Since there are no reviews on this bike anywhere, I thought I'd drop a few lines on here with some pics of a lovely sunny morning on the downs today.

Having always got a large bike before, having been on both med and Large. I'd say that the Whyte comes up pretty big, and therefore I ended up on a medium. On the 901 the seatpost supplied is a 400mm, which is ideal as you get enough seatpost for xc/climbing, but can drop it out of the way for more funs stuff. The bike initially felt quite short. not cramped, but definately a lot less cockpit space than on my inbred. The upshot of this was that it's much easier to get your arse over the back wheel, but also get your weight over the front for more techy climbs etc. A side benefit was that, with more weight on the saddle, i didn't get my usual 'numb hand syndrome' that I had got used to on my previous bike.

on the road the bike felt quite snappy and pretty light hopping around on curbs and all that did feel a lot lighter and more eager than I'm used to.

into some woodland and it felt happy on technical(ish) climbs and stable at speed coming down. being the south downs there isn't an abundance of technical stuff, but I'm taking it up to peaslake next week for some more proper trail riding. So Far, I think it's ace. I'd say that the fork (recon 120 with maxle) is nice and stiff, but not the quickest and so on higher speed bumps it could pack downslightly, but I don't ride fast enough usually to make it an issue.

the 901 I have is stock apart from me putting my pro2/717 wheels.

So far, so good, I really like it and it should be a contender for anyone looking for an 1100 quid trail bike. (I honestly preferred it to the Orange crush as it felt really like more of an all rounder)

Some pics (more of the ride than the bike, but it was a lovely day)

I'm sorry, this doesn't have much to do with the Whyte (which does look nice though,) but I just wanted to say that that last picture is wonderful! It's a really beautiful riding shot. Congratulations.

I'd say that the fork (recon 120 with maxle) is nice and stiff, but not the quickest and so on higher speed bumps it could pack downslightly, but I don't ride fast enough usually to make it an issue.

Give it a few rides to bed in… You can also back the rebound off a bit, that will help lots.

yeah that last pic is great. new stw front page candidate i think!

Thanks chaps – kind words – STW cover would be nice! chipps?

Nice pictures and a good quick write up.

If only I could get one these through Halfords with the £1000 bike to work voucher.

That last pic is fantastic indeed. It'd look fantastic on the contents page of a mag.

+1 for the lovely pic, but get your sensor cleaned eh? 😉 some big dust spots in there! 🙂

Hi all,
My first post here and a relative newbie to the world of MTB. Just got a 901 on the cyclescheme thing. Experienced a bit of "budget creep" – researched a few and then had a final ride-off between the whyte and an orange p7. Started out convinced I'd prefer the p7 but basically, the 901 just put a bigger smile on my face. From a couple of trips round the local woods and fields I'd describe it as nimble, eager climber, great feel from the wide bars and geometry, responsive steering, light but solid, beautiful shaping on the seat and chain stays that I have to assume has something to to do with physics and the transfer of forces (just guessing). Loving my first taste of disc bakes. The tires were a bit slippy in the winter mud but no biggee. It certainly flatters my ability and just makes me grin and dig in. All in all, it's a bit like an exciteable puppy really – but a tough one.

thinking about getting this bike anyone have any more feed back. looks like the best for 1200. will be mostly riding around norfolk with a few trips to the lakes etc

looks nice. I agree with the comment about the fork. I bought a Tora fork and it was basically a rigid fork for about 200 miles before it started working.

How much does the whole bike weigh?

nosedive

How much does the whole bike weigh?

I don’t know but I’m keen to guess without googling. It’ll be fun. My guess – 28lbs.

Hi.

A couple of weeks ago I bought a Whyte 805 in a 16 inch frame, after riding a Felt 19 inch. Big difference. I loved my Felt, but not so clever on singletrack. I have just spent a week in Wales doing The Gap and Afan-Whites Level x 2 and Cwmcarn Twrch Trail. I have to say it was fantastic handled everything so well and I felt totally safe.
It is light to handle and very responsive and didn’t fall apart either. A lot of people have problems after riding Afan as its quite rough. I think your model is the next one up but only difference is it has more gears and Recon Gold. So I would say go for it. It is a more racing style bike compared to Giant which are sit up and beg. And its Brit made so even better. 😀

Nice write up, I’ve got the 905 which is the same frame etc.

One thing I’d say is to read the Whyte manual re: fork setup. They recommend 16% sag which seemed like a tiny amount! However, I’ve set the forks up pretty stiff (I keep them locked out with the floodgate mostly open) and the bike feels like a rocket, I’m actually having to get used to a bike which is so lively and rockets through corners the way it does.

Brilliant fun.

Hiya.
I did part off Whites level and didn’t realise the fork were locked. The bike was still brilliant. I can’t fault it at all. Thought after the Felt and the change in frame size that I had made a big mistake as it felt awlful but fiddled around with seat etc and after 3rd ride set up perfect. So glad I bought it.
I just want to do more single track with it. It really flowed at Whites and Cwmcarn so I rode much better and was comfortable with going for it.
🙂

Hi, I have a Whyte 901 too. I find its a great trail bike but the ride can be a little harsh at times. I mainly ride rocky terrain up Lee and Cragg Quarry. It certainly is a quick bike, it does come up big too size wise. Overall I am fairly happy, only upgrade so far is new wheels and tyres…the conti mountain king are not great.

the conti mountain king are not great.

Understatement of the year!

Tested a 901 round dalby last year, what can i say!? Awesome bike!
So precise, light, nimble, rapid accelerator, great geromtry.

But… after 2 hours i was shaken to bits. wouldnt have put me off buying it though… until i rode the whyte 19 steel!

now there’s a bike!
18 months later the 19 has been allover, hammered dusk til dawn and still going strong (despite a new frame, (cracked, warrenty return!) BB, drivetrain and brake pads)!! 😉