TheWhyte 905’s position as the benchmark progressive hardtail was put in doubt last year, but even more radical geometry and the best plus tyres in the business put it right back at the cutting edge.
The frame
A tall head tube and deep triangular top tube give impressive front end accuracy. The big down tube is extensively shaped, with cables routed internally through sealed rubber plugs. Wide-splayed tubular chainstays and ‘keyhole’ seatstays give generous clearance for 27.5x2.8in tyres (but should you want to fit 29in wheels, space is extremely limited).
The kit
The Revelation RC fork is the only dedicated 650b+ (not 29in) fork in the test, and gets a custom 42mm (rather than 46mm) offset too. Gears are 11-speed SRAM GX, but the cranks are from the Eagle family so they get the latest X-SYNC 2 chainring, along with broad 170mm arms. The SRAM Level brakes feel OK but are less powerful than Guides, particularly with the 180/160mm rotor set-up you get on every 905 apart from the XL. Whyte’s own cable-operated dropper has a 150mm stroke and a neat – if wobbly – under-bar remote. It’s the tough and grippy yet super-smooth plus tyres (a triple-compound Maxxis High Roller II 2.8in up front and dual-compound Rekon at the rear) on WTB i35 rims that are the most obvious change for 2018, though.
The ride
It’s a good job the tyres are so brilliant, because the 905 wants to work them harder than ever. Reach stays the same for 2018 (it’s still 10mm longer than on any other bike here) but the head angle is much slacker, at 65 degrees, and the bike is 5mm lower and 20mm longer in the wheelbase. What really separates it from the other bikes here, though, is the custom fork offset.
This increases the bike’s stability, so the Whyte naturally stays on line more than the others here when things get sketchy. It also gives a lighter feel at the bar, because the mass of the fork and front brake is nearer to the steering centre line. Together with the outstanding grip of the tyres – particularly under braking – that potentially creates a crazily surefooted and confidence-inspiring front end that lets you power-dive into the steepest descents or loosest situations with total confidence.
We say ‘potentially’ because the 760mm bar and 50mm stem of the large size (the XL gets a 780mm) don’t always have the leverage needed to override that extra stability, so it can feel a bit clumsy and hard work. Fitting the 35mm stem and 780mm bar from the Sonder made a massive difference, giving us the muscle to put the wheel exactly where we wanted and the speed to micro-tweak lines and hold ragged-edge traction.
The extra trail also increases ‘flop’ into corners, so the 905 drops in deeper and more aggressively, engaging the excellent edge grip of the High Roller II and emphasising body movement. Suddenly you’re riding with the ‘lower, harder and faster’ caricature cornering style you always wished you had, and the tyres are roaring and drifting with delight as you blitz down the trail. At that point you’ll wish for the bigger brake rotors of the XL, because the speeds the Whyte encourages are off the hook for a hardtail.
While the outstanding aspect of the 905 is its handling, the rest of the ride is excellent too. That X-SYNC 2 chainring makes a tangible difference to how smooth the drivetrain feels, and we never missed not having a 50t crawler cog. The tyres and elaborately-shaped frame tubes create a great balance of accuracy and efficient power transfer, while still floating over the worst hammer to keep your back and legs alive on long days. It’s light and lively enough to respond enthusiastically to any effort too, making it happy to blast along singletrack or hunt down the next radical trail all day long.
DETAILS
SAME BUT DIFFERENT
Whyte use a 650b RockShox Revelation RC fork with colour-matched graphics and custom 42mm offset, not the 29er version with a 51mm offset
RING TO RULE THEM ALL
The double-scoop tooth profile of the X-SYNC 2 chainring makes for noticeably smoother drive than with a standard narrow/wide ring
TOP-NOTCH TYRES
Nobody makes better plus-size rubber than Maxxis at the moment, and the High Roller II and Rekon are a perfect UK combo
HIGHS
- Potentially the best technicaltrail hardtail we’ve ever ridden
- Light and lively enough for all-day trail play
LOWS
- Deserves an equally radical cockpit
- Bigger brakes would be a bonus too
Insane amounts of DH confidence and trail flow – only a cockpit change away from perfection
WEIGHT 13.68kg (30.16lb)
SIZE S, M, L, XL
FRAME Multi-butted, hydroformed 6061-T6 aluminium
FORK RockShox Revelation RC 275, 130mm (5.1in) travel
HEADSET FSA No.57 Orbit ZS
WHEELS:
HUBS Alloy
AXLES Boost – 110x15mm (f), 148x12mm (r)
RIMS WTB STp i35 TC
SPOKES 32x WTB/Sandvik 2.0mm stainless
WHEEL WEIGHT 2.4kg (f), 3.0kg (r), inc tyres
TYRES Maxxis High Roller II 3C Maxx Terra EXO TR 27.5x2.8in (f), Maxxis Rekon Dual EXO TR 27.5x2.8in (r)
CRANKSET/BOTTOM BRACKET SRAM Descendant 6K, 32t/SRAM GXP
MECH(S) SRAM GX
SHIFTER(S) SRAM GX (1x11)
CASSETTE/CHAIN SRAM PC-1130, 11-42t/SRAM PC-1110
BRAKES SRAM Level T, 180/160mm rotors
BAR/STEM/GRIPS Whyte, 35x780mm/Whyte Gravity, 35x50mm/Whyte lock-on
SEATPOST/SADDLE Whyte drop.it 150mm dropper/Whyte
Price $2550