Looking at whyte CX bikes and for the prices i’ve been given there is a £150 difference for:

Carbon/alloy forks,
10spd Tiagra/9spd Sora groupset,
avid bb5/promax cx disc brakes.
Mega Exo BB / Square taper BB

Where would you put your money?

Now that 2013 Sora shifters have changed to the “normal” type rather than the super long thumb style it reduces the difference between the groupsets a bit.

No idea what promax brakes are like?

And according to someone who has a whyte there isn’t much in the carbon/alloy forks, both are fairly harsh.

Weight isn’t much of a worry for me, luckily as they come in at around 10.4/10.6kg 22.9/23.3lbs.

The forks and brakes are an unknown variable to me, but 9-sp with solid reliable square taper versus ‘squeezed’ 10-sp and an external BB is a no-brainer if you are going to use it in mud.

9-sp every time.

PaulD

Fair point on the mud.
Can’t find any feedback on promax brakes though. If they go wrong soon then its £90 for BB7 and I might as well have got the more expensive bike in the first place. That’s biggest thing I think.

£150 isn’t that much money when your buying a new bike, for all the extras i’d get the more expensive one.

BB5s are cheaper.

I see the dilemma, but I’d prefer 9s if it’s getting dirty.

Yes on paper Bazz but then you look closer and there is no performance difference with the forks, the main issue people had with Sora shifters has gone, I realise its down to unknown brakes/avids and 9spd/10spd and it looks like the cheaper option is winning.

Riding would be about 70% road / 30% muddy cotswolds I reckon.

had the whyte cx (charing x?) with 10spd tiagra for about a year, cant fault the tiagra stuff and the bb5s are good although i have no experience of other cable stoppers. the £40 fsa bb died after about 2000miles (1500road 500 off ish) but i wouldn’t say 2000 miles on a bb is a problem and only other thing thats been changed has been a new chain and bar tape.

very happy with the bike on and off road although the rear wheel has popped a couple spokes but to be honest it has been pretty badly abused off road and used for a bit of bikepacking.