Mountain Bike Rider — March 2018

LONGTERMERS

68 mbrMARCH 2018

THE RIDER

CHARLIE COLLINS

Position

Writer/tester

Mostly rides

Bristol, South Wales

Height5ft 10in

Weight75kg

THE BIKE

■Aggressive

27.5 Plus tyred,

130mm hardtail

■Mid-range model

ofathree-strong

line-up

■Progressive

geometry and

sizing available in

four size options

■All essentials

accounted for in a

well-considered

spec with nothing

left wanting

CHARLIE’S WHYTE 905

£1,699 / 27.5 Plus / whyte.bike

SPECIFICATION

Frame6061-T6

aluminium

ForkRockShox

Revelation RC, Boost,

130mm travel

WheelsWhyte hubs,

WTBSTpi35rims,

Maxxis High Roller II

3C/Rekon 27.5x

2.8in tyres

DrivetrainSRAM

Descendant 32t

chainset,SRAMGX11

r-mech and shifter

BrakesSRAM Level T,

180/160mm

ComponentsWhyte

low-rise 760mm

bar, Gravity 40mm

stem, Whyte Drop.It

150mm post,

Whyte saddle

SizesS, M, L, XL

Weight13.38kg

(29.49lb)

GEOMETRY

SizetestedM

Head angle64.6°

Seat angle72.2°

BB height296mm

Chainstay431mm

Front centre762mm

Wheelbase1,193mm

Down tube716mm

Toptube635mm

Reach 446mm

W

e’reonlytwomonthsin,andI’m

already99percentsurethatPlus

tyres on hardtails are the future. The

senseofbraverytheyfillyouwithis

almostajoke,andtheyletyouget

away with so much that the Whyte 905 can be

pushed further than any other hardtail I’ve ridden.

BackinMarch2017,whenItestedtheoldWhyte

905 against three other similar hardcore rippers,

Iwasgobsmackedbyhowhighthebarhadbeen

re-setwithbikesliketheRagleyBluePig.

With the most extreme geometry and

capability we’d ever seen, it was hard to

think how hardcore hardtails could get

any better. Fast-forward 12 months

and Plus tyres and revised geometry

mean that Whyte has raised the bar

totheheightofapolevault.

Tyres aside, the sizing and shape

mergeincrediblywellwiththeforgiving

rubber.Mybike’sasizemedium,andit’sa

longoneatthat.TobeperfectlyhonestIwasa

little concerned at first, and just rolling around the

carparkIthoughtitwastoobig.Onceoffroadand

up to speed however, it suddenly all made sense.

You’repositionedinwhatfeelslikeaperfect

balancebetweenthewheels,whiletheadded

length up front really boosts stability. Not only

doesitfeelsafe,youcanalsoflickitaroundwith

minimaleffortthankstoitslightweightandextra

springinthetyres.Evenwiththosehefty-looking

wheels, there’s no cumbersome feeling when

hitting technical sections, and drag

isn’tanissuewhenyou’vegota

pedal ahead.

Thebikearrivedtomesetuptubeless,

saving me a job I thought I’d have to do.

This does seem to have gone a long way in

givingthe905asnappyfeelunderacceleration,

andallowingmetosimplypickitupandplaceit

where I want it.

SowhetherI’matthelocalhardpackedloop,

orsessioningsomesteepturnsinthewoods,the

905isalwaysraringtogo.Surprisinglythough,

I’myettotackleanyultra-muddyconditions—

it’s considered the weak point of fatter tyres,

soI’mkeentofindoutformyselfifthey can

handle the gloop. Watch this space.

MONTH 2:Charlie concurs with an already popular

sentiment — Plus rubber is indeed the way forward

WHYIT’SHERE

It’s proved it’s

got the moves,

but can it go

the distance?

Fat hoops and big

rubberhave boosted

Charlie’s bravado