Vitus' $1,449 Sentier 29 VR Review: A Great Middle Ground Hardtail | 2021 Pinkbike Field Trip

[@luisguevara4113]

Sara, thank you for your honest criticism. This is exactly why we watch these videos, to get an unbiased review before we spend our hard earned money 👍

[@keksfabrik5909]

I own the 2018 Vitus Sentier, which is pretty much identical to this one (frame). It's honestly the best bike I've ever owned. Shredding the local trails with little to no comprises

[@jitodiaz]

I own the 2020 version and is a beast! Decent climber, very nimble and super fast on the downs. The bike performs at a higher level.

[@BikingwithJP]

0:39 Watching that huck to flat reminds me why I went full suspension 👀 - otherwise, if you don’t plan on hucking to flat all day, this bike hopefully lets those that don’t want to or can’t afford to spend more on a bike get into the sport.

[@makncheese6836]

i ride street on the nucleus so hucking to flat is one of the main things i can do lol, maybe it has something to do with switching between bmx and mtb...

[@Smegma_pirate]

It shows why clutched derailleurs are important

[@DjxJt13]

Sentier means trail in french. Nice video like always.

[@martoscbox]

Thanks for the review. Good info for someone looking for a bike at this price. A suggestion, if I may, that may be helpful for people who are looking for new bike with a certain budget... On verdict, maybe you can add whether you think the bike is "overpriced", "spot on (you get what you paid for)", "good deal", "great bang for the buck" or something. Yes, it will be subjective, but it may be somewhat more measurable for most bike review viewers.

[@ridedirtymtb9938]

I’ve taken my sentier vr 27.5 and I’ve put it through a lot of hard stuff. Its a fun playful bike

[@jonathandiaz4632]

I own the 2020 version. Amazing bike. Workings great. Brakes great. Real work horse.

[@andrewvenditelli152]

Maybe I missed it but you should clarify this is the Sentier VR 29 model. They also have a 27.5 version that has 140mm travel and a 66 deg HTA. Bought one for my nephew and one for my wife, they are more than pleased. Didn't see much mention of the drivetrain in this review either, but it shifts incredibly smooth considering the fact its a very entry level set. Shifts smoother and more reliably than my SRAM NX setup. It doesn't seem to be bothered by shifts under load as much as my NX.

[@Chris-de2qc]

They have Deore for 2021. 11-46 10 speed.

[@andrewvenditelli152]

@@Chris-de2qc Interesting both 2021 model bikes I bought were 1x11 Deore. Maybe a spec change due to parts a availability.

[@JoeJoe-C137]

Goes to show it really depends on the individual rider "your not gonna be sending it down super rough terrain" a beg to differ, people will, I do on trek xcaliber 100mm, no it's not great but it sure is scary fun. Good solid review 🙏

[@blazongflame]

lol saw this comment and just wanted to second this. I rode some gnarly trails on my 100mm xcaliber for years until I got a full sus.

[@JoeJoe-C137]

Always keep a hardtail mate, even if it is just an old trek 100mm xc bike as a back up

[@blazongflame]

@@JoeJoe-C137 Said hardtail was used to fund my full-sus purchase. Otherwise, I agree in principle.

[@mountainsteward7776]

There's nothing like the look on someone's face when you can keep up on a ht. People used to see me riding big sky bike park on a 10 year old marin eldridge grade and think I was nuts (I was/ still am but that's besides the point). "How are you keeping up on that thing" was always pretty fun to hear

[@SubieSage]

I bought one of these last year, 27.5" version. Coming from 90's 26ers it feels amazing downhill. Love the Bomber. Uphill it kinda sucks. Much prefer my old bikes uphill.

[@markjones4896]

Well i own a vitus HT SENTEIR 29er and I can ride it on chunk really well and I climb almost anything so I really think it boils down to the rider and im 60 yrs old and I can keep up with some of the more expensive hardtail riders in the southwest chunk desert terrain area !!!

[@rauldragu9447]

The 27 vr is the sentier to get tho. The geo is a lot better on it: 15mm shorter chainstay, 4mm longer reach, and 0.5 deg slacker. It probably is also a bit lighter because of the wheels if you are into that. But if you are, you should probably look elsewhere. It has quite a bit of drag going uphill, but its worth it for when you point it down. Something that they didnt mention, yet I found it as a nice surprise is the rear hub, it has 44poe, just like hope pro4s, and for such a value bike I think that really good. I definitely have a lot less of my pedal stroke wasted when punching it up rocks.

[@Chicagoway37]

My friend noticed that his SC chameleon had less poe. 1800 bike should come with 44 poe but you can't knock that warranty

[@Chicagoway37]

Compared to my 2021 27.5VR

[@rauldragu9447]

@@Chicagoway37 To be fair, thats also what my Sentier is worth

[@Chicagoway37]

@@rauldragu9447 thumbs up bro

[@daniels6997]

I guess I am spoiled from watching hardtail party but this review did not impress me. No mention of how comfortable the bike felt vs. other hardtails they tested. Sorry pinkbike but when it comes to hardtail reviews, you need to get Steve. He is the new sheriff on town

[@dylan-5287]

Seriously, Steve is the master of giving great hardtail reviews. You can tell pinkbike is way more at home on full suspension.

[@Smegma_pirate]

Pink bike doesn’t care about any bikes less than 5k they’re fancy pants fart sniffers. Spoiled by industry handouts completely separated from the reality that most of us live in.

[@erikd6124]

There is like only one hardtale rewier on KZbin. The competition needs to step it up. Or is it just step up..

[@mendymorrison4929]

Amazing bike people, thing flyes with the droper post of corese. I love this bike chain reaction cycles was great ordering from them. You need not upgrade a thing out the box. I went for the 29er👊👊😀😀😀

[@Capicua718]

I have 2018 sentier frame 27.5 which I got from a on line store, pair it a 150 fork Ar30 rims,i9 hubs, drakes formula cura 4 with 180mm rotors and 2.6 continental front and 2.5 rear, gx derailleur 11 speed. Race face atlas crankset. and I have to say I love this bike

[@lucasbright3331]

For anyone watching that is looking to buy middle of the road is not a bad thing In fact it might be better to get something middle of the road so you don’t have to compensate for anything

[@dadlife8289]

Jah knows budget!!

[@All_the_bikes_are_cool]

Cool video 🙌🏼 ☺️... You can play with sizing with Vitus... For better descending go for large size frame 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@jesterxfan]

I'm 5'10" and right in between M and L. New to mountain biking, which do you recommend for me on this particular bike?

[@kult9569]

@@jesterxfan i might be late but i'd definitely recommend a size L. i'm also 5'10 and a size L fits me amazingly, a size M just feels a bit too small.

[@petermyers4409]

Very useful review thanks guys

[@RichPurnell73]

Bought the 2022 29vr for £649 a few months ago, seems a bargain at that price. Not really tested it yet tho.

[@RomansDowntime]

$1.5k is not a terrible price for a bike for decent parts and a dropper included.

[@michaelderr9736]

It's too bad they didn't review the 27.5 version. I'm assuming it would have felt more aggressive than this bike.

[@Chicagoway37]

As a beginner on the 27.5 of this year's VR, love throwing it around on fast flowy trails. Handles steep tech well enough too

[@iftehrahim8155]

Why we see different price Between wiggle and chain cycle reaction?

[@IvanStarling-kg1ei]

How does this bike ride on wet beach sand Just wondering if the gears hold up in salt and sandy conditions.

[@rengamz]

how's this vitus sentier 27 vr compared to merida big trail 600?

[@reginaldalmazan6933]

Hello pinkbike peeps, just wondering if you can review Da bomb sentinel hardtail enduro bike please hehehe, thank you and shred on Pinkbike

[@jamesa-w689]

Could you review the on one Hello Dave. It’s a 62 head steel hard tail?

[@matthieurenvoise5578]

Very good bike the hello dave but there is a reel problem on it, it's that the frame accept max is 165mm rotor rear brake so 160, for an enduro hardtail, what a joke. If you speak fech you can check endhurobike channel they have already done a video about it.

[@dirtbike9003]

Yeah send it dudes!

[@solobellimino2356]

Wow! this bike is great value indeed.

[@ThunderStruckMTB]

Open shifter cable routing?? I'd be drilling those housing stops out seconds after unboxing.

[@judechandler5102]

I have a 2014 Sentier frame. Same exact problem. You'd have though they'd have learned. My frame is QR dropouts, so at least they have thru-axle now. I drilled the stops out and ran a housing cable the whole length. Zero problemo at all

[@ericmonty]

Seems to me that wheel building & manufacturing has gotten to the point where they’re all good and aside from weight they’re not even mentioned. Way different than the early days of mtb where it was common to taco your rims on a hard ride.

[@willeymunda]

How tall are you Sarah and what sized frame was you using in the test?

[@alexlamy1271]

Im still waiting the review of commencal ht hardtail 2021

[@bclose8043]

“Not the most capable downhill” I’ve literally ridden downhill trails on the 27.5 140mm travel version of this bike lol

[@Chicagoway37]

Yeah I guess it depends on how rowdy the rider is, alot of my trails are janky tech/loose and my 27VR does more than fine.

[@Jay_radd]

They're implying that a lot of other bikes they have ridden bikes that are more capable than this. . .and they're definitely not wrong

[@skysh81]

2021 Sentier vs 2021 Diamondback Sync'r?

[@Mistersulu12]

Great video! About de break pads. Do metalic pads offert better performance on trail bikes? I always heard métal was more for going downhill as they have to heat... I keep métal pour bike parks et resin on trail. I do not swap my rotors when I go from resin to metal and vis versa.

[@judechandler5102]

resin pads are better for slower riders, perhaps commuters. Metallic pads or sintered pads are the best option for most mountain biking. hope this helps!

[@Mistersulu12]

@@judechandler5102 thanks ;-)

[@robinrai4973]

I got the VRX frame for 70 bucks lol, will be a great spare bike

[@professorchaosX94]

Damn liked the bike at first then saw its a 29er. Lame. Does it come 27.5?

[@Chris-de2qc]

yes

[@TeddyParker]

All I wanna know is if the dropper fully inserts...

[@unknownKnownunknowns]

Curious why PB is not a fan of resin pads? Is that the case w all brakes, both 2 and 4 piston? What about for modulation/ control?

[@judechandler5102]

Resin pads suffer from brake fade when they heat up. Since they test in Canada, which has some decent grade slopes, they will have fading issues when testing. For people that ride on flat-ish trails, it won't be a problem, but in Canada, I'd say its a no-go. Interestingly, Some pro dh riders have been known to put one metallic pad and one resin pad in a single pad cradle in each caliper, to get the best of both worlds

[@pimbeweegt]

Why if the budget range is this wide, not taken the stoic 4? It has 12 speed, a dropper..it makes it even more capable and is still affordable. I would choose that bike anyday instead of the vitus.

[@dylan-5287]

Vitus just looks so much better though.. Idk I'm sure they're both great haha.

[@markwexy1621]

The Vitus fork is way, way, way better!

[@iriehoneyeater1853]

am I losing it or does that crankset have asymmetrical chainring mounts, I thought that was a road bike thing

[@turboduckhead6179]

What do you mean by slackest?

[@mkhitarkhodaverdian7159]

Canyon stoic with a dropper is a better option

[@bclose8043]

Nope

[@Jay_radd]

@@bclose8043 the canyon has better geo, but the fork on the stoic is trash

[@jitodiaz]

Stoic is 1x10 dude.....do we need a front derailleur?....lol

[@mkhitarkhodaverdian7159]

@@jitodiaz you're just counting a numbers dude, i have box one 1x9 10_50 drivetrain and it's better than shimano for sure because has a thicker chain and much more durable and affordable, i don't see a need for 1x12 drivetrain if you have a good range cassette

[@BillJones]

2:00 How much for one with valve stem caps?

[@benhockey380]

When did you review the norco

[@matthieurenvoise5578]

As a french, well, your prononcuation is quite good, just a bit less accentuation on "en"

[@jesterxfan]

Been trying to hunt one of these down but impossible as we all know. I’m 5’10” with a slightly small wingspan vs height and I’m torn between a M and L frame. New rider. Any suggestions?

[@diamondbracelette]

Same height and my 2017 with a reach of 240mm is perfect. 27.5 wheels. I'm guessing newer models have longer reach so maybe a medium is what I would get now

[@endianAphones]

Why didn't you compare it with the Stoic? :|

[@sebastiankowdrysh9518]

Where can I buy these test bikes?

[@bullcity5057]

Is Mike Kazimer gone?

[@JL-nk1pc]

sentier vr versus stoic 3?

[@markjones4896]

Sentier🤙🏾👍🏾👊🏽

[@kevinadams1049]

I Love You Guys , ... The sunshine coast ? Is that in Canada ? Because there isn't even a picture of a white stoic in Canada, .. Except on You Tube , .. And Chain Reaction Cycles (Canada) is listing the Sentier in Ruby's or Euro's , .. but not in Canadian Dollars , .. and the fine print talks about taxes and import fees , .. (not to mention) that these are entry level bikes , -entry level parts , .. for two gran, .. when you mention tax . .. I'de like to see a review on the Norco , .. or something I could actually order (in Canada) I'm not knocking Pinbike, Mike Levy, or Sarah Moore , I watch you every day , .. But most of these bikes are way out there in in la-la land , .. somewhere , ... I'm sure there are some in Canada , .. But I've never seen one not even from a distance .. (Chain Reaction Cycles don't actually have any either ) ... So I've been building a 2020 Chisel with XT and a Sid ultimate (and thinking of an angleset) because that's what we (can) buy in Canada , .. I also have a Trek Marlin and a Scott Scale Because those are the bikes we (can) buy . I might sell the trek and scott and maybey one day buy an entry level trail bike , .. But I think I'll see Yolanda Neff and the three bears on my local trails long before I ever see a Stoic or a Sentier . Fairy tales are far more realistic . I don't even think I can buy a Kona in Canada right now .

[@mathewreinhart8211]

What is the song at 9:30 and the end?

[@sim_dude]

How does ut compare with the canyon stoic?

[@thijmenachten9231]

way better

[@th_js]

Is this the same frame as the Nucleus? Can't find the info anywhere and it looks identical.

[@fergusoloughlin8004]

No it's not the same... if you look at the numbers on the geo charts they are different, and the Sentier has boost hub spacing 110/148 while the Nucleus is 100/135.

[@Chris-de2qc]

Same parent company but they are slightly different.

[@th_js]

Yeah, obviously the hub-spacing is different but I'm just wondering if the Sentier is basically a Nucleus with a bigger fork and boost rear end.. I might have some "concerns" of the durability of my Nucleus

[@Chris-de2qc]

@@th_js oh I was confusing that with nuke proof bikes. Nucleus big difference is no thru axle. Probably matters more if doing alot of hard terrain vs just normal trails. I was comparing the two and bought Sentier 27 instead since it also comes with a better fork.

[@th_js]

@@Chris-de2qc Yeah, I've got a 29" 150mm Lyrik on my 27.5 Nucleus, GX drivetrain, XT rear hub with EX511 rim and a 210mm Oneup dropper hahaha

[@JLURBilletSilverMetallic]

??? Why does Sara call the fork a ZEB fork when its a Marzocchi Bomber Z2??

[@tracymcmanus550]

She calls it a ZED 2 fork. Canadians pronounce the letter Z as Zed, as well as many Europeans.

[@JoeJoe-C137]

Z-2

[@Ian-xn4vg]

I have a orbea occam h20,would the haarteil be worth it for me?

[@George-je1fs]

This is a trail bike

[@vrwgq3q]

Beauty... just needs some guides or codes and then just new rear mech when it comes time

[@lucasbright3331]

The shimano deore is a great derailleur and hardly makes any noise and I’ve had less misshifts than my current 2021 gx setup

[@Driftuner]

The mech is great...been riding this same setup (on a different bike) for a while now and it works great..

[@dylan-5287]

I heard someone saying it appears the clutch wasn't on for the derailleur which made it look so jerky.

[@lucasbright3331]

@@dylan-5287 the clutch is adjustable so if it slaps you take the cover off and tighten it about a quarter turn and it’ll be good👍

[@markkus1134]

Be a great bike to add a bafang mid drive in it !

[@sdscrew312]

sweet

[@VACPOV]

dope!

[@petarmiljic4943]

Nice she has snacks

[@CopperCityPatriot]

I do admire Vitus. However...No metal versions of the Escarpe, for 2022(which is actually the 2021 models). And Vitus, like Trek, is getting greedy with the branding on the downtube/toptube. Charging a fortune for a bike, due to the brand name. Of course global inflation...does not help. For now, I'll stick with the Ragley AL29 & the GT Zaskar LT.

[@nickcusano5057]

Hi pink bike, I think you should check out the drt 2.1. It comes standard with 140mm travel, dropper post, and 2.8 29 inch tires. I just purchased and am waiting for it to be delivered. They seem pretty good- especially the price

[@dadlife8289]

Lmao wtf. $1400 for that bike? I can buy a number of cheaper bikes brand new and upgrade way better for under $1400

[@nickcusano5057]

@@dadlife8289 you mean the drt 2.1?

[@dadlife8289]

@@nickcusano5057 yes.

[@nickcusano5057]

Bruh it’s a good bike, and for the money has more stuff than the vitus and stoic- plus a free year of repairs from REI

[@addisonc00]

those rei bikes have horrible outdated geometry with lowend suspension. You might as well get your bike from bikesdirect if you buy that.

[@nix1908]

Sen-tier

[@kevgoo1274]

Glad I went for the 2021 Nukeproof Scout over the Vitus. Pretty much same price but better brakes, drivetrain and geo for shreddin

[@re7qi]

Which Scout did you go for?

[@kevgoo1274]

@@re7qi 27.5 Scout Comp Would recommend

[@re7qi]

@@kevgoo1274 Nice. I was looking at that one also, but could only find it for £1799.99 vs. the Sentier at £1199.99. Did you find a deal somewhere?

[@kevgoo1274]

@@re7qi I got it from chain reaction cycles back in November for about $1600 USD but the price must've went up after I got it. It took me a few months to even buy because it was always sold out. You may want to go for the Vitus of it's that much cheaper. They used to be very close in price

[@shrdn2960]

1499$ where...it costs 1800€ here in eu...that's way more than 1499$.

[@markwexy1621]

What kind of a review is this? Comparing this trail bike to an XC for climbing and descents is nonsense. Clumsy review. By the way, this is the bike that won mbr's bike of the year award. If you're going to compare it, compare it to ONLY trail bikes.

[@Chris-de2qc]

Yeah not sure why they put an XC in the mix

[@jojodroid31]

You nailed the pronunciation the first time then you kinda gave up :)

[@rl.txblrn]

vitus sensiey :)

[@thiosemicarbizidebenzoylal2921]

For a 6061 frame in 2021, thats pretty steep of a price when you can buy a Pass Quest frame thats essentially the same geo for under 400 bucks off Aliexpress.

[@Chris-de2qc]

I'm not sure if that's same comparison to a fully built bike vs just a frame?

[@glazersout6372]

Her voice isn't the voice I need when it comes to reviewing bikes

[@neilfpv]

I hope Vitus sends me an email right away so I can purchase it right away!

[@SourPatchPuss]

Checkout chain reaction right now, they just came in stock! I grabbed one myself 😉

[@neilfpv]

@@SourPatchPuss I already have Vitus since May! I LOVE IT!

[@rulebreaker2866]

Great bike but you cant beat commencal meta ht am. It has better components for the price, especially the rockshox yari.

[@Iggy52]

No it doesn't

[@John_D2]

how do you get skin so pale ?

[@hansonwang2121]

Great value, but lacking geometry.

[@dadlife8289]

Hey i curious, what geometry is it lacking? Trying to learn.

[@hansonwang2121]

​@@dadlife8289 Seat angle is too slack, head angle is too steep, and the reach is too short. this is far from a hardtail for aggressive trail riding. Truly modern geometry is 75/76 seat angle, 64/65 head tube angle, and a 440 - 450mm reach on size M. It is laughable that Vitus calls this an aggressive hardtail.

[@dadlife8289]

@@hansonwang2121 I have a Vitus Mythique and the seat angle is WAYYY too slack. On steep climbs I almost flip off the back of the bike. Sometimes when I put my foot down on a tech climb it goes to loop out.

[@dylan-5287]

Seriously, if you're not riding a Pole or equivalent bike, you're not even an mtb rider and should just accept that you're simply a roadie. I see dudes on 64 head angle bikes and just can't help but laugh, suckers..

[@dadlife8289]

@@dylan-5287 sometimes I feel like the 66 degree head tube angle is too slack climbing switch backs

[@igethanxcmtb9437]

0:14 uhhhhh...

[@regubamis]

how tf is this a budget hardtail? 1500 buck almost

[@shahmeersyed5223]

specilized fuse is better

[@brettneuberger6466]

In other words....Meh.

[@Iggy52]

Terrible geometry..

[@MaQuGo119]

External cable routing for 1,450? LMAO

[@heangmtb9575]

Can you give me 1 bike pls 🙏🙏🙏

[@audimaster5000]

Funny you ask. Nobody can even find a bike to buy themselves right now. Most areas are sold out and even new bikes are pre-sold before they even get made. It’s crazy right now