Decided on the T130 works over the G150s. After sleeping on it for a couple of nights, I think it’s definitely the right decision. Should be a superb and fun all-rounder.

Not an easy decision, especially with the T130 works being delayed until November ‘sometime’. But LBS just telephoned me to say…it’s now been brought FORWARD to the end of next week!! I am literally so excited.

Told my work colleagues that I’d be dropping £3k on a push bike. They think I’m crazy. But the £700 price hike over the S version certainly seems worth it: Pike fork, 1×11 drivetrain, SRAM Guide brakes (which are absolutely superb by the way), a lighter & stiffer wheelset, and ½ Kg lighter.

Cannot wait.

Lefty- how come the roam wheels have arrived already, I thought they’d been delayed until November?

Also, your stem does look long. The demo t130 works (medium) I rode today had a much shorter one, at least by the way it looks in your photos.

Finally had a test ride of the t130 and g150 today. Both were the works versions (which has spoilt me a bit as it is the S versions I was intending to buy).

Only got to test them at Ashton Court, which is pretty tame, but plenty of swooping singletrack and small rock steps to get an idea of how they handle.

G150 was first. I expected it to handle like a barge and be wallowy in the slow-ish paced single track. But it was incredible. Very planted and confidence inspiring and felt amazing through turns. It was also surprisingly manoeuverable. Pedalling uphill and along flatter bits of trail was ok, although I definitely noticed the weight and draggy tyres. But it was still perfectly acceptable. Felt amazing down the mini downhill bit of the course. It would be an amazing bike for bike park Wales. After that, I was almost loathe to try the t130, as the g150 is in stock now but the t130 not until November. Was so tempted to slap down the money for the g150s there and then. But to satisfy curiosity and to rule one out, I had to try the t130.

So next was t130 works. Firstly sizing, medium felt spot on for my 5’10” height. Definitely wouldn’t want bigger, with either bike. Low bottom bracket-absolutely no problem with pedal strikes, unlike the 905 I had once, which was appalling.

It too was pretty planted and confidence inspiring in corners, all the components felt good too. It pedaled noticibly better than the g150 but not significantly so. The key difference, was a markedly big difference in agility. It was just much more poppy, allowing me to work undulations in the trail and spring out of corners better. It also turned in a more snappy manner, while remaining planted and confident. And that front wheel was much easier to loft into the air.

The whole experience left me very confused. Ultimately I think both bikes will do a great job and cover all the same basics, allowing me to have fun at all the riding I do, which is nothing too gnar! But, both will just excel and suffer slightly in certain ways. The G150 is that bit more stable, confident and fast, and that extends to being in the air or taking a series of rock steps. Yet it remains manoeverable enough to make riding fun, even in the twisty stuff. It also has that extra travel in reserve for any big hits I might very occasionally encounter. The T130 meanwhile has that playfulness and poppy agility that I think will make MOST riding more fun and engaging.

So…on balance I think it’s going to be the t130, although I’m gonna sleep on it. And naturally, it’ll have to be the works version. 😉

So frustrating, T130S now put back to end October. I sold hardtail, my only bike, in early July as I was told t130s was due in early July. Delay after delay since…

G150 is there for the taking, but it would be ridiculous to drop £3k on a bike without having test ridden both first. So got demo booked for g150 and t130 next Saturday. Granted it’ll only be at Ashton, court, which is very tame. But it will at least give a flavour how both the bikes handle in single track. Secretly I’m hoping the g150 woos me the most, as its got the spec I want and is available now. But my head expects t130 will be best. I’m by no means a hard rider with balls and I’d imagine g150 only really comes into its own (over t130) when the riding gets hard, fast and ballsy. I could be wrong, but it’s what I expect.

WMB have reviewed the g150 although, I’ve not seen the actual magazine yet. This from the whyte website…
Whyte G-150 Works- “Tune it right and Whyte’s G-150 Works is a seriously fun and superbly equipped technical trail bomber”. “An absolute blast to unleassh on your local trails”. Full review in ‘What Mountain Bike’ magazine out this week.

Wiggles, I actually meant in everyday trails like verderers, Afan etc. I appreciate that it would be perfect for red+blue BPW.

Sounds great wiggles. Does it handle well in less gnarly trails?

Wiggles – keen for a ride report after your trip to BPW! I’d imagine it would be brilliant for it. How have you found it on more average trails, at slower speeds? Still responsive and fun?

Hammer- cheers but I’ve got a credit note with Bike UK in Bristol, so gotta hang on until they get the t130s in unfortunately.

Ah lucky you. I think my LBS lied, as they said Whyte would simply not release the bike un-complete!

Still gutted I gotta wait at least another month for my T130S.

Went in and asked regarding the Works model, it was a no. Shop were willing, but Whyte aren’t releasing the bike until it’s complete and ready to leave, wheels and all. i.e. Early November.

T130S it is then.

Wow, that’s good service! I might be cheeky and see if my LBS will do the same. Highly unlikely I’d imagine though.

Dpfr- was referring to the wheelbase of the canyon spectral al. A burly enduring bike…with a very short wheelbase.

Wizard, I too share your concern about pedal strikes on the t130. Hoping they aren’t too bad.

So stuck for sizing at 5’10”. Gotta wait until mid October until I can even sit on anedium or large. By the way, LBS say works version delayed until mid November due to wheels not being available.

The top tube on the size medium is now a respectable 596, but the wheelbase is incredibly short at 1114. Maybe it’s published incorrectly, but assuming it’s correct, that’s almost 6cm shorter than the whyte g150!

How about a slack, confident hardtail? The Whyte 905 would probably be ideal, as it’s got the angles for confident descending, combined with spritely bursts of speed out of corners, in virtue of being a hardtail (no pedal bob + lower weight). It’s also got a short back end, making manuals etc easy. Put a dropper post on it and some beefy tyres, and it could be just the ticket.

Yeah, that weight is pretty out!

I guess if you’re running you’re medium G150 with a 40mm stem, you’re looking at reach of 648mm (608mm top tube + 40mm stem). Whereas a medium T130 is going to give you a reach of 664mm (594mm + 70mm stem). If I do go with the T130, I might try and get away with a 60mm stem, although I guess 70mm is hardly long.

Still so torn between a G150s, which is available now, and a T130s, which won’t be available in LBS until at least mid-October. While I much prefer the spec of the g150 (the brakes, drivetrain, fork, shorter stem), I just can’t shake the feeling that it will be overkill, and hence less spritely/poppy/manoeuvrable on pretty much all of my riding, except the most gnarly stuff that I’d do very occasionally – i.e. red runs at Bike Park Wales. Other than that, I will generally be limited to red and blue runs at trail centres, maybe the occasional trip to more natural riding.

Just can’t decide. Wiggles – would be keen for a ride report once you’ve Christened your beauty.

Wiggles- good stuff. Agreed regarding sizibg, medium felt great at 5″10, nice and roomy. Rude report when you’ve taken it out!

Getonyourbike – cheers for that. I know I only tried it on the road (both up and down), but even leaning it right over, the turning arc felt soo slow compared to my hardtail. I appreciate I’d get used to it, but is it actually possible to do tighter, more snappy turns, without sliding out the back wheel?

Also, as someone else asked above, does the G150 have a poppy feel or is it more towards the ‘soak it all up’ end of the spectrum?

Thanks

G150 felt good on the roads near to shop. Bike climbed well, the sram 1×11 drive train was perfect. The guide brakes felt lovely. Not much pedal Bob and suspension going off curbs etc felt good. This said, it definitely feels like a long bike, and with that slack head angle, it takes a long arc around corners. I guess that’s the trade off for stability though.

Sizing wise, the medium felt perfect, definitely wouldn’t want to go any bigger.

Just really torn between this and the t130. The T130 is probably the sensible choice, but the G150 sure is tempting, with its wild side.

Yeah, but with a 20mm shorter stem.

Went into bike shop again today for an update on the delivery date of the T130 in medium…been put back again until 10th October. No surprises there. However, they did, amazingly have a G150 S in medium sitting there, looking all pretty.

I sat on it (putting a big rip in my work trousers in the process). It felt spot on size wise for my 5’10 height. Nice and roomy. Given the 20mm longer stem on the T130, I just can’t see the size large being appropriate. Anyway, going to have a quick spin up the road on it after work. Because it’s available right now, I am so so tempted.

Ah, this is disappointing. I had hoped that a medium T130 would be just right for my 5’10 height. Seems that I am between a medium and large after all (although not tried either, as both not in stock yet).

People who have actually got a T130 – what do you think of the sizing relative to your height?

It seems that numbers/geometry can be deceptive.

I sat on the ‘Small’ Whyte T130 S that Bike UK have in stock today. I was expecting it to feel markedly too small (I am 5’10”), especially as the size chart recommends it for 5’2” – 5’6” heights. But to my surprise, it felt only ‘’just’’ too small, even with the shorter, 60mm stem specced on the small version. So while I was agonising between a large and a medium, it seems that at 5’10”, the Medium should be spot on. I may even be able to get away with a 60mm stem on the medium, which would be great. Bike does feel on the heavy side, but the frame is top quality, looks really sturdy – the rear triangle is a lot more sturdy/attractive looking than on last year’s T129 for instance.

Put deposit down on a medium, expecting delivery in early October :\

Any more ride updates? How does it come up for size?

So envious, can’t believe I’ve got at least another 6 weeks to wait!

I went into LBS the other day, to my amazement, a lovely T130 S was sitting there on display. It looked gorgeous by the way, the paint is nice and matt. I asked whether they had the bike in stock, they replied ”that’s a small size, but the Medium’s are due in, in a couple of days”. I was surprised as they had advised end of September previously. So I get all excited, they then phone Whyte to confirm….who then say yes…it’s still late September.

Ooh, nice. Let me know how it looks in the flesh, as well as how roomy it feels to sit on. You going for a test ride??

I’ve gotta wait until late Sept as only have credit note for one store 🙁

I think a lot comes down to the pecking order of the particular shop though. Also, I didn’t enquire about the works version, perhaps that would be due sooner.

Just spoke to lbs, the T130 S has been pushed back from early July to late September, while the G150 S is late August. This is getting silly!

Getonyourbike – sounds great. Couple of questions if you don’t mind:

1. Should the new debonair monarch (not the plus) on the G150 S still be a fair improvement over the 2014 model?

2. Does the long-ish wheelbase of the G150 make itself known at slower speeds, or is it still quite playful?

3. Is climbing on 150mm of travel a bit wallowy, or given that suspension has come on leaps and bounds in the last few years, is the trade off now minimal compared to say a 130mm bike?

Thanks. It certainly has the more tempting spec: Longer top tube, shorter stem, pike fork, Sram Guide brakes, 1×11 drivetrain, better tyres.

I really am torn between a T130 S (£2300) and the G150 S (£2800) as an all-round, do it all bike. Typical rides will be anything from Ashton Court, to Afan & Cymcarn trails, forest of dean trails, Bike Park Wales (blue and red). I won’t be doing any true ‘downhill’ runs on it, it’ll just be for trail use. i.e. the gnarliest thing I can see myself doing will be the occasional red run at BPW. My bike shop thinks that the G150 will be ‘’boring’’ in lesser trails, but will come alive on gravity descents and recommend the T130 as the better overall option. Then my 2 mates, one of whom rides an Orange Alpine 160 on all trails, the other who rides a Cube Stereo 160 in everything, recommend the G150 due to the confidence and grins it will bring on descents.

The T130 does look good…I’m just concerned about the very low bottom bracket (pedal strikes), short wheelbase and longer stem (70mm). Whereas the G150 has a longer wheelbase, shorter stem, a pike fork and higher chainstays, meaning that pedal strikes shouldn’t occur as often.

Ultimately, both bikes listed above weigh 13.5kg, although I appreciate there is £500 between them. It’s whether one is going to overkill/a bit dull in most trail situations.

Any advice on where to go with this one? Cheers.

Phoar, check out the new G150, now up on the Whyte website.

Torn between that and a T130 as an ”all-rounder”.

http://whyte.bike/gb/models/gravity-enduro/gravity-enduro-27-5-650b/g-150-s/

Yeah I didn’t quite understand the point of stiffness in symmetrical stays either! Shame if there is a delay on the works version as it does look like the one to go for. Pikes, great wheelset, brakes and drive train plus 1/2kg lighter.

It does look good. I do remember being incredibly impressed with the 905’s ability to rail corners and inspire confidence over drops. I found the bottom bracket height really awkward though – perhaps I should have given it more time.

The 2015 909 looks stunning…130mm pikes on the front, it’ll be ultra stiff and plush!

Ok thanks. How are you finding the 909 by the way?

Does look good, noticed the T130 on their website a few days ago and am very interested (got a £1600 credit note to use in Bike UK, who sell Whyte).

My brief is for an all-round trail bike, which is responsive, yet still stable/confidence inspiring enough to take on red runs at Bike Park Wales. My mates are on 160mm machines (Orange Alpine and Cube Stereo) and balk at my suggestion of a 130mm trail bike for such trails, but my argument is that it will likely be a lot more fun/responsive for standard trail centres!

My only concerns with the T130 are:

It seems pretty short. I’m 5’10” and usually go for a Medium frame. The 905 hardtail had a 618mm toptube and 425 chainstays, which felt ”right”. Whyte claim that the T130 is basically a full suspension version of their 900 series hardtails…yet the Medium frame has 594mm for the top tube and mega short chainstays of 420mm, a steaper head angle and longer stem. I’m therefore torn between a Medium and a Large. I fear the medium may be a bit twitchy and nervous. But then the Large may be a bit unresponsive in comparison. Any views on this?

Yeah you’re probably right! I do over think things. Will just get on with it and enjoy.

I agree flow is a good thing and getting a corner just right feels amazing, regardless of the bike. I meant more that personally I think it’s more rewarding having a bike which responds (more) positively to bursts of acceleration and quick changes of direction.

No, not yet bought a new bike. Back on the rockhopper pro 2011 at the moment – actually loved the fairly recently extended freeminers trail at FOD last weekend, had a blast. Managed to keep on the tail of my experienced mate on an Orange Alpine 160. This said, despite the dry conditions, the roots and rocky berms did leave me wishing for a full suss (at times).

Had another test ride on the Whyte T129 last night, only at Ashton Court though. To be honest, it did little for me. I missed the responsiveness and feeling of charging/acceleration out of turns that you get with smaller wheels. While it carved drawn out turns at speed beautifully, even falling into line quite sharpish, it seemed to ‘lurch over’, or ‘collapse’ into turns more if that makes sense. It wasn’t a very nice sensation. Worse still, it produced a more constant state of forward momentum and flow, as opposed to the stop-start, bursts of speed and slowing down that I’m more accustomed to. Loads of people will love that, but personally I didn’t. Coming from a more surfing background, perhaps it loosely ties in with that – surfing makes you work very hard for little rewards, full of bursts of speed and slower moments. I appreciate that Ashton Court is relatively tame, but it still gives a good indication. I also threw it down the Super Nova downhill 3 times to get a taste of its descending abilities. Again, not particularly impressed – I found it more fun, controlled and responsive doing so on the whyte 905 and rockhopper previously. I’m sure it would probably be more fun at somewhere like Cymcarn or Afan Y Wal though.

Again, no pedal strikes at Afan, FOD or ashton court on either of the 2 above bikes since riding the 905! The latter really does have a stupidly low BB.

Had considered the Saracen Kili Flyer, but bikeradar review comments on rear suspension really put me off! How did you find it in practice??

Orange 5 – will arrange a test ride.

Cheers guys. Will try and organise a test ride. Got a credit note of to use with bike uk – would be awesome if they could at least partially pricematch that Alpine UK price – that would be a bargain.

How do you find it on twisty (not particularly steep) single track? Still responsive and fun?