More than any other bicycle company, Whyte Bikes have carved a niche for designing bikes made to cope with British riding conditions, weather and technical trails. That's significant when you consider the majority of popular bike models are designed in places such as California, Taiwan and Italy – i.e. warm, dry climes where mud clearance is rarely an issue. All Whyte 2024 bikes have proven real world reliability which is just one of the reasons we are such big fans. Here, we will take a look at all the other reasons too.
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What makes Whyte Bikes so good?
11 reasons to love Whyte Bikes
What makes Whyte bikes so good (in a nutshell)?
- Perfect UK geometry - fast and fun with excellent handling and surefooted stability designed specifically for UK riding
- Quality components - Well chosen suspension and excellent groupset options for various styles of riding.
- Extra mud clearance - for when it gets muddy on the trails, no stalls or friction from clogs
- Proven performance - Whyte bikes consistently get awards for their bikes
- Custom frame tubing - for a lightweight but extremely strong frame
- Electric mountain bikes - extremely powerful Bosch equipped mountain bikes for effortless climbing and capable descending
- Electric hybrid bikes - Whyte electric bikes are lightweight commuter and leisure ebikes that perfectly balance weight against assistance and range
- Compact geometry - Geometry specifically designed for people who prefer or require a more upright position and shorter reach
Styles of WHyte Bikes and their benefits
Longer geometry for surefooted handling when things get rough. Well specced and capable with plenty of clearance for muddy rides or for fitting mudguards.
Lightweight, comfortable and simple. Great for commuting or leisure rides with compact and non-compact geometries available for all different riders.
Geometry that is perfect for technical, muddy terrain but also for dry cross country. Whyte mountain bikes are very versatile MTBs.
From the award winning T-140 for cross country riding all the way up to the more enduro style G-180 there is a full suspension mountain bike for all types of rider and riding.
Equipped with the exceptional Bosch motor and battery system for excellent reliability and power. Available in hardtail or full-suspension up to a massive 180mm of travel for technical downhill.
Lightweight, powerful and fun for on road and light off-road cycling. Smooth and reliable Shimano Steps motor and battery system.
A lot of Whyte's bikes are available in a compact frame that tends to suit female proportions but can also suit men who prefer shorter reach and higher handlebars.
Whyte bikes are considered to have some of the best geometry on the market for UK trails giving incredible handling on descents and efficiency on hills. It is because of this unique geometry and quality suspension fork that a Whyte mountain bike give exceptional on trail performance.
You can learn more about Whyte here
11 reasons to love Whyte’s UK-Proof Design Features
See all Whyte Hardtail Mountain bikes for sale
- 1. Whyte Mountain Bikes maximise the space between the tyres and frame tubes keep the wheels turning in muddy conditions that might stall a bike with less generous clearance.
- 2. All cables on a Whyte bike are enclosed with full outer casing to resist corrosion.
- 3. If cables are internally routed, frame hole grommets keep the rain out where the cable enters and exits the aluminium frame.
- 4. The slot at the top of the seat tube is forward facing to keep out the crud that’s inevitably sprayed up from the rear wheel.
- 5. Whyte bikes promise lifetime guaranteed pivot bearings on every full suspension Whyte MTB – we don't know any other bike manufacturers who offers this warranty.
- 6. Crud Catcher down-tube bosses let you bolt a mountain bike mudguard to the underside of the frame's down tube and get rid of the guard's original rubber band fittings.
- 7. Getta Grip seat clamp: Ergonomically designed for ease of use, even with cold hands, this QR seatclamp can be operated on the fly so you can drop the saddle without stopping. With practise, Getta Grip offers close-to dropper-seat action without the expense. (For the uninitiated, a dropper seatpost lets you raise and lower the saddle using a handlebar control, so you can adjust the seat to the optimal height on both the uphill and downhill).
- 8. If the bike has a dropper seatpost (Whyte mountain bikes from £1299), it will have an Intergrip integrated seat clamp, which combines a rubber o-ring seal for the top of the frame seat tube and a rubber collar round the post to keep out the rain. Some Whyte bikes even come with an adjustable dropper post which is ideal for younger people who still have some growing to go or to allow riders a preference when choosing size.
- 9. Threaded bottom brackets – Whyte have resisted the trend towards press fit because they found conventional threaded BB to be more reliable and will be easier for most home mechanics to service in years to come.
- 10. A unique sense of style – whether they opt for a bold magenta finish or something more subdued, Whyte bikes exude style.
- 11. Consistency - to Whyte’s credit, the blog we published in 2012 celebrating their UK-proof credentials remains valid today.
Whyte Progressive Geometry
Progressive frame geometry is a winning formula, and Whyte have been fine-tuning over the years to cope with the technical, challenging terrain that typifies mountain biking in Britain.
The multi award winning Whyte Bikes 900 range includes the Whyte 901, Whyte 905 and Whyte 909 and have revolutionised trail hardtail by lengthening the top tune and using a short stem for great geometry and super responsive handling. All this with a relaxed head angle results in bikes that perform exceptionally well on the descents.
A Whyte mountain bike's relaxed head tube angle (65.0-68.5 degrees) makes the bike noticeably more stable, especially when combined with a long front centre, which positions the front wheel further forward, so you're far less likely to be bundled over the bars on steep downhills resulting in a brilliant trail bike.
Whyte progressive geometry is a formula that inspires confidence whether you're a mountain bike beginner or an expert class rider looking to perform to the absolute limits of your ability.
Whyte Custom Gauge Tubing
Uniquely for a company whose bicycles start at a modest £850, every Whyte aluminium frame is built with custom drawn tubing. Specifying the bike’s tube-set by frame size helps ensure every Whyte frame is amongst the lightest at its price point.
Chainstay Disc Brake Mounts
Moving the brake mounts to the chainstays enables Whyte to spec more compliant thinner-wall seatstays for rider comfort. Making the mounts oversized helps prevent ‘brake flutter’, commonly experienced when the disc brake caliper is bolted to a less robust mount.
Top Whyte Bikes
Here, we will have a look at some of the top Whyte bikes available just now.
Whyte Rheo 3 ST V1 2024 Electric Bike
Lightweight, comfortable and capable, the range fully-equipped RHeO 3 ST (step-through) ebike is ready for everything your everyday demands.
The powerful hub motor delivers three levels of support to flatten any hill, and the 250Wh internal battery delivers plenty of range. So whether you're commuting, riding to the coffee shop, popping to the shops, or pedalling for pleasure, RHeO 3 ST will help you flow wherever you choose with ease. This is also available in a non step-through that you can see here.
Whyte 529 V6 2024 Mountain Bike
The great value Whyte 529 is a fast, lightweight and capable trail hardtails with exceptional handling that's your perfect partner on your favourite singletrack, trail centre loops or epic all-day rides in the hills. Using the same perfect 10/10 MBR test-winning frame as Whyte's flagship 629 trail hardtail, the 529 delivers confidence-inspiring and capable handling so you can always ride your best, combined with low weight and smooth-rolling 29er wheels to cover ground quickly and efficiently.
Whyte E-160 S 2024 Electric Mountain Bike
Combining super low centre of gravity and Whyte Total Geometry handling, this bike offers you exceptional confidence, capability and ride performance - the Whyte E-160 S has all the unique Whyte engineering innovations of the E-160 platform - tilted motor, large 750Wh in-tube battery, class-leading reliability and impeccable weather-proofing - wrapped up in a high value build that will help you break barriers without breaking the bank.
Whyte E-Lyte 150 RSX 2024 Electric Mountain Bike
The E-Lyte 150 RSX delivers the very best lightweight, natural mountain bike handling and ride feel together with the capability of full-fat electric mountain bikes (eMTBs). At just 18.9kg (size M) with 55Nm of torque, 600W of peak power, and 400Wh of battery, it packs the power to do it all: the climb, the singletrack, the all-day epic, the home trail hot laps, the drop-ins, the descents, the tech and the climbs back out.
Whyte 629 V6 2024 Mountain Bike
The Whyte 629 is a fast, light weight and award-winning trail hardtail with handling that's perfect for making the most of every bit of fun you can find - whether going fast and far in the hills, sessioning singletrack, or lapping trail centre trails.
Confidence-inspiring geometry and specially selected components have all been crafted to combine together to unlock your riding potential, wherever you ride. With a perfect 10/10 score from MBR it's the trail hardtail benchmark.