2020 VITUS E-SOMMET VRX Q's

[pgtips]

Hi all.
8 months since my Levo got stollen I'm on the market for a new EMTB
I been searching, reading, watching countless of videos and reviews on every bike manufacturer.
So I have come to conclusion that I need a Vitus in my life!
Looking at the 2020 line up I wanted the Sommet VRS but honestly not sure if I could live with the colour design! Who on earth decided that this a great colour combo is beyond me.

Anyways I also like the Sommet VRX, great spec and bloody good price.
I'm a 53 year old ( young ) rider that my main riding is all day trails but I do like a bit enduro style riding, rough stuff and not really that great on jumps.
Do you guys think the VRX geometry is a bit overkill for my kind of riding? I been told the bike is quite playful and not a downhill bomber like the Kenevo I used to own before my Levo.

Also, I know @Gary likes small frame on the Vitus. I'm 175cm in height and according to Vitus sizing I'm smack between the Small and Medium size.

Cheers in advance.

 

[Gary]

The small is far from short.
Reach is 435mm
That's 20mm longer reach than any of the DH bikes I ever raced on
wheelbase is similar.
You could easily go small or medium
They'll both be plenty stable due to the weight placement
The small will suit a rearwards weight bias rider more. it'll pop easier and bunny hop with less effort. and raising the front wheel (manny) will mean less extreme weight shift is required.

I'm 5'11" (is that 180cm?) with a 33" inseam (no idea what that is in euros)

I can't comment on whether the geometry will suit you or not.
it suits me so much as I love lower BB heights, love slack HAs on a FS bike due to my DH background.
The bike's suspension kinematics are also pretty perfect for my preference.
coming from a spesh Levo it is quite a different bike
Handling wise my smalls ride quite similarly to the LARGE OG Kenevos without the ridiculous weight those were. ( don't mean motor characteristics BTW)

 

[pgtips]

The small is far from short.
Reach is 435mm
That's 20mm longer reach than any of the DH bikes I ever raced on
wheelbase is similar.
You could easily go small or medium
They'll both be plenty stable due to the weight placement
The small will suit a rearwards weight bias rider more. it'll pop easier and bunny hop with less effort. and raising the front wheel (manny) will mean less extreme weight shift is required.

I'm 5'11" (is that 180cm?) with a 33" inseam (no idea what that is in euros)

I can't comment on whether the geometry will suit you or not.
it suits me so much as I love lower BB heights, love slack HAs on a FS bike due to my DH background.
The bike's suspension kinematics are also pretty perfect for my preference.
coming from a spesh Levo it is quite a different bike
Handling wise my smalls ride quite similarly to the LARGE OG Kenevos without the ridiculous weight those were. ( don't mean motor characteristics BTW)

Thanks Gary.
435 reach is the same with the Levo I had in Medium so should be perfect in size small.

I loved the Kenevo, could plough through anything but it was a heavy bike and you had to seriously put some weight over the front wheel in tight switchbacks and muscle the bike around so it was not for my style of riding. And that's what really worries me with the Sommet VRX. Although it doesn't look or weigh as much as the Kenevo I think it should be ok.

Thanks for replying mate

 

[Gary]

Yeah, The sommet is less of a plow bike than the Kenevo.
but you can set 'em up that way.
mine's a l'il stiffer poppier set up.
The kenevos I've ridden also blew through their rear travel a little easier. Haven't looked to see if that's because they run a coil and have less progressive overall LC
But with the correct sag the Esommet is nicely supportive and progressive but still supple at the beginning.

 

[Gary]

It handles successive turns pretty effortlessly

 

[Gary]

Lad in front is a 17yr old pinner on a Commie Meta 29 Enduro bike. (not Eeb)

I say infront. I make a sneaky inside pass on him half way down.

 

[pgtips]

It handles successive turns pretty effortlessly

Yep that turns effortlessly alright Looks very agile mate. You made my happy seeing that

Lad in front is a 17yr old pinner on a Commie Meta 29 Enduro bike. (not Eeb)

I love the shortcut right in the end

 

[Gary]

Yeah. that's half way down the trail.
I leave him after that and wash my front wheel out on the very last corner taking a dodgy line not realising just how loose it was.

 

[pgtips]

@Gary sorry me again. Do you have any experience with the eescarpe?
I can see is 140mm travel bike but I do wonder what is based on riding wise. All day/ trail bike? Never had 140mm so I don't really know if it's enough. Saying that, I don't think I ever used the full travel on my Levo or Kenevo.

 

[Gary]

It's based on the Escarpe but with a motor silly
140mm is plenty capable.
Geo is fine.
suspension similar to the sommet (V.good)
should be a decent ride. (haven't ridden one though)

I wouldn't bother with shorter travel on an Eeb unless it's a genuinely light weight one though.
EEscarpe won't be any lighter than the ESommet.
But I have some of the best Enduro/DH trails in the UK locally though.

I have 11 bikes ranging from DH bikes to enduro to trail to DJ/4X to BMX and road
Genuinely. the biggest difference betwen 140mm and 160mm is fatigue on longer/rougher descents.
I'm happy riding a 100mm hardtail (not an E hardtail) down the sort of stuff in my videos (if you check my insta)
My slopestyle bike is only 120mm rear travel (140mm front)

forgetting about travel for a minute though as geometry majes more of a difference. If you're a trail rider more into XC jaunts the escarpe has better geometry for this. if you're genuinely more of a gravity rider the Esommet is one of the best Emtbs available to fulfill all your dreams.

 

[StuE]

The thing that I like about my Esommet is that it works just as well on a long day out in Lake District, as it does doing the sort of riding that Gary does, I'm the same height as Gary but with a slightly shorter inside leg (32 inches) I bought a large and actually think I would have been better with the medium, the standard seatpost is as far into the frame as it will go and is only just low enough.
Adam Bryton looks to be running a mullet setup on his Esommet wonder if Vitus will introduce this on next years model.

 

[Zimmerframe]

It handles successive turns pretty effortlessly

Your shadow makes you look slimmer than you are, did you use additional lighting sources ??

 

[Zimmerframe]

Yeah. that's half way down the trail.
I leave him after that and wash my front wheel out on the very last corner taking a dodgy line not realising just how loose it was.

I still think that's my favourite @Gary video !

 

[R120]

The E-Sommett is a bike that "rides" a lot lighter in terms of feel than many other long travel EMTB's, not only because it is about 2-3kg lighter than many of its rivals, but also because of how the weight is located in the frame, and the suspension design.

It can go full DH beast mode if you want, but is also poppy and fun to ride meaning that it can pop off stuff and much as it can plough through it.

I have ridden so many EMTB's but still love my E-Sommett, because its still the easiest EMTB I have ridden to lift up the front, which basically means you have more options at to how your ride a trail.

Its fine for pootling around on xc and single track, in fact probably better than a lot of shorter travel bikes that weigh more.

 

[StuE]

The E-Sommett is a bike that "rides" a lot lighter in terms of feel than many other long travel EMTB's, not only because it is about 2-3kg lighter than many of its rivals, but also because of how the weight is located in the frame, and the suspension design.

It can go full DH beast mode if you want, but is also poppy and fun to ride meaning that it can pop off stuff and much as it can plough through it.

I have ridden so many EMTB's but still love my E-Sommett, because its still the easiest EMTB I have ridden to lift up the front, which basically means you have more options at to how your ride a trail.

Its fine for pootling around on xc and single track, in fact probably better than a lot of shorter travel bikes that weigh more.

Had a ride on a friends Levo with an Eddy current on the front and couldn't believe how heavy the front end felt, could hardly get the front wheel to lift at all

 

[Gary]

Your shadow makes you look slimmer than you are, did you use additional lighting sources ??

Called in the big yellow one that day especially. We get that privilege here but once a year so it needs to be a special occasion to summon it.

 

[Gary]

I still think that's my favourite @Gary video !

Yeah. Only because you're not a WhatsApp contact. "shower time" is my most popular highest viewed video there ?

 

[Gary]

@StuE yeah. The old kenevo is a bit of a tank. Massively heavy aggressive tyres make them even more so.
Local from the door riding here is actually flatter than Surrey. And my local hill range is sort of like a mini lakes district. And yeah the bike is absolutely fine for huge XC jaunts. Because if the lack of gradient I've managed 40milers staying local on it. Due to the huge gradients I get 12miles if I'm lucky down inners etc. Way.