My first proper mountain bike, the Vitus Sentier 29 VR.

It came with a 130mm RockShox Sektor Silver RL fork, 1x11 Shimano SLX drive train, SLX brakes, WTB Vigilante 2.3 (front) and Trail Boss 2.25 (rear) tires, and it cost just above CHF 1200.

I bought a 125mm dropper post with it, and rode it like that for a couple of months.

Then I went through a period of changing things: tires (Maxxis Shorty 3C MaxxTerra EXO TR 2.5WT for the front, Maxxis Shorty 3C MaxxTerra EXO TR 2.3 for the back), smaller chainring (30T), bigger cassette (11-46T), wider and higher handlebar (Spank Spoon 785mm 40mm rise), grips (Deity Knuckledusters), and saddle (Charge Spoon).

Photo of almost original Vitus

I exchanged the dropper post against a 150mm Brand-X Ascend and bought more tires (Maxxis Aggressor TR EXO Dual 2.3 for the back (didn't like it), Maxxis Minion SS TR EXO SW Dual 2.3 for the back (nice), then a Maxxis Assegai 3C MaxxTerra EXO TR 2.5WT for the front (brilliant!)). I exchanged the fork with a 140mm RockShox 35 Gold RL DebonAir, and the front wheel with a Stan's ZTR Flow EX3.

Later, I added two more tires (Maxxis Assegai 3C MaxxGrip DD TR 2.5WT with the DD carcasse for the front and Maxxis Minion DHR II TR EXO Dual 2.3 for the back) and was happy.

I rode the bike with the Assegai/DHR II combo in winter or when it was wet, and the Assegai/Minion SS combo in the dry.

Photo of the Vitus in 2020
Photo of my daughter on the Vitus

Last Rides

We took the Vitus on a trip to Gryon in the Swiss Alps, where I rode a (tame) downhill trail. We then went to Saoû in France, and I took it around most of the trails suggested on this French site, of which "L'Echelette autour de Saoû" was the best.

The Vitus on a trail at Forêt de Saoû, France
At the top of "L'Echelette autour de Saoû"

After the trip, I went on two more rides on it with my neighbour Jeff, then dismantled the Vitus and put everything onto the Taival.

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