# Vitus Nucleus 24 (2020 Model)



## bwwbww (Mar 24, 2013)

Hi all,

I ordered a 2020 Vitus Nucleus 24 from CRC on Fri 3/27/20 late chicago time. The order was processed Monday 3/30/20 when they opened. CRC/DHL is showing a thu 4/2/20 deliv date. Pretty amazing it's a 3 day ship from UK to Chicago.

* my son is 9.5 yrs old and ~ 4'4"
* coming from a 20" specialized hard rock W a coaster brake. It's been a good bike. 
* primary use is local, small jump park and zipping around the neighborhood
* he doesn't do a lot of trails, hopefully this will change that ... wishful thinking?
* he wasn't thrilled with the silver vs his desired blue or black
* he's not super excited about gears vs a dedicated DJ (which would be pretty bad for neighborhood / family riding)
* I looked at other bikes for better weight / component mix, but Vitus Nucleus 24, as many highlighted, is a great mix for price/weight/components 
* I'm a little nervous on geometry for jump park vs other geometries. Worst case is he has a great trail/neighborhood bike and I could buy a dedicated DJ.

I'll ask some questions in follow up replies.

I'll be sure to take some pics and some videos of the unpacking and build (I've never done a bike build before)

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/us/en/vitus-nucleus-24-youth-bike-2020/rp-prod181444

Cheers.


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## bwwbww (Mar 24, 2013)

A question for those who know the drive train better:
Altus get mixed reviews and many state regular adjustments are needed. Would it be worth upgrading just the rear derailleur to deore (RD592/9sp) for better performance with less adjustments?

Thx.


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## svinyard (Aug 14, 2017)

Man, that's just an incredible value bike. I love the looks of it too. I would also def keep an eye on Craigslist for a 16" BMX bike too for a 100$ or so. If you are urban riding, that is the ticket for smooth jump lines and pumptracks. Plus they last forever and can be beat on. My kid loves is MTB sled but he'd die before giving up his BMX freestyle bike. Cult/Fit/Wethepeople/Sunday/United/Haro...heck even there is a decent Mongoose BMX again on Amazon if I recall.


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## bwwbww (Mar 24, 2013)

@svinyard, I like the idea of a inexpensive bmx bike too. I'll have to keep watching CL. Our local bike park is more dirt / rougher vs pump track, etc. Most adults are running FS or DJ.

Example: 




DJ with shock would be ideal, but I'm not ready to drop that $ for a dedicated DJ yet. Let's hope the Vitus does well here.


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## MXIV424 (May 30, 2018)

I wouldn’t change anything the drivetrain unless you have parts sitting around. I would go to a 28t before changing the cassette to get the gearing a bit better, and just wait the the rd to get smashed before changing it. 

At 4’4” I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets to the 26 size pretty quick.


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## bwwbww (Mar 24, 2013)

MXIV424 said:


> I wouldn't change anything the drivetrain unless you have parts sitting around. I would go to a 28t before changing the cassette to get the gearing a bit better, and just wait the the rd to get smashed before changing it.
> 
> At 4'4" I wouldn't be surprised if he gets to the 26 size pretty quick.


I'll definitely give the Altus RD a shot but for $30 thought why not go deore if it eliminates frequent adjustments.

Agree on 24" being a limited use. I'm hoping he gets 2 seasons vs just this summer.


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## bwwbww (Mar 24, 2013)

I was on CRC checking a spec and price jumped to $539 vs the $499 I paid on Friday 3/27/20. Not sure if exchange rate related or just demand driven?


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## svinyard (Aug 14, 2017)

bwwbww said:


> @svinyard, I like the idea of a inexpensive bmx bike too. I'll have to keep watching CL. Our local bike park is more dirt / rougher vs pump track, etc. Most adults are running FS or DJ.
> 
> Example:
> 
> ...


The Vitus will be fine for sure. The backend isn't uber long and its not a silly plus tire bike. He'll rip just fine.

That does look like a pretty nice jump line actually. Nice that you have that close by. Here is one a buddy went to the other day (link below). These guys are throwing it too on BMX. Sweet that you have some nice jump lines. My kids only REALLY fell in love with biking when we started jumping. Building some nice wooden booters at home with a decent landing makes a difference as they can ride them all the time, including when its raining.

https://www.facebook.com/rockytopdirtjumps/


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## bwwbww (Mar 24, 2013)

That jump park looks awesome! Way above my 9yr olds (and mine too) abilities!


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## terrasmak (Jun 14, 2011)

For his size, an 18 inch BMX/Park Bike would be the way to go. Mt daughter is 1 inch shorter and rides a Sunday 18 for Parks and neighborhood beater. Then a Junior for BMX race and the Haro for MTB. 

DJ bikes in 24 inch are hard to find, thinking I need to get a Dartmore 24 to the States somehow shortly


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## quaestionis (Jan 10, 2008)

Just bought this bike for my 9 year old. He's coming from a 20" Orbea that served him well.

The Vitus is really nice. We've only ridden local streets and sidewalks, but its well constructed with quality parts. The air fork actually actuates despite him being fairly lightweight, and I was amazed that it made it to Phoenix from the UK in 3 days, especially during a global pandemic.

My son rides a lot of techy singletrack when we're not mostly sheltering in place, so I'm looking forward to seeing how it performs there. But my early review is very positive.


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## bwwbww (Mar 24, 2013)

Showed up today. Assembly less in involved than I thought and took 20 min because I did during a conf call. 
Unwrap. 
Put front wheel on. 
Put pedals on. 
Both disc brakes were rubbing / needed adjustment. 
The front skewer only had one spring so I had to steal a spring off my trainer. 

Fits my son great and geometry seems like it’ll be a great balance for neighborhood and jump park. Hopefully some trails too. As a trail bike, if he hits a growth streak, it could be a 1 season bike. For jump park the smaller size is nice and could see 2 years easy?


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## bwwbww (Mar 24, 2013)

Jumping on his new Nucleus 24






I didn't upload his pretty good nosedive on a gap jump.


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## svinyard (Aug 14, 2017)

bwwbww said:


> Jumping on his new Nucleus 24
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ha, very nice.


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## MXIV424 (May 30, 2018)

bwwbww said:


> Jumping on his new Nucleus 24
> 
> 
> 
> ...


???


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## bwwbww (Mar 24, 2013)

I do want to look at new brake levers as he’s moving all fingers from grips to brake levers. The tektro levers aren’t very convenient for 1 finger (or 2 finger) braking.


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## solitone (Apr 27, 2011)

MXIV424 said:


> I would go to a 28t before changing the cassette to get the gearing a bit better


Would it be possible to change just the chainring, or you need to change the entire crankset?


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## rth009 (May 20, 2010)

MXIV424 said:


> At 4'4" I wouldn't be surprised if he gets to the 26 size pretty quick.


I am curious about the sizing too. My daughter is 4'6" and I think I need to go with the w nucleus 26 even though she's coming from a 20" salsa timberjack.


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## bwwbww (Mar 24, 2013)

I think this will be a 1 season bike ... I hope the resale is good  

My son is biking with the neighbor who is on a 24” specialized. Nucleus is definitely more compact. It’s a great fit for him right now.


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## bwwbww (Mar 24, 2013)

A few pics for size reference.


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## svinyard (Aug 14, 2017)

That bike looks great there. You'd def get another 2yrs extra out of it as a Dirt Jumper-ish (once he grows) if you throw on some high rise bars on it and really up the PSI. It'd be fantastic as that I'm guessing. I see kids do a fair amount of that around here. Looks like you got the dirt jumps too 

Resale on a good, airfork, hydraulic brake, hardtail like this will be strong.


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## Cerpss (Sep 13, 2015)

bwwbww said:


> A few pics for size reference.


Your kid sends it bigger than I do. I am too old and heal too slow. Or I just don't have the marbles.


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## bwwbww (Mar 24, 2013)

He's definitely fearless. And, was back at it after his pretty rough nose dive ...


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## MXIV424 (May 30, 2018)

solitone said:


> Would it be possible to change just the chainring, or you need to change the entire crankset?


Should be the same as our Norco so you would need to change the crank. These new ones are 30t I believe so 30/11-36 is pretty good. I just don't think a large cassette with short chainstays lead to a good chainline and shifting. Also, kids this size don't typically need the top speed of a 30 or larger ring. My vote would be to go 28 or 26 on the ring and keep the relatively small, light, and cheap 11-36 cassette.



rth009 said:


> I am curious about the sizing too. My daughter is 4'6" and I think I need to go with the w nucleus 26 even though she's coming from a 20" salsa timberjack.


I'm only speaking from a general mtb/xc viewpoint, DJ or dh would be a little different...
At 4'6" I'd be looking at a XS (12-14") 27.5 wheeled bike. That size should fit perfect for 4'7" to 5'1" ish. Aside from that, the 26 Nucleus would be great as well and is a really great value for what it is, especially compared to hunting down a decent Xs 27.5 for a good price.


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## MXIV424 (May 30, 2018)

He looks great on it 👍


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## rth009 (May 20, 2010)

MXIV424 said:


> At 4'6" I'd be looking at a XS (12-14") 27.5 wheeled bike. That size should fit perfect for 4'7" to 5'1" ish. Aside from that, the 26 Nucleus would be great as well and is a really great value for what it is, especially compared to hunting down a decent Xs 27.5 for a good price.


I got the Nucleus 26, arrived yesterday, for my 4'6" almost 9 year old daughter. very nice bike, and it was riding great in ten minutes. It is a little big for her (especially those 700mm wide bars), but she can ride it and there is plenty of room for her to grow. The seat goes down plenty low enough, but there is not quite enough standover to make for easy mounting/dismounting, but she'll get used to it. I think cutting down the handlebars 3/4" inch on each side will help. As it is, she has a hard time turning the handlebars given the longish top tube and wide bars.

One thing I was disappointed in is that the fork says the same pressure for anyone 140 pounds or under. She is only 65 pounds and at the lowest recommended pressure, she cant even make the fork compress. its the "Spinner 300 26 Air RLC 100mm travel, QR, Lockout, 1 1/8" steerer" Anyone have experience setting this fork up for lighter riders?


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## MXIV424 (May 30, 2018)

Very cool!

I know vitus specs a short stem (which is great to see) but you can get down to a 32mm with an cheap amazon stem. Forgive me for saying this if you already know but you can flip the stem so it points down and put the spacers on top of the stem if that would help the fit too. My oldest is on the 32mm stem flipped down with 660 bars iirc for the xs27.5. Was planning to go back to the 50mm this summer but know there’s no racing so whatever

I just set the sag to 15%-20% regardless of the pressure table suggestion. The fork isn’t particularly amazing so I don’t think it’s worth doing more than that.


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## rth009 (May 20, 2010)

Thanks, I hadnt considered shortening the stem, but that may be a good call as well. 18mm is almost 2 cm, so maybe I should try that before cutting those bars. As far as flipping the stem, it doesnt look like bar height is an issue, but I will check that out as well. 

I'm gonna mess with the sag settings and I'll report back if I find a solution.


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## Boondock77 (Jun 16, 2014)

Looks like the 24” is out of stock.... 
shopping for my soon to be 7 year old. Prevelo alpha three is getting a little small.

Sweet pics!


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## bwwbww (Mar 24, 2013)

I strongly considered a Pello based on geometry but it was out of stock. We are very happy with the Vitus nucleus.

https://www.pellobikes.com/bike-shop/reyes?aff=3


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## rth009 (May 20, 2010)

MXIV424 said:


> I know vitus specs a short stem (which is great to see) but you can get down to a 32mm with an cheap amazon stem. Forgive me for saying this if you already know but you can flip the stem so it points down and put the spacers on top of the stem if that would help the fit too. My oldest is on the 32mm stem flipped down with 660 bars iirc for the xs27.5. Was planning to go back to the 50mm this summer but know there's no racing so whatever


The stem on our Vitus Nucleus 26 is 40mm, so the 32mm would only reduce it 8mm. I cut an inch off the 700mm bars on each side, and they are now 660mm, and I also switched the spacers on steerer tube around a bit to lower the bars about 3/8". That combination appears to have improved the fit. Still need to work on the fork sag.


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## rth009 (May 20, 2010)

Boondock77 said:


> Looks like the 24" is out of stock....
> shopping for my soon to be 7 year old. Prevelo alpha three is getting a little small.
> 
> Sweet pics!


Vitus bikes just responded to an email I had sent them previously, and they noted: "They are out of stock on Wiggle and CRC at the moment, but they're due a delivery next week." Not sure if this is in reference to the 24, as I was asking about the 26, but maybe . . .


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## Boondock77 (Jun 16, 2014)

rth009 said:


> Vitus bikes just responded to an email I had sent them previously, and they noted: "They are out of stock on Wiggle and CRC at the moment, but they're due a delivery next week." Not sure if this is in reference to the 24, as I was asking about the 26, but maybe . . .


Thanks for the heads up. Leaning this way for him


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## bwwbww (Mar 24, 2013)

I just made a derailleur hanger replacement purchase. My boy was jumping in the backyard and hit his derailleur on a poor landing. Snapped the hanger. A $20 order and 4 day shipping from the UK and LBS bent Altus RD back to square and he's up and going again. I bought an extra just in case.


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## Boondock77 (Jun 16, 2014)

Still out of stock... 
anybody hear from vitus? Not going to have any stock until the 2021 drops? 

Thanks


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## bwwbww (Mar 24, 2013)

Thought I’d share another pic of goofing in backyard on a little kicker we built (Seth bike hacks) during quarantine:


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## bwwbww (Mar 24, 2013)

Here’s the kicker we built


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## svinyard (Aug 14, 2017)

ha, sweet. Looks like he is throwing a little steez in there. That grass looks like an awesome landing pad.


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## bwwbww (Mar 24, 2013)

svinyard said:


> ha, sweet. Looks like he is throwing a little steez in there. That grass looks like an awesome landing pad.


I need to build a new one a little bigger with a landing "ramp" too.


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## solitone (Apr 27, 2011)

Boondock77 said:


> Still out of stock...
> anybody hear from vitus? Not going to have any stock until the 2021 drops?


I ordered it from CRC on April 19, they shipped it on Apr 23, and as of Apr 24 I have no further info about it!









I contacted CRC several times, but till now they've not found my shipment! And now it's out of stock...


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## Boondock77 (Jun 16, 2014)

solitone said:


> I ordered it from CRC on April 19, they shipped it on Apr 23, and as of Apr 24 I have no further info about it!
> 
> View attachment 1336573
> 
> ...


Wow brutal. That's way too long. 
The Vitus we ordered from them took 5-6 days to arrive.

Hope you get the bike real soon.


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## solitone (Apr 27, 2011)

Boondock77 said:


> Wow brutal. That's way too long.
> The Vitus we ordered from them took 5-6 days to arrive.
> 
> Hope you get the bike real soon.


How can it be that, after 45 days from my order, nobody knows where my package is and I haven't been offered any refund?









I'll never ever buy anything else from Chain Reaction Cycles again!


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## bwwbww (Mar 24, 2013)

That’s terrible and I’m sure your little guy/girl is heartbroken waiting for his/her new ride.


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## eatdrinkride (Jun 15, 2005)

solitone said:


> How can it be that, after 45 days from my order, nobody knows where my package is and I haven't been offered any refund?
> 
> View attachment 1338673
> 
> ...


I live in the US and have ordered from chain reaction at least six or eight times. Everytime shipping was super quick, except one time. I ordered a Raptor pack that never arrived. CRC did ship it and it made its way to Los Angeles but was lost in handling at that point never to be seen again. CRC to their credit did send me another pack which arrived right away but the whole process took while. After it was lost for about 5 ort 6weeks they asked me to fill out a lost in transit form which I did. they promptly shipped the replacement product. I think with international shipping they just want to give it a few weeks to make sure it doesn't show up. anyhow my point is you can fill out their form and they'll replace the product if it's truly lost or your money I would assume.


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## solitone (Apr 27, 2011)

eatdrinkride said:


> anyhow my point is you can fill out their form and they'll replace the product if it's truly lost or your money I would assume.


Ok, but I expect at this point they would tell me what I need to do. Instead, they haven't answered yet. BTW, I'm in Italy, so after 6+ weeks I assume shipment has been lost.


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## eatdrinkride (Jun 15, 2005)

solitone said:


> Ok, but I expect at this point they would tell me what I need to do. Instead, they haven't answered yet. BTW, I'm in Italy, so after 6+ weeks I assume shipment has been lost.


I completely agree with you. The problem with CRC is there is no phone number at least that I could find to actually call and talk to them. Luckily for me, they were responsive enough via email and did take care of me. it's really nothing more than a document stating that if and when your product does arrive to you that you will contact them to have it returned. Especially important on high-dollar items like a bike.

I suggest emailing them again and asking about the lost in transit form. It does exist, trust me, but I think they need to send it to you it's not available on the site.

Being in Italy it it goes without saying that it shouldn't take 6 weeks to get something. Especially when I've ordered tires from them to the USA and received them in a week.

also keep in mind the covid-19 problem. Customer service around the globe has come to a screeching halt as companies are understaffing at best and doing what they need to do to keep afloat.

Good luck and keep safe!


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## bwwbww (Mar 24, 2013)

There live chat is very good too.


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## solitone (Apr 27, 2011)

bwwbww said:


> There live chat is very good too.


I only see an email form on their website. Where is the live chat?


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## eatdrinkride (Jun 15, 2005)

solitone said:


> I only see an email form on their website. Where is the live chat?


I think I've seen it when I've been on their website (as a pop-up window in the corner of the screen) but since I am in the US it's always been off hours. Like I said they may have cut back in customer service, including a person to manage live chat.


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## bwwbww (Mar 24, 2013)

Homepage
Page down
Customer service
Find the live chat link


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## eatdrinkride (Jun 15, 2005)

bwwbww said:


> Homepage
> Page down
> Customer service
> Find the live chat link


???


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## solitone (Apr 27, 2011)

Ok, I contacted them via live chat and they sent me the lost in post declaration form, that I filled in and sent back to them. Hope they'll get back in touch soon. Thanks for the suggesiton!


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## solitone (Apr 27, 2011)

*Finally here!*

I had lost all hope, and sent a lost in post declaration, but today it finally arrived!

In the box I found some nice treats--a chainstay protector, a bell, a small bottle of gray paint, some transparent frame protectors, a pedal wrench tool, and even a multi tool (although it doesn't feature a torx in the size needed for adjusting levers on handlebar):








It was very accurately packed:















Just one thing, the front brake tube seems too long and touches the fork, but I tied it to the other cables and doesn't seem to be an issue:








Measured weight: 11.5 kg (25.3 lbs).


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## bwwbww (Mar 24, 2013)

Great news!!


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## solitone (Apr 27, 2011)

rth009 said:


> One thing I was disappointed in is that the fork says the same pressure for anyone 140 pounds or under. She is only 65 pounds and at the lowest recommended pressure, she cant even make the fork compress.


Yes, I had to decrease pressure to 25 psi or something, otherwise the effective travel was less than 0.5 in!


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## solitone (Apr 27, 2011)

bwwbww said:


> I do want to look at new brake levers as he's moving all fingers from grips to brake levers. The tektro levers aren't very convenient for 1 finger (or 2 finger) braking.


I personally don't like those levers either. Do little riders in this thread like them?


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## rth009 (May 20, 2010)

solitone said:


> Yes, I had to decrease pressure to 25 psi or something, otherwise the effective travel was less than 0.5 in!


At 25 psi, were the fork stanchions even extended all the way out of the lowers? I found that unless I had 50 psi, or thereabouts, the uppers were not fully extended.


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## solitone (Apr 27, 2011)

yes, you’re right, it needs at least 50 psi to fully extend, but my son is only 55 lbs, so at that pressure it’s way too hard I’m afraid.


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## rth009 (May 20, 2010)

I figured it was better to ride rigid, than to have the bike geometry all jacked up because the fork wouldnt extend. Who knows. Maybe I'll check and see how much it sags at 30 psi.


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## rton20s (Aug 27, 2010)

I've had email notifications set up on three different accounts for the Nucleus 24 for weeks. I was hoping against hope that it might come back in stock in time for my little guy's 9th birthday, which is now a week away. I was super excited to see the stock alert emails in my inbox this morning. Emails were time stamped at 7:30am PST. I saw them and jumped on CRC at 7:55 to place my order. OUT OF STOCK!

I have no idea how many they got in, but they were all gone within minutes. Really bummed on this one. I almost gave up and ordered a Commencal Ramones 24 (with plans to upgrade) when it came in stock yesterday. Then I realized they equipped the bike with a freewheel cassette/hub! Seriously, in 2020? 

Now I wait for more stock notification emails. At this point, I'm guessing it may be closer to Christmas. But, I have notifications set up for the Vitus (24, 26), Woom (24, 26), Pello, Prevelo and Cleary (24, 26). If I could, I would do the same for the Rocky Mountain Vertex.


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## rton20s (Aug 27, 2010)

Well, I gave up on the Nucleus 24/26. The Vitus Kids 24+ came in stock, so we placed an order and it might actually make it here in time for my son's birthday. We already have a set of 2.1" Rocket Rons waiting for it in the garage. My wife has also already green lit the purchase of an air fork (Suntour XCR LO 24 Air or RST F1RST 24 if it ever comes back in stock) and an 11-34T cassette.


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## shmadge (May 11, 2018)

Y'all the 21 is in stock now! Just ordered. Prob didn't trigger stock alert on the 20.
Hope it's just as good. Was $600, I think it was less before?


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## nebio (Jul 25, 2019)

shmadge said:


> Y'all the 21 is in stock now! Just ordered. Prob didn't trigger stock alert on the 20.
> Hope it's just as good. Was $600, I think it was less before?


Thanks for the heads up. 
Just ordered one as well & also hope it's good.Have never had a Box drivetrain & looking forward to trying it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## TimTucker (Nov 9, 2011)

The Box setup looks interesting -- looks like you could upgrade to their 11-42T cassette for ~$50.


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## nebio (Jul 25, 2019)

TimTucker said:


> The Box setup looks interesting -- looks like you could upgrade to their 11-42T cassette for ~$50.


I was wondering the same thing about using the Box 11-42t Cassette instead.
Maybe another option would be to replace the Sunrace CSM66 11-34T spec'd on the bike with the sunrace CSM680 8AX 11-40t? 
it appears to be ~$20 on some sites.

A lot of 24" bikes I've seen seem to be around 40 to 42t for largest cog. I wonder if going bigger creates issues with derailleur clearance w/ the ground on a 24". However, I noticed the Prevelo Zulu 4 Heir is spec'd with a 12-speed Shimano 10-51T.

For getting greater range on this Vitus Nucleus 24, could one replace the Box Four 8-speed drivetrain with something like the shimano m5100 series to get 11-51t (11-speed) ? or the m4100 series to get 11-46t (10-speed)?


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## solitone (Apr 27, 2011)

I had the Nucleus 24 on a car roof rack and unfortunately I hit it, and the fork broke 
What new fork should I consider to replace it?


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## airwreck (Dec 31, 2003)

solitone said:


> I had the Nucleus 24 on a car roof rack and unfortunately I hit it, and the fork broke
> What new fork should I consider to replace it?


Probably this, https://www.srsuntour.us/collections/forks/products/xcr-air-lo-25?variant=5469981933599

They have a coupon also so should be 15-25% off.

We swapped the stock fork for one and upped the travel to 80.


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## rton20s (Aug 27, 2010)

solitone said:


> I had the Nucleus 24 on a car roof rack and unfortunately I hit it, and the fork broke
> What new fork should I consider to replace it?


Sorry to hear. I'm sure you and the kiddo are both bummed.

They are hard to find right now, but the RST F1RST seems to be universally praised as a better fork than the Suntour option. It is also lighter with a better damper at a "close enough" price point compared to the Suntour when they are available.

If you feel like your kiddo and the bike could handle a little shorter reach, taller stack and a degree slacker head and seat tube angle you can also consider an 80mm 26" fork like the Manitou Markhor.


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## solitone (Apr 27, 2011)

airwreck said:


> Probably this, https://www.srsuntour.us/collections/forks/products/xcr-air-lo-25?variant=5469981933599
> [...]
> We swapped the stock fork for one and upped the travel to 80.


Is it better than the stock fork, or did you swap it just for the travel adjustment option?


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## airwreck (Dec 31, 2003)

solitone said:


> Is it better than the stock fork, or did you swap it just for the travel adjustment option?


My kid did one ride down the driveway and off the curb on the stock Grind and pronounced it garbage. It went to a friend and she loves the Grind compared to the Alpha coil she was running. We had put the 20" version suntour air on his hardtail so we were already familiar with the fork. His DH bike has a Lyrik on it so it's hard to expect him to enjoy any lesser fork. He's actually pretty mellow with this fork and bike but offered to demonstrate. I think the AtoC on this fork at 80 is similar to stock Grind which has lots of stanchion for the travel. 63 travel is almost rigid aired up for the hits. Can't see in the photo but he's not bottoming out.


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## solitone (Apr 27, 2011)

Is it difficult to increase travel to 80 mm?

I've bought a white one, I didn't manage to find a black on stock. I hope it's not a complete mismatch with the silver frame!


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## airwreck (Dec 31, 2003)

solitone said:


> Is it difficult to increase travel to 80 mm?
> 
> I've bought a white one, I didn't manage to find a black on stock. I hope it's not a complete mismatch with the silver frame!


Simple except for finding the correct socket. Don't try without it, the cap is soft aluminum. 6 point 27mm with thin walls and flat face. Suntour sells a nice one for $20 but out of stock, they are super cool though and if you call them I bet they will loan you one or maybe switch it for you. They will even loan you a fork and let you try it then send it back. Otherwise may have to do some grinding if you find a socket. I can tell you that a 12 point or cresent wrench is ineffective and will damage the cap.


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## SoFL (May 1, 2020)

Does anyone know what derailleur hanger works with the Nucleus 24? CRC is always out of stock.


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## fotooutdoors (Jul 8, 2010)

Anyone try a bit wider tire on the Nucleus 24, specifically a 2.35" Hans Dampf? I have one on the way for my son, and I am leaning toward throwing a bit wider tire on to take some of the bite out of rough trails, and the Hans Dampf is available for a reasonable cost (roughly $65 for a pair shipped from Germany to the USA) and is tubeless ready.


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## fotooutdoors (Jul 8, 2010)

Answering my own question, since the bike showed up sooner than expected: the frame had plenty of space for a 2.35 (I measure about 14.5mm clearance on the drivetrain side and 17.5 non drive side, plenty of clearance at the seat stay and chain stay), but the fork is limiting; officially 54mm max, and I need to air down the fork to see if the crown or the arch is limiting. Either way, I can't do another quarter inch without dropping below 10mm on all sides


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## Nick_M (Jan 16, 2015)

Planning to pull the trigger on Nukleous 24 since those are the only one in stock, can someone comment on brake's:

Does it allow 1 finger braking ?
9mm QR fork, how does it held bike park duties?
How it compares to Fezzzary Lone peak?


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## svinyard (Aug 14, 2017)

They are pretty dang similar bikes actually. The Fezzari has worse tires, same brakes, perhaps better wheels and a horrible SX eagle drive train that's a silly boat anchor. And its 400$ more. If you are spending a 1k$ on a hardtail, get the Prevelo Zulu or even better try and find the new Orbea Lafierry (JUnit fork, super dialed bike). Nukeproof cub scout is nice too I've heard.

Neither of these two are any good for a bike park unless its very mellow. The tires will get eaten up pretty quick and you'll likely see some crashes from getting bounced around on brake bumps or blown out sections/rocks. A YT Primus would be a better option for a trail bike that can handle some bike park duties.

Doubtful on the one finger braking. The levers are long and its often difficult to get those levers far enough inside and still mesh with the shifter and bar limitations.

The nukeproof is a sweet hardtail for the money tho! It's always been the gold standard for a hardtail with airfork, hydraulic brakes, proper crank length and nice trail tires. If the kid is shredding hard already at adult speeds and terrain and bike parks...likely he's ready for a bike thats similar to what adults are riding at those places.

Polygon has their new kids FS bikes for 1300$ and 1700$ depending on the model.


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## Woodshop (Apr 8, 2020)

SoFL said:


> Does anyone know what derailleur hanger works with the Nucleus 24? CRC is always out of stock.


Same question....anyone?


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## GVLaker09 (Mar 2, 2016)

Woodshop said:


> Same question....anyone?


I did the online chat with them and they were able to get me a compatible derailleur hanger about a month ago. I was not able to find it on their website on my own.


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