Vitus Mythique 27 VR review - Full-Suspension - Mountain Bikes - BikeRadar

The Vitus Mythique has received tons of praise for its trail-riding show and sensible terms tag.

This caller exemplary takes learnings from the brand’s higher-end Sommet enduro bike and Escarpe way bike with the volition of improving the riding experience.

Vitus Mythique 27 VR framework and suspension

While the frame’s silhouette has changed, it retains galore features that initially made it wallet-friendly. This exemplary rolls connected 27.5in wheels, and the trail-orientated bikes present 130mm of rear travel.

The framework uses 6061-T6 aluminium tubes, present with straighter plan lines that marque it look similar its much costly Escarpe sibling.

It’s much than conscionable the plan that’s shared betwixt the bikes. The Mythique uses the aforesaid framework hardware arsenic its large member too.

All the features you would expect connected the best way bikes are present. First, there’s 12x148mm Boost rear-hub spacing that should stay a modular for a while.

It should beryllium casual to upgrade parts, specified arsenic the fork, owed to the Mythique’s tapered caput conduit and communal zero stack 44/56 headset bearings.

A threaded bottommost bracket is included, helping marque attraction little of a chore, and the outer cablegram routing volition delight location mechanics.

The framework benefits from SRAM’s Universal Derailleur Hanger. So, if you harm it, a replacement should beryllium casual to root online oregon from a motorcycle shop. There’s besides decent framework protection, bully mud clearance and treble enactment bearings successful the rear extremity for stiffness.

A important betterment is the straighter spot conduit that allows for afloat insertion of a dropper post, which should greatly amended rider acquisition connected the trails.

The framework present takes vantage of a Trunnion daze mount, which pivots connected bearings to assistance trim friction successful the suspension.

The Mythique keeps its Horst-Link suspension platform, but Vitus has updated the kinematics to amended thrust consciousness and show connected method trails. The leverage complaint is simply a progressive 22 per cent. However, the caller Trunnion daze has accrued that fig slightly, giving much sensitivity.

Vitus tells america the anti-squat is adjacent to 100 per cent astatine sag successful the biggest sprocket. That should assistance support pedal bob to a minimum. However, it drops disconnected arsenic you determination done the question and gears, truthful the concatenation has little power connected the suspension deeper into its stroke.

The anti-rise has been accrued to assistance support the bike’s geometry much unchangeable nether hard braking.

Vitus Mythique 27 VR geometry

Some of the bigger updates are related to the frame’s geometry and shape, successful bid to marque the Mythique much susceptible connected the trails. I tested a mean bike. These geometry figures are for Mythique bikes with a 140mm fork.

However, the VR models usage a 130mm-travel fork. Expect the scope to beryllium astir 5mm shorter and the caput conduit and effectual spot tubes 0.5 degrees steeper than stated.

The mean size I tested has a 460mm reach. That should connection plentifulness of country to determination without being over-stretched. The scope is matched to a mean 435mm chainstay intended to equilibrium agility and stableness well.

The caput conduit is 0.5 degrees slacker than the erstwhile Mythique astatine 65.5 degrees. The effectual spot conduit has seen a greater alteration and is present 1.5 degrees steeper astatine 77.25 degrees. The spot conduit is abbreviated astatine 410mm.

These measurements springiness a 595mm effectual apical conduit magnitude that should support riders successful an upright and comfy seated pedalling position.

However, 1 fig to notation is the debased 597mm stack height, which means the beforehand extremity volition beryllium beauteous slammed.

The bottom-bracket driblet is decent astatine 22mm beneath the axles. This should assistance the bike’s fore/aft stableness and alteration it to thin side-to-side easily.

Vitus Mythique 27 VR specifications

To assistance support the costs successful check, determination are compromises to the spec list. However, the Mythique gets everything we’ve travel to expect from a mountain motorcycle for astir £1,500.

Straying from the norm, Vitus has specced X-Fusion suspension with its RC32 forks. These usage 32mm stanchions and person externally adjustable low-speed rebound and compression damping.

The daze is X-Fusion’s 02 Pro R model, which has externally adjustable rebound damping but nary adjustable compression settings.

The drivetrain mixes Shimano Deore 10-speed products, including the Deore M5120 derailleur, M4100 shifter and M5100 cranks, paired with a SunRace CSMS2 10-speed 11-46t cassette.

For this price, it’s a shame not to spot 11-speed gears. The brakes are Shimano’s MT401 models with 180mm, 6-bolt rotors.

The Mythique rolls connected WTB ST i30 rims laced to Vitus hubs. They are wrapped successful Maxxis High Roller II dual-compound EXO tyres successful a 2.3×27.5in size beforehand and back.

The motorcycle is finished disconnected with a 125mm Brand-X Ascend dropper, Nukeproof Neutron saddle, Nukeproof Neutron V2 riser barroom successful a 760mm width and 50mm Vitus alloy stem.

My Mythique 27 VR successful a size mean weighed 15.33kg without pedals.

Vitus Mythique 27 VR thrust impressions

I tested the Vitus connected a premix of bluish and reddish trail-centre loops, off-piste descents and singletrack astatine the Forest of Dean successful the southbound westbound of England. I besides rode immoderate laps of method and travel lines astatine Bike Park Wales to springiness the motorcycle a thorough thrashing, covering the scope of riding it volition beryllium subjected to.

The rear daze was acceptable to 25 per cent sag astatine 185psi. The daze was heavy damped connected rebound, and I ran it afloat open.

The forks were pressured to 82psi, which was successful enactment with the recommended pressure. Compression was tally afloat open. The rebound dial isn’t indexed, but has 2 and three-quarters implicit rotations.

Only the past three-quarter turns are usable, due to the fact that the forks are precise damped connected rebound. I ran rebound 2 and a fractional turns from closed.

Vitus Mythique 27 VR climbing performance

Pedalling the Mythique uphill, it gets the occupation done without causing a fuss oregon making climbing much of a chore than expected. It’s not the fastest motorcycle up the climbs, but it gets to the apical easy enough.

The steeper effectual spot conduit makes uncovering an businesslike pedal changeable easy, and I ne'er felt I was slipping disconnected the backmost of the motorcycle connected steeper pitches.

In fact, wherever the debased stack tallness comes successful useful is helping support the beforehand extremity tracking consecutive connected slower, method sections of climbs and astir choky corners. This added value connected the beforehand was bully for steeper sections of trail.

It’s not truthful assertive that you’re hunched over. The mean effectual apical conduit magnitude meant seated pedalling didn’t overload my hands, and the Mythique seats you comfortably for sustained climbing.

The suspension is delicate capable to support the rear instrumentality biting into the ungraded implicit unsmooth trails. Still, portion seated, determination isn’t important pedal bob to kick about.

Short, crisp bursts connected the pedals marque the suspension compress a small much than ideal, but it’s by nary means a woody breaker oregon a poor-pedalling bike.

There’s nary denying the smaller wheels get a small much hung up connected dilatory method sections uphill. As a result, you person to occasionally marque assemblage movements to unweight the beforehand and rear wheels and support a bully bushed connected specified trails.

The Shimano Deore 10-speed gears were a small stiff astatine the shifter compared to the 11- and 12-speed systems, but they worked good changing nether load and didn’t gaffe oregon grind.

The smaller scope of gears was manageable, and I didn’t find myself wishing for a antithetic gear.

Vitus Mythique 27 VR descending performance

The Mythique’s physique prime gives it a reassuringly susceptible consciousness connected the trail. This is helped by the enactment from the X-Fusion suspension. On the trail, the X-Fusion fork and daze person decent enactment considering their price. This builds done the question to support the bike’s handling predictable.

I noticed this done high-load turns, compressions and erstwhile hitting bigger square-edge hits specified arsenic decent-sized rocks and roots. There is simply a flip broadside to it, however. The cheaper X-Fusion suspension loses the small-bump sensitivity that much costly units maintain.

This gives the Vitus a harsher consciousness connected small, high-frequency bumps specified arsenic unsmooth way centres. As a result, you get much buzz and feedback from the Vitus.

The different diagnostic that stood retired was the debased stack height. The smaller beforehand instrumentality and shorter 130mm-travel fork made for a presumption that enactment maine implicit the beforehand of the motorcycle connected the descents.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t get the beforehand extremity precocious capable to consciousness arsenic assured arsenic I wished, and I would person needed a higher-ride handlebar to assistance here.

That said, erstwhile the trails were mellower, the agility of the smaller wheels and the abbreviated rear extremity gave the motorcycle a playful quality that thrived connected being thrown astir from diagnostic to corner. It’ll onslaught a chord with those who privation to thrash astir alternatively than churn retired mile aft mile.

Still, its updated geometry means you tin pedal the motorcycle comfortably and thigh retired trails if you want.

The Shimano brakes had a firm, accordant wound constituent with mean power. They didn’t hinder the bike’s riding performance.

Maxxis tyres provided plentifulness of traction connected man-made surfaces. They’re admirable successful bedewed mud, but champion suited to much hard-pack oregon drier trails. They are a bully choice, but not the astir pedal-friendly.

How does the Vitus Mythique 27 VR comparison to the Polygon Siskiu T7 29?

Both bikes present akin amounts of travel, burly tyres and modern geometry, making them earthy rivals.

On the trail, some bikes person akin capabilities. The Polygon has amended sensitivity to its suspension, but little support. It’s amended astatine uncovering traction but little sure-footed successful dense compressions.

The smaller instrumentality connected the Vitus makes the motorcycle much playful and agile done twisty trails. However, the Polygon carries velocity a small amended successful bumpier terrain. They some person pros and cons, and are large amusive connected the trail.

What separates them is the spec. The Polygon gets a 12-speed drivetrain, portion the Vitus has a 10-speed. The high-spec gears consciousness much refined. Also, the Polygon gets a four-piston beforehand brake for a small other power.

The 10mm further fork question helps creaseless burlier trails without a important punishment to value oregon pedalling. Plus, you get a longer dropper station with the Polygon.

All these tiny things adhd up to springiness it an edge, particularly erstwhile you see they’re a precise akin terms (with a GoOutdoors members card).

Vitus Mythique 27 VR bottommost line

Vitus has enactment unneurotic a susceptible motorcycle that volition assistance riders advancement their skills. This 27.5in-wheel mentation volition beryllium large for those riders wanting to thrash astir successful the woods and person a laugh. Its geometry is connected a par with overmuch much costly mountain bikes.

A taller handlebar would assistance springiness much assurance connected the descents, and portion the 10-speed Shimao Deore works fine, it would person been bully to spot a brakes upgrade.