…as the forum is having such a tranquil time exploring the joys of the different wheel sizes…

So I bought me-self a winter hack, a 29er as in my limited experience of them, they roll/cope better in the mud & considering the state of the trails this last year, it may become my main bike….

P1010897 by z1ppy2, on Flickr

P1010895 by z1ppy2, on Flickr

In case you not sure who make this it’s a…

P1010898 by z1ppy2, on Flickr

..929 with adjustable rear chainstay length.

P1010906 by z1ppy2, on Flickr

out being used:

P1010937 by z1ppy2, on Flickr

for sure:

P1010928 by z1ppy2, on Flickr

Still early days of ownership, and I’ve still a lot to learn about the bike (only had it 9 days) but so far I am thoroughly pleased & happy with my 29er. It’s been ridden in the slop/grinding paste of the local area, then frozen rough/lumpy track last tuesday & wednesday and snow yesterday. I did a lot of soul searching, irrational & rational decision making to decide on this, yes others where cheaper, more hardcore, more expensive & generally unavailable but this was the one I wanted.

Big thanks must go to Mboy whose enthusiasm towards all bikes is inexhaustible & has seemingly gone up a level since starting working part time at the The Green Bike Company in Worcester. He got a demo sorted on the closest available model, a Whyte 729 (a superb bike) but I took my wallet in my hands and asked for a bike I’d never ridden, in a format I was unfamiliar with, in a size smaller than I would normally buy & it may have just paid off. The owner of the bike shop was very flexible and understanding, which made the whole experience much smoother and less nervous than it could well have been, many thanks!

A small shout of thanks, must go to Adam @ Noah’s arc, who pulled out all the stops to help some-one on the phone (after trying 6 previous shops with the same question), unfortunately for Adam, Mark came back into work the next day and did exactly the same thing… and he’s local to me.

PS: This will not be replacing my 26er full suss’s but will/has replaced my 26er HT.

Is it slow accelerating?

Hard to get round corners?

😆

it can be run single speed.
So why isn’t it? 🙂

The wheels will explode and you will have 4.5% less fun.

because I’m not into self-flagellation? 😉

Already priced up a new Spider to take a double/triple, only £63

Likes

winter hack

😯

Is that set up with the rear wheel in long wheelbase mode?

Clink – Member
winter hack

I use mine as a pub bike….. 😯

Wobben, Mark reckoned it was currently in the mid setting, looks like the long to me, but I’ve yet to take it to pieces and check

Clink, why would I use a HT during a (dry) summer? Bizarre

There was a really intersting write up on how this bike was designed in a previous copy of Privateer. Whyte seem to really think about their bikes and make some good ones.

I think I saw you riding that by the cross yesterday

Wearing a snot green jacket…would have been going home, opposite end of the village from your good self (going by the snow picture you posted friday 😀 )

Yep, didn’t notice the jacket I was too busy admiring your new wheels 🙂

Wobben, Mark reckoned it was currently in the mid setting, looks like the long to me, but I’ve yet to take it to pieces and check

Undo bolts. Push wheel forward. Tighten bolts. Manual all the way down Kinver high street. 😉

Oh and remove that plastic guard behind the cassette or I’m going to break into your house and do it for you. 🙂

Looks like you have to run only two bolts in the bottom when right forward, it was late Friday afternoon & Mark had come in on his own time, so I didn’t want to ‘faff’ to much.. I also thought it might be worth leaving it back might help with stability & clearance in these conditions. Pity we didnt faff longer, as if we had, the guy who drove in to my car later, might have missed me…

Do you know I hadn’t even noticed that shield, surprised the front reflector got by your radar!

Mini review.. Lots & lots of fun!

surprised the front reflector got by your radar!

I thought you’d got one of those icicles from the underside of the bridge stuck in your wheel. 😀

Who was sorting out frozen gears by Enville cricket club ?

Glad you’re still enjoying it mate!

Looked to me when I took it apart that the dropouts are in the mid setting. On them was printed “-10, -5, 0, +5, +10” iirc and it was set on 0, so I’m assuming that’s the mid position. Still huge mud clearance in that setting though (and about a 435mm chainstay), so doubt you’d need to run it longer.

Anyway… As for this winter hack nonsense. Honestly, bet you end up riding if more than the others, even in the summer! Proper nice bike that, so make sure you get the use out of it! 😉

That looks fantastic. What size is it and how tall are you ?

Houns, My m8’s jockey wheels had frozen lumps attached, pinging the chain constantly. Luckily there was no need to expose our srunken acorns to the elements, ala your suggestion. 😯

Edit:
Size: Medium, recommended by Whyte for riders up to 5’10, I’m 6’2″! Seat post up to the max, for my 32″ legs, but don’t need more. Buying this size was a major worry, as I’d tested the large 729, & was happy on that. Due to demand for the 929, there were no large available (& 8 local dealers had none in stock or expected to) when I came to order, but I’d been pouring over different frame stats for weeks & noticed the large 929 was larger than the 729 in TT, & the medium 929 not to far from that figure (does that make sense). So the shop took a chance that I’d buy it & got one of the last mediums in for me

Mark, ‘still’ having fun, I’ve only just started. It so good in all conditions, it’s like cheating! I love it, though these stupidly thin grips needed to go, troubled is when I goto the garage I end up just jumping on & getting out, instead of changing them. As for summer, you know I love my Prophet…

Ah! So that was you, heh!

Oooh, them Whytes look grand and very ‘right’.

Your legs are longer than 32″ mate!

Measured mine the other day at 32.5″ on the nose, and had to drop the saddle at least an inch from your position to ride that the other day when you picked it up. Just as well cos it means you’re fine on the TT length (smidge over 24.5″ for anyone interested… On a “medium”).

Not been tempted on a 420mm Reverb yet then? 😉

Got to get a new car… Can’t even consider a new spider, granny ring, shifter & mech at the moment! 😈

bump for the monday crowd to pick to pieces.

you’ve got moss on your block paving and that table could do with a clean 🙂

Nice bike though.

Stick with the single ring for a bit, will make your legs stronger and you’ll go uphills quicker!

Nice bike – still laughing at your notion of ‘a dry summer’ though! 😀

no moss, as they’ve only ‘just’ been laid, it’ll lichen highlighted by the flash, as there 2nd hand bricks.

Chives, I live in “hope”

If you spend 2k on a winter hack I’d love to see your main ride 🙂

Nothing special… C’dale Prophet with carbon lefty max & upgraded damper.
Though I’ve not had a new bike since 04, and not bought a frame since 2010… had a really crap year to the point this is the last of some inheritance money.
You canne take it with you.

Sorry mate, wasn’t a dig. Yer right enough, if I had the cash there would be no room left in my shed. Nice bike BTW.

s’ok, don’t worry about it, but just meant I’m not a serial bike swapper, and tend to keep & use those I do get..

I had a trial of a time trying to decide, Genesis High Latitude was in contention for ages, but I couldn’t get a demo & a m8’s sale fell through (so definitely no demo). The Yelli was an option, but so damned expensive & longer travel than I really needed, I decided against even test riding one (cheers stu) & the next production run in ‘spring’! Didn’t like the geo on the SC Tallboy & the rest tended to be quite heavy & expensive. Not that 2K is a drop in the ocean to me.. & I could have gone Whyte 729, as there are a suberb bike but the 929 was calling to me…

[edit: just notice the moss alluded to above, that’s the local wildlife emptying out guttering.. they do a good job, I went & inspected it after ignoring it for 5 years & it was perfectly clean!]

Great bike,

My team won Mountain Mayhem on a fleet of Aluminium hire 929’s last year. Turned a few heads on much flasher Carbon bikes. Great bike, totally sorted Geo and a good price. Would have one if I was looking for a hardtail.

Good choice mate!