2020 Whyte

E-150 S YOUTH v1

Before you start filling the comments with hilarious remarks about the looks of the Whyte E-150 RS 29ER V1, you should read our review! Every detail of Whyte’s agile and powerful eMTB, including its peculiar design, is subordinate to its handling. But is a pocket-friendly price tag and performance-oriented handling enough to secure the coveted Best Buy?

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Low-swinging weight makes Whyte’s new all-rounder e-29er an outstandingly sweet-handling chariot

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Joining the E-180 and E-160 in Whyte’s e-bike range is this new E-150. With a little less travel and bigger wheels it promises to take you further and faster without skimping on thrills. Need to know 29er version of the popular E-160 RS Designed for general trail riding adventures more than all-out enduro laps Bosch motor allied to 625Wh battery ensures power and range Reduced centre of gravity thanks to clocked motor and low-slung battery 150mm travel fork paired with 140mm out back Two bike range starts at £4,999 Read more: Buyer’s guide to the best electric mountain bikes In the shop-bought category of our recent e-bike of the year test, Whyte’s E-160 RS excelled in the ride and handling department but frustrated the judges (well, me) with its inaccessible battery. And delivering my verdict was a mental tussle that rocked between performance and practicality like a rubber duck in an ocean storm. While I was wrestling with this conundrum, Whyte quietly launched another addition to its e-bike offering; the E-150 RS. Using a very similar-looking chassis design and almost identical geometry, the E-150 ups the wheel size and shrinks the travel over the 27.5in E-160. But while it could easily be confused for the E-160 on a shop floor, get it onto the trail and it reveals a completely different personality. At the heart of the E-150 is the 6061 hydroformed alloy frame. While it’s not the prettiest design, with a somewhat bloated underbelly, there’s sound engineering reasoning behind that paunch. Whyte has rotated the excellent Bosch Performance Line CX motor, which in turn has allowed it to bring the base of the 625Wh internal battery alongside. The upshot is that the weight sits lower and more centrally than most e-bikes, making the bike more stable in a straight line, but more agile in the turns. Read more: Guide to the best e-bike motors While most e-bikes have a massive hole cut in the down tube to get the battery in and out, Whyte simply leaves the end of the down tube open, and the power pack slides in and out. From an engineering perspective it’s a superior solution, as structural integrity is maximised without having to add heavy and complex reinforcing. Mud can’t get in thanks to a big plastic cap, but installing and removing the battery requires removing two bolts, pulling out a connector and wiring, then using gravity to let it drop out. Some riders will never have to do this, but for those who need to take the battery indoors to charge, it’s a long-winded and overly complicated process that – in our experience – rarely goes smoothly. However, if Whyte could find a way to keep the internally routed cables out of the way, add a handle or strap to the end of the battery to help pull it out, and improve how the connector attaches to the frame, we reckon it would no longer be an issue. From the waist up, the E-150 …Continue reading »

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