First Look: 2021 Vitus Escarpe & Sommet

The bikes were both designed at the same time, and there's a good reason they bear more than a passing resemblance to each other – they share the same carbon front triangle. That allowed Vitus to keep costs down, and by using a different shock link they could alter the amount of travel and suspension behavior to suit each bike's intention.

Both models are available with either 27.5” or 29” wheels, in sizes S thru XL.



Frame Details

The overall frame shape is the most noticeable change on the new Escarpe and Sommet - it no longer looks like it sat out in the sun too long and started to melt. The curvy tube shapes have been straightened out, giving it a much more pleasing look, at least to my eyes. The shock is now fixed to a brace that runs between the down tube and seat tube.

That seat tube now has more room for longer travel dropper posts, and it should be possible to run a fully inserted 150mm post on a small, a 170 on a medium, and a 200mm post on the large and XL sizes.

There's internal routing for the derailleur, dropper post, and rear brake line, although the brake and derailleur housing do still emerge and run underneath the bottom bracket. I've still never had any issues with this routing configuration – most of the time a chainring will take the hit before the housing - but it does open the door to the potential of a pinched line more than running the housing over the bottom bracket would.

SRAM's Universal Derailleur Hanger (UDH) also makes an appearance on the new frames, a welcome trend that should help finding a replacement hanger much less of a hassle in the future. Other details include plenty of room for a water bottle inside the front triangle, clearance for 2.5” rear tires on the 29” frames and 2.6” tires on the 27.5” frames, a threaded bottom bracket, ISCG 05 tabs, and downtube and chainstay protection.


Escarpe 27.5"

Escarpe 29"


Geometry

Predictably, the Escarpe underwent the longer and slacker treatment, but Vitus didn't dive off the deep end - the figures fall right in line with what we're seeing from multiple companies. With a 150mm fork the bike has a 65-degree head angle, which can be steepened by half a degree using the flip chip on the lower shock mount. The seat tube angle has been steepened to 77.5-degrees, a 3-degree change from the previous version. Chainstay lengths are the same across all sizes, at 435mm for the 27.5" bikes and 440mm for the 29" versions.




Suspension Design

A look at the old vs. new suspension graphs shows that there have been a several fairly significant changes. The leverage rate of the bikes' Horst Link layout is much more consistent, and the regressive hump at the beginning of the stroke has been eliminated. That change should help make for a more uniform feel through the entirety of the travel, and deliver improved end-stroke ramp up. The amount of anti-squat has actually been reduced slightly, although it still sits around 100% at sag to help prevent unwanted bob during pedaling.


Models

Escarpe CR 27 & 29 - $2500 USD / 2400 Euro / 2000 GBP




Escarpe CRS 27 & 29 - $3200 USD / 3100 Euro / 2700 GBP




Escarpe CRX 27 & 29 - $4200 USD / 4000 Euro / 3500 GBP









Sommet 27.5" Geometry


Sommet 29" Geometry



Models

Sommet CR 27 & 29 - $3000 USD / 2800 Euro / 2400 GBP



Sommet CRS 27 & 29 - $3500 USD / 3300 Euro / 2900 GBP



Sommet CRX 27 & 29 - $4500 USD / 4200 Euro / 3600 GBP

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Photos: Ian Lean / Openwide Agency

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Reviews and Tech First Looks Enduro Bikes Trail Bikes Vitus Vitus Escarpe Vitus Sommet