19 Mar 2013

Whyte to Support RAF Team for 2013 Season

RAF Cycling is delighted to announce a new partnership with Whyte Mountain Bikes for the 2013 season. A number of the team will be racing aboard Whytes 29 CS bikes with hopefully more to follow in the near future.
Having just taken mine for its inaugural ride I can safely say that it is a very stable and very fast bike. I demoed a number of 29ers last season and was distinctly underwhelmed, the bikes felt sluggish on the ups, too nose heavy on the downs and slow to corner, the Whyte is different! Firstly the very slack (for an XC bike) 69 degree head angle, paired with a short stem makes the bike feel very stable on steep downs as well as being quick to corner. Whyte have also spent a considerable amount of time working out how to shorten the wheel base to make the bike more nimble. The result is a significant curve in the seat tube placing the back wheel well beneath your seat which not only shortens the wheel base but also massively improves rear wheel grip. This was most noticeable today riding the bike on some pretty slimey trails using Maxxis Ikon tyres (definitely a dry weather tyre) I was still able to maintain traction and go in a vaguely straight line. Finally the wheels, unlike most main brand 29ers you dont get some heavy in house kit, instead Whyte have specced Easton EA90s resulting in a 29er that actually accelerates!
Suffice to say I am in love and all thats left to do is strap on a number board and race it till my legs fall off!
If you have any doubts about switching over to big wheels try a Whyte, if their XC bikes are anything to go by the more trail orientated stuff should be excellent.
Click the Whyte badge on the right for more info.