2017 Whyte T130C RS

lawman

After a relatively brief 18 month love affair with my now old Foxy, I decided I was never going to be #Enduro or supergnarbro etc. Incredibly capable and fast as the Foxy was on more mundane XC/trail stuff it just didn't feel as lively as I'd like and I've been yearning after something a little more XC based over the last 6 months or so. I flirted with the idea of a short travel but still fairly agro 29er, having a ridden a Yeti SB4.5c and being totally blown away, but there was no way I could a) justify £3k on a frame and b) live with the added nightmare of the switch link. The same day I rode the Yeti I also swung over a leg over several Whyte T130's. I was pretty much set on going down a tier or two spec wise from what I normally have, with a new house now money isn't exactly flowing atm. The alloy T-130 RS was excellent, as was the S. And then I rode the Works version and all of a sudden it wasn't so easy. In the end I kind of ended up in the middle with a 2017 T130C RS





The spec is excellent without being too flashy and a few firsts for me as well, with this being the first bike I've ever owned with SRAM gearing and brakes, first Rockshox rear shock and first time back on Rockshox fork for the best part of 5 years.



I was intrigued by how I'd get on with the X01 Eagle, I've never struggled for gears with a 34-42 bottom gear, so a 34-50 was always going to be interesting.



Took it for it's maiden ride last night, just a quick blast round Llandegla with my old man. First impressions are this thing is mega! The overall feel is exactly what I was after, livelier and more XC feeling than the Foxy but still with loads of stability. The back end feels incredible too, there is so much mid-stroke support the bike fires out of compressions and off jumps like nothing I've ridden before. The Pike is a big step up from the last RS fork I owned, a Revelation from about 2010/11. Actually felt as good as my old 36, needs a little air out as I was barely getting 2/3rds of the travel but with a bit of fine tuning it should be an awesome fork. The X01 Eagle is next level. I don't usually like SRAM, I think most of their kit feels and looks cheap but this Eagle stuff is just incredible. Smooth changes, massive range and it feels pretty damn good overall.

Overall chuffed to bits with this and looking forward to racking the miles up

lostboysaint

Like!

chrisnic365

I have one of these on my demo list currently. I'd be interested in how you find it riding some steeper rocky trails.

I've got a 2015 T129 currently and it's been great for the type of riding I originally got it for but as I've moved on I'm finding it a bit big and cumbersome on some trails and not particularly confidence inspiring on some of the steeper/rougher parts of Ard Rock this year. That's not what is was meant for I appreciate.

I'd like to keep that for winter and get something that's a lot more fun and agile and which can handle a bit more but which also is still fun for a whole day out and can still be pedalled. i.e. I'm not looking for a 160mm 'enduro' machine.

I rode a 2016 T130RS (the ally one) round Swinley and really liked it but there's nothing there to validate my ask above. I'm basically thinking of this, a 5010C or a Bronson.

lawman

chrisnic365 wrote:

I have one of these on my demo list currently. I'd be interested in how you find it riding some steeper rocky trails.

I've got a 2015 T129 currently and it's been great for the type of riding I originally got it for but as I've moved on I'm finding it a bit big and cumbersome on some trails and not particularly confidence inspiring on some of the steeper/rougher parts of Ard Rock this year. That's not what is was meant for I appreciate.

I'd like to keep that for winter and get something that's a lot more fun and agile and which can handle a bit more but which also is still fun for a whole day out and can still be pedalled. i.e. I'm not looking for a 160mm 'enduro' machine.

I rode a 2016 T130RS (the ally one) round Swinley and really liked it but there's nothing there to validate my ask above. I'm basically thinking of this, a 5010C or a Bronson.

Hey Chris, I've had limited riding on it so far, but from first impressions it feels like it will cope well in steeper terrain. The geometry is excellent and the suspension is great, definitely on the tauter, feedback rich side than being super plush but I like it a lot as it means I can move the bike around easier rather than just being sucked to the floor as you can feel with some longer travel enduro bikes. I've not ridden the current gen 5010 or Bronson but for the price between the two there is no comparison for me. The Whyte is very, very good and there is no way from experience of the first 5010 and Bronson that they will be "worth" the extra. Sure if you want to pose about and you have the cash then why not, but as a performance tool the T130 is likely the better choice. I actually thought the first generation was pretty crap, nowhere near as good as I hoped it would be.

chrisnic365

thanks.

I'm not interested in looking cool at the park. I also don't want to be the "all the gear..." guy so the brand bit of the Santa Cruz means little. The Bronson C in S build isn't too much more than the T130 - OK so £500 is a long way from spare change but we're in the same area.

I guess I just wonder if the Whyte will get a bit out of control over courses like Ard Rock. I know the geo is top. It's more a suspension question. But then I challenge myself to really think about the riding that I do most of the time. It's a toughy. Like I say I rode a T130 RS and really liked it. Way more than my current T129 for playing about on.

lawman

Small update, got our photographer in work to get some higher quality pics, left the bike a little messy for something different (Or I was just feeling lazy!)













Had some more time getting to ride it and it really is good. The geometry is absolutely bob on and it continues to impress me going down, I'm not the most skilled rider, I can do fast(ish) no problem but jumping, whipping or just generally looking like I know what I'm doing has never come easy to me, so having a bike that encourages me to jump about and mess around is doing wonders for that, already feeling much more confident. The bike climbs very well, it could do with some lighter wheels to make it feel a bit livelier on longer climbs, but technical climbing wise it's yet to not get me up anything, which is pretty impressive. I've changed the grips already though, the stock Whyte ones are super thin and don't offer much in the way of comfort so have borrowed some Race Face Half Nelsons off a colleague to see how I can get on with those, though I did get a sneeky look at the new Ergon DH grips which feel awesome, so I may look to get some of those in the new year. Overall though there is very little to fault on this bike, planning on some new lighter wheels in the new year once my cycle to work voucher comes up again but aside from that its bang on as it is

Maurice4

Hi all.

I'm really interested in the T130 C RS 2017 and enjoyed your review. The photos look mint by the way!! 8)

I'm currently riding a 2014 Whyte G150 and my only hang up is the drop in travel from 150 to 130.

I've read all the web reviews, and they all say that the bike is more than capable of hitting the big stuff, but I was just interested to know if you've had chance to throw it down anything rough yet? And if so, how did it handle it??

Someone else on here mentioned Ard Rock, I did it this year and would love to do it next. I also ride in the peaks regularly, and don't doubt for one second that the new carbon T130 with the Eagle would leave my current bike standing on the climbs... But how would it handle the big rocky descents??

I've also considered the new Bronson, the 5010 and the Yeti SB6 enduro. But I'm intrigued about this bike and why people rave about it so much. And for the price, it's a great spec.

I've booked a demo with leisure lakes at beginning of December...Hoping it lives up to the hype!!

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

bigmitch41

Nice! that 50t rear looks insane. Enjoy.

chrisnic365

nice pics!

It's still on my list to try when my ribs heal. I'd parked it in favour of a longer travel bike but have just missed out on a nice G160 (****ing fuming).

Oddly enough, the other bike I'm looking at is a Foxy XR

lawman

Maurice4 wrote:

Hi all.

I'm really interested in the T130 C RS 2017 and enjoyed your review. The photos look mint by the way!! 8)

I'm currently riding a 2014 Whyte G150 and my only hang up is the drop in travel from 150 to 130.

I've read all the web reviews, and they all say that the bike is more than capable of hitting the big stuff, but I was just interested to know if you've had chance to throw it down anything rough yet? And if so, how did it handle it??

Someone else on here mentioned Ard Rock, I did it this year and would love to do it next. I also ride in the peaks regularly, and don't doubt for one second that the new carbon T130 with the Eagle would leave my current bike standing on the climbs... But how would it handle the big rocky descents??

I've also considered the new Bronson, the 5010 and the Yeti SB6 enduro. But I'm intrigued about this bike and why people rave about it so much. And for the price, it's a great spec.

I've booked a demo with leisure lakes at beginning of December...Hoping it lives up to the hype!!

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Hi Maurice, thanks for reading!

The bike is very capable, it's stable at speed but also incredibly agile. It's not a magic carpet smooth ride though, it's definitely on the firmer feeling side suspension wise but it fires out of corners and out of compressions like nothing I've ridden before.

I've sent it down some reasonably rough stuff but nothing insane yet and it seems to handle it well but it's not going to match a 150/160mm bike in suspension terms. I doubt it's much slower but you'll need to be a little more on it rather than just letting the bike do all the work. It's one of the reasons I'm enjoying it so much actually, bikes are so capable now (my old Foxy especially so) that all you really have to do is hold on and the bike largely takes care of the rest. It's almost too easy and before you know it you're going a lot quicker than most peoples brains can compute. The Whyte offers a really engaging ride and it is a blast. It is not as fast as my Foxy downhill, but I'm not too fussed. So to answer your question, yes it will handle big rough stuff, you'll just have to have your wits about you a bit more than you would on a longer travel bikes.

While the others are great bikes (I actually loved the Yeti SB4.5c I rode earlier in the year but the price and Switch Link maintenance put me off) none of them can hold a candle to the whyte in value terms. Whether the brand name is worth up to £1-1.5k extra is debatable imo. I personally don't think they're worth it.

The one thing I didn't think I'd be raving about is the Sram Eagle kit, in fact I was even tempted to rip it straight off and go for XT and perhaps put the funds towards new wheels. I am extremely glad I didn't. The 50t is not a gimmick, it is a game changer. I've been a lover of 1x drivetrains for 5 years now, started with a 34t ring and 11-36 cassette, then 34t and 11-40, then 34 and 11-42 and now 34 and 10-50. I am convinced that of the rides I regularly do there is not a single climb I won't be able to do and there are some serious tech sections and some serious gradients too. My Foxy could climb most things, but it did get to a point on some climbs you just needed an easier gear and being from an XC race background I can push a big chainring up most stuff and don't like to give up top end speed. Eagle lets me have both and then some. It is also the first Sram groupset I've ridden where it actually feels well made and works very smoothly once setup. Expensive and I'm dreading the cassette wearing out, but totally worth it!

doomanic

Every time someone mentions Sram's new groupset I just think of this...

Nice bike though.

Maurice4

Thanks for the reply Lawman.

It's good to know other peoples' opinions on potential purchases!!

I am with you on the value for money opinion.
I have considered going over the 4k price bracket, and when I started looking I had the SC Bronson earmarked for a demo. I love SC bikes but the spec on the Brinson, for an extra grand is rubbish.
Also looked at (and haven't yet ruled out) the Yeti SB6 enduro, but there is a serious lack of information on it, but it looks like a great bike and only slightly heavier than the full on SB6... But I am a sucker for Whyte bikes in general and love the British-ness of them (The weather proofing helps too).

It's daft to get caught up in numbers, cos it's still over 5" of travel, but in the current bike market it's all about bloody numbers, wheel size, travel, head angles :? And if I'm spending big money I want it to be a pretty perfect all round ride.

The eagle is a big pull on this bike for me too. I rode in Wales last weekend and one of the lads had a demo Orbea with the eagle on it and loved it. It's good to know it is good enough to quash your scepticism. It would have been a shame to buy a new bike and start changing something so new and innovative.

I've not ruled out the Whyte G160 yet. But like I said on my previous post, I want to see what all the fuss is about with the T130. Although I ride the peaks a lot, the majority is local stuff and trail centres (I think it would clean up at BPW) and I'm going to the Alps next year (which has accelerated my new bike obsession) again I think the T130 would be great fun. I won't be doing the crazy rough lines by the way!!

So, thanks again for your helpful comments. The demo is booked for early December . I will post my opinions on here when I've had a go.

Cheers

lawman

Maurice4 wrote:

Thanks for the reply Lawman.

It's good to know other peoples' opinions on potential purchases!!

I am with you on the value for money opinion.
I have considered going over the 4k price bracket, and when I started looking I had the SC Bronson earmarked for a demo. I love SC bikes but the spec on the Brinson, for an extra grand is rubbish.
Also looked at (and haven't yet ruled out) the Yeti SB6 enduro, but there is a serious lack of information on it, but it looks like a great bike and only slightly heavier than the full on SB6... But I am a sucker for Whyte bikes in general and love the British-ness of them (The weather proofing helps too).

It's daft to get caught up in numbers, cos it's still over 5" of travel, but in the current bike market it's all about bloody numbers, wheel size, travel, head angles :? And if I'm spending big money I want it to be a pretty perfect all round ride.

The eagle is a big pull on this bike for me too. I rode in Wales last weekend and one of the lads had a demo Orbea with the eagle on it and loved it. It's good to know it is good enough to quash your scepticism. It would have been a shame to buy a new bike and start changing something so new and innovative.

I've not ruled out the Whyte G160 yet. But like I said on my previous post, I want to see what all the fuss is about with the T130. Although I ride the peaks a lot, the majority is local stuff and trail centres (I think it would clean up at BPW) and I'm going to the Alps next year (which has accelerated my new bike obsession) again I think the T130 would be great fun. I won't be doing the crazy rough lines by the way!!

So, thanks again for your helpful comments. The demo is booked for early December . I will post my opinions on here when I've had a go.

Cheers

A work colleague has an SB6 and says while it is great to ride he is now on his third switch link, so reliability looks a little patchy. That's one of the main reasons I didn't go for the Yeti SB4.5C, the chances of something going wrong are seemingly much higher, where as the Whyte is much simpler, has a lifetime warranty on the bearings and is designed with the UK in mind.

The G160 is a beast of a bike, it still climbs ok but is definitely more towards the Enduro/DH end of the scale. Bottom line is whyte are on a roll at the minute, I'm even looking at their road bikes at the minute!

lawman

Didn't get a chance to ride this weekend as I'm still working on the new house Still, I now have an interesting experiment lined up for the T130, just ordered some new tyres, sounds pretty boring but hopefully all will be revealed soon.

losttheplot1972

Sounds interesting,look forward to your results

lawman

So my experiment ended pretty quickly! Managed to get hold of some of the 2.6 Inch Schwalbe Nobby Nics so though I'd try them out but the rear clearance just wasn't quite enough and the tyre buzzed the chainstays under hard cornering. Felt slightly smoother feeling than a regular 2.3/2.4 over the rough and had none of the vague feeling that I've felt on 2.8 and 3.0 Plus tyres. Perhaps a bit ahead of frame manufacturers but certainly looks like they'll be an option on more bikes in the future.

Gone back to the stock HR2/Crossmark combo for now, though looking to try DHR2's if it gets proper sloppy out. Have changed the grips to ODI Elite Pro's which seem pretty good from first impressions. Am having some new wheels built atm as well, with Pro 4 hubs and new Stan's Arch MK3 rims with a 28h build with Sapim D-light spokes. Need to get out more on this as it's such a nice bike to ride, but work and other commitments are putting most riding on hold for now Hopefully things will pick up in the new year!

poah

why you changing from the ARC 30's to Arch?

lawman

POAH wrote:

why you changing from the ARC 30's to Arch?

Weight mainly. The stock wheels are around 2kg for the pair, so fairly hefty and tbh I've found the 30mm rims to square the tyres off a little for my liking. With a 2.4 Maxxis or those 2.6 Schwalbes they were great, but a 2.3 HR2 felt a bit odd on them, so going halfway with the Arch's, still 26mm internally so plenty wide enough and with the build I'm going for should be a good lb or so lighter. The whole bike is pretty chunky for a 130mm bike tbh, came in at 30lbs 9oz including XT trail pedals so a good 2lb heavier than my old foxy.

poah

heavy hubs and spokes then - HR2's on my spank 295's (24.5 internal) are a nicer shape than my bro inlaws 30mm heist rims.

lawman

Yeah I imagine the home brand Whyte hubs, though they look great and have a very snappy pick up are quite heavy and the spokes are DT champions, so just standard plain gauge. Bar and stem are next on the upgrade list after wheels, the whyte bars aren't the nicest of shapes!

lawman

Been a while since I came on here last! Been busy with work and also trying to get as much riding in as I can. Upgraded the wheels before christmas, the stock ones were over 2kg which surprised me, the new Stan's/Hope were just over 1.7kg for the pair so a fair weight saving. I've also swapped out the bar and stem for a Chromag Cutlass 780mm Carbon bar and 50mm Ranger stem, which have a much nicer shape and an incredible ride feel, they really do take a lot of the vibration out of the trail, even more so than my previous favourite Easton Havoc Carbons. Last change is swapping the HR II to the rear and fitting a 3C minion DHF on the front. Overall it's still a smidge over 30lbs, but I couldn't care less, this bike is incredible! Have a reverb 1x remote on order but other wise I can't see me making any other changes soon, it's pretty dialled right now!

poah

looking good

lawman

Quick little update, fitted a few new goodies in the last few weeks, reverb 1x remote is next level, so, so much better than the old one, find myself using it even more than before as it feels so natural, rode another bike with the old remote and its just crap in comparison, if you run a reverb with a 1x drivetrain you need one of these! Also changed the rear tyre to a 2.2 3C Ardent Race, rolls so much better than the HR II yet still offers exceptional grip in all but the deepest mud, definitely my new favourite combo for summer. Entered my first Enduro on the bike a few weeks back and it held it's own, even if the rider didn't! A crash and stage that really didn't suit my strengths put pay to my target finishing position, but had a blast trying and it was nice to feel the rush of racing against the clock after a 10 year hiatus!

Seb K

That's a boat anchor .

Dick Scruttock

Seb K wrote:

That's a boat anchor .

Nope its a bike designed to be used and ridden, not some POS cut up by a halfwit.

Seb K

Dick Scruttock wrote:

Seb K wrote:

That's a boat anchor .

Nope its a bike designed to be used and ridden, not some POS cut up by a halfwit.

Jealousy is not very attractive mate.

poah

Seb K wrote:

That's a boat anchor .

that makes no sense

lawman

Seb K wrote:

That's a boat anchor .

You're quire right, it's still over 30lbs but I know it will stand the test of time and anything I'm brave enough to chuck it down. It's still pretty rapid going uphill though

cooldad

To be fair, I don't think Seb K actually rides bikes. He just plays silly buggers.

viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=13075776&start=80

Always a good idea to make a bike too weak to actually hold your weight.

Seb K wrote:

Cheers man . It isn't for the incredibly rough stuff e.g. freeriding, DH, trials . I was under 65kg when the project started and I am now over 86kg (weight training) so the seatpost alone cannot take my weight (Schmolke states 75kg max on the TLO post) . Sucks that I can't ride it unless I stand up on the bike but I haven't ridden it since my weight got over 80kg .

Seb K

cooldad wrote:

To be fair, I don't think Seb K actually rides bikes. He just plays silly buggers.

viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=13075776&start=80

Always a good idea to make a bike too weak to actually hold your weight.

Seb K wrote:

Cheers man . It isn't for the incredibly rough stuff e.g. freeriding, DH, trials . I was under 65kg when the project started and I am now over 86kg (weight training) so the seatpost alone cannot take my weight (Schmolke states 75kg max on the TLO post) . Sucks that I can't ride it unless I stand up on the bike but I haven't ridden it since my weight got over 80kg .

Oh the naivety is strong with you . If you knew me you would know I cycle everyday commuting . I ride my MTB in my local park everyday . I studied books on engineering for over 15years while learning how to do metal work and design . I have been working with carbon fabric for over 10 years so I know exactly what I am doing . People like you unfortunately make criticisms based on opinion and not on fact . The fact that my bike was feature on Bikerumor.com, Schmolke's Facebook page and various other sites shows that they understand what I do . It's cool though and I don't expect everyone to understand how things work . I'm a weight weenie and it is a very specialized part of the cycling industry .

Oh and if you re-read that comment you took from my page you will see that I have gained weight since the project started . I didn't start off with parts that couldn't hold my weight . I am bodybuilding so of course I am putting on significant weight . Soon I will be over 100kg and the bike definitely will break then .Pls read my comments carefully . Cheers .

cooldad

So you have made a bike too weak to ride. And I'm naive?