2012 Bikes

The Whyte CX bike I got all excited about a couple of pages back is on their website here.

Here's another prototype. Fugly but should be brilliant.

What's with the head tube angle on Whyte bikes? I imagine it steers like a barge.

its like an ugly version of the boardman cx

It's very slack. Like 69° I think.

It's been developed to handle decents and bigger terrain than your average cross bike. Wide bars, a short stem etc. You get the idea.

I haven't managed to have a go yet as all the prototypes I've come across have been too big.

I know 2 locals who've ordered them, so I might get to try one shortly.

The main things about my CX bike are the sharp handling, and drops. Makes light trails more smile worthy. If you dont have the handling, then you might as well throw some drops on a 29er, and give yourself more options.

IMHO etc.

It's all speculation though. None of us have ridden a CX bike developed with a slack HA before because they haven't existed. Perhaps they haven't existed for a very good reason, but you'd have to be pretty closed to write this bike off just yet.

I have it on good authority* that they are the shit for technical cross riding.

*this authority did get a free bike though.

It's all speculation though. None of us have ridden a CX bike developed with a slack HA before because they haven't existed. Perhaps they haven't existed for a very good reason, but you'd have to be pretty closed to write this bike off just yet.

I have it on good authority* that they are the shit for technical cross riding.

*this authority did get a free bike though.

But a slack CX bike, is just a 29er with drops, and shit clearances, Shirley?

People have been riding 29ers wth drops for donkeys years. But with more tyre options. I'm struggling to see the point here.

IMHO (by which I mean FACT)

You'd have to ask a bike designer but I'm pretty sure it's not that simple.

BB height, suspension corrected geometry and being developed for use with risers are differences I'd have thought.

Not Fact.

(IMHO)

:)

You'd have to ask a bike designer but I'm pretty sure it's not that simple.

BB height, suspension corrected geometry and being developed for use with risers are differences I'd have thought.

Yeah. I'm just being argumentative.

But there is a spectrum from CX to 29er (via monster cross), and that Whyte just seems to be in a part of that spectrum with the least advantages.

IMO.

I agree it totally blurs the line.

But it's a bike that could:

• keep up on shite-weather winter road training rides (with skinny tyres and mudguards).
  
• excel at gnarly nighttime road training rides (when a road bike can be a bit of a handful).
  
• go green laning or tough-stuff light touring.
  
• race cross (with knobblies).
  
• play on singletrack far better than your average cx racing bike.
  
  

You can't ride a 29er on a club run.

I don't see why it has any advantage over a regular cyclocross bike on singletrack?

Disc brakes, plus a 69° head angle would surely help.

I'm not convinced. I ran cable operated discs on my cross bike and, frankly, they were shit when using road levers, inferior to a well set up pair of cantilevers.

That head angle would give a more relaxed steering response meaning less manouvereability, which isn't what I'd want on a cross bike.

I think the slack head angle is a step away from cross racing, towards bigger terrain.

Then I'd go for a 29'er with front suspension. :-)

It'll be interesting to see what you think of it, should you get the chance to ride one.

Andy- I've spent ages getting my discs set up, let me know if you fancy a go- they now work pretty well.

As in, a lot more power than road calipers, whatever the weather, I've not run canti's in living memory so cannot compare to them.

But it's a bike that could:

• ~~ keep up on shite-weather winter road training rides (with skinny tyres and mudguards). ~~ A standard CX bike would be better.
  
• ~~ excel at gnarly nighttime road training rides (when a road bike can be a bit of a handful).~~ A standard CX bike would be better.
  
• ~~ go green laning or tough-stuff light touring.~~ A standard CX bike would be better (Maybe, on this one).
  
• ~~ race cross (with knobblies).~~ A standard CX bike would be better.
  
• ~~ play on singletrack far better than your average cx racing bike.~~ Not convinced
  
  

If you bought something like a peregrine, you could do all of the above betterer. With the option of running 2.2" 29er tyres for singletrack, and full front and rear racks'n'guards for the touring bit.

I think the slack head angle is a step away from cross racing, towards bigger terrain.
Not much point having a slacker headtube, for more stability on rough decents, if you are running 32mm tyres. A better compromise would be a road friendly HTA, with room for 29er tyres.

They're doing it wrong.

Regarding using a mountain bike... I couldn't run 25c tyres on the same rims. Or keep up on the club runs because my bike weights 13kg+ and has the BB in the wrong place for pedalling.

I'm riding with a thousand Ribbles ridden by nutters on these training rides and don't wand to hold them up.

:)

Andy- I've spent ages getting my discs set up, let me know if you fancy a go- they now work pretty well.

As in, a lot more power than road calipers, whatever the weather, I've not run canti's in living memory so cannot compare to them.

I'm waiting for someone like SRAM to do a road hydraulic disc groupset.

But thanks for the offer, I may take you up on it.

GRThat whyte angle remind me of the salsa fargo.

^ constant uphill

Is 2011 the year Fuji Classic died, or is that the XS version?

The smallest Fuji Track is a junior 650C version (and has been for some time).