Right first ride was an icebreaker in Evanton Wood. Lots of short sharp climbs and wee steep descents, but some longer easier angled stuff too. Generally woodsy HT territory, but in frozen dry conditions a perfect first ride from my doorstep.

Was a bit worried about how it would climb … shouldn’t have been. I struggled a teeny bit with the heft after riding the Fireline solidly thro the winter, but that’s me and my fitness. It’s not a heavy bike considering what it is.

Pointed down it’s a big barrel of fun. Very stable and hard to get knocked off line, but easy to turn when you want it to turn. Noticed some buzzing which turned out to be the uncut reverb cable but other than that and a slight saddle tilt I never had to touch it.

I’ll get heel rub on the non-driveside chainstay so I’d better tape that up and I can maybe do with trimming some cables to avoid rub elsewhere. I’ll trim the Reverb cable and play around with the position of the remote.

Gonna get out later with a wider bar as I think that will suit it better … in the meantime here’s a pic from the top of Porter’s Plunge.

Stick it inboard of the brake lever. Works well with the single matchmaker clamp for brake and gears, but it’s still okay with seperates.

Ergon grips now on and minor adjustments feel good, but it feels like I’m riding the nose of the saddle. Guess it’s just me. Gonna try to get an early morning ride tomorrow. I can feel its gonna be mental pointed down the hill.

Got it after work and am just in from the garage. Stuck the XO cranks and Hope Hoops with Flows from the HT on (after adapting the hubs) and after some minor fettling had a bike. Went for a spin in the street and it wasn’t right. Not enough air in the rear (for my lardarse) for starters.

Bit of air and some brake adjustments and I had a much better second run. It still felt a wee bit too stretched for me at full extension even with a 60mm, but sliding and tilting the saddle tomorrow will have some effect on that. I’ve also got a 50mm I can try. Need to trim the Reverb cable and may stick the lever under the bar on the RHS. Other than that I’m good.

No pics yet as my garage is a tip but I’ll take some when I get a ride tomorrow. Leave for Morocco 3 weeks today, so I’m gonna ride it a lot over the next couple of weeks then decide which bike’s going with me. At the moment it’s still the Fireline.

Dead easy to bleed if you have the kit mattjg, but check the air pressure before you do it. Decided I can’t wait … I’m going for mine this afternoon after work.

Picking mine up tomorrow minus a front wheel which is away back with an issue. Sticking Hope Hoops with Specialized tyres on to go and will report how I get on.

15% off at Alpine Bikes this weekend 🙂 Makes this a total bargain IMO. Also, Kyle in the Inverness shop couldn’t have been more helpful … he even ordered me a mech hanger cos he knew I was going on holiday with the bike soon.

Cheers, that looks quite good.

I’ve got both adapters sourced so will likely go with the Hope Hoops from day 1 and look to sell the stock wheels, unless I can convert them to 20mm front and 135mm rear. Message already into Whyte about that.

Proper nice.

Cheers mattjg … I’m off to Morocco in 3 weeks so I’m not wanting to take any risks with rubber … I’ll be taking the stock ones off it whatever I do with wheels. I could probably get away with my current pairing of Specialized 2.3 Ground Control and Purgatory tho … they’re tough.

Need a bigger bar too … I wonder if a RF Atlas green one would match 🙂

How are people getting on with the wheels? I’m tempted to stick my Hope Hoops with Flows on from the word go. These ones sound a bit light and narrow … especially for a HD on the front maybe?

Shop confirmed today I’m getting a switch to a 60mm stem. Should be all sorted by then end of the week. Just need to get a wider bar than the “skinny” 710mm one provided 😉

Why is that vid private?

Sounds good for me. I’m in Highland so probably suits me well because of the terrain on my doorstep. Torridon, Tollie Path, Gorms, Golspie all within an hour from the house.

My bread and butter runs from the garage are fairly steep uppy-downy woodsy stuff and a 450m climb up Cnoc Fyrish, so my Fireline will still be top for that … for most anything else thro the warmer months (!) it sounds like the Whyte suits perfectly.

See that … I’ve almost convinced myself now 😉

Crackin weather up here over the weekend BTW … very cold but that made the mud on the trails freeze.

Other way around in my book. Slack needs short to sharpen the steering up. Especially with a wide bar. Quite used to a slack head angle and it works for me.

Thanks for that. 60mm would be okay. If the shop can swing me a swap that’ll be cool otherwise I’ll just use the 50mm X4 and 760 Warhead I have on my Fireline. I can then judge properly if it works before I splash the cash.

Got to try a medium and a large today. Medium was to small to use the Reverb with. Jumped on the large and it felt too stretched and low at the front. Like it was set up like an old xc bike rather than a modern trail bike.

A quick word with the guy in the shop and the reversed long stem (80mm is big these days :wink:) got replaced by a 50mm with a slight rise and the bike was transformed. Strange these small margins … it was like a tipping point.

Bottom line is I’m having the large and they’re gonna try to source a 50mm stem from Whyte so I can keep the tarty faceplate. Wider bar would be good too. The guy was dead helpful and the bike feels great. If you are in the north and looking for one, then Alpine Bikes in Inverness has a medium. Hands off my large tho.

Brant do you have an idea when the EG 29 will be available, cash waiting here

Yeah would be good to have an idea. I otherwise have a Whyte T129S nagging at me.

Sorry it’s a medium.

Could do you a nice Ragley Ti if you fancied splashing a bit more 😉

I’m 6’2″ and went for the large.

This is the thing … at 6′ I’m maybe in-between sizes. I have a medium coming to test so will see what that’s like. I’ve never had a bike with the reach of the large Whyte in nearly 20 years of riding mountain bikes. I know a 24″ ETT is perfect for me and my riding which equates to Large in Turner and SC. but more often medium in many of the other brands I’ve owned.

I’m sniffing around one of these too. At 6‘ my perfect ETT length is about 24″. Even the medium is longer than that. Sure, it has a fairly long stock stem, but I’m still thinking medium. I think it’s quite a short Reverb tho, so that could be an issue.

After a while searching, I managed to get a hold of a Specialized Ground Control 2.3 and it fits in the back with space. I’ll need to trim the front mech tho.

Now if I could only find a Butcher in 29″.

I have a lovely 18″ Ragley Ti ready to go 😉 Email me if you are interested.

Mine isn’t shit. Nicest riding bike I’ve had. No way should a 29er be able to corner like this one.

Yeah, why did you buy Flows if you don’t wanna go tubeless?

Maybe that’s the solution: 29″ front wheel and 650b at the back with a burly 2.4 tyre.

This is what I’ve been thinking. I have a spare Hope hub so may give it a go. Otherwise I’m still not clear which tyre I’ll use on the rear with 2×10 for a foreign holiday in April.

I’m 6’and have had a couple of 17″ PAs … perfect size. Had a 19″ MG and it was definitely too big for me.

6′ here on an 18″. My Ragley is the same size … they feel like very similar sizes and angles. Wheelbase is smaller on the Titus tho!

I’ve used these rims for years. Have a pair of grey ones on my primary King-hubbed 26er wheels. Excellent balance of weight, durability and width for general riding IMO. I have a spare pair of the correct Stan’s rim strips if you struggle with ghetto.

I had a pair of folding 2.25s after they came out. First ride out on the Arkle Loop I tore a sidewall on the rear at the head of Glen Golly but managed a bodge which saw me out. Was lucky in such a remote location. The bit of track it happened on isn’t that rough and I was climbing at the time.

Decided then they were too flimsy for rear use, but maintained one on the front and kept it on the bike for a few weeks, but found it burped a few times and I lost confidence in it … the tread wasn’t great for a front tyre either.

I imagine if the sturdy Crossmark 2.25 LUST carcass was on the tyre it would be fine on the rear, but really I can’t see a single reason to choose this over (for example) a Crossmark, HR or Ardent. It doesn’t do anything particularly well IMO.

Yep same with my seat tube. Very noticeable where it’s clamped.

Bought a 40t MRP XCG in ISCG for mine and discovered the guides are not in alignment. £43 down the drain.

A mark 2 with fixes for these issues would be good ASAP. Feels a bit like being a test rider TBH. Says a lot about the ride that I’ve no intention of dropping it tho.

as in no badge and no decals

they shipped them out of the uK before I even knew they had landed!
and before the decals arrived from the USA.

I think decals are in tommorow, so we’ll be playing catch up.

Sorry for that.

So I reckon I should getting a headtube badge and decals. Haven’t seen them yet tho.

Brant, if I buy one of the 499 frames, will I get decals and a head tube badge ?
Trigger ready to be pulled, thanks……

No sorry.

The full price early adopters are getting headtube badges and decals tho yeah?

Cheers ashleydwsmith.

Cheers, from what I’ve read the 2.3 is a 2013 tyre! Doesn’t seem to be available in the UK tho 🙁

I’ve toyed with the idea of a NN or RaRa, but I’ve seen more punctures and tears on NNs than any other tyre so probably don’t want to take the risk with them.

Gee76, like chuffnuts I’m 6′ and an 18″ is spot on for me with a 50mm stem and 760mm bar. You could probably go 18 or 20 at 6’2″.

DX shoes and Rab Vapor Rise smock. Sure, the latter isn’t bike specific, but there is no better winter top over a merino T-shirt. IMO of course.

Sounds like the wheels. I’m using Flows on Hope Hoops and there is nothing noodley about it. A medium sized pal who was out with me last weekend had 26er Hoops with Crests and you could easily flex them from side to side with little pressure. Fine for small, light riders I guess 😉

Beats my Ragley Ti by a long way, which beats any 456 (IMO).

18″ Ragley anyone?

Dazz, I’ll have one … email incoming 🙂

If anyone can pick me one up I’d be very grateful … none near me.