Vitus Energie Cyclo X (video)

Promotional feature with Vitus Bikes

The Energie is a great option if you’re looking to dip a toe into the muddy puddle of cyclocross for the first time.

Since its rebirth as Chain Reaction’s in-house brand, Vitus has developed an impressive range of machines, from the pro-level Vitesse Evo down to entry-level city bikes and mountain bikes. What they all have in common are high specs at very competitive prices and the Energie, as Vitus’s entry-level cyclocross bike in a range of four, ticks off all the modern trends in cross bike design for under a grand.

The Energie boasts an alloy frame matched to a full, high-modulus carbon fork. Like the other bikes here, it comes with a single-chainring groupset — in this case a SRAM Apex 1 40-tooth chainset coupled to an 11-32 cassette, giving plenty of range to tackle all the rideable ups and downs of a cyclocross course.

Vitus has specced tubeless-ready rims from WTB. With a 23mm width, they’re well suited for supporting the wider tyres used in cyclocross. They run on Novatec off-road-specific hubs with a 15mm thru-axle at the front and a 12mm thru-axle at the rear. The tan sidewall tyres are WTB Cross Boss in 35mm width and they’re tubeless ready too.

Almost all cyclocross bikes have switched to internal cable routing and this year’s Energie is no exception. It helps protect cables from dirt contamination, as well as keeping them out of the way of obstacles and when carrying.

For a higher spec, the three other models in the range are the £1,200 alloy Energie VR kitted out with SRAM Rival 1, and two all-carbon bikes — the £1,600 Energie Carbon CR with Rival 1, and the £1,800 Energie Carbon CRX with Force 1.

Price            £949.99

Frame            7046 alloy

Fork            T700 HM-UD carbon

Size range            50–58cm

Weight            9.25kg/20.39lb

Groupset            SRAM Apex 1

Gear ratios            40, 11-32

Wheels            WTB STP i23 TCS rims on Novatec hubs

Tyres            WTB Cross Boss 25mm tubeless ready

Brakes            SRAM Apex 1 hydraulic

Bar            Vitus alloy

Stem            Vitus alloy

Seatpost            Vitus alloy

Saddle            Vitus

Distributor            Vitusbikes.com

Size             54cm

Website: www.vitusbikes.com