I’ll soon have the option of buying a Whyte 46 MK 2 for a low price, maybe £450-500. I really loved it when I rode it (even though it’s the only MTB i’ve tried) and I know it’s been taken really good care of and the Mavericks were rebuilt two years ago. My only concern is that it seems to built with lots of proprietary parts and quite a unique design so I’m worried about the cost of maintenance. My road bike is just a Spesh Tricross so all super simple super cheap parts.

What do you think about taking on an aging bike like that? Does anyone who has one know what getting hold of parts is like now?

Other than the forks/hub (stem?), what propriety parts are there?
Bearings may need changing, as it is quite old but there easy to change, otherwise I can’t see any issues.

If that the budget you’ve got & the price is what it’s worth (no idea) and you like it, I can’t see any reason not to. They had their detractors but seemingly sold quite well & were loved by most of the ppl who owned em..

The only part you might want to check first are the forks. If you intend to keep it for a few years see if someone will still service them. Other than that the rest of the parts are just normal parts.

I used to ride one and it was fine. If its in good nick then that sort of money seems fine. But if the forks need a service then you may want to negotiate that into the price.

Apart from the fork issue, any bike is basically just a frame with bits bolted on. The bits are cheap and wear out over time anyway. Make sure the frame is not cracked.

But Whyte are a really good company, the do a lifetime warranty on the bearings. They are not special bearings mind you.

the do a lifetime warranty on the bearings.

To the original owner.
I suppose it’s worth mentioning that getting hold of 1 and 1/8 forks will become difficult over the next few years is the main detraction, though if you keep the Mavericks serviced, that’s not an issue to worry about.

Oh, lifetime warrantys, why are they mean like that. One or several owners – its still the same design / bike / use / promise, why not just support your product.

They were a great bike. Does it still have the maverick forks? They will need servicing.

Cool thanks guys, it looks like a complete frame bearing set is £70 if i need it which i suppose isn’t terminally expensive. The Maverick forks have been rebuilt down in England 2 years ago so I think they’ll just need a good service. I somehow took from reading about it online that it was way more proprietary than it actually is so thanks for clearing that up.

FWIW, I’d be pushing for $450 rather than £500 though if it’s your GF’s dad selling it may make sense to play safe 😉

haha tbh i think he’ll maybe sell it cheaper than that because he’s a really nice guy but it would be rude to be presumptuous

See if you can source an Alpine link too to slacken it a touch.

See if you can source an Alpine link too to slacken it a touch.

I’ve looked but they seem to be rare as hen’s teeth. Do you know anyone on STW who does machining?