New Planet X Whippet (Rigid content)

The full Whippet is still a good price IMO, and it’s even better if you don’t mind the old paint scheme.
I’m glad I got mine in orange, I don’t especially like either of the new colours.

On the fork, the Whippet is offered with the RockShox 35 Gold RL DebonAir 100mm, but many here have run it with 120mm forks. I was just hoping some could chip in with their impressions.

I am also interested in this. Something like the TALAS adjustment on my old Fox 130 (26er) fork would br ideal but this feature has been abandoned.

Some forks seem to be internally adjustable for travel but it doesn’t seem clear which ones.

I ran mine with 130mm Rebas and it was great. Flitted between fully rigid single speed to 1×10 front suspension and ended up as a rigid 1×10.

The fastest was fully rigid, the best riding was with the Reba, although at that point it was too close to my main hard tail so I put it back to rigid and then sold it.

The fastest was fully rigid, the best riding was with the Reba

Back when I first fitted a suspension fork to my S-Works 26er, no-one was going more than 100mm on a ht and I thought of de-stroking my new Pace RC36 to 80mm, though I didn’t. It steered better than the preceding M2 frame with its short factory rigid fork.

I suppose ‘faster’ depends upon the terrain. My local XC loop is mixed surface so I think full rigid would be, on balance. At the bike parks, my old 130mm fs Ellsworth was most definitely the fastest I had ever been.

As it is, I have just ‘won’ a step-cast Fox 100mm, just as you advocated 130mm! Will see how it goes… Problaby fine for the local stuff.

Having just looked at the new colours, I am rather glad I got an orange one when I did!!

I took my finished build for a first spin this morning. It has been more than a decade since I’ve been on a mountain bike. I recently put together my old Titus Eleven, but just sitting on it felt very awkward and couldn’t get any confidence. On the other hand, the Whippet felt just right.

I couldn’t stand the HUGE decals so I wrapped the frame in vinyl and re-applied some more understated decals.

A few thoughts: grease on the headset cups? I’ve read that grease and carbon don’t mix, but I can’t imagine instaling the headset bearings without any. The Park PPL-1 I use claims no carbon damage, so I just went with that.
Suspension? After some playing around, I am now convinced a rigid fork would be enough for my riding. In fact, I had ordered one from Aliexpress, but am now a couple of weeks post ETA and no idea of its whereabouts. Plan B was to snipe a fork on eBay, but the few I found went close enough to the price of a new Reba RL 100mm.
Handlebar width? My previous MTB had something like 500mm handlebars, the ones I put on the Whippet are 780mm! The circus show feel is somehow diminished after experiencing them on some mild bridle paths, but I am certain I will cut them down some.

Would have loved to have got a Whippet instead of my Marasa as a flat bar commuter/adventure, but I’d be worried about it standing out like a sore thumb at work and pootling to the shops.

N+1 shopper/commuter. AKA any old/used bike that fits, full guards, rack/basket. Leaving one free to then own and enjoy adventure bike of choice 🙂

So, I have had my Whippet for about six months and am thoroughly enjoying it. I am quite keen to take it bikepacking so am looking at some adjustments.

I would really like some forks with some bottle mounts. I know Sonder do one that fits but it is OOS. Does anyone know of an alternative option?

I am thinking about putting a Ritchey Adventuremax XL bar on it. I know it will require different brakes but like the option over a purely straight bar. Has anyone done it and how did it feel/work.

Cheers all

Dogsby

What’s the biggest front ring you can put on a Whippet? Is it actually a 36 like it says on the PlanetX website or could you go bigger? Or does it depend on whether you’re running 2X & where the mech sits?

I have a 34 on mine but it looks like a 36 would be tight.

I have a 34 on mine but it looks like a 36 would be tight.

Are you running 2X at the front?

Essex,

Just running a x1.A 36 might fit but it would be tight!

Dogsby

I ran 2×11 XTR 9020 cranks and front mech for a few weeks before I sold my Whippet.
Worked fine with 24t and 38t non boost rings and an 11 to 28 ten speed out back.

Biggest I had as a single ring was 34 iirc.

34t with 3mm offset fits. 36t might fit but will be very close to the chainstay.

I’ve been on the lookout for a decent light weight fork for my whippet – this looks like a cracking deal – rockshox Sid Ultimate for £400. Any reason not to?

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/rockshox-sid-ultimate-charger-2-rlc-boost-fork/rp-prod212403?gs=1&sku=sku871688&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=&utm_medium=base&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsrWZBhC4ARIsAGGUJurhLDwV-BqIaImZR0OzR0S6Eqvl_MEoFIjnGWvGVzVnGE31A2FqSbAaAlCWEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

£999 one day only. Should I get one?

Yes but one day only?

They are a great deal at a grand.
Unheard of to get anything else for close to that money with a GX groupset.
Especially with suspension fork (albeit only a rockshox 35, bit weighty).

However, it isn’t any sort of special deal… they are regularly at that price.
Its just the smoke and mirrors pricing strategy they use.

Interesting. Been tracking it and not seen the price below £1k before.

They are a great deal at a grand.
Unheard of to get anything else for close to that money with a GX groupset.
Especially with suspension fork (albeit only a rockshox 35, bit weighty).

999 is with the rigid carbon fork, the RS 35 costs +250

What’s the RS 35 like? Not used a XC susp fork since a reba years ago.

Ah okay my mistake on pricing.
They’ve jumped up then, just before Christmas I picked one up for my partener with Rockshox 35 and GX for 999. Shows how up and down the pricing is.

Swapped the 35 for a Reba RL straight away, the 35s are okay but unnecessarily chunky and made to a price, quite heavy also. They aren’t really a XC fork as such.

Hi… I’ve enjoyed reading through all the experiences of this Whippet thread and think I have a bit of a curveball question.

I have an older 2014ish Whippet which were spec’d for 26” or 27.5” wheels at a push, with old tech QRs etc.  I built it with 26” wheels back then and it’s been great.  However, more recently I’ve been looking at modern 29ers and slack geometry and thinking that I’m missing out!

So, I’m thinking that I could modify the Whippet into a gravel / hybrid however, in the last 10 years I’ve ridden the bike and ignored how bike tech has developed and what is available.  I wondered whether anyone had any experience doing this conversion with an older whippet frame?  I have put 29” wheels on this bike with really skinny road tyres, so I know they’ll fit at the back.  I’m imagining I’ll probably need a rigid fork, new wheels, bigger chain rings (2×10).

I’m thinking the biggest issue is going to be the old QR set up and compatibility.  The bike has replaceable drop outs but I doubt PX would stock them still!

riding wise… this would become a winter / spring hybrid suited for potholed roads and fire tracks (I can’t stand my road bike!) and a new mtb would do the more fun off road stuff

love to hear your thoughts!