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What is the riding position like, are you stretched out low in like a racing position like the original Whippet or is it a more upright trail riding position?
I'm tempted by one of these too. Looking for something that will be fun on fairly tame local trails and still comfortable for longer rides, not an XC race bike.
Seems a bit short and steep compared to a lot of modern bikes but maybe that's not a bad thing with a rigid fork?
Thread bump - how are people getting on with these? Thinking about getting one to replace my carbon rigid-forked Parkwood now that I've decided I like rigid 29ers.
My thoughts about it rigid and SS are on page one. In 1x10 (still rigid) it was a great bike. Very much like an evolution of early 90s mountain bikes, at least in my head anyway.
It goes and stops like it's a featherweight racing bike yet the rigid forks and fat ish tyres smoothed out the terrain very well.
Mine now has 120mm Rebas on it, although it hasn't been ridden since I put them on months ago 🙁
Enjoying mine. Set up rigid. Currently single speed with 2.35 Maxxis Forekasters. Mostly ridden on the road recently due to so much mud and water everywhere.
Before winter it had a 1x12 setup with a 2.35 rekon race on the rear and 2.6 ikon on the front. It made me realise just how much of a difference a light bike makes if you want to go fast.
Thinking about getting one
Have a look at their ebay store. There's a few "not perfect" frames at quite a few £££s less than the main website.
£459 vs £799 for the Whippet.
£269 vs £699 for the Scandal. etc etc
I bought one of their 'not perfect' frames off ebay, for £450.
All good. Minor paint chip to seatstay. Frame built up okay. Some Chinese frames are poorly finished and you run into issues with bearings not quite fitting and maxles/dropouts not quite working etc. but this one was okay.
I have had my Whippet since October. It’s been brilliant. Like others have said it’s very light for the price and it fees like a quick bike.
Get one. It’s great fun.
So, the OH has gone and ordered one for my birthday 😁 Her words were "Well, it looks good, they've got it in stock, and it's 4 years since the last bike I bought you so you need another new one. Also you've never had a carbon bike, so.."
Just pondering tyre choices - spec says 2.35 max in the frame, and it comes with 2.35 - but how much room is there? Given that it comes with 30mm internal rims I wouldn't want to go much narrower on them for fear of squaring the tyre off.
Mine came with 2.35 Panaracer Fire XC which were more like 2.1. Ive now got a 2.35 Rekon Race on the back with a 29mm rim, and a 2.6 Ikon on the front.
I had Onza 29 x 2.4" on Ibis 38mm wide rims for a ride or two. Didn't notice anything untoward
Is the thought process here and experience that a 19.5 /large for a 6ft rider?
Love the single speed build earlier in the thread looks great.
What tyres are people running?
I’m a bit of a Maxxis fan boi but my normal combo of Assegai/DHF is likely overkill!
Got one on pre-order for local pootling, due mid April when hopefully the trails will be drying out
Is the thought process here and experience that a 19.5 /large for a 6ft rider?
That's my height and what I've got coming 👍 Was on a Large Parkwood which fitted great and the geo looks similar.
What tyres are people running?
I’m a bit of a Maxxis fan boi but my normal combo of Assegai/DHF is likely overkill!
2.35 Rekon Race on the back and 2.6 Ikon on the front.
I'm 5' 11" and a bit, and the SS pic of my bike earlier is a large set up for me.
Tend to ride large frames in the main, although mid 90s frames were almost always medium as the large felt like a gate.
To those who have the black - is it a matte or gloss finish?
To those who have the black – is it a matte or gloss finish?
Matt finish. Matches the Selcof forks.
@twonks @idiotdogbrain cheers for the size feedback.
I think I will get a large, I am 183cm. Should be ok as a 'fast bike' to fly around the local woods on.
Mine arrived the other day - very pleased with it. Bone stock, straight out of the box it weighs 11.47kg without pedals, or 25.29lbs in old money. Will be swapping the tyres for lighter ones, and the SX Eagle kit for GX 11sp before it turns a wheel.
Managed to get mine a touch below 10kg with a parts swap. Wheels/tyres were heavy (swapped to e1900 spline wheelset, so still not the lightest), and the stock bars/ seat post were too. Stuck XT 11 speed on it with an ethirteen 9-46 cassette.
By the time I sold the swapped out parts and bought upgrades, I think I ended up about the same in terms of spend but got a super light rocket ship!
I'd be really interested to see a full spec for that, as dropping 2kg off the total weight is pretty impressive.. 🤔
I’d be really interested to see a full spec for that, as dropping 2kg off the total weight is pretty impressive.. 🤔
Renthal fatbar lite
Syntace liteforce 70mm stem
Cane creek 40 headset
Deathgrips
E1900 spline 25mm internal wheelset
Schwalbe Racing ralph 29x2.2" front and rear
Slx brakes
Xt m8000 shifter and mech
Ethirteen TRS 9-46 cassette
SRAM gx 30 170mm 11spd crankset
One up 32t switch oval ring
Hope 30mm bottom bracket
Shimano m540 pedals
FSA sl-k carbon post
Bike yoke squeezy sestpost collar
Volt cromoly 135 seat
Lifeline carbon bottle cage
I think that's it.
The wheel and tyre combo alone made a massive difference. That would be the first place I'd look to lose weight on the bike.
Any women using them? Interested on what the small size is like with 29er wheels as a ladies mtb. Unlikely it will ever see anything more technical than Swinley.
Be able to let you know in two weeks when my OH gets hers.. 😁
@onecheshirecat - good spec there 👍 thanks!
Anyone purchased a small? Wife is 5ft 1 Nd inside leg 27 inches. Interested in the stand over.
Standover on my large is about 760mm, measured vertically in line with the saddle tip. Scaling down I can't see the small being much less than 680mm but I'll measure it when it arrives.
Small standover:
Vertically in line with tip of saddle - 680mm
Halfway between tip of saddle and stem - 780mm
Weights (£550 calibrated force gauge, so pretty damn accurate 😉):
Small, stock except for Nukeproof composite pedals, Zee cage, Schwalbe Racing Ray/Ralph 2.35 skinwall tyres, Specialized Format SL ti rail saddle - 11.34kg
Large, stock except for Nukeproof composite pedals, alloy cage, Schwalbe Racing Ray/Ralph 2.35 skinwall tyres, Fabric Scoop Radius saddle, Level TL brakes, GX 11 speed shifter/derailleur, NX 11-42T cassette - 11.11kg
That's with the Selcof carbon rigid forks.
OH at 5'5.5" loves her small, it's a perfect fit and doesn't look ridiculously out of proportion either.
Have any Whippet owners fitted a bigger chainring that’s the stock 32? I’m thinking of one as an alternative to a gravelly / road bike and wonder if it would take a 34 (or larger).
For a carbon frame and rigid carbon forked bike 11KG is very heavy. Must have some lead weights in it or ridiculously heavy wheels or something.
For a carbon frame and rigid carbon forked bike 11KG is very heavy. Must have some lead weights in it or ridiculously heavy wheels or something.
The stock wheels on mine were heavy at about 2.3kg. The cassette too (NX).
Have any Whippet owners fitted a bigger chainring that’s the stock 32? I’m thinking of one as an alternative to a gravelly / road bike and wonder if it would take a 34 (or larger).
I put a 34 on. Might be able to get a 36 on there but would be very close. If you'r running the stock 11 - 50 cassette and want a higher gear, you'r probably better off changing the freehub to fit a 10 - 50 cassette. Much lighter too.
Thanks mjsmke, looking at it further I could go for a road cassette too. Already having a set of spare wheels that have an XD driver the only issue would be finding a shop with a cassette in stock!
Bit WeightWeeenies-esque, but here's a breakdown of weights:
Type Name Weight
Frameset
Frame On One Whippet (FM916) 1300 List + allowance
Fork Selcof Carbon 750 Estimate from similar eBay fork weight
Plug 40 Estimate
Headset 60 Estimate
Top Cap & Screw 8 Estimate
Seat Clamp On-One Bolt Up V2 20 Estimate
Wheels
Rims ALEX EXR30 29 1100 List
Hubs Formula Boost 32h 655 List
Spokes Plain Gauge 445 List
Rim tape Generic 10 List
Skewers Through Axle 100 Estimate
Tyre - Front Schwalbe Racing Ray
2.35 skinwall 705 List
Tyre - Rear Schwalbe Racing Ralph
2.35 skinwall 705 List
Tubes Panaracer 484 Measured
Contact Points
Saddle Fabric Scoop Radius 350 List
Seatpost On One Twelfty V2 254 List
Spacers 10 Estimate
Stem On One Hot Box V2 70mm 150 List
Bar On One Enduro6 780mm 375 List
Grips DMR Deathgrip 100 Estimate
Groupset
Shifters SRAM GX 11 122 List
RD SRAM GX 11 265 List
FD Blanking adaptor 20 Estimate
Cassette SRAM PG-1130 538 List
Chain SRAM PC-1130 259 List
Brakes SRAM Level TL 740 List
Rotors SRAM Centreline 180/160 261 List
Cranks SRAM SX Eagle DUB 170mm 776 Measured (YouTube video)
BB SRAM DUB 76 List
Cables SRAM 60 Estimate
Not included accessories
Pedals Nukeproof Electron EVO 354 List
Cages Hollow alloy 49 List
Weight (g) Weight (lb)
TOTAL ------------------------- 11141 24.54
Edit: well, the formatting's screwed, but you get the idea..!
good list IDB
I've just bought a small whippet today, and will be breaking it all down to the frame/fork, and then building it back up with other parts, so will be weighing everything and deciding which stays and which goes/gets flogged off.
It looks like wheels/cassette/brakes/bars ... are the obvious candidates to save weight.
The stock kit is even heavier than that as it's SX Eagle, so there's definitely savings to be had! As has been said, wheels are 2300g, and I've not gone tubeless on ours yet either.
You could save a huge amount of weight by getting some sub 1.5kg wheels and skinny tires. That said, I went for a 1.9kg wheelset as a wanted wide rims for 2.35 and 2.6 ikons. It rides brilliantly with that setup.
Excellent break down of the build there IDB, I love a weightweenies list.
I've now put a Reba 120 on the whippet, so currently about 11.3 kg. Much more fun for the riding I do. Obviously noticeably different on the weight front.
I think a good compromise would be to keep the rigid fork and fit a set of lighter, wider rims and a 2.6 tyre.
Thought I'd update with details of my Whippet a it is now.
I'm on the fence about selling it as it is now close to my main hardtail instead of the rigid SS I originally built and liked.
Am also beginning the think the first orientation of the bike suited it well and perhaps I should have kept it with the Ibis wheels, fatter tyres and maybe just add a dropper. Still, can't d that now as I sold the forks and wheels.
Anyway, as it is now, the build is
Large Whippet frame.
Reba 130mm forks
KS 150mm dropper post
Fabric saddle
No name hubs with WTB i23 TCS rims
Schwalbe Racing Ralph/Ray 2.1 tyres, tubed with lightweight tubes.
XTR 970 cranks with 32T hope chainring.
Saint bottom bracket.
XT 11-36 10sp cassette
XT 10sp shifter.
XT rear mech.
Deore level Shimano brakes (180/160 discs)
Ibis 50mm stem
Easton Havoc 780mm ally bars
Odi lock on grips
Can't remember headset.
Just put the tyres on today and left them tubed for now until I decide what I'm doing with it.
If I keep it, I'll be getting some newer lighter wheels and going tubeless.
At the moment it is 11.36Kg.
Will go for a ride over the next week and see if the 4 lb weight reduction over the other hard tail makes itself known. (A bit daft really as I am far too heavy to push either bike)
@twonks - if you do decide to sell, ping me the details (and your location) as I may know someone who might be interested!
Long story short but my physio has said no drop bar bike riding for the foreseeable. Which obviously I just took to mean I should buy something flat barred as soon as possible.
I only really ride one of my two gravel bikes these days (one SS and one geared)and I want something comparable that I can do all-day rides and bike-packing adventures on. I know nothing about mountain bikes so am wondering if this will fit the bill? From what I can tell from Google a “flat barred gravel bike” isn’t really a name of a thing.
a “flat barred gravel bike”
Spesh do a flat barred Diverge
200 quid off the GX version. Plus an option to upgrade to suspension fork if that's what you like.
I'm very tempted, but there are no orange frames in my size available. Can I face having another black bike?