Vitus Mach 3 VR Urban Bike Claris

Calling a hybrid bike the 'Mach 3' might suggest the kind of speed-orientated performance that it could never live up to, but actually, it's closer than you might imagine. OK, you're not going to break the speed barrier thricefold, but the Vitus Mach 3 is quite an impressive flat-bar mile-muncher. Vitus markets it as a fitness-orientated machine and that's fair, but it does fall down just a little on luxuries such as bump insulation, and more agreeable gearing wouldn't go amiss.

We don't really do group tests here at road.cc, but I tested this Mach 3 Claris back-to-back with the Vitus Dee VR City Bike, so it's hard not to compare.

While there are notable differences in the spec between the two models, in theory, they come in at a similar kind of point in the market and are both part of Vitus's 'City' range. However, while the Dee is very much an urban runaround, the Mach 3 is more of a serious fitness machine for people wanting to rack up decent mileage, but who don't necessarily want drop bars.

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I thought the Dee was an eager little beaver that enjoyed weaving its way through urban rat runs, but it's clear once you hop aboard that this Mach 3 is an entirely different proposition. First of all, it just seems like a bigger bike and it doesn't feel quite so well suited to being thrown around, in and out of gaps.

There's certainly no issue with stability – you can place this confidently wherever you want it. At speed it is particularly proficient and sure-footed. I found myself riding along at a fair pace, perhaps just a little closer to the kerb than I might otherwise because I had complete faith the Mach 3 was going to track straight and true.

Getting up to speed is efficient if not quite as enjoyable as the Dee. As with the steering, this Mach 3 doesn't feel quite so sprightly under acceleration, but it's utterly satisfying once up to cruising velocity.

If I had to sum this bike up with a quick cliché, though, it's 'a game of two halves', or 'every action has an opposite reaction', so the trade-off for that high-speed competence is a slightly bumpy ride quality. It's not uncomfortable when the road is smooth, but you start feeling things when road surfaces become pockmarked.

Frame

Hybrids are as prone to specialism as any other type of bike and range from, effectively, skinnier-tyred rigid 29ers, to road bikes that have swapped out their drop bars for flat bars. The Mach 3 Claris is heading much more towards that latter camp.

Funnily enough, there's a bit of slight swan-necking to the down tube and top tube; any curving of the top tube puts me in mind of late 00s Specialized Roubaixs, and the performance is sort of similar, at least in spirit and if you make a few allowances.

The first of those allowances is that this is a full-aluminium frame and fork – not carbon like a Roubaix, and it doesn't even have the steel fork of the Vitus Dee – so there's no real nod to any sort of anti-bump engineering.

The aluminium fork and tapered headset is on point for control, though, and I actually found the rear was the biggest problem when it came to long-ride comfort, possibly thanks to the Mach 3's on-trend but undersized rear triangle.

It's all very nicely finished with internal cable routing and, while I think the kink in the top tube is aesthetically just a little too pronounced, it's a serious-looking option.

Should you want to turn this into a speedy and fitness-enhancing weekend long-rider or even an extended-distance commuter, there is provision to fit two bottle cages, as well as front and rear mudguards and a rear rack.

In terms of positioning and geometry, I felt like I was sitting very slightly on the high side of middling, so the view of the road is good. Ironically, the Vitus Dee seemed to have a marginally more head-down enthusiasm, but positioning on the Mach 3 is certainly comfortable and, overall, this XL model fitted my 6ft body really very nicely.

Drivetrain

There's one ingredient that I haven't mentioned yet that really does lend itself to long-distance rides: the Shimano Claris drivetrain. The 11-28t cassette allied with the compact 50/34t chainset means you've got a fair range of ratios to choose from among the 16 available gears. Look, I'm getting older and fatter, so I would have appreciated the setup a lot more if the cassette went north of 28t, but again, as a fitness-orientated bike, it's fine.

The Claris kit works really well. Gear changes are assured once it's all set up properly, and it's a silent operator, so you can be confident there are no mechanical inefficiencies.

I have to say, I've always been a fan of the Claris chainset's looks, too – for an entry-level option, non-cyclists would never tell it wasn't top kit. And in action, the front derailleur in particular is a little gem.

Brakes

Remember I said this bike is a game of two halves? Well, for all the proficiency of the Claris gearset, we have the slightly less competent performance of Tektro mechanical disc brakes.

Actually, I'm being a little unfair there because, while I think Tektro's hydraulic discs aren't a patch on Shimano's equivalents – such as those found on the cheaper Vitus Dee – these cable-operated discs are actually far easier to make allowances for. They're decent enough at scrubbing off speed, and while outright power and modulation, or 'feel', is a little lacking, it's all relative and you'll quickly come round to the idea that these are good enough.

Wheel and tyres

One thing I really like about this bike from a speccing point of view is that little surprises keep coming at you. For example, the wheelset might 'only' be own-branded Vitus stuff, but the semi-deep-section alloy rims are quite pretty. I don't think they add anything to the ride quality, but they aren't a massive hindrance either.

From a performance point of view, the tan-walled Vee G-Sport tyres are much more impressive.

The 38mm width does offer a bit of cushioning but it's the ultra-low tread that I like particularly – they grip well to the road, but you're never feeling like you're having to work extra hard to overcome resistance. Fit these to the Dee, please, Vitus.

Finishing kit

Speaking of the Dee, one area I really liked was its choice of finishing kit, which was understated and certainly not overbuilt. Things are a little different here, starting with the quite chunky Vitus Integrated Flat Bar and Stem. As I said, the Mach 3 fitted me like a dream from the off, but if you're particularly pernickety about positioning, you might find that an all-in-one stem and bar is a little restrictive.

The grips are a bit chunky too and, all-in-all, the front end component choices probably play some role in my perception that the Mach 3's control is assured but not especially lively.

Like the Dee, though, there's a decent saddle. It's only a Vitus-branded, run-of-the-mill sports saddle – rather than the Dee's sexy Nukeproof option – but it does the job well and I wouldn't be in any rush to swap it out other than for accessorising reasons.

Value and conclusion

A while back, I tested the Bergamont Sweep 4 which matches the Mach 3 in a number of ways – most notably the speed-focused alloy frame and Shimano Claris gearset. It even comes with Shimano M200 hydraulic discs, but it's not quite as rewarding to ride and has risen to £799.

More recently, we also tested the Merida Speeder 200, another great flat-barred road bike that comes with a carbon fork, Shimano hydraulic disc brakes and a higher-level Shimano Sora gearset, but also an asking price that's gone up to £865.

> Buyer’s Guide: 15 of the best hybrid bikes

However, the nearest threat to the Mach 3 Claris probably comes from the enemy within. For example, the Mach 3 Sora is £170 more at £749.99 but comes with better gearing, Tektro hydraulic discs and a Shimano wheelset. Or the range-topping Mach 3 Apex has SRAM's well-respected 1 x 11 Apex gears, Shimano hydraulic discs and a special build wheelset with WTB rims for £899.99. And for urban duties only, there's that fun hub-geared Vitus Dee VR City Bike for £429.99.

In fact, that's probably the Mach 3 Claris's biggest downside – there's no end of other options you could compare it to. As a first 'serious' bike for somebody wanting to improve their fitness, it's a fine choice. You get all the thrill of speedy performance and decent comfort and componentry, with the only downside being a slightly uninsulated ride quality. But for riders who have been around a while, and especially those whose speed kicks come via a drop-bar bike, it's probably not quite so appealing.

Verdict

Good flat-barred road bike that will help riders who are scared of drop bars to rack up decent mileage