First post, first time here and a question about my first bike.

So I’m a competent beginner, meaning I know what I’m doing, but I don’t know a lot. Been out once or twice on a borrowed bike. This was a Sonder Transmitter Recon NX, which I enjoyed and thought it was good.

Time to buy my own?
Looking at either a Transmitter with Revelation Forks and GX drivetrain, with a brand x seat dropper instead of the reverb, taking £200 off the tag. I know I like the bike and the way it handles/rides etc.
OR
2017 Whyte 901 with £300 knocked off it making it £1000. Plus possibility of cheaply upgrading to Revelation shocks and having a dropper put in maybe on the cheap too. Reason for the cheapness is the seatpost clamp broke on the test ride, during nothing arduous, just broke.

Both would be tubless, both on a finance with a large deposit, just not sure how I feel about a bike that had a part (small and not entirely significant) break on a test ride vs something more expensive but a solid idea.

Thoughts please!

The Whyte 901 was hardtail / £1000 and under bike of the year for the last 3 or 4 years.
It’s meant to be a great intro level bike, Whyte customer service have been good to friends bikes, a mate bent his 905 seat-post they replaced it no problem, although they messaged him a few times to ask if he had posted the faulty one as they wanted to look at the reasons for the fault, he,d launched it into a wood in an angry fit, so Whyte never did get to test the fault

Nice looking bike that Sonder, although I’d be tempted by the more “known” brand that is Whyte.

So I’m a competent beginner, meaning I know what I’m doing, but I don’t know a lot.

Make your mind up will you. 😉
Try a few different bikes out before you buy anything.

If you’re anywhere near Kent I think Bedgebury have whyte 901s as their hire bikes. I had to hire one the other day because my normal bike was out of action. I thought it was a lovely ride and I’m used to the fairly comfy armchair of an ibis mojo

They’ve got 2017 Whyte 905’s along with T-130’s