p139140_Vitus Escarpe 290 Pro.ex.indd

A knobby WTB Vigilante up front
provides great cornering traction,
while the low-profile Trail Boss rear
tyre keeps the rolling tempo high
bike test
Rubberised chain and
seatstay protectors silence
chainslap and protect the
anti-radar frame finish
Shimano XT brakes
with 180mm rotors
front and rear offer
unmatched stopping
power and reliability
Armour on the underside
of the down tube protects
the alloy frame and more
importantly your rear brake
hose from getting damaged
save
25%
specification
Frame 6061-T6
aluminium,
135mm travel
Shock RockShox
Monarch RT3
Fork RockShox Pike
RCT3, 150mm travel
Wheels Mavic
Crossmax XL 29, WTB
Vigilante/Trail Boss
29x2.3/2.25in tyres
Drivetrain SRAM X01
chainset and r-mech,
X1 shifters
Brakes Shimano XT,
180mm
Components
NukeProof Warhead
bar, Funn Strippa stem,
RockShox Reverb
Stealth 125mm
Sizes S,M, L, XL
Weight 13.94g (30.7lb)
Contact
chainreactioncycles.
com
geometry
Size tested L
Head angle 67.4°
Seat angle 68.9°
BB height 344mm
Chainstay 450mm
Front centre 745mm
Wheelbase 1,195mm
Down tube 723mm
Top tube 621mm
Reach 446mm
Vitus Escarpe 290 Pro
£ 2 ,6 9 9.9 9 ( r e d u c e d f r o m £ 3 , 5 9 9.9 9 )
W
hen we first set eyes on the
new range of 29er Escarpes,
we were instantly struck by
the bespoke frame design and
the gaping hole in the pricing
of the three available models. With only
£200 separating the entry-level Escarpe
(£1,499.99) from the VR version, there was
a massive jump of almost £2,000 to the
top-of-the-range Escarpe 290 Pro tested
here. Vitus was sorely missing a £2.5k bike
to compete with the likes of the Specialized,
Canyon and Cube.
Twelve months on, that model is now
available, thanks to a generous 25 per
cent end-of-season discount. And what
a blinding 29er it is. The frame delivers
135mm of travel, thanks to the new V-Link,
four-bar suspension design. It’s got a
floating shock too, where the lower eyelet
is mounted to an extension of the chainstay
yoke and moves forward as the suspension
compresses. It’s very similar to Trek’s Full
Floater design, and allows for an extra
degree of fine-tuning over progressivity.
Frame stiffness has also been a
priority for Vitus. The BB and main pivot
housing are forged from a single chunk of
aluminium, and the frame is top and tailed
by a tapered head tube and 142x12mm
rear dropouts.
Suspension
With a 150mm travel Pike leading the
charge, the Escarpe was taking no prisoners
on the descents. It’s the top-end RCT3
version, too, so you’ve got all of the
damping adjustments you need at your
fingertips. We slammed an extra
Solid, fast and
incredibly capable:
the Escarpe is a blast
september 2015
p139140_Vitus Escarpe 290 Pro.ex.indd 139
mbr 139
07/08/2015 16:20
bike test
test
winner!
With the sag set to
30 per cent, the
Escarpe felt spot-on
SRAM drivetrain
is mixed with
Shimano brakes
HIGHS
Great spec and
even better
handling
Bottomless Token in the fork to get the Solo
Air spring to ramp up faster and prevent
diving under braking or on the steepest
descents. This also helped the balance and
better maintained the dynamic geometry.
On the rear, we ran exactly 30 per cent
sag, as per the markings on the Monarch
RT3 rear shock, with the rider seated and
the bike felt spot on. The 135mm travel
never felt overly soft, and we were able to
ride the Vitus with the shock in the open
setting even on the steepest climbs.
Components
You get the best of both worlds in terms of
spec: SRAM’s wide-range 1x11 drivetrain and
Shimano’s ultra-reliable XT brakes. Mavic’s
new Crossmax XL 29er wheels are also a big
step up in terms of stiffness, but it’s their
lightning fast acceleration and resistancefree hubs that really set them apart. Yes,
the 23mm internal rim width isn’t on trend,
but given the amount of grip that’s available
on a 29er, we never felt the need for bigger
tyres or wider rims. You do need to keep
on top of wheel tension though, as Mavic’s
At £2.5k, this is a lot
more fun than Al’s
face might suggest
fat alloy spokes have a tendency to unwind.
And it’s not just the eye candy that Vitus
has focused on. You also get a right-hand
Reverb remote flipped neatly under the
handlebar on the left, and an E13 chain
guide to prevent your chain coming off in
the heat of the moment.
Performance
Even though the Escarpe isn’t pumping out
massive amounts of travel on the rear, it’s
certainly geared more towards aggressive
riding. That’s not to say it doesn’t pedal
efficiently, or cover ground effortlessly, it
just feels more like a 29er enduro bike than
most big wheelers with similar amounts
of travel.
Solid, fast and incredibly capable, we
think the Vitus Escarpe is exactly how a
good 29er should be. If you’re not attacking
steep, nasty descents on a regular basis,
however, the riser bar will feel a little high,
even with the 45mm slammed directly on
the headset. For this reason alone, we’d
probably fit a flat bar, then raise the stem
if needed.
LOWS
The BB could
be lower
With 170mm crankarms, you
won’t have any pedal clearance
issues on steep rock climbs
either. And much as we like being
able to smuggle pedal turns in whereever
we can, Vitus could definitely get away
with running the BB slightly lower on the
Escarpe 290 Pro, although one offset shock
mount should be all that’s needed to rectify
this yourself.
Verdict
If the devil truly is in the detail, then the matt black Vitus
Escarpe 290 Pro was forged in the furnace of hell. The new
alloy frame is up there with the best brands, and there isn’t
a single component that needs changing straightaway. Just
hop on board and commence trailblazing.
At the original RRP, Vitus was too ambitious
with its pricing, pitching it more in line
with regular bricks and mortar brands
rather than its direct sales rivals; with
25 per cent off, however, given the level
of performance and kit on offer, it’s an
absolute steal.
140 mbr september 2015
p139140_Vitus Escarpe 290 Pro.ex.indd 140
07/08/2015 16:20