The Escarpe is the Swiss Army knife of Vitus’s value-conscious range – a go anywhere, ride anything kind of a bike that’s designed to do most things well. For 2015 it’s had a ground-up rethink, with the previous model's four-bar suspension and slightly industrial looks replaced with a more sophisticated floating shock system, complete with plenty of angular hydroforming and complex CAD cleverness. With 135mm (5.3in) of rear travel, 140mm (5.5in) up front and a 2x10 transmission it’s a good deal on paper, but what’s it like to ride?
The Vitus’s squared-off tubes and pronounced swage lines make it look for all the world like a praying mantis that’s fallen into a vat of dayglo paint, but don’t let that put you off. The detail is impressive. From the way the shock rocker follows the line of the seatstays to the stiff, welded clamshell chainstay yoke, the new Escarpe is a big step up from the old in terms of both appearance and function.
Anchoring the shock to one end of the swingarm has enabled Vitus to fine tune the shock rate through the suspension’s travel. The initial movement has a slight falling rate, allowing the bike to sit comfortably into its sag position. As the suspension compresses, the lower shock mount moves forward slightly, flattening out the spring rate towards the end of the stroke to make full use of the available travel. This suspension cleverness has necessitated chopping a big chunk out of the seat tube, but it’s done so neatly that it barely spoils the bike’s tidy lines. There’s even room to run cables for a remote dropper post.
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The shock is mounted to the end of the rear swing arm rather than the mainframe, allowing Vitus to fine tune its spring rate as the suspension compresses
Suspension duties are handled by an unusual pairing – a RockShox Monarch R at the rear and a Manitou Minute Comp – in 140mm trim – up front. The shock doesn’t have adjustable compression damping but the preset compression tune is actually a pretty good companion to the Vitus’s supple rear suspension. And the Manitou is a match for other price-equivalent air forks, adding the distinctive looks of its rearward-facing brace for good measure.
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