VITUS NUCLEUS 27 VR
The name’s been recycled but there’s nothing warmed-up about this bargain trail hardtail
As a four-time winner of our Hardtail of the Year test, the Vitus Nucleus 27 VR needs no introduction. Even saying it’s the entry-level mountain bike to which all others are measured doesn’t do it justice, as it’s so far ahead of its closest rival that Vitus could easily sit back, do nothing and still watch the sales roll in.
But instead of resting on its laurels, Vitus has raised the bar once again. The 2021 Nucleus VR being the first bike at this price point to come with a clutch rear derailleur and all of the associated benefits of a proper 1x drivetrain.
On the face of it, the bike now has less than half the number of gears, but the same is true of any bike with a modern 1x drivetrain. So how do eight gears cover the range of 18? They don’t. It’s a compromise, but one that actually makes it easier to get up hills without having to dismount and push.
By swapping the 36/22t chainset and 11-36t cassette for a single 32t chainring and a 11-42 cassette, Vitus forgoes some of its top-speed gearing, but thanks to the 42t cog on the cassette it gains a much lower gear which really helps for winching up steep climbs.
And having an easier climbing gear isn’t the only advantage that switching to the Box 1x drivetrain brings. The key benefit is actually less chain rattle and fewer dropped chains. This is achieved with a two-pronged approach: a clutch in the rear mech increases tension in the lower run of the chain; while the narrowwide tooth profile of the chainring stops the chain jumping off on really rough terrain. In fact, looking back at one of our old Nucleus reviews, we said that Vitus still hadn’t been able to stretch to a clutch rear mech. So your biggest headache was still going to be chain slap and keeping the chain on. Well, that’s no longer the case.
So what has Vitus had to give up to get the Box 1x drivetrain on the entrylevel Nucleus VR? On the face of it, not much. You still get the top-quality alloy frame that comes in four frame sizes. The cockpit still has a wide handlebar and short stem to match the generous sizing and improve control. And it’s still one of the only bikes at this price point to have front and rear specific tyre compounds. What’s missing is the 15mm bolt-thru axle on the SR Suntour XCR32 fork. It still has 120mm of travel, is air-sprung and has external rebound damping, it just has the older 9mm quick-release. Also the price of the bike has gone up by £50.
HOW IT RIDES
I was genuinely concerned that swapping the bolt-thru fork for a 1x drivetrain on the latest Nucleus 275 VR,