There's probably not much I can say about the Whyte T130 the hasn't been said already - it's the bike of the year in countless magazines and online sites - and I probably can't say it so well as the full time journalists.... and I certainly don't know the correct jargon. However, as I picked up an RS version of this bike from my local bike shop (as a demo whilst my Camber had it's chainset replaced), I figured the least I could do was document my first ride, and contrast it with what I know so well... the 29er Camber.
The Tyre
I decided to head straight to Swinley. It's a great trail centre for putting a bike through it's paces. there isn't anything too extreme, but for a limited amount of ascent over 13 miles of track, it certainly puts your through your paces. The conditions were fairly wet, though I've definitely seen it worse, and the trails were holding out quite well (there were even a few new / refreshed sections along the way).
My first impression was it was easy to jump and lift, and had nice acceleration. As I progressed through the ride, I found the grip to be superb - and the steering was very responsive. I could really pound into the berms, and it went where ever you wanted it to go (stubby stem and wide handlebars apparently can do this). The shock setup was really nice. Where ever I took a landing, it absorbed it without any after shocks... it was smooth.
Swap for DMR Vaults please
OK - I have to admit, there were elements that I didn't like, but these were purely because they were the same as my Camber. For a start, the pedals don't hold anything on the DMR Vaults. That's it - Vaults rock, and anything else is in second place... so far that is (I use flats with Five Ten shoes).
dropper post allen key point is below this
button, but a lever would be better
And then the dropper post. Everyone raves on about the Reverb, but it took some getting used to. The return is smooth, compared to the Specialized IRC - and I'm used to pushing the under handlebar lever, and the post being there - immediately. Of course, this can be a problem if you are hovering at the wrong height - and very painful for the tender parts... but that has only happened once with me. No, with the Reverb, the return is smooth... and on this occasion, the post was just a little too low, and I couldn't figure out how to lower it. It was only after, that I learnt that the allen key location was an inch below the frame cutoff. So I did use up extra energy getting up the hills - which meant not as much stored energy for the downhill sections (anyone who has done Swinley hill before the Labyrinth will know what I mean). The post also had a little sag from it's position, which was a fault. All that said, by day 2, I had grown to like the Reverb, and found it's adjustability better than that of the Specialised Command Post - it was just easier to move to mid positions. I would say, that the under lever adjuster is ergonomically much better than the standard button release. I would change that immediately on this bike.
Another large drawback on this particular bike, was that the gears were very sticky. The bike shop told me this was a fault, but they didn't have a chance to fix it - as a demo bike, it's been out pretty solid, and I didn't want to wait. However, it didn't really give the full enjoyment of riding, when you literally had to push to get the gears to move up. And on the trail at Swinley, there are sections where you are going up and down the gears quickly. I tended to remain in an unsuitable gear just to avoid the hard push of the gear lever.
clean after day 1
Aside from the pedals, dropper, and gears, the bike performed well... and these are elements which could be easily fixed / adjusted. The handlebars seems noticeably wider, but this just added to the manoeuvrability. I didn't have any problem in The Labyrinth section (tight turns, lots of close trees), though was mildly aware. I definitely felt connected with the trail - a much better experience than with the Stumpjumper + wheel size bike I took out previously. The bottom bracket didn't give any problems with ground clearance - again a problem I felt with the Stumpjumper - which once again, showed up in the Labyrinth section (checkout the youtube video below - shot on the Camber... though the conditions were very different).
Towards the end of the trail - the blue sections - there were some lovely sweeping berms that had been 'renovated'... which were an absolute joy to ride. By the time I hit the car park, I was wishing I'd stayed out longer.
I used all the travel on this.. possibly not enough pressure on setup
My aim was to just do the one ride on the bike, but after Swinley, I decided to take it out on my local trails as well, in The Devils Punchbowl. It was a wet and misty day, but I was very much looking forward to getting out and trying the bike again - a good sign.
probably nice gears, but a sticky shifter
It was on my local trail that I could really compare the 27.5 and 29er wheel size. I've been riding the 29er for about 4 years now, and much of it locally, so it was a good starting point to make the comparison. Trying to get away form the sticky gear changes, it took to the hills quite well. It was very muddy conditions, but I didn't find grip a problem. It didn't feel like it could roll up the really steep hills as well, but it didn't feel difficult or restricting. Traction wasn't a problem. Speed on the flat didn't seem as smooth as the Camber, but again, not a worry. It was lovely coming off drop offs, and was noticeably easier to get the front end up. There is a lovely section called The Bomb Holes, and this was great fun to ride - I felt I could really push it through the sweeping dips, and even when the back jittered off roots, it stayed on track. Patrick's Passage, another great section, was super fun to ride, but just too waterlogged (I would have to put front and rear mud guards on this bike - mud hugger at the rear, crud catcher up front, downtube AND shock).
In conclusion, this was a super fun bike to ride. If I were a Strava fanatic, then it didn't give any amazing times, though the combination of the sticky gears, badly adjusted dropper, and non-sticky pedals would all go towards that... and the conditions were pretty wet and slimy - especially locally. The 27.5 wheel size is simply more fun than the 29er... there is no doubt that it's easier to pop of jumps, and added to the stubby stem and long handlebars, it makes for a very nippy and connected ride. Could I justify effectively side-grading for the Camber to the T130? It's a very similar priced bike (the T130S), when you include the add ons I've put on the Camber. Honestly, if I could, I would have both, but they really are just too similar. Fun, shorter rides, I'd say the T130, but for longer rides, the Camber. I think when it's time to upgrade, I'd go for the Whyte, as I do like the fun side, and did appreciate the extra travel on the shocks. I don't know really how much more of a ride you get with the RS, than the standard... apparently they effectively weigh the same, but the RS has some nicer components, with Fox shocks as opposed to Rockshox on the 'S' model. I'd say the cheaper 'S' looks nicer, with it's orange paint job... if that counts.
130 travel on Fox shocks
looking mean at Swinley
tyres gave plenty of grip
See below for details taken from the Bike Radar review (though my front shock was a Fox):
