You may have read our previous blog, talking about our time with Whyte, checking out their new range over in the Forest Of Dean. A stand out bestseller for Whyte has been the E-160, a capable full suspension trail bike with pedal assist. Here’s our thoughts after thrashing it for a day in one of our favourite woodlands.
The e-bike market is growing rapidly and Whyte are up there with the most sought after manufacturers. With the international bike shortage still at full tilt, we were stoked to be able to get our team on E-160’s for a full afternoons riding. At this point, we hadn’t even seen one of these bikes in the flesh, let alone ridden one. I perhaps was’t prepared for how many shouts of “cheat” I would hear over the course of the afternoon but was too stoked to care!
The E-160 S is Whyte Bikes entry level trail enduro e-bike. At £5,500 it offers a big spec compared with the competition and a supple, 160mm travel suspension platform that is tuned to the bike.
Collectively, we feel like Bosch e-bike batteries are the best on the market with a tighter feeling (and possibly quicker) engagement than the other brands available. It’s their 625 Wh battery and motor that makes the bike so fun going up, particularly on more technical climbs… I could have mistaken Ollie for Dougie Lampkin at points, the way he was clearing steep, techy uphill sections with such ease! But that’s not the point you say? I might be inclined to agree with you but if the downs are what you live for and the climbs are a barrier to your enjoyment, this bike will tick multiple boxes.
The bike isn’t the lightest e-bike on the market (weight TBC) by any stretch but the weight is low in the bike and it feels absolutely planted through the roughest of terrain. The weight is not immediately obvious when descending. We rode all that the Forest Of Dean had to offer and it took us while to get used to the feel of the bike in the turns but in a straight line, the bike steam rollered everything, sending us into the lips of jumps with bags of confidence.
BIG Maxxis Assigai tyres give stupid amounts of grip and the 12 speed Sram Eagle groupset is crisp and precise through the gears. In fact our bikes performed brilliantly throughout the whole day and we didn’t hold back with our riding either, hitting as many downhill runs and jumps as we could get through. Perhaps the only negative was John, our mechanic, potentially destroying his rear hub… The sound of rattling bearings is never pleasant!
We’ve heard many of the opinions people have about e-bikes: “I’m not old enough to have an e-bike yet”, “I’d feel like I was cheating” etc. Here are some of our teams thoughts… Whoever you are and whatever your ability and state of fitness, e-bikes are amazing fun! They are a leveller for those who lack fitness. They allow you to pack in so much more riding than you ever could without the aid of a battery – I personally rode more DH trails in an afternoon than I’d done in a day at FoD, due to the ease and speed of the climb. You can explore places that wouldn’t be accessible on a regular bike. You can still ride an e-bike hard to get your fitness kick.
We are a Whyte click and collect dealer. If you’re in or near Bristol and are looking to buy a Whyte bike, please select Pedal Progression at checkout and we’ll build it and set it up for you and will take care of any issues that may arise thereafter. Stock is difficult at the minute but keep an eye out on the Whyte website and be quick to strike when your dream bike appears!
