Vitus Bikes has updated its 140mm Trail Bike with a new geometry and kinematic, making this low cost, quality aluminum full suspension mountain bike more technically capable then ever. And, you’re not going to believe the price. In a world filled with bikes with increasingly silly price tags, the Northern Ireland based brand are keeping things sensible with the 2023 Vitus Mythique, offering four complete builds with spec lists that will, for the price, knock your socks off.
The 2023 Mythique looks a lot more similar to its longer-travel carbon frame siblings, the Sommet and Escarpe
Take the top-end 2023 Vitus Mythique AMP, for example. This one sports a 140mm Rockshox Pike Select Fork, a Rockshox Deluxe Select R Shock, a WTB KOM Trail i30 Wheelset fitted with a Schwalbe Magic Mary/Hans Dampf pairing, a 12 Speed Shimano SLX drivetrain and 4-Piston brakes. It retails at $2,599 USD. That is the most you can spend on this bike.
Consider that in the context of its SRAM UDH, easy-to-work-with external cable routing, more seat post insertion depth, Trunnion mount shock and a threaded bottom bracket, and you’ve got yourself a solid, modern frameset that will be worth investing in should you wish to upgrade to more capable components over the years. Let’s take a closer look at the 2023 Vitus Mythique.
So, what’s new for 2023? For this model year, the Vitus Mythique gets an all-new 6061-T6 alloy frameset with some key geometry updates that should make it feel more efficient to pedal, and more confidence-inspiring on steeper terrain. Those key changes comprise a 1.5° steeper seat tube angle, bringing it to an effective 77.5°, and a slacker head tube angle of 65.5°.
Intention: Trail Riding
Fork Travel: 140mm
Rear Wheel Travel: 130mm (140mm on AMP)
Wheel Size: 29″ or 27.5″
Frame Material: Aluminum
Sizing: S, M, L, XL
Price: $1,999 USD (Mythique VRS)
There are in fact two geometries to discuss, owing to the fact that the Mythique VR, VRS and VRX are each offered in a 29″ model and a 27.5″ model in the full S-XL size range (the AMP is 29″ only). Let’s start with the 29er.
The Mythique retains its Horst-link suspension platform delivering 140mm of rear wheel travel, now with a Trunnion mount shock for improved sensitivity
Reach figures are generous, coming in at 430mm, 455mm, 482mm and 510mm on the S, M, L and XL frame sizes, respectively. All frames see a healthy chainstay length of 445mm, and a BB drop of 40mm.
A flaw in the previous Vitus Mythique was its short seat tube insertion depth, limiting the L and XL frames to 150mm dropper seat posts. The brand has remedied that for 2023; seat tubes are now shorter across the size range, and more importantly, offer up more seat post insertion depth for the fitment of longer travel droppers. They are still spec’d with the same Brand-X Ascend; 100mm in S, 125mm in M and 150mm in L & XL, but the point is that the extra insertion depth opens up scope for the fitment of much longer travel droppers should you wish to upgrade to something like the OneUp V2.
The 2023 Vitus Mythique VR 27 retails at $1,699 USD (as does its 29″ counterpart); the VR model is the only one boasting just 130mm travel
As you might expect, the chainstay length on the 27.5″ Mythique is shorter at 435mm, while reach figures are a little longer at 435mm, 460mm, 487mm and 515mm on the S, M, L and XL, respectively. This one has a 22mm BB drop.
Along with its new geometry, the Vitus Mythique gets a new suspension kinematic driven via a horst-link layout. At 22% the overall progression remains unchanged as compared to the previous model, but the 185mm x 55mm Trunnion mount shock results in a higher ratio.
The 2023 Mythique shares much of its pivot hardware with the longer travel Sommet and Escarpe mountain bikes, except that its geometry is not adjustable by a flip-chip on the lower shock mount
The position of the pivots has been adjusted for 2023, altering the bike’s anti-squat character; the ability of the rear suspension to resist compression under load transfer induced by acceleration. This aspect of the kinematic is optimized around the climbing gears, in a bid to minimize pedal bob.
Show me the Bikes
The 2023 Vitus Mythique is available at four price points; the AMP Model featured throughout tops the range at $2,599 USD.
Next up in this budget-friendly lineup is the Mythique VRX, retailing at $2,299 USD. This one gets a 140mm Marzocchi Bomber Z2 Fork, a Rockshox Deluxe Select R Shock, a Shimano SLX/Deore 12 Speed Drivetrain, a WTB ST Light i30 Wheelset with Vitus own-brand hubset and Maxxis High Roller II Tires, and Shimano MT501 or SRAM DB8 2-Piston Brakes.
The Vitus Mythique VRS brings the price down again to $1,999 USD. It is complete with a the same wheelset and tire combination as the VRX, but gets a Shimano Deore 11 Speed Drivetrain. Suspension components come in the form of the Rockshox 35 Silver Fork and the Rockshox Deluxe Select Shock.
The most pocket-friendly build is the Mythique VR, retailing at $1,699 USD. This one is slightly shorter in travel at 130mm, front and rear. It delivers that via an X-Fusion RC32 Fork and an X-Fusion O2 Pro R Shock. Other components include a Shimano Deore 10-Speed Drivetrain, Shimano MT401 2-Piston Brakes, and WTB ST Light i30 Wheelset with Vitus own-brand hubset and Maxxis High Roller II Tires.
Pricing & Availability
The 2023 Vitus Mythique is available now in the UK, Europe and the US at the following prices.
2023 Vitus
GBP
EURO
USD
Mythique VR
1,599.99
1,799.99
1,699
Mythique VRS
1,899.99
2,199.99
1,999
Mythique VRX
2,099.99
2,399.99
2,299
Mythique AMP
2,399.99
2,799.99
2,599
