In building the 901, Whyte have clearly set out to create a bike with attitude. The huge 2.4" tyres sit on 27.5" wheels just asking to be taken onto some serious trails, while the loud and proud matt lime paint job demands attention when you are on the way there. The aggressively angled and hydroformed 6061-T6 aluminium frame is single ring specific, with a SRAM NX groupset helping to offset this on the climbs by providing a generous 42 tooth max sprocket on the rear cassette.
Those tyres might be big, but they are intelligently specced to increase your fun and speed in proportion. A chunky Trail Boss takes care of the front end while a faster rolling Riddler encourages higher speeds from the back. This no doubt helped with the nimble climbing that wouldn't otherwise have been expected of such a trail oriented frame.
It is on the steep and technical downhills that the 901 excels however, with a slack head angle and long wheelbase giving a confident and stable ride through the roughest of ground. A low bottom bracket and long top tube help with stability, while the excellent wide bar and short stem complement the frame perfectly with a wide stance.
The cable routing is dropper post ready, and that would be one of the first upgrades we would consider for the 901, punching its downhill capabilities sky high - the frame and fork are just crying out for it.
The 130mm travel Rockshox Sektor Gold soak up bumps and provide enough stiffness to carry the 901 through some nasties efficiently, while the 15mm bolt through front end is mirrored by a 142x12mm bolt through at the back of the frame. A nice bit of stiffness enhancing speccing.
This is a very capable bike for the most challenging of trails you could take a hardtail down, with confidence inspiring geometry and an intelligent selection of components. We would add a dropper post to the mix as soon as possible, but other than that this is the complete package.
