VITUS NUCLEUS 27 VRX
£699.99 Killer spec, killer ride – it ticks (nearly) every box
Vitus have a reputation for making high-value, highperforming bikes, and the Nucleus 27 VRX toes the company line. While not quite as stretched-out as the Marin, its aggressive, trail-focused geometry makes it great for hitting gnarly, steep, technical tracks. The spec complements this well too. It’s not without its faults, but this bike has been dragged out of the garage far more often than any other in this test.
The frame
The alloy frame holds a 120mm fork, and has plenty of weld area and tube bracing to give a laterally-stiff, but fortunately not harsh, ride. Cable routing is external, although it’s ready to take a ‘stealth’ (internally routed) dropper. It’s the only frame here with ISCG-05 chain guide mounts. The rear wheel is secured with a QR lever, but the hub is the old 135mm width, not the new Boost QR standard.
With a decent reach (455mm on the large), a 66.5-degree head angle and snappy 428mm chainstays, this is a bike that should be more than happy on trickier tracks. The BB drops 45mm below the axles, placing it 315mm off the ground.
The kit
It’s the wheelset that’s the highlight here, both in terms of shopfloor appeal and ride quality. Broad WTB i29 rims are shod with Schwalbe tyres. At the back, there’s a stout Nobby Nic with Double Defence sidewalls. The tread digs into dirt nicely, while the reinforced carcass is a great idea on an aggressive hardtail, tempting you to take silly lines with minimal risk of flats. Up front, there’s a Magic Mary with the ADDIX Soft rubber compound – an incredible tyre for this price, with a brilliant tread and a confidence-boosting feel.
Up front is an SR Suntour Raidon 32 fork, which is stiffer than the version on the VooDoo due to its more compact 650b chassis. Shimano supply their reliable MT400 brakes. The drivetrain is based around a 10-speed Shimano Deore rear mech and a Suntour crankset. Even paired with a clutch derailleur, the wave-profile chainring wasn’t particularly secure and we suffered several chain drops. Another component of note is the Nukeproof bar. This has a decent shape and width, but the white graphics on the left-hand side are a little distracting.
The ride
If you’re looking for a bike to push your skills on, this has to be it. The frame shape, while not as radical as the Marin’s, ensures the Vitus feels comfortable on steeper descents, but it’s not too sluggish on more mellow
terrain. It’s the front tyre that’s the defining feature though – in any situation, it just does a great job. At 2.35in wide, it blows up to a decent size and helps complement the fork (which is, after all, still a budget unit) in terms of cushioning you from impacts. The casing is nicely damped, so it feels steadfast and supportive, and rarely gets pinged off-line. On smooth trails, the tyres don’t roll amazingly fast, but you can rest assured that every input you make goes into generating traction, control and speed. In the wet, the grip is exceptional, letting you focus on what’s coming up next.
Whether riding flat-out along a smooth trail filled with berms and jumps or inching down something steep and gnarly, it was difficult to get the Nucleus to show any sign of nervousness or incompetence. The geometry is balanced perfectly to give sharp, accurate handling. Meanwhile, the fork, brakes and tyres work in unison to get the best out of each other, the frame and you. Of all the bikes here, this was the one that got us closest to ripping off the rear tyre or hauling higher and further off jumps, and got us riding at our best.
It’s not without its faults – a boltthrough rear axle would increase its upgrade potential and dropping the chain frequently was frustrating. But with a new chainring (£20) and a cheap dropper, we could happily ride this pretty much anywhere. The drag of the tyres conspires against you on long XC slogs, but for anything else, the Nucleus has you covered.
WHETHER RIDING FLAT OUT ALONG A SMOOTH TRAIL FILLED WITH BERMS AND JUMPS OR INCHING DOWN SOMETHING STEEP AND GNARL Y, THE NUCLEUS SHOWED NO SIGN OF NERVOUSNESS The perfect bike for advancing your skills, with a standout kit spec and well-balanced geometry