serial no. A007199
(199th frame built in July 1980)

Purchased on eBay on 14 December 2018 for $641
back on the road 14 February 2019

With this project, I have contrived to combine two icons of 1980s and French cycling in one bicycle: the Vitus 979 frame with Tout Mavic components. Nothing unusual or challenging in that except I also wanted also feature the early examples of both: the first full Mavic 1000 SSC ensemble introduced in 1980 and an early 1980 Vitus 979 frame. Trying to achieve both and in my large frame size entailed a three-year wait. But also enabled this realisation of this project in 2019, the 40th anniversary of the introduction of the Vitus 979 frame in Paris in 1979.

Frame

This is a 1st Generation "bis" frame which differs from the earliest c. 1979 ones in having Vitus 979 decals on the fork blades instead of stamping and the letter prefixed serial number instead of the early sequential number. This is approx no. 6000 of the estimated 145,000 Vitus 979 frames manufactured from 1979-1997 and the serial number determines it was manufactured in July 1980.

These early Vitus 979s feature:

Top tube brake cable guides instead of the later internal cabling
Bottom bracket undershell extrusion for the gear cable instead of the delrin press fit cable guide
French threading throughout including bottom bracket (no camfered edging for the later Mavic cartridge bb)
alloy steerer tube
mudguard eyelets on front fork ends
early green Vitus 979 tubing sticker

The 1st generation Mavic 1000 SSC ensemble on this machines features:

1st version of the rear derailleur no. 800
1st version of the Mavic pedals no. 600 (made by Meral)
1st version of the 600 chainset (made by T.A. Specialities and identical to the T.A. Tevano model).
Unmarked chainrings stamped Made in France with the stamped Mavic diamond logo on the crank arms Later examples had deeper stampings and deeper, different shaped scalloping of the crank arms.
1st version of the 550/500 hubs (first introduced in 1976) with the Mavic stamping on the outside non driveside flange
early Mavic grooved stem with the stamped Mavic diamond logo
early Mavic pattern and stamped Comte du Coucy handlebars
2nd version of the early Mavic 420 branded (made by Modolo) brakes which are based on the Professional series rather than the Speedy model. This dates to 1980 and the release of the full Mavic 1000 group
300 Mavic headset, also introduced in 1980 and completing the Mavic ensemble (there was never a Mavic seatpost however for the initial SSC group)
Early Mavic 602 bottom bracket with alloy spindle and cups
Early silver anodised Mavic Argent 12 SSC 32-hole rims (wheelset built Oct 1979)

Frame
Material: Vitus 979 (Duralinox 5086) three main tubes
Lugs/bottom bracket/fork crown/rear brake bridge: CLB cast alloy
Fork and head tube: Vitus 979 Duralinox
Colour: anodised natural duralinox
Size: seat tube 59 cm (c to c), 60.4 cm (c to t), top tube 57 cm (c to c)
Angles: 74 (head) 74 (seat)
Rear spacing: 126 mm
Wheelbase: 38.5"
Chainstay length: 16"
Bottom bracket height: 10.5"
Fork rake: 1 7/16th"
Trail: 2.10"
Weight:
bare frame/fork: 1808 g.
complete machine: 8296 g. or 18.29 lbs

Components (“Tout Mavic” 1000 SSC ensemble 1ère série)
Rear derailleur: Mavic 800 175 g.
Front deralleur: Mavic 810 100 g.
Gear levers: No Name (Mavic) Simplex open teardrop pattern 820 retrofriction levers 68 g.
Chainset: Mavic 600 42t x 52t, 170 mm cranks, 14 x1.25 French threading. 593 g.
Bottom bracket: Mavic 602 AM aluminium including axle and locking rings, 35x1 French threaded 215 g.
Headset: Mavic 300 25x1 French thread 82 g.
Stem: Mavic flat grooved 115mm 290 g.
Handlebars: Mavic 351 Comte de Comcy 42 mm 340 g., Velox black Plastilac tape
Brakes: Mavic (rebadged Modolo Professional) 420 silver anodised with Modolo brake hoods (208 g. pair levers/hoods) calipers with brake shoes (328 g pair) 536 g. total. CLB Duralinox cables 85 g.
Seatpost: Rubis 983 25.0 mm 235 g.
Saddle: Ideale 2002 titanium undercarriage 320 g.
Pedals: Mavic 600 14mm x 1.25mm French threading 340 g.
Toeclips and straps: Christophe chrome clips and Christophe straps
Rims: Mavic Argent 12 SSC 700x20 mm 32-hole sprints 395 g. ea.
Tyres: Tufo S-33 700x21 230 g.
Hubs: Mavic low-flange 500/550 32-hole sealed bearings with Mavic skewers 215 g. (front) 260 (rear) French threaded
Freewheel: Maillard 700 Professional zycral 5-speed 14-19t 135 g.French threaded
Chain: Sedisport d'Or GT-7 294 g.
Accessories: T/A alloy bottle cage (48 g.) and T/A Mavic bottle (72 g.)