This is the revised V4 evolution of Whyte’s popular 805 hardtail – a great choice if you’re looking for a bike that will let you tackle rougher and more challenging terrain. Less of an all-rounder than Trek’s Marlin or X-Caliber models, we find that the UK designed 805 hits the spot for red and blue routes at trail centres (such as Haldon forest) or bike parks.
It’s a fully focused trail hardtail built around 27.5” wheels and clearance for chunky rubber. Although 29” wheels dominate many new designs, Whyte still believes in the 27.5” size which is great news because we do too, as do many of Bay Cycles’ customers.
At £1475, we feel that the Whyte 805 V4 offers excellent value for money. This price includes full assembly and set up from our mechanics and a helpful handover on collection where we will set up your suspension and run through the function of the bike.
FRAME:
Whyte’s mountainbike designs are regarded as progressive and forward thinking and so it is with this model. It’s built around the 800 Series aluminium frame using the very latest Whyte trail geometry, which means a longer top tube, a short stem and wide handlebars. The result? Exceptionally surefooted handling, balance and control in the rough, giving you the confidence to push a little more out of your comfort zone…
The neat internal cable routing keeps cables clean and clear of grime and this, along with the single chainring transmission, keeps you rolling regardless of the conditions. Whyte’s design team were early adopters of the 1x transmission and have designed this frame purposely for single chainring cranks – bringing many benefits, including better mud clearance.
SUSPENSION:
A hardtail needs not only good geometry and sizing for a balanced ride but a decent suspension fork too. Whyte has picked a 120mm travel RockShox Recon RL fork that ticks all the boxes – air sprung, adjustable rebound damping, short offset crown, 15mm thru-axle and a tapered aluminium steerer. A sound choice.
WHEELS AND TYRES:
A robust and purposeful pair of wheels should not be undervalued, especially on a bike that can be pushed into some testing terrain. Whyte has spec'ed a sorted pair of hoops with equally well chosen rubber...
Cartridge bearing hubs and wide tubeless-ready WTB rims result in a robust wheelset for hard trail use. Rubber is from Maxxis – high volume at 2.35/2.4” and with robust EXO sidewall protection.
TRANSMISSION:
Here we see more clever thinking from the Whyte design team. They take Shimano’s durable and reliable 11 speed Deore shifter and rear mech and pair them with a wide range 11-51T Sunrace cassette, giving you the gear range normally found on a 12 speed transmission. Ideal for long haul hilly days out or ‘winch and plummet’ sessioning in the woods.
DISC BRAKES:
On a bike of this price we often see brakes from the cheaper end of Shimano’s line up – good quality but usually more suited to a leisure bike or hybrid. Here Whyte specs powerful 4 piston hydraulic brakes from Tektro with purposeful 180mm rotors front and rear. An added bonus is that the rotors are thicker (2.3mm compared to Shimano’s usual 1.8mm) for a longer lifespan.
HARDWARE:
Whyte’s house brand hardware is well-designed and proven kit. Short, 40mm stems are fitted across all frame sizes as the geometry and frame sizing is designed around this length. The handlebars are 780mm in width, giving great control but with the opportunity to trim them to suit your tastes or stature.
A dropper post is standard kit on the Whyte 805 – as it should be on a modern trail hardtail – and the drop/stroke measurement is kept appropriate to the bike’s frame size.
Whyte 805 V4: £1475
Bay Cycles website link HERE
Read our feature on the Whyte brand HERE
