Whyte 901 custom build

jimothy78

For a while now, I've wanted to try a longer/slacker hardtail build than my 2007 Hardrock, so when this 901 frame (from 2012, the last year they did 26") popped up on ebay, I pressed the button on impulse.


Built it up with parts that I mostly had already knocking around, with few tweaks and a rattle-can for a bit of pimpery:







The Revelation forks were originally 150mm, but I travel-reduced them to 130mm with some spacers my mate 3D printed for me, and tarted them up with some new decals:


So this is how it looks now:

Forks: Rockshox Revelation RCT3 (reduced to 130mm travel)
Wheels: Superstar Tactic Rims / Switch UltraLite hubs
Front Tyre: Specialized Purgatory (tubeless)
Rear Tyre: Maxxis Ardent (with tube)
Brakes: Deore m615

Shifter: SLX m660
Rear Mech: SLX m675
Chain: Clarks 10 speed
Cassette: Sunrace MS3 11-42T
Chainset: m552 cranks, Superstar I/O chainring
Pedals: Superstar Nano thru

Saddle: Charge Spoon
Seatpost: Superstar Simple Setback
Bars: BrandX 740mm
Stem: Truvativ Hussefelt 50mm
Grips: Specialized SIP

Weight: 11.6kg including pedals

duke duvet

thats a grand build. I see you really did get a bargain on that frame! Been looking for a 901/905 frame but they dont come up often. Mind full bikes are really cheap even the new 650b ones.

jimothy78

duke duvet wrote:

thats a grand build.

Thanks.

I see you really did get a bargain on that frame!

Been doing some detective work? Actually, 26" Hardtails are so "yesterday" for most people that the frames go for peanuts on ebay. for me it made sense, as I wanted to use 26" wheels and forks I already had, but at £100 including postage I still probably paid way over the going rate!

Looking for a 901/905 frame but they dont come up often. Mind full bikes are really cheap even the new 650b ones.

Interestingly, looking at the Whyte website, I've noticed that the 905 and 901 frames are actually slightly different (pressfit BB on the 905, english thread on the 901, for instance) this is quite unusual - normally different models in the same range have different parts, but only cosmetically different frames.

Jonesinamilion

Very nice and long live the 26er... Love the seat by the way!

Is the front brake cable v v long or just the photo angle?

jimothy78

Jonesinamilion wrote:

Is the front brake cable v v long or just the photo angle?

Yeah - it's long. Cutting it down is on the 'to do' list, but I didn't have an insert and olive, so I stuck it on as it was for the sake of finishing the build.

jimothy78

Ooops!

I wrote:

from 2012, the last year they did 26"

After breaking the derailleur hanger whilst riding Freeminers last weekend, and in the subsequent process of trying to find a matching replacement, I've realised that I'd been mis-informed by the seller, and it's actually a 2013 model - the dropouts are a different shape, due to the switch to post-mounts for that year's frame.