the bike but mostly to give closeups of the decals. Firstly, the bike seems to have been very well cared for, and interestingly came with 46/39 chainset, and a 16/24 (straight through) cassette, so it makes me think it was last used as a junior/juvenile racer with restricted gearing. Judging by the marks on the seatpost where the grub screw has dug in a bit, it would seem that the saddle has spent a lot of its time adjusted to the lowest possible position - this would also fit in with being used by juniors. At least (hopefully) it means it was used by people who were light weights.
I was wrong in my earlier post when I said I thought the chainstays might be a bit longer than a 979's, thanks to robbied196 979 size chart, I have realised that the chainstays are the same length as the 979s.
As for my thoughts on the decals being anodised, I have looked closely at them and they would appear to be dyes on the metal which are then sealed in with the anodising. If you look at the closeup of the purple colour you can see that the colour is a bit translucent and you can see the metal through it, also the shading of the purple is not exactly consistent - all of this is very like how anodised colours are described - I have an Alan bike with the main tubes all anodised in blue and the visual effect is the same. The Wikipedia entry for "Anodizing" refers to " may be printed into the unsealed porous oxide layer using color dyes via silkscreen, sublimation transfer or digital printer" and I suspect Vitus may hve used silkscreen printing to the frame before the final sealing of the anodised tubes. I think the same process may have been used on some 992s - see an example on this link : https://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/vi...42295&start=50
If you google "anodised silkscreen printing" there are many companies offering the service - it seems to be quite popular on baseball bats.
Still no closer to figuring out where exactly the Vitus Seven fitted into the Vitus Catalogue or History - but I've many years of fun ahead figuring that out. I haven't had a decent spin on the bike yet - I want to change the cassette before I do that (its already on order).

AlanC8,
Beautiful bike there. It will be interesting to get a few more facts on it's date or origin a why the subtle changes.

By the way, I'm still riding my 48cm 979 and still trying to determine the build year. None of the catalogs I can find on-line indicate a 48cm, but I've seen a couple of others in addition to my purple.