SARAH’S VITUS SOMMET 27 CRX £3,599.99
Sarah is still mourning the great summer she had – and partly missed – on the Sommet
The infamous off-piste trails of Morzine, the swooping berms and jumps of Avoriaz, the fast Morgins tracks, the roughness of Schladming, the rooty UK trails, the dust of Pila… the Sommet and I have ridden it all.
It’s a head-turner straight out of the box and overall I’ve been superhappy with the spec. I particularly like the Shimano XT stoppers – although they’ve needed a few bleeds, the power provided by these brakes was great for the steep trails I rode over the summer. For me, the only weak point is the Fox 38 fork. I’m sure it works fine for most riders, but I found that with the low air pressure needed for my weight (56kg) it was a bit sluggish. As the tune of RockShox’s Lyrik fork has worked well for me in the past, I replaced the 38 with a Lyrik Ultimate 29, with the added advantage that I was then able to set the bike up with mixed wheel sizes. Replacing a fork isn’t an option for all, but a less pricey custom-tune could have improved the performance too.
Apart from an air leak from the shock, which I was able to sort out, I haven’t had any major problems, and the frame is still in good condition, apart from the usual wear and tear. On bigger enduro missions, I haven’t found the Sommet quite as pedallingfriendly as the Scott Ransom I had last year, which I think is partly down to the lack of a remote lockout, and also its heavier weight. But on the downhills it excels, and I’ve felt super-confident on steep trails. I’ve ridden it mostly in the mullet set-up, though – it’d have been interesting to ride those same trails with the original 650b front wheel.
I’ve had so many good times on this bike that I’m sad to see it go, especially as our time was cut short due to my crash in August. While I have made some big changes, I’d happily put down my money for the stock model – although I’d consider opting for the 29er version for the rough and rocky trails here in the Alps. www.chainreactioncycles.com