French Connection

   Years ago, when I had an interest in acquiring a French bicycle, I unfortunately picked the wrong one. The Motobécane Mirage repaint project was a great experience, and it proved successful as far as its resale value, but in ride quality, the bike proved too cumbersome for my liking, so I moved on to other options. I would have loved to spring for a pricey Look machine, but that wasn’t a realistic plan, since I already had two expensive modern road bikes.

   What I should have purchased was a Vitus. Back then I really knew very little about the brand, but Sean Kelly rode Vitus bicycles – did I really need to know much more than that? Sure, a cyclist wins races with his legs, but the company states on its website that about 80% of Sean’s 193 professional victories came aboard a Vitus. In fact, he is considered the company's “brand ambassador”, and directs the Ireland-registered An Post–Chain Reaction pro UCI Continental team, which rides Vitus bikes. 

   Although currently competing with top-notch manufacturers who produce carbon fiber bicycles, Vitus is historically known for pioneering the use of aluminum frames and had a reputation as the lightest production frame available during the mid-1980s. The original 979 frames were assembled by the French aerospace company TVT from Dural 5086 aluminum alloy tubes, which were slip-fit onto aluminum lugs and then bonded into place using a dry, heat-activated epoxy. The result is a frame that has a suppleness which dampens vibration and provides a more comfortable ride than the welded, and more rigid, aluminum frames of other manufacturers.

   There are some rare stories of failed bonding, and some cyclists experience too much flex in larger frames, but this is most likely attributed to the added weight of the people riding these frames. I have heard that Sean Kelly rode on a slightly smaller frame than normal, and he may have done this to further reduce the flex produced by his powerful pedal stroke, but it may have just been a personal quirk, and I doubt you'd ever hear him admit to any flaws in Vitus products these days anyway!

   Vitus bicycles are aesthetically pleasing with polished aluminum lugs, chain stays and seat stays. The finish on the frame’s main triangle is tremendously durable because it is anodized, an electrolytic process in which the surface of the aluminum is dyed, instead of painted.

   Sean Kelly rode for the Spanish KAS team to many of his famous wins, and the Vitus 979 “Duralinox” Mk I bicycle I saw listed on eBay (photo above) had a royal blue finish that matched up well with their team colors. It was also outfitted with some interesting Mavic components, including what collectors refer to as a “starfish” crankset.

   The 979 “Duralinox” Mk I can easily be distinguished from the Mk II and later versions by its use of round tubing, instead of aero-profiled, and a traditional seatpost binder bolt, as opposed to an unusual rear-mounted “grub screw” (see comparison pictures below). The Mk I will also have a single set of water bottle cage mounting holes on the down tube, while later versions will have two.

   The auction I was watching ended with the seller not responding in time to the offer I had made, but he later contacted me to see if I would complete a transaction outside of eBay and save him some money on fees. At first I was wary, but I read about how Paypal has improved its buyer protection policies through their electronic invoice system in order to expand its business away from eBay. After a telephone conversation with the seller, I agreed to use this alternative system. I was glad to see the box arrive at my front door a few days later.

   I don’t particularly like the Mafac brake levers (above) – although the drilled handle is attractive, the plastic body is not, and seems rather flimsy. I’ll try to find a set of aero levers (preferably Mavic) to move the cables out of the rider’s face. MAFAC, or Manufacture Arvernoise de Freins et Accessoires pour Cycles (Arveni Manufacturing Works for Bicycle Brakes and Accessories), was one of the most popular makers of center-pull brakes back in the 1950s through the ‘70s, but I’ll have to evaluate their side-pull brakes (below). Just to keep the components consistent, I’d like to find some Mavic calipers, but they are rare and probably expensive.

   The wheels are built from quality Mavic “Module E” clincher rims and wide flange hubs from Exceltoo, a French brand about which I haven't been able to find much online. Other components from France were the Huret shift levers, the stem made by Atax and the Philippe “Franco Italia” handlebars, which have a neat etched design near the clamp of a cyclist riding in a tuck position. Because of reflections off of the chrome and the fact that the logo wraps around the cylindrical bar shape, I couldn't get a good picture, but it is a simple line drawing similar to the photo below (guidons is french for handlebars).

   I have already purchased a Sachs 7 speed freewheel to replace the incorrect Maillard 5 speed version that was affixed to the rear wheel. The bike also came with an anachronistic carbon fibre Selle Italia SLR saddle. I wouldn’t want it anyway, because it has the anatomic cutout – a design feature that, despite its intent to provide comfort in “that particular area”, has only proven to cause discomfort for me. I will replace it with a Turbo Matic saddle, made by the same company, because it fits the era of this Vitus bicycle, AND that’s what Sean Kelly rode!

   I found an interesting bit of trivia when I was researching French bicycles and components, the city of Saint-Étienne is considered the center of France’s bicycle industry, with Vitus, Mavic and Motobécane all based there. The capital of the Loire département in the Rhône-Alpes region, Saint-Étienne has frequently been host to stages of the Tour de France, including the finish of Stage 12 and beginning of Stage 13 of this year’s event.