VITUS MACH 3 VRX URBAN
£899 › Urban specific Metrea-equipped machine made-over for 2019
Metrea? A Greek goddess? One of the MarvelAvengers superheroes? Nope, it’s a bit more prosaic: it’s Shimano’s urban bike-specific groupset launched back in 2016 but still not seen that often. As for Mach 3, we don’t think you’re ever going to approach three times the speed of sound on this Vitus, which is pretty much the classic commuting ‘hybrid’ that most of us would imagine.
That’s also how Vitus picture it, calling the Mach 3 ‘a dedicated flat handlebar urban bike that’s geared towards commuting and darting around the urban jungle’. But Vitus
continues: ‘It’s also perfect for getting away from it all and setting off on relaxing rides in the countryside at the weekend.’ Is it right?
The copper finish is lovely – not sure about that kinked top-tube – and the Mach 3’s up-to-date features include radically dropped seatstays for rear-end comfort, mainly internal cable routing, a tapered full-carbon thru-axle fork and Metrea’s singlering chainset and hydraulic flat mount brakes.
The 42T chainring is paired with an 11-32 Shimano 105 cassette, which would have been seen as wideranging not that long ago. But two of our other test bikes have ultra-wide cassettes with an 11-42 spread. The Mach 3’s 42x11 combo gives a decent 106in top gear (a little below 50x12) but the bottom gear (roughly equivalent to 34x25) left us puffing and grunting our way up Bristol and Bath’s steeper slopes, of which we’re not exactly starved. A pair of small bar-ends would have helped here, giving greater leverage when climbing out of the saddle. And we’d have also preferred flattened handlebar grips rather than the Mach 3’s round rubber grips – but that’s subjective and they’re easy and inexpensive to replace.
On the flat, however, the Mach 3 nipped along delightfully, helped by
Solid, comfortable commuter bike with good kit and great brakes
quick, crisp gear changes from the Metrea’s right-hand thumb-shifter and Shimano’s excellent hydraulic brakes. In fact, along with the second least expensive bike on test, Giant’s Toughroad, this has the best braking of our test bikes offering power and precision with minimal effort.
The handling is everything you want for urban riding. The position is upright for excellent visibility, the short stem makes for lively, fastacting steering and the straight 62cm bar isn’t too wide to dodge through gaps in the traffic. At less than 10kg the Mach 3’s decently light too. Meanwhile, 1970s TV cop Kojak provides the tyres. Okay, they’re actually 35mm Schwalbes bearing the name of the slap-headed lollipopsucking cop. They are, of course, slick (our thinning-haired tester is not smiling). These offer more comfort than a cheap suspension fork on tarmac and much better control, and though reasonably light they do feature a puncture-protection layer.
Practicalities are taken care of by rear rack mounts and front and rear mudguard fittings with plenty of clearance for full-size fenders. These contribute to a bike that really does hit the spot for commuting, even our 17-miler – though that route is largely flat. Once again bar-ends would have helped with comfort. The Vitus Mach 3 is easily good enough for longer countryside rides, but the bottom gear might make any hillier away days hard work. But it’s a solid, comfortable commuter bike with good kit and great brakes.
On the flat the Mach 3 nips along delightfully, helped by quick, crisp gear changes