I will certainly back up Jerry's high regard for Vitus tubing, simply based on my very limited experience of it. I have only one French frameset built entirely with "Super Vitus 971" Extra Light tubing. It rides and handles like a dream.
I suppose one really must first consider the quality of the build when discussing the "feel" and responsiveness of a tube set. -- But. comparing two similar "production" framesets, with near identical design, angles, size, lugs, metric tube diameters, and of course wheels and components, it's hard for a layman / bike owner not to attribute certain qualities to something simple and tangible - like the tubing.
My frameset is also unusually light. I would love to have a custom bike built up with that tubing.
Bob Hanson Albuquerque, New Mexico
--------------------- Jerry Moos said:
Vitus made a large number of steel tubesets, the best of them probably
as good or better than 531 or Columbus. While several French
manufacturers sold models with 531 DB main tubes only, the frames
probably didn't concede anything to the top models, as the unnamed forks
and stay were probably Vitus, which was likely just as good. Never
quite understood why the best Vitus steel tubesets did not appear on
more top model French bikes.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Big Spring, TX
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