Whyte Dorset experiances

wheely123

I am looking to get something a bit sportier than my current hybrid and heavy tourer so I can do some long rides/tours with roady friends. At 6"2 I am after more relaxed geometry than a standard road bike. The Whyte Dorset seems to fit the bill and buget of around £1K. Genesis are also an option. Has anyone got any experiance with the Dorset or recommend an alternative?

arlowood

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19717083#p19717083]wheely123[/url] wrote:

I am looking to get something a bit sportier than my current hybrid and heavy tourer so I can do some long rides/tours with roady friends. At 6"2 I am after more relaxed geometry than a standard road bike. The Whyte Dorset seems to fit the bill and buget of around £1K. Genesis are also an option. Has anyone got any experiance with the Dorset or recommend an alternative?

Planet X London Road. For your £1K budget you can get the SRAM Rival 22 version with hydraulic discs.

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXLDNRIVHRD/planet-x-london-road-sram-rival-22-hydraulic-disc-road-bike#reviewstab

I am slightly biased, however, as I've recently bought the slightly lower spec version (£800) which has mechanical rather than hydraulic disc brakes.

I am very impressed and pleased with my purchase. Fast and comfortable with the option for full guards and panniers if so desired. Also space for tyres up to 35c if you fancy a bit of off-roading. Hasn't quite got the BB clearance to make it a full CX bike but it's a damn good all-rounder and good on tarmac with some 28c Pro4 Endurance tyres (or similar)

alan_sherman

Do a search for the Suffolk - same frame but a higher groupset. There were some frame failures on earlier models but seem solved now. There was a tread in the last week about CX or do-it all bikes with a large list of alternatives.

trek_dan

They are pretty heavy if your planning on using it as more road bike than tourer.

curto80

The Dorset is currently running at £300 off in the sales so make sure you factor that in when comparing to other options. Although they had a bit of a blip with their road bikes a couple of years ago, generally Whyte make great bikes. The Dorset was downgraded from Tiagra to Sora last year which was a shame but I guess as a commuter it doesn't matter that much. I'd take the above advice and see what deals are available on the Suffolk as that is better specced.

If you are set on spending a grand I'd be looking at Kinesis personally.

wheely123

Thanks for all the advice, I'll have a look at the Kinesis, Genesis and Planet X before making a decision. A friend has added the Cannondale CAADX to the mix so lots of test riding and research required