Whyte News.

[Hobo Mikey]

Looks easy enough, but why do you need to remove. battery.

 

[Mikerb]

Looks easy enough, but why do you need to remove. battery.

I only remove it to clean contacts etc so maybe a couple of times a year. On this occasion I just wanted to know how everything works.....and I check and familiarise myself on everything on a new bike before using it in anger. The build was generally very good but I found a couple of minor things that needed rectifying. One thing I did find out when removing the battery was that whilst the new rail system makes removal easy the battery can still get jammed by the dropper cable if, for example, you have been adjusting dropper height and ( as you should) pushed the dropper cable into the top tube grommet to create slack.........but then left too much slack after finishing the adjustment because you did not pull the cable back taught ( ish).

 

[Mikerb]

The Whyte frame design does not lend itself to using a normal bike stand with the clamp on the top tube. There is of course the option to use the seat post but I reckon an EMTB is far too front heavy to make that wise. My wife has a Cube Access and that too is difficult to use the top tube for clamping. For most maintenance I use the Park Tool platform stand but today I did a simple DIY hack on the standard bike stand using stuff I had in the garage...so zero cost. It is just a length of timber with heavy duty ladder rack brackets which I cut and bent to the required shape and covered in road handlebar tape.....then screwed them into the timber 28cms apart. I know some guys have done something similar using an old set of drop handlebars. The problem is most drop handlebars are c 42cm total width which is too wide, so you need drop handlebars for a kids bike and that is not too easy to find. My hack was free and both my Whyte bikes and my wifes Cube can now be used with the ordinary stand.

 

[R120]

What’s the cabling like now though to the back end - the two week points for me on the previous model where the battery access and the cabling to the rear. Looks like much improved now?

 

[Mikerb]

What’s the cabling like now though to the back end - the two week points for me on the previous model where the battery access and the cabling to the rear. Looks like much improved now?

That was resolved some time ago by moving the entry points into the motor area higher for the rear brake hose and derailleur. For exaple on my 2020 E180 those entry points are directly behind the chainstay cross member and the RSX is the same. There is no derailleur cable now of course. That just leaves the sensor cable and yes that is still the same on the RSX as on my E180 and that has never caused me any issues.

 

[Mikerb]

First Real Trial Ride:
Yesterday I rode all of our usual trails in Wareham Forest together with my mate. The forest provides an almost perfect mix of trail types and features and given we ride these trails on a regular basis it was easy to contrast and compare performance with other bikes we have used there. There are small jumps, jumps to flat, fast twisting singletrack though trees, drops, berms on gravity runs, rooty singletrack etc, so this was really the first test for fork and shock setup as well as cockpit fit. My mate has just fitted 160m Lyric ultimate forks and Rockshox Super De luxe hock to his Levo, so he was also trying out his settings for the first time in anger.
To give a summary of the E160 RSX on that array of trails is fairly easy..........it seems to excel at all of them! It is fast, agile, sure footed, and vastly different to my E180RS and much more capable than my ( previous my19 Levo Comp). I have the bike on the high setting and see no reason to change that.
The only other thing I have changed on the bike since the photos above are a pair of Spank Spoon 110 pedals in black. I usually use DMR v12s and always the raw ally option since their coloured versions deteriorate very quickly an look a mess......well until allt he colour has been removed! I wanted black pedals for this bike so thought I would try something different...........and the Spank pedals in black are anodised so the colour should not just rub off.
Just like the DMRs they have a concave platform and are 16mm deep. The 110 version of the Spank pedal is longer than the V12 however. I fitted the pedals with spacers on the Raceface cranks. End result...I really like them, and I think using the pedal washers has resulted in a better Q factor for my hip width.

 

[Bomble]

How does it compare to the 180rs, pros and cons?

 

[Mikerb]

How does it compare to the 180rs, pros and cons?

I have always described my E180 RS as feeling like it is asleep until you point it downhill on a steep and gnarly trail!! By contrast the E160 RSX feels excitable asking me to go faster. I appreciate that is about "feel" rather than a technical reply and I admit to being a little confused about the why the 2 bikes feel so different! So in terms of the E180s forte of gnarly downhill the E160RSX seems pretty capable as well. I reserve full judgement because the gravity runs I have done on it so far are not that extreme.

The E180RS has a ride characteristic that is like magic carpet.............the E160RSX feels more active, more alive.

The E180RS feels heavier and requiring a bit more work in pedalling sections of a trail or when gaining access to a trailhead..........the E160RS feels lighter ( in fact it is not) and easier to make progress with less effort.

In tight twisty singletrack the E180RS is a bit of a handful whilst the E160RSX is a lot more agile and manoeuvrable.

Looking at the geo figures for the two bikes you would think they are very similar. In fact the Downtube on the E160RSX is steeper making the entire frame quite different to the E 180RS. Both bikes are the same size but the E160RSX feels smaller and more compact whilst the E180 feels more stretched and generally larger.

I think apart form frame design differences it feels like the kinematics are very different. I am no expert in that field but my guess would be that the E180 prioritises progressivity over anti squat, hence some of the energy put into the pedals is a bsorbed but the bike remains planted and so capable over the roughest terrain. It is after an Enduro bike.
The E160RSX certainly feels like less energy is absorbed by the rear end and hence it feels easier to make progress and even encourages more input from the rider. I assume but have yet to test, that it is less stable and planted on the roughest gravity runs than the E180RS....BUT I have not found the limit on my local trails as yet. So as it stands I would class the RSX as a trail/all mountain bike with significant capabilities towards enduro.

Hope that helps!!

 

[Mikerb]

I have always described my E180 RS as feeling like it is asleep until you point it downhill on a steep and gnarly trail!! By contrast the E160 RSX feels excitable asking me to go faster. I appreciate that is about "feel" rather than a technical reply and I admit to being a little confused about the why the 2 bikes feel so different! So in terms of the E180s forte of gnarly downhill the E160RSX seems pretty capable as well. I reserve full judgement because the gravity runs I have done on it so far are not that extreme.

The E180RS has a ride characteristic that is like magic carpet.............the E160RSX feels more active, more alive.

The E180RS feels heavier and requiring a bit more work in pedalling sections of a trail or when gaining access to a trailhead..........the E160RS feels lighter ( in fact it is not) and easier to make progress with less effort.

In tight twisty singletrack the E180RS is a bit of a handful whilst the E160RSX is a lot more agile and manoeuvrable.

Looking at the geo figures for the two bikes you would think they are very similar. In fact the Downtube on the E160RSX is steeper making the entire frame quite different to the E 180RS. Both bikes are the same size but the E160RSX feels smaller and more compact whilst the E180 feels more stretched and generally larger.

I think apart form frame design differences it feels like the kinematics are very different. I am no expert in that field but my guess would be that the E180 prioritises progressivity over anti squat, hence some of the energy put into the pedals is a bsorbed but the bike remains planted and so capable over the roughest terrain. It is after an Enduro bike.
The E160RSX certainly feels like less energy is absorbed by the rear end and hence it feels easier to make progress and even encourages more input from the rider. I assume but have yet to test, that it is less stable and planted on the roughest gravity runs than the E180RS....BUT I have not found the limit on my local trails as yet. So as it stands I would class the RSX as a trail/all mountain bike with significant capabilities towards enduro.

Hope that helps!!

Oh...I forgot to add. I have found it easier to climb on the E160RSX basically because my particular style of climbing is saddle slammed and up on the pedals and for whatever reason I seem to be a ble to both hold the front down and maintain rear grip. I can climb the same ascents on the E180RS but maintaining rear grip is trickier. I assume from that, my weight is more evenly distributed on the E160RSX despite being up on the pedals, whereas I have to quickly adjust on the E180 if I start losing rear grip.

PS...I don class the differences as pros and cons. I love the E180RS. It is so secure and planted it really looks after me in situations that beond my skill level. They are very different bikes with different intended use.. at least for me. The !60 is much more an all Rounder, the E180 a specialist in its own field of gnarly gravity terrain.

 

[Bomble]

Perfect, cheers

 

[Bomble]

Anymore ride impressions Mikerb?

 

[Mikerb]

Anymore ride impressions Mikerb?

I rode the Blue ,red, and black trails at Haldon Forest yesterday. Results below. My previous runs on these trails were on a Levo and the E180RS. ( My first time on the Black because it only recently reopened). The bike is fast. You never feel a passenger on this bike....

 

[Bomble]

Nuff said. How did it feel on steep techy stuff, if there was any?

 

[Mikerb]

Nuff said. How did it feel on steep techy stuff, if there was any?

I felt totally in control albeit the ride is obviously a bit rougher than on the E180 but when I chose the wrong/worse route the bike still handled it. I still have more to learn on this bike. The centre of balance is so different to the E180 I was too far forward on some features but got that sorted during the day. Front grip on very hard and sometimes gravelly turns was amazing ( helped of course by the Assegai) with no tendency to wash out. It is fairly easy to drift the back with weightshift slightly forward and a sideways push on the inside pedal and the Code RSC brakes are predictably brilliant. I have not re-adjusted the suspension since I first set it up and whilst it has been fine on my local forest trails, the deeper drops and rougher terrain at Haldon suggest I probably need a bit more pressure in the Fox 38s or maybe a couple more clicks of HSC and HSR.....the Fox Float X was fine.

 

[Bomble]

Thanks Mike, appreciated.

 

[Mikerb]

Thanks Mike, appreciated.

Any update on your issue?

 

[Mikerb]

Today I did a 15 mile XC type ride mostly on bridleways and some singletrack. So having done 60 miles previously, with a bit of a mix of terrain consisting everything from Black trails to Bridleway type rides I was curious to actually focus on how well the bike performed as a standard trail bike compared to my E180 RS and to some extent the Levo I had previously.
The bike really felt good on this type of ride which has really confirmed for me that it is a jack of all trades (except perhaps commuting by road...which no mountain bike is really suited to!) . As good as my Leo for this type of ride and a lot better than on my E180 (not knocking the E180...it was not designed for tame trail riding!) .
After 15 miles with a fair amount of climbing involved the bike just went down one bar of battery about a mile before the finish suggesting this 750 w/h battery have pretty good range. Most of the ride was in EMTB with a bit of turbo and bit of trail+.

Before this ride I tackled a couple of sources of rattles. I used some cable tidy clips to keep the cables at the front either away from each other or joined. I also investigated the cable runs in the downtube. There are 5 cables and they are all clipped to the downtube by 3 sets of clips attached to the back face of the downtube. I did notice however that there was fair gap between a couple of these clips allowing the cables to slap against the downtube on rough terrain. I could get my arm right up inside the downtube and managed to push a piece of neoprene behind the cables to prevent them slapping against the downtube. Those activities did a lot to reduce any noises on rougher ground on the ride.

 

[Bomble]

Any update on your issue?

Aah forgot to update sorry.
It turned out when the shop did my handover of the bike, they insisted on demonstrating how to take the battery out. One of them lifted the front end a bit and the other was on the floor taking the battery out.
Turned out he hadn’t clipped the battery back in properly so on loose ground it was moving about.
I did check the battery myself after the fault but I was knackered from pushing/peddling the dead bike and did the same, didnt bother flipping the bike or using a stand. It felt like it had clicked in but hadn’t.
Once you flip the bike you can see how positive the catch is when it’s clipped in properly.
Easy fix
Had a quick run out on the bike the other night.
Very impressed, somehow it’s both very stable yet super agile. It just wants to go faster all the time and eats everything up with no drama.
I’m going out this afternoon for a proper ride though

 

[Mikerb]

Aah forgot to update sorry.
It turned out when the shop did my handover of the bike, they insisted on demonstrating how to take the battery out. One of them lifted the front end a bit and the other was on the floor taking the battery out.
Turned out he hadn’t clipped the battery back in properly so on loose ground it was moving about.
I did check the battery myself after the fault but I was knackered from pushing/peddling the dead bike and did the same, didnt bother flipping the bike or using a stand. It felt like it had clicked in but hadn’t.
Once you flip the bike you can see how positive the catch is when it’s clipped in properly.
Easy fix
Had a quick run out on the bike the other night.
Very impressed, somehow it’s both very stable yet super agile. It just wants to go faster all the time and eats everything up with no drama.
I’m going out this afternoon for a proper ride though

Jolly good. It sounds like you are picking up the same characteristics of the bike as me.

 

[stiv674]

Breaking news...

These bikes are brilliant

 

[Bomble]

Had a decent ride yesterday which loads of mixed terrain.
Very, very impressed with the bike, it seems to do everything really well. On very steep techy stuff both ends seem glued to the floor, the same downhills on my Trek have me struggling to slow down due to lack of grip, I always assumed it was my lack of skill
The suspension is sublime, just soaks everything up with no drama.
Only 2 issues I had were that I did fall off due to a pedal strike, also had a few more. I have hardly ridden the last few weeks and was tired so that could have added to it.
The other was on a really steep run, after big drops going into tight corners where you kind of “g-out”, the front tyre slid out a few times, one of them it slid for about 2 foot much to the amusement of the lad behind
As a positive to this I actually somehow stayed on which I put down to the bike
Oh and it is very heavy compared to my carbon Trek but the usual cliche occurs, you don‘t feel it at all when you’re riding, it does in fact feel a lot more agile than the Trek.
I’m very happy with the bike though.

 

[Mikerb]

Had a decent ride yesterday which loads of mixed terrain.
Very, very impressed with the bike, it seems to do everything really well. On very steep techy stuff both ends seem glued to the floor, the same downhills on my Trek have me struggling to slow down due to lack of grip, I always assumed it was my lack of skill
The suspension is sublime, just soaks everything up with no drama.
Only 2 issues I had were that I did fall off due to a pedal strike, also had a few more. I have hardly ridden the last few weeks and was tired so that could have added to it.
The other was on a really steep run, after big drops going into tight corners where you kind of “g-out”, the front tyre slid out a few times, one of them it slid for about 2 foot much to the amusement of the lad behind
As a positive to this I actually somehow stayed on which I put down to the bike
Oh and it is very heavy compared to my carbon Trek but the usual cliche occurs, you don‘t feel it at all when you’re riding, it does in fact feel a lot more agile than the Trek.
I’m very happy with the bike though.

Great!
The BB on my E180RS is even lower so I am well versed in avoiding pedals strikes and have had none on the RSX. One thing to check is your rear shock tune because compression at the rear of the bike will obviously make the BB even lower. I found it took a couple of rides for the air pressure to settle down........although the hot weather may have also had an effect on that.
Contrary to your front wheel slide drift I have found the Assegai on mine provides incredible grip.........and given the weather, the trails have been hard, dusty and often gravel strewn. In these conditions I have been running fairly high pressures 26f/28r. You may also find ( new bike) you have not yet fully sussed the centre of balance of the RSX and are leaving the front end a little light. I have found the cockpit fit to be very different on the RSX compared to the E180 RS despite the bikes being the same size. For me one big clue a bout weight distribution is where I need to be on the bike on a steep techy climb. On the RSX I can be up on the pedals quite far forward but still maintain rear wheel grip whereas on the E180RS the same position would leave the rear too light. Have fun!!

 

[Bomble]

Great!
The BB on my E180RS is even lower so I am well versed in avoiding pedals strikes and have had none on the RSX. One thing to check is your rear shock tune because compression at the rear of the bike will obviously make the BB even lower. I found it took a couple of rides for the air pressure to settle down........although the hot weather may have also had an effect on that.
Contrary to your front wheel slide drift I have found the Assegai on mine provides incredible grip.........and given the weather, the trails have been hard, dusty and often gravel strewn. In these conditions I have been running fairly high pressures 26f/28r. You may also find ( new bike) you have not yet fully sussed the centre of balance of the RSX and are leaving the front end a little light. I have found the cockpit fit to be very different on the RSX compared to the E180 RS despite the bikes being the same size. For me one big clue a bout weight distribution is where I need to be on the bike on a steep techy climb. On the RSX I can be up on the pedals quite far forward but still maintain rear wheel grip whereas on the E180RS the same position would leave the rear too light. Have fun!!

That definitely sounds possible It’s early days with getting to know the bike so I’ll try a few things including your suggestions
I did notice when I got home that I’d used all the fork travel so maybe that was it too, it maybe ran out of travel and slid. It had also been raining when we set off so it was quite slick.
My Rail is fairly low too, I believe it has the same bb height measurement so it all could be just me being a bit rusty too

Small problems in the grand scheme of things and I’ll super happy with the bike.