Submitted by
Tony Chau
a Weekend Warrior
from Loughton, UK Date Reviewed: May 24, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Cli-machx trail Machynlleth
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$5000.00
Purchased At:
Heales Cycle
Strengths:
Plush, light and very good in climbing and descending step single trails
Weaknesses:
insulate you too much from the trail that sometimes push you over your limit
Similar Products Used:
Marin Mount Vision
Bike Setup:
DUC 32 fork, Full XT, Panaracer Trailblaster, Hope M4
Bottom Line:
As I am getting older, I want something light that can get me up the climbs and something plush that saves my back. The Whyte 46 lets me do all that and I can now go down on much steeper stuff that I couldn't do before.
I had a lot of trouble in the beginning with front disc rubbing and binding but a quick email to Maverick (great support) sorted me out. (Should read the manual on how to put the front wheels back properly and always clip the disc side first!)
After riding it for more than a year and taking it to various man-made and natural trails in UK, I don't think I can find a better all mountain machine.
The spec. is spot on and I have not need to change anything. If you want a light 6in FS bike that can climb, this one is it!
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Submitted by
adrian james
a Weekend Warrior
from cheshire uk Date Reviewed: November 11, 2006
Favorite Trail:
red bull
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$1800.00
Strengths:
This bike just feels glued to any trail up or down. There is very little bob riding up step hills
Weaknesses:
The paint chips very easly and for the amount of money the bike cost should have been powder-coated. The continental tyres feel as if they want to slide of the rims when pushed hard on corners
Similar Products Used:
dainese race cut,raceface roach fR leg armour, Marin rocky ridge
Bike Setup:
Changed tyres to maxxis high roller, and down hill tubes as always having punctures
Bottom Line:
This bike is great at high speeds down hill and will frighten the life out of you, but at the same time give you a great smile, knowing it can be pushed even harder if required My bike has been riden hard and had nothing major gone wrong. I hope i call still have few more years of fun riding on this bike.
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Submitted by
Mike L'Alouette
a Weekend Warrior
from Manchester Date Reviewed: August 13, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Anywhere I can go !
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$2700.00
Purchased At:
noah's ark, UK
Strengths:
As an all rounder, very hard to beat ! It's still light at 30lbs, has plenty of travel, stops and goes well almost everywhere.
Weaknesses:
Original seat was hard. Currently trying a SDG RL - better but still a bit hard after about 2 1/2 hours ..... The cross-bar can still be a little high if you come off quick - watch yer nuts !
Similar Products Used:
Borrowed a Marin TARA bike and an '04 Whyte 46 before buying this, an '05 46.
Bike Setup:
Play with it as you wish. I pump up the suspension a bit for road work, soften it for off-road. Changed the discs for Hope floating versions - just vanity !
Bottom Line:
Some people criticise the forks for flexing somewhat. They do a little. But you gotta be tonkin' it quite a bit to feel it. I have no complaints on the bike though. I've been through stuff I would have bailed out of most spectacularily on my old bike, so I can't say enough praise about this one. The suspension needs to be played with to find the best results, and these will vary person to person ..... I borrowed a Marin TARA (Wolf Ridge ?) bike and an original '04 version of the Whyte 46 for a full day before I bought this, an '05 46. There was soooo much difference between the two. The Marin was good, but the 46 was the most cerntainly better ! I bought my bike in the UK and paid £2700 - currently about $5130 (@ $1.90 to the £)
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Submitted by
Gaz Saunds
a Cross Country Rider
from Nottingham UK Date Reviewed: July 6, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Tissington and cromford
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$3952.00
Purchased At:
Stanley Fearns of Matlock
Strengths:
A great all rounder that begs to be pushed to its limits and beyond. The front fork, the frame stiffness, ease of maintenance i.e. there aint hardly any, the wheels etc. The brakes, whoa they are good in 6 inch or 4 inch travel.
Weaknesses:
The seat, was a tad rubbish so i've upgraded to a Specialised body geometry. Trying to fit a bottle, or a speedometer or anything to this bike is a nightmare as it is so custom in its construction, even my roof rack had to be rebuilt to make the bike fit. Dont need the TARA system as the 6 inch does all you want it to! Had to change the stem bolts as they were cheap steel and not stainless so got some titanium, you cant them but i know they are there :)
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
Only tweaked the sag, got some skinner tyres on for the summer, will go back to continental gravity's in winter. No keen on XT gears which are worse than my alpine trail standard gears which were smoother and didn't need adjusting all the time. Might upgrade to XTR at some point coz i'm worth it. Have up rated the front rota to a Hope floating 200mm one, which has improved braking in that it stops better even after long down hills. used titanium bolts to put rota on.
Bottom Line:
This bike has seen me back out on the trails as I couldn't be bothered last year. I sulk when i cant get out at least once a week on this bike. You tend to stop looking at magazines when you have this bike as every bling bling item you have ever wanted is on this bike. Hitting trails and you wont tire of the bike, doing downhill and it will take it, uphills - as long as you put the front into 4 inch mode you can climb and climb, just stand up and keep tramming up hills. People complain about the paint coming off, well yeah when its being hit by all sorts of grit and brick when riding your bound to get the odd chip, the only thing I'd say is on the back swing arm fit a lizard skin chain stay protector and cut it into 2 parts, 1 part is 2/3 rds and the other 1/3 rd chain stay will be fine then and you dont wince when the chain slaps the frame whilst your bombing down Cromford incline at 50 MPH - er yes thats 50mph - tram on kids!
$
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