Vitus E-Mythique Fork and Shock Options

[Zimmerframe]

It's early days, but it's a relevant subject and will be lost in the main thread otherwise.

The bike's well built, capable, has all the right numbers and dimensions and should be a total all round mega machine.

Shock spec is 205*65 Trunion. There's not really many options out there in the trunnion world to run anything different in terms of stroke at time of writing.

Anyone tried a coil yet ?

I have the VR with the Suntour Zeron 36 boost EQ fork with RC damper. This is 160 as opposed to 170 like the VRS/VRX. At times it does feel low at the front, though I'm not sure if this is the 160 or just because my fork is complete crap. It is by far the worst fork I've ever ridden.

I'm not sure if there's a bad batch of dampers, but in my case re-bound is infinitely adjustable, low speed has a few random clicks and does nothing in terms of actual adjustment and high speed damping on mine is closed so it's like instantly bottoming out from 2m on any decent undulation or will rip your arms off if you try and go fast. Maybe it's Retro inspired and like re-living the 80's DH world ?

I have a Zeb on the way as a warranty change with sending the fork off will mean the bike is unusable for too long.'

The Rear Suspension has a progression rate of 27% (so should be great with air or coil).

Leverage rate starts at 2.83 and finishes at 2.06.

 

[CarolinaCrawler]

If I were to get one, my plan was to put either a 170mm Zeb or 38 on it and a Marzocchi bomber cr shock. The progression looks ideal for a coil. You can also find fox float x shocks (my favorite) pretty reasonable on pinkbike.

Although that fox 36 from Merlin is pretty appealing. I just think if you weigh more than 180lbs (82kg) that 35/36mm is not stiff enough when the travel gets more than 160mm.

 

[Shjay]

Manitou Mezzer Pro for the win, easy to self service & will out perform the competition straight out the box

 

[Deriuqer]

Hello,

my shock option will be:

FOX RACING SHOX 2023 Rear Shock FLOAT X Performance Elite​

Bought from RCZ. It already has an E-Bike tune but I don't know for which bike.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Hello,

my shock option will be:

FOX RACING SHOX 2023 Rear Shock FLOAT X Performance Elite​

Bought from RCZ. It already has an E-Bike tune but I don't know for which bike.

I couldn't see anything trunnion which would fit from RCZ when I looked. Well found.

I'm tempted by the Bomber mentioned above .. or a DVO Jade.... The EXT's look nice, but don't fit with "budget EMTB" - more the choice of Shock or Bike !

Would be nice to increase the travel slightly but I can't see how.

A shock with a reservoir would also get you close to the water bottle zone, so that might need re-thinking depending what you had already (wouldn't fit with my Fidlock)

 

[Deriuqer]

RCZ had the shock several times in their newsletter within in the last months.
Now, it seems they sold their stock. Cannot find it anymore. (addendum: shock is available again for 199€ w/o shipping).
Last Sales price was 99€ w/o shipping. I bought it at ~ 140€ with shipping. An absolut bargain.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Spoke with Vitus.

Fork upto 180mm is ok.

Compatible with coil.

Increased rear suspension travel will void warranty.

 

[Deriuqer]

Are you thinking about increasing front travel to 180mm?

 

[Zimmerframe]

Are you thinking about increasing front travel to 180mm?

Yes. Will be interesting to see how it feels at 180mm. If it feels wrong, then I'll drop to 170mm.

 

[Deriuqer]

The combination of the flat head tube angle and MBR.co.uk's measured 156mm at the rear, might lead to an unbalanced ride.
But I am curious what the reality looks like.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Quick test today whilst waiting for things :

180/160 27.5/27.5 :

Lyric 180's, Wild Enduro's, 40mm Roval's, Ice Tech Disks, Zee Calipers/Levers.

Weighed the fork/wheel/tyre (tubeless on the Lyric setup)/brake combo's and the Lyric 180 setup was over 1kg lighter than the stock Zeron setup.

So configured like that in 180 27.5, the bike was a few hundred grams lighter than the Jam2 6.9 including the various tools on the E-Mythique.

Did try measuring fork/seat tube angles before/after and Kenevo for comparison but the phone app numbers didn't seem to match anything quoted.

Riding .. was WOW ! .. lighter front end/27.5 made the bike really easy to throw around. Forks which absorbed bumps/drops/hits and didn't randomly wallow into their travel made he bike massively more rideable (as expected).

Floor to crown (vertical) and axle to to crown was interesting. (crap pictures was in a hurry to go ride).

Floor to axle - 27.5 was 1 cm lower as expected.

However, the lowers on the Suntours were 4cm's longer (29er to 27.5 fork) and then with bla bla bla and so on ..

So in the end .. with the 180 Lyric's with sag, instead of the 160 Suntours, the crown actually sat 20mm LOWER !

Also measured the two vertically from the ground to crown when on the bike and 20mm lower with the Lyric's.

Rear shock felt a lot better with a working fork, though it's still a bit harsh on square hits - might just need more tuning.

Rear shock bottomed out for reference, wheel to frame :

EDIT: Zeron Fork with caliper/no axle - also 2720g 2520g with axle, no mud guard and no caliper.

 

[Deriuqer]

Can you weigh the Suntour fork? (Edit: saw the weight in the other thread, thanks!)
My Fox 38 seems to be on the way. If the Zeb will not be shipped within the next 2 weeks, then the decission might be made.
Bye the way, RCZ sells Fox DHX Factory for 220-240€.

 

[Zimmerframe]

This has come as quite a surprise, but I'm really liking the stock Rockshox Deluxe select shock !!!

Increased sag to about 32% and it feels really really really supple, yet still seems to give good support. I'm presuming the valving is the same as the other shocks in the lineup, just without the can and the additional adjustments.

I suspect it will need a token at some point when I ride it harder if I want to keep that pressure, or install a megneg, but the suspension is quite progressive naturally.

Getting the odd pedal skim, but then the front is 20mm lower than a stock VR and 30mm lower than a VRS/VRX.

So at the moment, all the coils are on hold and trying anything like a Vivid Ultimate RC2T seems pointless for now.

 

[ZR1]

I've ordered the VR as it was a great price.

I've not ridden it yet but the fork is my main concern, I've had bikes with pike vs raidon and the pike was league ahaed. Sounds like from your experience it'll be the same thing.

Will have a look around. I'm uk based but I think a zeb select or lyric from a german shop looks like the best deal.

 

[Zimmerframe]

You'd have to hope that some of the Zeron forks work correctly. Presumably it's an assembly issue. I saw one for sale the other day for about €450 so it's not a super cheap fork !

Still waiting for my Zeb 180 to try.

I REALLY like the 180 lyric on it, but it's a 27.5 so the front's low (still rides far better than expected though).

Have just ordered a 170 Fox 38 Grip because I like the grip damper - it suits lighter riders well as the damping is slightly softer.

Was really tempted to go with a 29" Lyric as I'm lighter and the bike just feels a tiny bit nicer with a bit less weight (though most of that is when moving it about rather than riding it).

Commencal have the 22 Fox 38 Grip in 170 for €600. (Don't think the Fox has changed much, where as the Zeb has frequent updates).

Sites-commencal-eu-Site

COMMENCAL

www.commencal-store.com

Commencal also have the Ohlins 36 in 180 for about €850 which is pretty tempting.

RCZ have the 23 version in e-bike tune (slightly softer damping) for €439

FOX RACING SHOX 2023 Fourche 38 FLOAT 29" Performance 170mm BOOST 15x110mm Black RCZ Bike Shop

<p><strong>FOX RACING SHOX 2023 Fourche 38 FLOAT 29" Performance 170mm BOOST 15x110mm Black </strong></p> <p><strong>E-Bike spec</strong></p> <p><strong>Wheel Size: 29"</strong></p> <p><strong>Travel</strong>: 170mm<br /><strong>Damping</strong><span s

www.rczbikeshop.com

Bike discount have the Zeb Select 29 for €529 :

ZEB Select RC 29" DebonAir+ Tapered Boost

Caractéristiques - RockShox ZEB Select RC 29" DebonAir+ Tapered Boost châssis de 38 mm pour plus de rigidité et de confiance du cycliste Amortisseur Charger™ RC avec compression basse vitesse...

www.bike-discount.de

RCZ have the Zeb Select + 29 for €359 :

The Select + is identical to the Zeb Ultimate except that it lacks the damper-side Buttercup and the extra Bushing overlap (less wear over time on longer travel) - normally the select + is OEM only.

ROCKSHOX Fork ZEB SELECT+ RC 29" 170mm BOOST 15x110mm Tapered Black (00.4020.762.005) RCZ Bike Shop

<p><strong>ROCKSHOX Fork ZEB SELECT+ RC 29" 170mm BOOST 15x110mm Tapered Black (00.4020.762.005)</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Travel: 170mm</p> <p>Wheel Size: 29"</p> <p>Damping: Charger RC 2.1</p> <p>Adjustments: External rebound, low speed compres

www.rczbikeshop.com

I did see a Lyric Select 170mm 29 on RCZ earlier for about €260 but can't find it now.

Keep in mind that RCZ can be a lot slower with orders !! (though I've not used them).

I suspect the 38 will ride slightly better than the Zeb. The 38 has a thinner tube inside for the air spring to reduce the air volume, so it was easier to balance positive and negative volume. The Zeb doesn't have this - hence the many third party options to help improve the fork. Downside being that the 38 will be slightly heavier !

Manitou Dorado could be fun .. but it's heavy and you'd need a different front wheel too with the 20*110 axle.

Quite fancied a Manitou Mezzer, but unless you're in the USA/Canada ($600 ish) the prices didn't seem overly favourable.

Happy shopping

 

[militantmandy]

This has come as quite a surprise, but I'm really liking the stock Rockshox Deluxe select shock !!!

Increased sag to about 32% and it feels really really really supple, yet still seems to give good support. I'm presuming the valving is the same as the other shocks in the lineup, just without the can and the additional adjustments.

I suspect it will need a token at some point when I ride it harder if I want to keep that pressure, or install a megneg, but the suspension is quite progressive naturally.

Getting the odd pedal skim, but then the front is 20mm lower than a stock VR and 30mm lower than a VRS/VRX.

So at the moment, all the coils are on hold and trying anything like a Vivid Ultimate RC2T seems pointless for now.

I ran my Whyte from new with a Bomber Coil. When the coil died I put the original Deluxe Select back on. Couldn't believe how good it was!

 

[Deriuqer]

ROCKSHOX Fork LYRIK SELECT+ RC 29" DeBonAir 170mm BOOST 15x110mm Tapered Black (00.4020.298.003) RCZ Bike Shop

<p><strong>ROCKSHOX Fork LYRIK SELECT+ RC 29" DeBonAir 170mm BOOST 15x110mm Tapered Black (00.4020.298.003)</strong></p> <p>Travel: 170mm</p> <p>DeBonAir<br />Damping: Charger RC 2.1<br />steerer: 1.5>1 1/8 Tapered, Aluminium<br />Upper tube ty

www.rczbikeshop.com

Lyrik Select+ 29" 170mm for about 285-290€ incl. shipping (EU)

 

[Deriuqer]

FOX RACING SHOX 2023 Rear Shock FLOAT X Performance Elite 205x65mm Black RCZ Bike Shop

<p><strong>FOX RACING SHOX 2023 Rear Shock FLOAT X Performance Elite 205x65mm Black </strong></p> <p> </p> <p>205x65mm <br /><br />Trunnion or standard depending the supply </p>

www.rczbikeshop.com

It's worth to check the link. The shock is in deed a trunnion mount shock and not a normal mount as in the picture.
The price is often changing and at the moment it seems to be very low:

 

[Zimmerframe]

29' 170 Fox 38 with the 29 back on. 38 weighed in at 2312g with axle and steerer uncut, no star nut or crown race installed. (2287 cut)

Lifts the front back up about 50mm compared to the 27.5 180 Lyric with the 27.5 on. Therefore about 30mm higher than the Zeron 160. Wheelbase measures to the mm what it should according to the Vitus Specs.

Fox rated service interval is 125 hours.

Had to visit the LBS for a crown race and star nut ....

 

[Deriuqer]

30mm is a lot. So, the head angle should be roughly 1.5 degree slacker. That should be noticable.

 

[Zimmerframe]

30mm is a lot. So, the head angle should be roughly 1.5 degree slacker. That should be noticable.

I'm guessing the VR sits a lot lower than the VRS and VRX as standard due to the 160 Zeron as Opposed to 170 Suntour and 170 Yari.

 

[Zimmerframe]

FOX RACING SHOX 2023 Rear Shock FLOAT X Performance Elite 205x65mm Black RCZ Bike Shop

<p><strong>FOX RACING SHOX 2023 Rear Shock FLOAT X Performance Elite 205x65mm Black </strong></p> <p> </p> <p>205x65mm <br /><br />Trunnion or standard depending the supply </p>

www.rczbikeshop.com

It's worth to check the link. The shock is in deed a trunnion mount shock and not a normal mount as in the picture.
The price is often changing and at the moment it seems to be very low: View attachment 126094

Did you manage to use the existing mounting hardware or did you need to order some different parts ?

 

[Deriuqer]

Did you manage to use the existing mounting hardware or did you need to order some different parts ?

You will need some additional mounting hardware. The one that comes with the fox shock is too wide.

 

[Deriuqer]

Some data about the stock Rockshox shock:

And it's near future replacement:

 

[Deriuqer]

Additional weight ~150g

 

[Zimmerframe]

You will need some additional mounting hardware. The one that comes with the fox shock is too wide.

View attachment 126225

OK .. The E-Mythique is 25*8 so the Fox code is : 803-03-328

Doesn't really spin out many Euro supplier options though !

 

[Deriuqer]

OK .. The E-Mythique is 25*8 so the Fox code is : 803-03-328

Doesn't really spin out many Euro supplier options though !

DVO mounting hardware should work as well and I ordered a pair of them (2. Set as sparepart).
Rockshox won't fit (these I have here).

 

[Deriuqer]

Today, my mounting hardware came. So, next ride (Friday or Sunday) will be with the fox float x shock.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Finally given the Fox 38 Performance setup a bit of a decent go !

I think it might be "Perfect" !!!

Small bump is stunning, even better than my Fox 36 which I always think of as my benchmark.

Everything is really - Stunning !

Running slightly higher pressure than ideal, but it soaks everything up without using all the travel - which is really weird as it feels like it must have about 300mm of travel and I'll use the word buttery ! It's just sooooo smooth.

One section is quite rocky which you hit at speed, normally the bike will chatter through, but you know you're flying through jagged rocks. Today it literally felt like there were no rocks at all.

Another section at the end of a trail has three really nasty large parallel roots about 1m apart. Ideally you jump them otherwise you really know it when you hit them. Just tried slamming into them today. The front just sucked them up, the rear only kicked on the third one, tried speeding re-bound one click thinking it was working through the travel, but it was the same. But wow.

Really can't fault the stock rear shock. A couple of drops I go over with nasty root lips will always kick you a bit on the Kenevo and the Jam. On the Mythique - nothing ... just smooth.

 

[Zimmerframe]

The Zeb's came and found time yesterday for a quick ride with them. Set sag at 30% (so more than the Fox).

Felt better than I expected ! Plush, absorbed everything I threw at them. It was really wet and slippy, so not the ideal conditions. Used nearly all the travel, so will probably need a bit more air or possibly a token, can try air first, as wasn't going 100%.

The Original Zeron Forks (which had the faulty damper) also came back. These now seem to have an R2C2 damper or something similar in them, so need to give those a test at some point.