# Whyte Suffolk 2015



## JoeyB (15 Dec 2014)

I appear to have stopped riding to work due to the fact i now have to carry my laptop with me and can't stand wearing a backpack. So, this is clearly grounds for a new commuter bike that has eyelets for a rack. 

Whilst im being practical, I would also like to add disc brakes. For some reason that I can't quite justify or explain, I also want 11 speed. Finally, it has to be 105 or above as I don't like cables sticking out of the shifters.

I could sit here and tell you all that it would be good have something for occasional off-road use but realistically I have an MTB for that so it doesn't need to be a full on CX bike, plus I'm not keen on CX specific gearing.

Went to a not so local LBS on Sunday and they showed me this : 







The only other bike under £1500 that sort of floats my boat is a Genesis Equilibrium of some sort... But I told myself if I had a Genesis it would be a Ti and that's out of budget right now...ideally I didn't want to spend more than a grand as I'll put this purchase through my limited company for the tax saving. I can stretch to £1200 for the above Whyte though, I think.

So can anyone shed light on anything I might have missed? I'd be quite happy if someone can point me in the direction of a disc equipped Ti frame with 105 11 speed lol...


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## helston90 (15 Dec 2014)

You haven't missed a thing- it's very high on my C2W list, ticking all the boxes in the right places, the only real negative from the Bikes Etc. magazine review this month was that it's a smidge on the heavy side and likened to a diesel of the bike world, steady mile cruncher that'll keep you going all day but unlikely to necessarily beat all your PR's.


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## ianrauk (15 Dec 2014)

And there you go.. posting it again... naughty boy.


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## JoeyB (16 Dec 2014)

helston90 said:


> You haven't missed a thing- it's very high on my C2W list, ticking all the boxes in the right places, the only real negative from the Bikes Etc. magazine review this month was that it's a smidge on the heavy side and likened to a diesel of the bike world, steady mile cruncher that'll keep you going all day but unlikely to necessarily beat all your PR's.



Thats a negative I can deal with, I have a full carbon for the PR's

I can't find a reason not to buy it now lol..my wife on the other hand....


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## Venod (16 Dec 2014)

The only downside, has it got rack & mudguard mounts ?


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## vickster (16 Dec 2014)

Certainly looks like it and the OP says rack mounts are a key reason for selection


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## youngoldbloke (16 Dec 2014)

A friend has recently bought one for a winter bike and has no regrets. Worth fitting the excellent Whyte mudguards, the only flaw being they could do with an extended flap at the rear, particularly if you ride with others.


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## jay clock (16 Dec 2014)

It does have rack mounts too. One in my lbs yesterday.. I want one


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## JoeyB (17 Dec 2014)

jay clock said:


> It does have rack mounts too. One in my lbs yesterday.. I want one



I see you're in Hampshire too, any recommendations for a good LBS?


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## jay clock (17 Dec 2014)

JoeyB said:


> I see you're in Hampshire too, any recommendations for a good LBS?


Peter Hansfords in Winchester. They have other branches but they all seem a bit different. And their website is rubbish!


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## JoeyB (17 Dec 2014)

jay clock said:


> Peter Hansfords in Winchester. They have other branches but they all seem a bit different. And their website is rubbish!



Ah yes I use the one in Park Gate / Fareham. There is a nice chap in there that is often willing to stop and chat. He took me downstairs to the workshop once to show me the older bikes they had in to work on.


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## pclay (17 Dec 2014)

Looks good. Last year I toyed with getting a Whyte Dorset but could not find any in stock at any local-ish shops.

I just got one of these last week:
http://www.ukbikesdepot.com/m117b19...Q3hl1dIbYsGPB3xQgGmbnCtmeEsRihTIHtBoCFjzw_wcB

You could buy 105 shifters separately and upgrade?


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## Wafer (17 Dec 2014)

I was seriously looking at the Whyte Dorset in the summer, looked a perfectly good bike, felt alright sat on it, ended up with a Synapse as much because the shop was more helpful and were able to give me the 105 spec on C2W as anything.
I'm not sure about the rack mounts as I use a backpack for a short commute but Synapse disc with 105 is £999 now.
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cannondale/synapse-alloy-105-disc-2015-road-bike-ec071021 

Fitting mudguards was annoyingly fiddly but there are fixings for them. I was for a time wishing I'd gone for the Whyte so I could get their own brand guards that I assumed would be a lot easier to get on!

There are a large number of us Synapse 105 owners on here though so even if it does tick the boxes the Whyte would be much more exclusive I'm sure


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## Andrew_Culture (17 Dec 2014)

It's a lovely bike, but it doesn't really say 'Suffolk' to me.


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## Wafer (17 Dec 2014)

Andrew_Culture said:


> It's a lovely bike, but it doesn't really say 'Suffolk' to me.


At least Suffolk is awarded a higher end model, the Somerset is bottom of the range, for women only 

Oh, just noticed, the Suffolk has much better brakes than the Synapse!


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## vickster (17 Dec 2014)

You do know that a man can ride a WSD bike, just like the superior sex can ride a 'men's' bike  It's black, hardly 'girly' looking...it's about the fit

Buy one and I'll swap you the saddle for the men's one that came off my 'men's' Cambridge

One thing, I do wish Whyte would stop putting those appalling Mexxis Detonator tyres on their lovely bikes


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## Andrew_Culture (17 Dec 2014)

Wafer said:


> At least Suffolk is awarded a higher end model, the Somerset is bottom of the range, for women only
> 
> Oh, just noticed, the Suffolk has much better brakes than the Synapse!



Oh no! Somerset has better cider.


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## JoeyB (17 Dec 2014)

Went into Halfords today and looked at the Boardman CX Team. It works out at £765 with their 15% one day only discount...it doesnt have 11 speed but it seems to tick all the other boxes... so do i go cheap and cheerful or do i stick to the plan?!?


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## ianrauk (17 Dec 2014)

JoeyB said:


> Went into Halfords today and looked at the Boardman CX Team. It works out at £765 with their 15% one day only discount...it doesnt have 11 speed but it seems to tick all the other boxes... so do i go cheap and cheerful or do i stick to the plan?!?




Stick to the plan.
Get something different... aimvho much nicer looking


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## vickster (17 Dec 2014)

+1

I reckon someone will have 10-15% off Whyte's after Xmas

And if not, go have a chat with your LBS


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## JoeyB (17 Dec 2014)

vickster said:


> +1
> 
> *I reckon someone will have 10-15% off Whyte's after Xmas*
> 
> And if not, go have a chat with your LBS



Do you think that's possible on a 2015 bike?


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## vickster (17 Dec 2014)

Why not?

EBC have flash sales off everything

Ashcycles give 15% of goods with 2015 Giants, that's essentially a discount, there's always stuff needed, bike, rack, panniers, pedals, whatever


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## JoeyB (17 Dec 2014)

Eek.

I just realised that I have some free Edenred compliments vouchers on their way to me and the one participating Cycling store listed on their website happens to be the one where I saw the Whyte Suffolk!! (Cycle World Wessex). The only thing I need to check is that its available at all Cycle World shops and not just the Southampton one.

That would take the cost under a grand!


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## vickster (17 Dec 2014)

What's wrong with the Southampton one?

There's no Suffolk on the website, but it's a crap website so that means nothing!


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## Cycleops (17 Dec 2014)

JoeyB said:


> Went into Halfords today and looked at the Boardman CX Team. It works out at £765 with their 15% one day only discount...it doesnt have 11 speed but it seems to tick all the other boxes... so do i go cheap and cheerful or do i stick to the plan?!?


Nowt wrong with the Boardman, great bikes. Better name too. Whyte sounds very nondescript, like a brand of porridge oats.


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## vickster (17 Dec 2014)

Cycleops said:


> Nowt wrong with the Boardman, great bikes. Better name too. Whyte sounds very nondescript, like a brand of porridge oats.


Have you ridden one? Do you know the brand?

Boardman is just an ex-cyclist's name


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## Cycleops (17 Dec 2014)

vickster said:


> Have you ridden one? Do you know the brand?
> 
> Boardman is just an ex-cyclist's name


OK vickster, calm down I was just trying to add a bit of humour. And as for Chris Boardman being *just *a ex cyclist! Still rather have the Boardman though.


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## bpsmith (17 Dec 2014)

People have an issue with Boardman just because of where they are sold.


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## vickster (17 Dec 2014)

Nope, I have an issue with how they look and how common they are


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## ianrauk (17 Dec 2014)

vickster said:


> Nope, I have an issue with how they look and how common they are




This...

Nothing to do with Halfords. Bought a couple of bikes there myself.


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## bpsmith (17 Dec 2014)

vickster said:


> Nope, I have an issue with how they look and how common they are


Well your reply didn't say that. It asked if @Cycleops knew the brand or if he had ridden one, along with stating that Boardman was just an ex-cyclists name. That to me does not suggest it's only that they are too common around your way, else you would have said just that. You don't usually beat about the bush.


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## vickster (17 Dec 2014)

I don't see his posts often  My comment about the brand was nothing to do with Boardman, although the naming of that brand hardly took imagination


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## Cycleops (17 Dec 2014)

vickster said:


> I don't see his posts often  My comment about the brand was nothing to do with Boardman, although the naming of that brand hardly took imagination


Well, if you're a well known Olympic gold medal winner and you want to launch a range of bikes you're not going to call it "Whyte".


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## bpsmith (17 Dec 2014)

vickster said:


> I don't see his posts often  My comment about the brand was nothing to do with Boardman, although the naming of that brand hardly took imagination


True. Chris Hoy had no more imagination it seems.


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## vickster (17 Dec 2014)

Much better legs though


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## JoeyB (17 Dec 2014)

The lad in Halfords was friendly enough but his professionalism was somewhat strained when I disagreed with his statement that a proper disc based road bike (rather than a 'cx' bike) was going to be more like 2-3k

When I mentioned the Whyte seemed to meet that criteria at a snip under £1200 his first response was does that have the little disc brakes??

I told him it had the latest hybrid cable/hydro calipers and his response was it sounds like a lot more to go wrong.... He couldn't quite bring himself to accept that a good bike can be found outside of Halfords. Shame really as he lost my interest after that.


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## bpsmith (17 Dec 2014)

vickster said:


> Much better legs though


True once more. Some good reviews on the bikes too. Not quite there yet, but getting better all the time.


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## JoeyB (17 Dec 2014)

Argh I keep looking at Genesis bikes!

This is the only one in the same price range







Colour is a bit marmite (literally) but I think I like it


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## Cycleops (17 Dec 2014)

JoeyB said:


> Argh I keep looking at Genesis bikes!
> 
> This is the only one in the same price range
> 
> ...



Much better!


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## ianrauk (17 Dec 2014)

JoeyB said:


> Argh I keep looking at Genesis bikes!
> 
> This is the only one in the same price range
> 
> ...




Except the rear caliper is on the outside of the seat stay which is a bugger for guards of which you would have to get all bendy. Also for pannier racks. you would have to get one of those very wide jobbies to fit.


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## ianrauk (17 Dec 2014)

How about the Kona Rove?


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## JoeyB (17 Dec 2014)

The Kona looked nice until I saw that skinny front fork! 

Noted about the disc caliper position, I saw some disc specific pannier racks in Halfords earlier, I assume they are designed with the problem you mention in mind? Is that what you mean by the wide jobbies?


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## ianrauk (17 Dec 2014)

JoeyB said:


> The Kona looked nice until I saw that skinny front fork!
> 
> Noted about the disc caliper position, I saw some disc specific pannier racks in Halfords earlier, I assume they are designed with the problem you mention in mind? Is that what you mean by the wide jobbies?




Yep.. they stick out a mile to have clearance of the brake caliper.
With the caliper on the inside you can attach a normal pannier rack, or as I do, a road specific, even thinner, Tortec Velocity rack


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## JoeyB (17 Dec 2014)

Ian you got me looking at Kona now lol!

'Jake the Snake' looks OK, ticks the boxes but not sure on colour.

Still think the Whyte is looking the likely contender, unless I stumble across an Equilibrium Disc 20 in an LBS somewhere which is highly unlikely.


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## vickster (17 Dec 2014)

http://www.swiftcycles.co.uk/projects/2015-equilibrium-disc-20
In central London poetntially


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## Venod (17 Dec 2014)

Theres always this if you can stretch your budget.

http://www.kinesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/decade/tripster-atr


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## JoeyB (20 Dec 2014)

I love that bike but not on my budget.


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## ianrauk (21 Dec 2014)

Had a look and a fondle of a Suffolk in Cycle Surgery in London this afternoon.
Hmmm.. tis a very nice bike in the flesh.
You'd be mad not to go for it.


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## JoeyB (21 Dec 2014)

ianrauk said:


> Had a look and a fondle of a Suffolk in Cycle Surgery in London this afternoon.
> Hmmm.. tis a very nice bike in the flesh.
> You'd be mad not to go for it.



Yup I saw it again in the flesh on Friday evening at my local Cycle Surgery. Just got to sort out the C2W details and I'll get it bought in the next couple of weeks.


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## JoeyB (24 Dec 2014)

Popped into my local LBS today and they said they can order a Genesis Equilibrium Disk 20 in and do it for £1350 instead of £1500. That brings it within £150 of the Whyte... the LBS dude was obviously bias but he said the Genesis had the better kit on it specifically wheels...

Now I'm back to square one. He is going to find out lead time on that particular model and get back to me in the new year. I guess I can wait that long...


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## ianrauk (24 Dec 2014)

JoeyB said:


> Popped into my local LBS today and they said they can order a Genesis Equilibrium Disk 20 in and do it for £1350 instead of £1500. That brings it within £150 of the Whyte... the LBS dude was obviously bias but he said the Genesis had the better kit on it specifically wheels...
> 
> Now I'm back to square one. He is going to find out lead time on that particular model and get back to me in the new year. I guess I can wait that long...




If you've not seen it. Bike Radar review *HERE*


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## bpsmith (24 Dec 2014)

No link @ianrauk


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## ianrauk (24 Dec 2014)

bpsmith said:


> No link @ianrauk




Cheers... 'tis there now.


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## JoeyB (27 Dec 2014)

Will this fit the Whyte Suffolk?

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/tortec-ultralite-rear-rack/


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## ianrauk (27 Dec 2014)

JoeyB said:


> Will this fit the Whyte Suffolk?
> 
> http://www.wiggle.co.uk/tortec-ultralite-rear-rack/




Too wide for a road bike.
Have a look at the Tortec Velocity Slimline


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## youngoldbloke (27 Dec 2014)

JoeyB said:


> Will this fit the Whyte Suffolk?
> 
> http://www.wiggle.co.uk/tortec-ultralite-rear-rack/


I've used one of those on my Ribble winter bike - not too wide at all


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## jay clock (27 Dec 2014)

youngoldbloke said:


> I've used one of those on my Ribble winter bike - not too wide at all


I used one on a Trek road bike, no problems. You need to double check whether the Whyte has the type of disk brakes that require a rack which goes outside the brakes though


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## vickster (27 Dec 2014)

EBC have Whytes in their sale, limited sizes though


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## biggs682 (27 Dec 2014)

JoeyB said:


> I appear to have stopped riding to work due to the fact i now have to carry my laptop with me and can't stand wearing a backpack. So, this is clearly grounds for a new commuter bike that has eyelets for a rack.
> 
> Whilst im being practical, I would also like to add disc brakes. For some reason that I can't quite justify or explain, I also want 11 speed. Finally, it has to be 105 or above as I don't like cables sticking out of the shifters.
> 
> ...


@JoeyB that looks fab


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## JoeyB (27 Dec 2014)

vickster said:


> EBC have Whytes in their sale, limited sizes though



And not the one I want :-(

Going to the LBS tomorrow to see if they'll let me test ride it. Might test ride the CAADX also just as its there.


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## JoeyB (28 Dec 2014)

Bought it. Shop had 20% off everything in store. Luckily they had my size so got it for £960! So happy!


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## bpsmith (28 Dec 2014)

What's not to like about that sort of deal. My local Giant Store had 40% off all 2014 bikes recently, but the 2015 models had dropped in price and mostly had a makeover so the deal wasn't as great as first looks.

You've got a 2015 model for a steal. Enjoy!


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