This isn’t just any bike for women, and it comes in close to £500 providing outstanding value for money that rivals some £1000 hardtail mountain bikes. With a strong specifications list, aggressive geometry and, it is Vitus’ bestselling hardtail.
It’s also been voted best under £500 hardtail by Mountain Bike Radar (MBR), 4 years in a row. One of the reasons for that is because Vitus have this wonderful habit of constantly moving forward to stay ahead of the competition while providing what the rider needs. An outstanding bike at a great price.
The Nucleus VRW is the women’s specific version in XS, Small and Medium frame sizes with unique geometry, a lower top tube and includes a 2×9-Speed gear transmission and hydraulic disc brakes. Great for climbing and downhill confidence. Reliable and easy to control performance comes as standard and it is equipped with quality components.
SR Suntour Suspension
An easy to adjust 120mm of suspension travel from Suntour Air-sprung forks helps smooth out the trail. You will need a shock pump to adjust for rider weight and, fine-tuning the rebound damping takes a few seconds whether you want it firm for XC trails or slower for jumps.
Tektro Disc Brakes
The Textro hydraulic disc brakes provide superb control and stopping power when you need it.
Tires & Rims
The large volume 27.5” WTB tyres and wide rims return excellent contact, rolling speed and grip.
Front Tires WTB Vigilante
Rear Tires WTB Trail Boss
Shimano 2×9 Drivetrain
The Shimano Drivetrain offers reliable and fast shifting and I only found one comment relating to the 2019 model to consider but also one that has a simple fix.
“For some reason changing up to the big ring in the front sometimes caused the chain to fall off & it then gets jammed in the BB/crank well. Eventually we managed to fix it & last time out it didn’t happen at all on a 30km ride. We made an adjustment to the limit screws & tightened the cable tension. It’s our first experience with a front derailleur so probably a bit of bad luck & inexperience”.
Hopefully Vitus will have fixed this on the 2020 model.
Dropper Post
Although it doesn’t come as standard, The Nucleus has been designed with internal dropper post cable routing to make installing a dropper post easy at a later stage.
Tech Details
Weight: 14.3 KG (31.5 lbs)
| Frame | Nucleus 27.5″ Hardtail 6061-t6 Alloy Construction |
| Fork | SR Suntour XCR32 Boost Air 120mm 27.5″ |
| Headset | FSA No.57b |
| Bottom Bracket | Square Taper Cartridge, 73mm / 113.5mm |
| Handlebar | Nukeproof Neutron 25mm Rise, Width – XS740mm, S740mm, M760mm, 31.8mm bar diameter |
| Stem | Vitus 50mm |
| Grip (Tape) | Vitus Tapered, Single Composite Clamp, Sticky Rubber |
| Front Rim | WTB ST i30 TCS 2.0, 27.5″, 30mm inner diameter, 32 Hole, Pinned Joint |
| Rear Rim | WTB ST i30 TCS 2.0, 27.5″, 30mm inner diameter, 32 Hole, Pinned Joint |
| Front Hub | Vitus MS6F Boost 15mm x 110mm, 32h, 6-bolt |
| Rear Hub | Vitus K68R Standard Spacing 135mm x 10mm, 32h, 6-bolt |
| Front Tyre | WTB Vigilante 2.3″ x 27.5″ Comp with high Grip Compound |
| Rear Tyre | WTB Trailboss 2.25″ x 27.5″ Comp |
| Spokes | 14G Stainless DB with Brass nipples |
| Chain | KMC Z9 EPT Anti Rust |
| Crankset | SR Suntour XCM, 36/22T |
| Front Brake | Tektro HD-M290 Wave Style Rotor; Rotor 180mm |
| Rear Brake | Tektro HD-M290 Wave Style Rotor; Rotor 160mm |
| Front Derailleur | MicroShift MD-462B, Downswing, Dual-pull, Band-On 34.9mm |
| Rear Derailleur | Shimano Altus RD-M2000, SGS 9-Speed Shadow |
| Left Shifter | Shimano Altus SL-M2000, 3-Speed Rapidfire Plus |
| Right Shifter | Shimano Altus SL-M2000, 9-Speed Rapidfire Plus |
| Freewheel | Shimano Altus CS-HG200-9, 9-Speed, 11-36T |
| Saddle | Nukeproof Neutron |
| Seat Post | Vitus 31.6mm X 400mm, Zero Offset |
| Seat Clamp | Vitus 34.9mm Seat Clamp with Quick Release lever |
Assess It
Regardless of this low price, make sure this bike is right for you by visiting a local store and asking for a test ride. Even a slow ride around the store will give you some feel for how this bike fits you.
Choosing the right frame size is crucial so make sure you know your height and inside leg measurements too.
Comments and Questions
If you need to know more about The Nucleus VRW, please ask below. You will always receive a prompt response and so long as it’s on topic, there’s no such thing as a bad question.
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Just Ride Hard, Ride Fair, Nobody Hurt
