Update

Loving the T130 SCR so far. I’m off to Spain with it for a week on Sat so will get a better feel for it then.

In the meantime, I’ve gone up in stem length a bit – now running 65mm (down from the original 70mm and up from the 50 I had changed to. Also changed the bars to Renthal Fat Bar Lite (carbon), and replaced the rear Maxxis Ardent Race with a standard Ardent. Tyres converted to tubeless (which was very easy as the rims are UST).

DB 🙂

Glad you’re enjoying it.

Not managed a single ride on mine yet! Issues with the rear brake and the reverb have put paid to that so far… Just as I was beginning to warm to SRAM too! Once all is sorted will hopefully get out and do some miles on it.

Obligatory patio shot –

Annoyingly, the new rear tyre has a yellow Maxxis logo where as the original front is white. That messes with my OCD.

Annoyingly, the new rear tyre has a yellow Maxxis logo where as the original front is white. That messes with my OCD.

Tip-ex?

My new G150S is appearing in the shop tomorrow I understand. Very exciting 🙂 (especially after waiting months for a Rocket to not show itself).

It’s a stunning looking bike dbuk, yellow or not! My t130 works is ready to pick up, just waiting for shop to fit tubeless free of charge, and gotta sort insurance too.

Finally picked up my T130 works. Beautiful it is.

Had another restless night regarding sizing, i.e. whether to go Medium or large at 5’10”. Look at forums for Santa Cruz owners and almost invariably, people of my height feel much better on a large, with the medium feeling far too small. Given that the top tube on the medium T130 is only 1cm longer than a santa cruz 5010, I had my concerns.

So I sat on the large today to make my mind up. While the reach was fine, perhaps even preferable to the medium (and would be with a shorter stem), the seat tube was ridiculous. Shop measured me up and I have a 32″ inside leg. With the reverb all the way down in it’s collar, I could only raise the saddle maybe 2 inches before I was on tip toes! I.e. there was still about 10cm of post left unused.

While the T130 in large has the same TT length as a medium G150, both the head tube and seat tube are considerable longer on the large. The latter is a massive 4cm longer.

Likewise, the whole bike just felt generally a fair bit bigger and unwieldy.

The above said, the medium is not perfect and spending £3k is a bit galling when things aren’t perfect. i.e. I’d make the top tube 1cm longer and take 1cm off the stem. Maybe I’d put the fork up to 140mm. But then everything else about the bike is spot on. I suppose you can never have it all! Furthermore, when descending, you are generally slightly further back anyway, meaning the stance and body weighting should be more centralised. I guess if you are 5’8 1/2 you would fit the medium perfectly. Likewise a 6′ rider would probably fit the large perfectly. The rest of us have to sort of make the best of it, to the closest size that we can live with.

But yeah, I hope the above is of some help to those with size issues.

Been on a couple of rides on the T130 works so far. One at Whites Level at Afan and a quick blast around Ashton Court in Bristol. Whites Level was a lot of fun – bike was a great all-rounder.

However, since getting the bike, I have had a nagging feeling that it’s just that bit too small. With the reverb extended, reach is OK on the whole, as the seat angle pitches you back (although my knees get very close to the bars on switchbacks, even with the 70mm stem). However, when standing it just feels that bit too short in the top tube and wheelbase for my height. I have a 32” inseam and my height is 179cm, so 5’10.5”.

It’s really been nagging on me, after dropping £3k on a bike, you kinda want it to be spot on. I’d definitely not want to run a longer stem. Similarly, the Large T130 is too big for me (the seat tube is just too long).

So with regret, I think the bike is going to have to go back. Bike UK are really accommodating like that, with their 7-day exchange. Thing is, I got this bike with a credit note from a previously returned bike!! Just stumped for options though – the T129 Scr would be ideal in terms of geometry, but I’m not keen on the wheel size – tried last year’s T129 and didn’t gel with the way it handled. The G150 in medium was a perfect fit. But it was a lot more sluggish at Ashton Court (pretty flat and pedally terrain), so I worry it won’t be a very fun/agile/playful all-rounder like the T130 is. The flip side is that it would be better for the rougher trail centre/bike park descents that I’d be doing often! Also, I may get used to it.

Or, it’s scrap that entirely and go with a different brand. The shop can get in: Marin, Orange, Saracen, Santa Cruz and Whyte.

Any advice?!

@dvowles – sorry to hear the T130 isn’t quite right for you.

The comments on seat tube are a bit confusing to me though. I’m pretty much exactly the same size as you. 5’10” with a 32″ inside leg. I run the seatpost on mine as you can see in the picture above. i.e. it’s not all the way into the seat tube (probably a cm or two of the lower sticking out), and I can run full extension no problem at all. Maybe you just prefer a lower seat but that would have to be really low.

dvowles – You shouldn’t be setting saddle height by whether you can reach the ground when the seat is up. Didn’t the shop properly set your saddle height on the large for you?

It’s a 19″ ST on the large, im a 33″ (i think, maybe 32″) inside leg, on my bike with a 18.5″ ST, a 150mm dropper, i’ve a good inch or so before the collar bottoms out on the seat tube.

I can’t reach the ground when im in the saddle.

You shouldn’t be setting saddle height by whether you can reach the ground when the seat is up. I can’t reach the ground when im in the saddle.

+1

With a +34″ inside leg no one can reach the ground on my bike when the saddle is right for me. 😉

I went to shop in the end and both staff were adamant I was a medium. And they seemed genuine.

Ok to put it another way, when my heel was on the pedal, with the leg bolt straight, the reverb was perhaps an inch from full extension. That and the staff just said the large just looked a bit too big. But both sizes were in stock before I bought the medium, so it doesn’t seem that they had any reason to tell porkies.

Either way, have ended up with the medium. I appreciate the standover, and being able to slam the saddle on bike park Wales runs. Plus there’s the flickabiliry Whether I’ve made the right choice though I’ve got no idea and it’s bloody annoying! So many conflicting opinions.

Picked up a T130 Works on Friday myself. Already changed the bar and stem to Easton Haven 35 (carbon bar). The back tyre definately needs changing, Whyte should have put two standard Ardents on in my opinion, the rear Ardent Race tyre will be no good in the gloop. Of note, I tried fitting some Hans Dampf 2.35 tyres, the front fitted no probs but the rear was too tight on the right chainstay, the wheel runs closer to the right chainstay because the rear triangle is offset by 2mm, added to that there is also a 2mm manufacturers tolerance. 2.35’s don’t fit on the rear, shame. Just waiting for a standard rear Ardent now and an invisiframe kit before giving it a shakedown.
Oh and I’m 5’8” on a medium.

dbukdbuk, where did you get your rear Ardent Evo TR from? Worried the one I’ve orderd will have the yellow Maxxis logo now! Think I’d have to buy another one to match if it was different, that’s OCD!

Trevor.

@dvowles – if the reverb at full extension is too high when fully inserted into the seat tube then I guess a size large is just too big for you. Still sounds odd though as size wise I’m pretty much the same as you and my large is fine. Only you can decide what works for you though.

@thorpie – I changed the bar and stem on mine too. 65mm Race Face stem and Renthal Fat Bar Lite. Changed the grips too. The rear tyre was from Chain Reaction.

Here’ me/in action last week –

Sweet photos!

Handlebars- I’m also considering upgrading to some renthal carbons or Easton. Do you know off hand whether the backsweep is less pronounced than the Whyte ones that come standard? That’s what I’m looking for as it’ll offer more reach.

Backsweep definately less on the Eastons compared to the Whytes and with a little more rise. Didn’t like the Whytes at all and the all black Easton Carbon Bar/Stem combo looks great, very stealthy! Changed the grips to some ODI Ruffians as well.

Cool.

I’d probably be looking to get a Renthal Carbon Lite (740mm) and a Renthal Apex 60mm stem. I am pretty clueless about these things, but would there be any technical problems with installing these, or would anything in the headset etc need to be changed?

You should be able to swap them with no problems, I had to remove one spacer off the steerer tube as the Easton stem had a slightly bigger clamping area than the Whyte. You won’t need to touch the headset.

Cheers Thorpie. It’s crazy money sp might hole off for a while.

How is your new ride, enjoying it? What’s your take on the frame sizing out of interest, do you feel the size up small for their size?

Not had chance to ride it yet, work and been waiting on pedals and an invisiframe kit, my last bike was stolen a couple of weeks ago from my garage (transition bandit), been beefing up security since then! I usually end up with a size medium at 5’8”, I’ll let you know what it’s like when I can get out.

Trevor.

I bought the latest issue of MBR yesterday and they have a first ride review of the T130 works and a proper review of the T129 Works SCR.

Alan Mundoon loved the T130, saying he thought it even out-ripped the G150 due to superior rear suspension performance. He rode a large. Bit concerning again, as he doesn’t look that tall. I tried out someone’s Large T130 at FOD the other day, only in the carpark and annoyingly it actually felt ok size wise. Previously in the shop, the seat tube had felt too long. That said, I’m still having a blast on my medium. The bike absolutely nailed the descents of Verderers trail, while still climbing spritely. You can whip the bike through direction changes so fast. And getting really low over the back of the bike through corners feels amazing.

MBR were actually surprisingly critical of the T129 Works SCR (8/10), saying that the rear suspension was poor, the wheels flexy and the ride not as engaging as the Specialized camber. Really expected it to get a glowing review, given that it’s the top spec version!

Well it was up against a specialized 😉

A tyre tip…

Move the front Ardent to the rear, the Ardent Race is good for the summer at a trail centre maybe, otherwise no ta. The normal Ardents are a pretty good rear tyre IMO, less so as a front anyway as they don’t have a huge amount of edge bite.

Test rode a G-150 last week, incredible machine! WAY too much bike for 99% of my riding, but didn’t stop it being a load of fun anyway… The front tyre it comes with as stock, a WTB Vigilante 2.3″, makes a good front pairing for the Ardent on the rear on a T-130 too… Loads of edge bite, very confidence inspiring.

I’m 5’10” (and a half!) and this is how a medium T-130 sizes up for me. I would definitely go for a large if I ordered one.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/p7b5JU]Whyte T-130[/url] by philsherwin, on Flickr

How do you mean, sizes up? By amount of seat post showing?

We did the Whyte demo day in the FoD with mboy , I’m 5’10” with 31″ inside leg and the large was a great fit and a very capable bike . The only thing I would change is to a 50mm stem – but thats a personal preference.

Cheesbeans – did you feel the large was preferable to the medium? Also, did you find you could get the saddle out of the way enough to really throw it down descents and get low over the frame through turns?

And did you demo the G150 too?

And Mboy – after having the T130 for a while, how did you find the G150 compared in terms of ”fun-ness” for general riding?

Didn’t bother with the medium as I’ve got a medium trany bandit that I’m finding to small . I had about 3/4 of an inch of seat post out of the frame below the reverb collar to give you an idea of sizing .

How do you mean, sizes up? By amount of seat post showing?

Yes that is the seatpost height I would run for my inside leg (34″ ish from memory). The bars felt a bit “under my knees” (low and close) on the medium and I think the picture shows that.

Hmm, I think it’s pretty conclusive I should be on a large. The brief pedal I had on a large the other day confirmed it I think. Even with a 70-80mm stem in it, it didn’t feel that stretched out. With a 50-60mm stem it should feel great. Furthermore, on the medium I have the reverb out the collar by about an inch or so anyway, so on the Large, it should be fine with the post all the way into the frame. There won’t be quite as much room for manoeuvre on descents, but it should be do able.

I’ve had the bike a whole month now, but I am trying my luck with the LBS to get an exchange, even if it means taking a hit for wear & tear/restocking costs etc. Not sure how likely it will be, they are well within their rights to tell me to do one. But having spent £3000, and having a nagging feeling it was too small since they sold it to me (and voicing those concerns to them on more than one occasion since), hopefully they will show some leniency. As above, the front end feels a touch low and the toptube & wheelbase that bit too short.

If you can’t get the 150 reverb all the way in on a large, and are feeling brave, it would only be a small job to file/cut down a bit of the seat tube – it sticks out massively especially at the back.

Had a pedal on the med 150 recently, young shop guy says that looks about right size. Me; nope It’s too small I’d want a large. Him; think it would be too big sir. Me; can I try one. Him; sorry sir but we only have Med in stock atm, quite a few actually. Me; I’ll maybe drop in next time I’m passing(not)
2nd shop, same thing!
6ft, 32in inside leg, long arms & torso…..

It’s a tricky one on sizing. I tried the medium and large and went back and forth between the two riding around the carpark at the bike shop. I settled on the large and I think that was the right choice.

Ultimately though, it’s my choice. The shop staff can offer an opinion but it’s up to the buyer to decide if they agree. Tricky if you’re maybe not so experienced or confident in your own opinion though.

A bike that has been ridden for a month can only really be sold as second hand so I’d be surprised if they took it back and gave you a large. Good luck with that one. If the frame is basically in perfect condition maybe you could pay them to rebuild all the components from one frame to the other but even that might be pushing it a bit.

Trekster- You’ll definitely be a large. All 4 of us on the race team are on the large. We’re from 6ft-6ft 2″

What is it with MTBers wanting to be on smaller sized bikes than they need – I reckon it’s no different to my Missus and clothes sizes 🙄

At 5’10” I think the G150 is a good fit in Medium, as its already quite long. But At 6’0″ you’d probably be better on a large g150.

Well, Bike shop have come back to me…

They can either “buy the bike back” and I’d lose around £600. OR they can order a new front triangle and transfer all my parts and rear triangle over. So a lot of labour, but for around £200 all in.

I chose the latter option! Quite chuffed. Will be ready next Friday. Yes it’s a sting but better than living with a bike I’m not happy with.

And thank you for the tip on cutting down the seat tube, I shall use that if needed, but should be ok without modding. Ultimately though, seat tube aside, the large will be spot on where it counts- the top tube length and wheel base are spot on. And I’m looking forward to rrunning a shorter stem too.

I thought you previously said that on a large frame you couldn’t run the reverb at full extension with it all the way into the seat tube?

In the shop it felt that way, with heel flat on pedal the reverb still had a little extension left. But I didn’t go for a pedal. Then at FOD the other day I had a pedal around on someone’s large (he was 5’10”). The reverb was 1cm from being fully into frame yet I could pedal it fine at full extension. So maybe the “heel test” is a bit flawed.

Still concerned large will indeed be a touch big but hopefully it’ll be ok.

You still liking yours? How was Spain?

My take on the T-130… It’s more of a fun machine than a continent cruiser. I might have got it wrong, but it feels like Whyte have listened to (potential depending on your viewpoint) criticisms of previous full sus bikes and come up with a bike that is a bit shorter, more playful, and basically a damned good laugh. I don’t think I’ve ridden a mid travel full sus bike that feels so instantly playful for a very long time at least, certainly now that everything has gone down the long/low/slack approach.

If you’re looking for a longer cruise machine, you may be better served looking at something like an M-109, or even the T-129…

By contrast, the G-150 is exactly as I expected (although its speed up a hill surprised me a little to be fair). It is stupidly capable, but wouldn’t be my choice for 95% of the trails I ride. If you regularly ride Red and Black routes at trail centres, race Gravity Enduro’s, do the occasional uplift etc. then the G-150 is nigh on the perfect bike. For a lap of the Verderers trail at the FoD, it felt like it was just cruising until I really started to up the speed a bit on the descent. To be fair, I wasn’t even pushing it that hard, and the conditions weren’t perfect (fair bit of standing water), but I still got a few Strava PR’s on the descent sections on my first time on the bike! To say it flatters the riders ability is an enormous understatement. I’d say it’s close to a DH bike on the descents, it’s that good, but it’s still the right side of 30lb (just) and it pedals very well to boot. It’s not a particularly involving ride though unless you’re gunning it and/or riding steep terrain. For general woodsy singletrack etc. it’s a bit slack and uninvolving. But that’s exactly what I expected it to be to be fair! It’s a (razor sharp) tool for a job, that job being to be the most capable Gravity Enduro bike for an (almost) modest budget. The T-130 is far more involving and fun for most people most of the time…