TESTED: Whyte G-160

Words: Jason Dreggs  Photos: Matt Staggs

Whyte Bikes are a proud British-designed bike company who strive to build you a bike that works wherever you need it to go in whatever the weather. Over a decade of development has gone into their pressure-forming techniques, resulting in their high performance frame construction. Whyte’s G160 S, as used on the EWS scene, is definitely aimed at the gravity crowd and the aggressive all-rounder. AMB reviewed a G160 back at the end of 2014 – but the industry has moved on a little since then, especially in terms of suspension refinement, and of course a few industry standards, like Boost spacing.

FIRST LOOK

At a first glance the 6061 aluminium frame stands out with a very nice aesthetic. The G160 has a noticeably long top tube and nice short chainstays at 425mm. The frame has some very nicely finished welds, and is covered with small details that show the attention paid by Whyte’s engineers and designers. From the rubber seal on the seat tube, the replaceable (and colour-matched) inserts for the post mount disc brake, through to the BSA standard (threaded) bottom bracket shell. All these things add up to a frame that stands up to more conditions, and should have a longer service life. 

The G160 is also super slack. As in, 66 degree head angle slack. Whyte have really pioneered the long top tube, short back end and slack head angle geometry, and truly back their stance. Even when you look at the T129 we tested in our last issue, you can see that Whyte design their bikes to be slacker and longer than others, keeping the handling sharp with short back ends, short stems and wide bars.

The G160 is a little different out back compared to the last one we tested. The Single Chainring Specific swing arm not only supports 148×12 Boost drop outs, but it has been designed without needing to accommodate a front derailleur. This means you get symmetrical stays to keep the weight down and the stiffness level up, with a wider bearing stance. It also frees up a load of space in the most crowded part of the bike where your tyre, chain, suspension movement and seat tube all potentially collide in an additional heap of mud.

Whyte use Quad 4 suspension on all their dual-suspension models. The pivot placement of this four-bar linkage keeps the rear of the bike as short and as stiff as possible meaning the rear wheel is right under you, thus giving it a lively feel when accelerating and cornering. 

Not as commonly well known as one of the big three bike brands, Whyte are fast becoming renowned for supplying riders who really know what they want and what works. That combination of longer top tubes (it’s 50mm longer than my other medium bike) and shorter chain stays (425mm) adds a level of stability and agility other big brands are only just starting to achieve. This entry level G160 at $4450 boasts 160mm of travel with a RockShox Yari fork up front and a RockShox Monarch Debonair R with the new fast black coating for some very smooth feeling travel. I was very excited to throw my leg over this enduro beast and put it through its paces.

ON THE TRAIL

Looking at the bike from a distance you instantly know it is going to be a comfortable descender, especially with 780mm wide 35mm diameter bars on a 40mm stem. If you love short steep climbs, though, then you are not going to be a big fan of this bike. The G160 is a little long up front for tight fast-paced switchback climbing – I had to slow down and really steer the bike around corners. But with the long top tube and 66 degree head angle it’s determined to go down the mountain and do it fast! 

The SRAM GX 1×11 drivetrain and SRAM Descendant crank set provide all you need with the 10-42 cassette and 30t chain ring. Shifting was always precise even under the harshest demands with no need for a larger chain ring. If your trails are different to mine and you need more or less – you can easily upsize or downsize your chain ring. Your local Whyte dealer should be able to sort this out for you before you roll out the door. The WTB i29 rims on Whyte’s own Boost spaced hubs come with WTB’s 2.5” and 2.4” Convict and Ripper tyres front and rear respectively. The big girth and tubeless specific tyres gave me a lot of confidence and bite when it came to cornering. 

Getting my hands on this bike just before the start of summer, I decided to take it down to Thredbo’s opening weekend and give it a real honest hit out on the Flow trail and the 10km long All-Mountain trail. This is where riding the bike really stood out. A few pedal strokes to get it up to speed, and the bike comes alive. It really was a case of ‘hold on tight’ for a super-stable run down the hill at maximum warp speed.

Setting up the bike was easy, all I did was adjust the fork and shock pressures for 30 per cent sag and I was away. For Thredbo, I installed a chainguide for that ‘just in case’ moment. Given how the G160 is intended to be ridden, a chainguide truly can be a very simple piece of kit to keep you on the bike for longer. 

The G160 absolutely gobbled up everything thrown at it. It did take a few runs to get used to the longer geometry as body position was vital to get the bike around corners and keep the front end down. Lifting the front end up was a little hard but with a tall stem stack this soon became easy to manoeuvre. I tried and tried to drift through some corners but the excellent grip and short chain stays meant the bike just wouldn’t let go! 

OUR TAKE

If you’re a rider who is intent on the descent then the G160 could be the basis of a great bike for you. The geometry and suspension action means it is pretty much point and shoot, and the amount of traction and stability means that new lines will be discovered on all your local trails. As this is the first G160 in the range, it is worth noting that some of the parts could benefit from a boost. If you were looking to take this bike to its full potential, then a shock upgrade to something which can cope with longer runs and harder hits could be a wise investment. As it stands, it’s $4500 very well spent on a bike that is going to help your riding progress to another level.