Vitus Seven 1x10

[FatLaurie]

Good day, RetroBikers

I bought this and it had a Campagnolo Veloce groupset, 2x9 Ergopower. Having ridden it around for
a while, I did some arithmetic and concluded that it had 12/13 effective ratios, depending on how
I sliced it. The Ergo was 52/39 with a 13-26 cassette, but I reckoned I could get by with 10 ratios,
hence:



It took a bit of experimentation to get to this point, and the chain probably thinks it didn't sign
up for this kind of treatment, but it hasn't broken yet. Shimano would have you believe that the rear
mech can't handle that size sprocket, but this one can (just) - it had to be either a 105 or a Tiagra,
because Ultegra or DA almost certainly couldn't cope. I chose Tiagra because the two look so uncannily
similar anyway, and I could buy some sealed bearing jockeys with the saving. The chainline is set
between sprockets 4 and 5 (from the spokes) because that's where everything works best together. I did
ride with friction shifting - briefly - but if there's any kind of ambient noise, like a headwind, it's
a pain trying to trim the mech, so SIS won the day.

It rides quietly and shifts quickly and accurately. Extra benefits are a wider range than the original
setup, and a nice quiet freewheel.

What about the weight saving? You may well ask. Ahem, all of 100g. Oh, well, that wasn't the object of
the exercise. Honestly.









As per the template spec sheet -

Frame: Vitus Seven dural
Fork: Vitus dural

Headset: Stronglight A9
Stem: 3T 110mm
Handlebar: SR Road Champion
Bar Tape: Herringbone cloth over Deda Elementi

Brake Levers: Tektro RL340
Brake Calipers: Campagnolo Veloce
Brake Pads: Campagnolo HPB
Brake Cables: Campagnolo

Shifter: Shimano Dura-Ace SL-7900
Front Derailleur: N/A!
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Tiagra RD-4601 short cage, Tacx sealed bearing jockey wheels
Derailleur Cable: Shimano Dura-Ace inner, Campagnolo outer
Cassette: Shimano SLX HG81 11-34
Chain: KMC X10.73
Cranks: Campagnolo Veloce
Chainring: Stronglight dural 46t
Bottom Bracket: Campagnolo Veloce
Pedals: Shimano PD-A550

Rims: Campagnolo Mexico 68 36h
Hubs: front - Campagnolo ?Veloce; rear - Shimano Tiagra FH-4600
Hub Skewers: as per hubs
Nipples: Ooooh, matron
Spokes: double-butted, stainless, unknown maker
Tyres: front - Vittoria Diamante Pro 20mm; rear - Bontrager Racelite 25mm
Tubes: Slime Smart tubes, self-sealing

Saddle: Selle Italia Filante
Seatpost: ETC MTB (previously Vitus, setback too much for my short little arms)
Seatpost Binder: N/A - grub screw

Bottle Cage: N/A
Extras: rider

Weight: 9.70 kg

Best wishes

FatLaurie

 

[bduc61]

Re:

you say a dura ace rear mech speed would not handle the 10 cogs , because of the max sprocket size ?

I am always suspicious of the max size sprocket Shimano mentions as I believe they are very cautious !

so it may be trial and run :idea:

The tiagra is really not good looking enough for this bike :facepalm:

 

[FatLaurie]

Re: Re:

you say a dura ace rear mech speed would not handle the 10 cogs , because of the max sprocket size ?

I am always suspicious of the max size sprocket Shimano mentions as I believe they are very cautious !

so it may be trial and run :idea:

The tiagra is really not good looking enough for this bike :facepalm:

Hi

The Tiagra is already 4 teeth above Shimano's quoted max, and a DA would be even further (6 or 7 teeth over, from memory).
I didn't have a DA lying around to experiment with, and it would have been an expensive gamble to lose!

I'll take the backhanded compliment on the bike's looks, though...

Best

FatLaurie

 

[FatLaurie]

sprocket

you say a dura ace rear mech speed would not handle the 10 cogs , because of the max sprocket size ?

I am always suspicious of the max size sprocket Shimano mentions as I believe they are very cautious !

so it may be trial and run :idea:

The tiagra is really not good looking enough for this bike :facepalm:

Hi

The Tiagra is already 4 teeth above Shimano's quoted max, and a DA would be even further (6 or 7 teeth over, from memory).
I didn't have a DA lying around to experiment with, and it would have been an expensive gamble to lose!

I'll take the backhanded compliment on the bike's looks, though...

Best

FatLaurie

Oops and apologies

Should have said "yes, because of max sprocket size rather than teeth difference smallest to biggest"

FL

 

[Dead Rats]

I've run 1x9 with a s/cage mech, no problem. As stated it's just manufacturer's caution that dictates the capacity IMO. What's the OLD of the frame? My old Vitus was 126mm so I had to respace a 9 speed hub to get it in (didn't fancy forcing apart a bonded frame!)

 

[superstu]

Clean lines and classic finish, quite understated. I think it's a great looking bike

 

[Dead Rats]

Tis a lovely looking thing! Chain's too long mind

 

[FatLaurie]

I've run 1x9 with a s/cage mech, no problem. As stated it's just manufacturer's caution that dictates the capacity IMO. What's the OLD of the frame? My old Vitus was 126mm so I had to respace a 9 speed hub to get it in (didn't fancy forcing apart a bonded frame!)

Hi
The Seven is spaced at 130mm, along with other more obvious differences from the 979.
I don't know when the frame dates from, but was told it was built late 90s, which probably explains the increased
rear triangle width.
Best
FL

 

[FatLaurie]

Tis a lovely looking thing! Chain's too long mind

Ah, chain length. Yer can always shorten 'em, but it ain't so easy to put the links back in...
FL

 

[oonaff]

i really like it,really eye catching and a good experiment with the gear ratio's proven by maths.
i suppose having a single chain ring makes me think of all the 1950/s builds you see from time to time.