Whyte 901 V Spesh Rockhopper Pro

Ste23

Hi,

New to bikeradar, and have a typical boring "which bike should I buy" type query:

I'm probably going the Whyte 901 hardtail, looks like a decent spec and quite a light bike for the price range. But I’m having last minute thoughts about the Rockhopper Pro which seems to be the same price, but marginally lighter and better spec’d.

I’ve always like the Rockhopper but wanted to put a bigger fork on it any time I rode it in steep rocky trails. So I like the longer fork on the Whyte. And since weight is comparable I’m inclined to lean toward the tougher bike (Whyte I hope)

Still since I’m shelling out over €1300 on a bike (yeah we get rode on price in Ireland) I wouldn’t mind some other opinions on these two bikes. (Marin Rocky ridge and Marin Palisades Trail also were on the list)

Here are the specs:

Whyte 901
Frame 6061 Hydro Formed T6 Aluminium, Custom Drawn and Multi Butted
Fork RockShox Recon TK, Maxle Light 120mm Travel, Solo Air, Adjustable Compression
Headset FSA Semi Integrated, 1 1/8" Sealed Cartridge Bearings
Rear Hub Alloy, Double Sealed Bearing Hub, 32 Hole
Front Hub Alloy, Double Sealed Bearing Hub 20mm Through Axle, 32 Hole
Spokes WTB 1.8mm, Black Stainless with Brass Nipples
Rims Mavic XM 119 Disc Noir, 32 Hole
Tyres Continental Trail King Fold 26" x 2.2"
Shift Levers SRAM X-7, 10 Speed
Front Derailleur SRAM X-7, 10 Speed
Rear Derailleur SRAM X-7 Long Cage, 10 Speed
Cassette SRAM PG-1050, 12-36, 10 Speed
Chain SRAM PC-1030, 10 Speed
Crankset SRAM FC S1000, GXP, 44-33-22, 10 Speed
Bottom Bracket SRAM GXP
Seatpost Whyte 20mm Offset, 30.9mm x 400mm, 2014 Alloy
Saddle Whyte Custom
Bar SRAM Stylo Race, 31.8mm, 25.4mm Rise, 680mm Wide
Stem Whyte Custom, 70mm S, 80mm M, 90mm L
Grips Whyte Custom Lock-on
Brakes Front Avid Elixir 5, 180mm Rotor
Brakes Rear Avid Elixir 5, 160mm Rotor
Brake Levers Avid Elixir 5
Pedals None

Specialized Rockhopper
FRAME Specialized M4 SL fully manipulated alloy frame, fully butted, integrated HT, forged dropouts w/ replaceable derailleur hanger, disc only
FORK RockShox Recon Gold SL, magnesium lower, 1-1/8" alloy steerer, 32mm alloy stanchions, solo air spring, Pop-Loc remote LO, external rebound adj.
HEADSET Integrated 1-1/8" threadless, Campy type full cartridge bearings
STEM 3D forged alloy, 7 degree rise, 31.8mm clamp
HANDLEBARS Butted alloy riserbar, 25mm rise, 8 degree back sweep, 6 degree up
GRIPS Specialized Enduro, dual compound Kraton, no flange, 131mm
FRONT BRAKE Avid Juicy 3 SL hydraulic disc, alloy backed pads, 160mm G2 Clean Sweep Rotor
REAR BRAKE Avid Juicy 3 SL hydraulic disc, alloy backed pads, 160mm G2 Clean Sweep Rotor
BRAKE LEVERS Avid Juicy 3 SL hydraulic
FRONT DERAILLEUR Shimano SLX, 34.9mm clamp, top swing, dual pull
REAR DERAILLEUR Shimano XT 10sp Shadow Long cage
SHIFT LEVERS Shimano SL-M660-10, SLX rapid fire
CASSETTE Shimano HG81, 10-speed, 11-34t
CHAIN Shimano HG74, directional
CRANKSET Shimano FC-M552, 2pc., cartridge bearing outboard BB
CHAINRINGS 44A x 32S x 22S replaceable
BOTTOM BRACKET Shimano BB-ES25, Octalink spline, cartridge bearing, 68mm x 118mm
PEDALS Alloy 1pc. body and cage, reflector kit, 9/16"
RIMS DT-Swiss 445, 26", alloy double wall disc, pinned w/ eyelets
FRONT HUB Forged alloy, hi/low flange, double sealed, ground race, machined disc mount and flange, QR, 28h
REAR HUB Forged alloy, mid flange, double sealed, ground race, machined disc mount and flanges, cassette, QR, 32h
SPOKES 2mm (14g) stainless
FRONT TIRE Specialized The Captain Control, 26x2.0", 60TPI, tubeless ready aramid bead
REAR TIRE Specialized The Captain Control, 26x2.0", 60TPI, tubeless ready aramid bead
INNER TUBES Presta valve
SADDLE Specialized Rockhopper XC, Body Geometry, 143mm width, front and rear bumpers
SEATPOST Alloy two bolt, 12.5mm offset, micro adjust, 30.9mm
SEAT BINDER Forged alloy QR, brass washer
NOTES Chain stay protector, reflectors, clear coat, owners manual

Herbie The Dog

I think you can probably guess which one I'd go for.

Test tide is the way forward.

Ste23

Alright Herbie,
Cheers for the reply. I tested the 905 last night and really liked it. Was very close to saying fk it and going €500 over budget but I'm already €300 over budget anyway.
I know the 901 will be slightly heavier but otherwise it's nearly the same bike.

Was hoping someone like yourself would just tell me I'd be mad not to go for it or that the rockhopper was better spec'd.

Stephen

diy

If its just the 120mm fork that is the difference why not ask the LBS to remove the space in the 100mm Rockhopper and set it up as 120mm?

My mrs' bike is a 'hopper and it has a 120mm Reba on it - until I nicked it, but it road well at 120mm.

Ste23

Cheerr diy, I'll have a think about that.

Fars

Personally i'd go for the Whyte. Such lovely bikes, I wish i'd gone for one over my Cube.

But test riding is essential in my opinion.

Ste23

Thanks Fars, I've just ordered the Whyte. I tried the Cube a few nights ago and it seemed like a really nice bike too. But the price wasn't right and would take too long to order the right size.
Fingers crossed I've done right the right thing now.

getonyourbike

I would have said to get the whyte and if I had that money to spend on a bike, I'd personally probably get the whyte too. They're very nice looking bikes with quality frames, well worth upgrading when parts wear.

Ste23

cheers getonyourbike, great to hear some positivity now that i've bitten the bullet cant wait to get my hands on it now.

mobilekat

You cant go far wrong with a Whyte...
OH loves his, I quite like it too! (just preferred Trek geometry- but Whyte spec much better!)

Herbie The Dog

Ste23 wrote:

Thanks Fars, I've just ordered the Whyte. I tried the Cube a few nights ago and it seemed like a really nice bike too. But the price wasn't right and would take too long to order the right size.
Fingers crossed I've done right the right thing now.

You know it makes sense.

Fars

Nice one mate, i'm sure you'll love the new bike.

Ste23

Cheers to everyone who replied, I got the Whyte 901 last Friday. Gorgeous bike. Sleek frame. Surprisingly light, just under 27lbs with a pair of crap pedals the bike shop threw on it.
Will be posting a full review in the next week or two for anyone looking into getting one.
[img]C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\boyles\Desktop\Delete\Bike\Profile%203.JPG[/img]

How do you insert images/photos?

popstar

Host upload your photos to Flicker/Photobucket like sites, then copy paste links here in that style of

.

Whyte looks better for more aggresive riding while Rockhopper (more XC racing), I had one, is still fine but wasn't designed around 120mm. Good choice.

Ste23

Ste23

what the hell am I doing wrong here?

cooldad

Ste23 wrote:

what the hell am I doing wrong here?

Flickr have done something weird - I had the same problem - needs to be a .jpg link.

popstar

done for you ... click on your photos for desired size 540 or 640 then right click, open properties ... and copy paste IMAGE LOCATION link with ending of ....JPG.

Those pedals are a TURD. Upgrade them immidiately!
Let them be either Superstar Nono mag's or Wellgo MG1, Wellgo B54 for hardcore riding in whichever colour you may preffer.

getonyourbike

that looks so good 8)

Ste23

Cheers Popstar, that was doing my head in.

I'll post some betters pics and a bit of a review over the next week or so for anyone interested in getting one.

Can't write much now, watching my country go down the toilet.

Ste

spinner88

Hi Stephen, are those pics of an XL 901? If not, does anyone else have some pics of a XL Whyte hardtail? I'm thinking of getting one, just wondering if the geometry works in the large sizes...

Ste23

Hi Spinner,

It's actually just a Large. They are big bikes. Longer wheelbase than a Spesh Rockhopper (if that gives you a frame of reference.) Think that's from longer stays, plus the longer fork stretches it a bit.
I'm 6 foot tall and I think its a tiny bit too big for me. Its a bit difficult getting behind the saddle when necessary, but it hasn't been a huge problem. If you're not much taller than me I'd say go sit on a Large before thinking about an XL. They are long bikes and come specced with a long stem.

I'ver had it over a year now and it's been terrific. Think it weighed in at 26lbs when I got it and it's worked out great on longer rides. Uphill is a breeze with it.
I was a little worried about strength when I got it. The seat stays are really intricate pretty looking things (not what I usually look for in a mtb), but I've never had any problems with it in that department. I've never dropped it off anything really high but I jump anything on the trail I can and it soaks it up. A light AND tough bike.

The components have all been top notch too. The fork is fantastic, I was pretty surprised how good the Recon was. Its a 120mm and thats perfect for my style of riding. Was really responsive and smooth, lock out comes in handy too. Avid Elixir brakes are top notch, actually felt better than the Hope I have on my Heckler. SRAM set up is sweet too.

I'm going to put up a more complete review of my first impressions now. I meant to put it up a year ago but never did cause I was waiting on a response from Whyte about 1 small (but disappointing) flaw with the bike. More of that in the next post. Its a bit of a long winded review so hopefully this summary answers your questions.

Ste

Ste23

Whyte 901 Review

I had quite a bit of difficulty finding any review of the Wyte 901 before taking the plunge. Most of the attention gets centred on its bigger brother the 905. So I thought I’d put up a review here to get some of the info online I’d like to have had pre-purchase. I’m not a bike expert by any stretch, so this review is basically my impressions of the bike rather than anything techy.
The 120mm fork, geometry and reputation of Whyte and their ‘designed for British conditions’ bikes (I presume similar to Ireland) won out. Actually the whole spec was better value.
I’ve been riding the same full suss for the last 4 years - 36 lb heckler. So a lot of my experiences of this hardtail are in stark contrast to that full suss. In a couple of instances I have made comparisons with the Specialized Rockhopper, purely because it was my second preference.

1.) Frame
2.) Components
3.) Ride
4.) Frame Issue/Whyte Quality Control Failure

1. Frame – Large - 26 lbs

Size
I bought a Large and it feels quite long, the rear wheel is a little further behind me than I am used to. It’s more difficult getting my ass behind the saddle and over the rear wheel for steep descents and particularly for hopping the bike when needs be.
That said, the cockpit isn’t overly stretched. The top tube is 612.2mm v 615mm on the Rockhopper, so it’s actually a shorter cockpit. It’s the wheelbase length that feels quite long, it’s 1 inch longer than that of the 19 inch Specialized Rockhopper; although how that is achieved is a little beyond me. The chain stays are shorter on the Whyte and the top tube is the same length. The BB is higher on the Whyte and the longer fork must push the front wheel out a bit so maybe that’s where the length comes from. (long story short, it feels long)

Mine came stocked with a 90mm stem which is a bit on the long side for me. I tried to get the store to swap out the stem but unfortunately Whyte spec their own stem which the bike shop cant really sell on (or so they claimed.) I’ve swapped that for a very short 60 mm stem and the handling changed noticeably for the better, much more comfortable hopping the bike too.

Geometry
The geometry is very relaxed, which is one of the reasons I bought the bike. Riser bars and a 67.5 head angle with the 120mm fork make for a great light hardtail that is just as much fun when hit the downhill. (after a year of riding I can confirm it handles great, but always feels a bit long to me)

Tubes
The tubes are all highly shaped with the exception of the top tube and seat tube which are the only plain old round tubes on the bike; although the top tube does grow wider towards the front. The head tube itself is slightly tapered or appears to be, although in the spec grid on the whyte website it doesn’t mention it. Everything on the bike appears to have had a good deal of thought put into it.
The chain and seat stays are highly shaped and almost as thin as a road bike in parts. Whats the point in the twisted seat stay design? I’d love to know, I’ve never seen this before. At the very bottom of the seat stay at the drop out the bars are really minimal, I always thought if there was one part of the bike i’d want reinforced it was right there. And most hardore hardtails are blocky right at that point (think Santa Cruz chameleon.) But then again this is called 901- XC Trail bike. Not 901 Freeride bike.

Weight
The 901 weight is given as 26.1 lbs, presumably without pedals. But i got the bike store to weigh the bike with the cheap plastic pedals they fitted and it came to just under 26lbs for the Large frame. I’d guess there must have been a problem with their scales as I’m sure Whyte would want to boast the lowest weight. Still this is a pretty light bike, I couldn’t find another bike at the price as light. (with the exception of the Specialized Rockhopper which is allegedly slightly lighter but with 20mm less travel)

2. Components

Brakes
Avid Elixr R. Fantastic. I had Hope M4 on my heckler which at times were very good but nothing compared to the responsiveness of the Elixers. They’ve just fully bedded in now and they are exactly what I always thought hydro brakes should be. Enough stopping power for downhill crazy speed? Not sure about that. But more than enough for everything else. (a year on and I’ve never had an issue, I dont race downhill on it obviously but I gun it down the trail and it stops when i tell it to.) Smooth easy 1st stage but as soon as you compress beyond half way the bite is deadly.

Fork
Before the bike got delivered I was seriously considering swapping the Rockshox Recon out for a higher end fork before even bringing it to the trail. The guy in the shop said there’d be no need. He was right. I’m not a rep for SRAM who own everything on this bike as far as I can see – brakes, fork, bars, transmission etc, but like the brakes, the fork just works really well. It is super active. The only thing I dont like about it at the moment is the frame matching sticker nonsense.... (My girlfriend likes how everything matches. Enough said.)

Wheels
I dont know too much about wheels but the first time up the mountain on the bike I took a bizarre tumble where I went over the bars, landed on my feet, the bike came over my body while I’m still holding onto the bar and slammed into the ground at the rear wheel. The wheel took 100% of the force side on, and wasn’t knocked the slightest bit out of true. I haven’t dropped it off anything more than a couple of feet but it all feels solid. (I jump it off rocks and small drops, nothing hardcore, and it feels fine)

Bars
Very wide. I like that. But very wide.

Cables
All routed on the underside of the top tube. I like that too. It’s the right place for cables.

3. Ride

And at the end of the day I bought this bike to be my light xc hardtail which could still take a bit of rough stuff. And thats exactly what it does. I’ve had it out for 4 trail rides incorporating everything from muddy xc nonsense, downhill track, uphill snowy cliff single track and road and it does it all beautifully. (I’ve had it over a year now and it’s still soaking it up.I spend more time on it than the Heckler.)

It handles really well but it has a pretty high front end so its not as sharp as a more dedicated xc machine. But that’s your trade off. And its worth it. I ride a lot of the same trails I do with the full suss and I don’t have to adjust my style as much I thought I would.

As I’ve mentioned before: its long. I’m totally used to it now, but its not a really easy bike to bunny hop or carve very tight twisty lines. That said, this could be a sizing issue. And what you lose on those issues you gain with stability and comfort over the long haul. It’s really a sizing and preference thing. Get on the bike and try it out.

4. Frame Issue/Whyte Quality Control Failure

There is a small flaw at the top of the headtube at the point of contact with the headset with the bike I bought. It almost looks like a chip out of the frame or a dent but there is no chip from the paint so it appears as though the tube was formed like that. I've never seen a flaw like it before, not on my first cheap bike and not on my Santa Cruz. I was really surprised to find this imperfection on a €1,350 bike; more than a little disappointing.

I contacted the shop when I spotted the issue and they contacted Whyte. Whyte told me that it looked like the head tube had taken a knock while being heat treated. They said it should have been spotted during the quality control checks, but must have been missed. But they also said it shouldn’t cause a problem with structural integrity of the frame in this area. There was also another feature missing from the paint work on the bike, Whyte also said it should have been spotted by the Q/C guys

The bike has functioned well and I can’t say I'm unhappy with its performance at all. But Whyte stating that the issues shouldn’t have made it through quality control still bothers me a bit, especially after paying over €1300.

Ok, long winded review over. Hope it helps.

Ste

spinner88

Thanks Stephen, great write up. I'm a bit taller at 6.5 so thinking the XL is best. Very hard to find pics of the XL whyte hardtails though...

diy

It seems strange that they admit its a defect, but have not offered a remedy. I'd press them a little harder. If you have all that commentary in writing - it would be a slam dunk small claim in English law, dunno about other locations.

If they wont replace the frame, which would be disproportionate, they should still offers some cash back for the defect. Its basic statutory rights stuff.

Squillinossett

I got a Whyte 901 couple of week ago, after I was told the Core 50 I had ordered was sold out.

Went out for the first trip on Sunday, and to be honest, im happy the Core 50 was sold out, cracking ride, quick, light, and looks good to boot!

I will change the tires to more "mud proof" ones, other than that, I cant fault it.

Sy Hollinshead

Here is my newly purchased Whyte 905 in XL for you to look at....



This is the only piccy i have of it. Its an awesome bike though. I'm 6'2" and like a big bike and this one is spot on for me....

diy

looks like you are missing a bar end plug?

spinner88

Thanks for uploading the pic Sy - this gives me a bit of an idea of how the geometry looks in real life. How do you find the length for mono's, bunny hops & tight singletrack?

Sy Hollinshead

I love it, the bike is awesome on the trickier sections, and doesn't feel much bigger than any other bike. Oh, and i have fitted new bar end plugs as one was indeed missing....