New trail bike? Whyte t130 or Cube stereo 140 27.5

Been looking for a new trail bike for a while and these are the two bikes I’ve narrowed it down to, any other suggestions , budget is £2300. I have heard lots of reviews about the whyte but there is nothing yet about the Cube. I am looking for a with a progressive suspension curve, which the cube will probably not have as its a German compamy which are normally quite linear!

i’m currently working for 2 shops, one sells Whyte bikes and the other sells Cube, i don’t own either but here’s my 2 pence worth.

the Whyte, good Uk style geometry, meaning quite slack, rockshox fork which is easy to service, monarch rear, again easy to service, i’d imagine the pivot bearings will last well on these as they use good quality bearings and the bikes are supplied by ATB sales which means they probably have a good warranty back up on them if not lifetime to the original owner. the only downsides i can see are the avid brakes and sram gearing, but some will prefer this anyway, personally i’m a shimano fan.

the Cube, not really a fan, when i’ve been building these bikes (generally) i’ve noticed little things that i don’t like. i’ve previously seen issues with the rear drop out moving causing dodgy gear changes, also it comes with a Fox fork, while these perform well generally they are more costly to maintain than the rockshox the Whyte has but also when they do go wrong they cost more to sort out. the rear shock again is easy to service. on the plus side (for me) it does have shimano gearing etc but then i look at the wheels and think, bugger, straight pull spokes, try finding those in stock anywhere if you pop a spoke.

overall i think the choice is for the Whyte, based on the frame/shock/fork/wheels, upgrade to shimano xt brakes down the line and as the gearset wears change over to shimano aswel or see if the shop you’re buying from is will to play with the spec a bit.

FYI i’m currently in the market for a new bike myself and i am a massive Orange fan but i am tempted by the T129S from Whyte (changed to shimano though), one of the other reasons i like them is because they are pretty individual by comparison with a Cube/Giant/Generalized etc

hope that helps

You won’t be disappointing with the Whyte.

Cube are fantastic value kit-wise but their frames leave a lot to be desired, and that’s where you want to spend the money.

Thanks, going to test ride the Whyte T130 s on the 29th so hopefully I’ll get an impression of how it rides !! Do whytes still come with lifetime bearing replacement?

ATB Sales Ltd warrants with the purchaser of a new Whyte bike that the frame will be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of two years from the date of purchase. The duration of the limited frame warranty can be extended to four years by registering your purchase online here[/url].
The cosmetic finish of the frame, including all paint and graphics is warrantied for a period of one year from date of purchase.
The Main Pivot Bearings fitted to Whyte Full Suspension bikes are warrantied for life (original owner only)

I am a fan of Whyte bikes, but always thought the Cube look good value and the right frame geometry, my reservation with cube would be there a lot of warranty stories (same as any manufacturer including Whyte) floating around currently, that have seemingly gone on for ages before parts are supplied and bike usable again.

PS: jonnyboy666 makes it sound like Whyte only come with Sram kits which isn’t the case, they tend to offer a base SRAM/RS version and a midrange shimano/fox model and usually a 1×11/Pike top end model. Though no doubt like Jonnny I’d like to mix and match parts from across all the range to make my perfect bike (T-129 with SRAM or Shimano 2×10 gears, Shimano brakes, fox shock and pike fork… mmmmMMM)

http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/category/bikes/mountain-bikes/full-suspension/product/review-cube-bikes-stereo-140-hpa-27-5-15-48934/

Glowing review for the cube there.

Have you looked at the bird aeris?

Cube 140 won’t be available until next year if that helps the decision.

That Cube is Fugly.

Whereas the Whyte…. Oh my….

*Disclaimer… I might own the Whyte bike.

been working at a cube dealer for over a year and have still to see a legitimate warranty issue, had a couple of bikes arrive with shipping damage, paint chips etc but not a single failure of a frame.

Is it just me or do Cube’s seem to have quite short top tube lengths? The XL for that Stereo is similar )or shorter) than most L frames.

Dont think you will find a better allround bike for the money than the t 130s, i rode nan bield on sat on mine and there was nothing it wouldnt handle up there,then a spin round whinlatter on sun just felt great..really fun bike … sram shifting never missed a beat. buy one, you wont be disapointed.

I am looking for a with a progressive suspension curve, which the cube will probably not have as its a German compamy which are normally quite linear!

Seriously! Bikes made in Germany are this bikes made elsewhere are that!!

http://maps.cube.eu/
Pick up one and have a go 🙂

Is it just me or do Cube’s seem to have quite short top tube lengths? The XL for that Stereo is similar )or shorter) than most L frames.

Yup, they have really short top tubes relevant to their seat tubes.

My girlfriend has a Cube hardtail in a medium / 18 inch frame and the top tube is only 571mm / 22.5 inch effective.

I had a look at them when I was shopping for a new mountain bike two years ago and their higher end hardtails all came with 120mm stems!

Canyon were the same but they seem to be getting with the long top tube / short stem programme now.

I looked at the Whyte yesterday; seem well put together and good (retail) value. Fitted me well too (I’m 6’2″ and it was a large).

I know I posted the review of the cube above, but I do actually own a Whyte T130 works (Medium). I’m 5’10”. And it’s awesome. Component wise, it’s all top-notch stuff – the frame, brakes, wheelset, fork, shock, gears, saddle etc are all fantastic. Brilliant value too. Perhaps the only thing I’d change would be the front tyre for a bit more bite. And maybe add 1 cm to the toptube and take 1 cm off the stem. But regardless of those fairly minor points, it rips.

It climbs well enough, don’t have any complaints there. Efficient pedaller too.

It descends like a terrier! The bottom bracket is low. But on the medium especially, the standover and seat tube are low too. The large was just a bit too big for me in this respect. Combine that with a fairly slack head angle (67.5) and reasonably compact wheelbase, you get a really playful, poppy and flickable bike, with a healthy dose of stability and confidence mixed in. Especially with the Pike up front. So on gently sloping, twisty singletrack, or when descending proper, the bike is just so much fun to ride with the saddle slammed and your weight really low, carving slalom turns, popping off of lips and pedalling hard out of the saddle between turns.

Yes there have been some occasions when I wonder whether I should have got the G150 for that long wheelbase, long toptube/short stem, slacker head angle, or even a T130 in large…it would certainly add more confidence and stability for really fast and bumpy situations. It also arguably has a more modern, ‘enduro’ geometry. But the T130 is just so FUN and responsive in most situations, while still remaining confidence inspiring enough when needed (especially with your weight really low, as mentioned above). The flickability and playfulness is infectious, it’s just so fun boosting off things on the trail and dropping into corners.

I must admit, it’s also refreshing to see the Cube 140 get a glowing review, despite not conforming to the long top tube/long wheelbase fashion of late. Bikes are getting longer and longer, which is fine for enduro racing or fast, rough stuff, where stability at speed is paramount. But for more everyday stuff, for more everyday riders, it does seem to rob a bit of responsiveness and playfulness.

Have a look at the geometry of the 2015 Cube-the top tube is now longer than they were & the issue with the mech hanger now sorted on the revised version.

Cube are fantastic value kit-wise but their frames leave a lot to be desired, and that’s where you want to spend the money.

Based on what exactly? They’re extremely well made, good quality kit & incredibly reliable.
I’ll admit I used to think the same about them, until I started working on & riding them!

Nothing constructive to add other than cubes never seem to look that appealing to me, something about the straight lines of the linkage. I couldn’t own a bike I didn’t like the look of. Whyte just look like they got it right on a whole lot of levels. If the t130 had been around a year ago it would have been a real contender when I was shopping.

That said I’m sure there aren’t many bad bikes around anymore and you will like whatever you get!

Right that’s two penny’s worth…….carry on!

Rocky Mountain?

Had a car park test on a White. Took 240pis to attain the recommended 30% sag and it still felt “soft” to pedal, steering also felt “floppy”.

2 shops recommended the med(which they had a lot of)for my 6ft, 15st frame 🙄 Handle bars were banging on my knees on tight turns and I felt as if I was hanging of the back of the saddle!! Obviously too small methinks…..