[Closed] GT zaskar LT expert v Whyte 901

Hi! Put some links to which bikes you mean for comments i reckon.

What type of riding will you be doing on it? Where?

Good point

https://whyte.bike/products/901v2

https://www.gtbicycles.com/gbr_en/zaskar-lt-expert

Bit of a mix really trial, XC but I'd like to get more technical. Live in border Surrey, London but will travel. Box hill is always a good one!

I’d take the Whyte - I prefer the frame geometry. The GT might have quite a low front looking at it and long chain stays which wouldn’t do it for me. The Whyte should also be a bit more stable with the slacker headangle on steep stuff.

The only upgraded kit on the GT is NX mech and shifter over SX - while on the flip side the Whyte has a dub bb and crank which I think is better than whatever ‘powerspline’ is on the gt.

Both SX and NX mechs / shifters aren’t said to be massively durable so I’d not be too fussed which came on the bike - at some point you’ll want to upgrade them for something more robust.

I haven’t even mentioned wheelsize yet - one is 27.5+ whilst the other is 29er. Personally I like ‘normal’ 27.5 over 29er but I haven’t tried ‘+’ yet.

Maybe the GT would be better for head down bashing out the miles with the slightly bigger wheels and low front / long chainstays but I reckon the Whyte would be more fun for downhills and general larking about on.

I’d take the Whyte if it wasn’t for the plus wheel set. My 2016 stump jumper had plus wheels and they soon got swapped for 29.
A mate of mine has just got a Kona Honzo for around the same price as these 2 and he says it’s a great bike. Also got a decent review from Pinkbike recently.

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/field-trip-kona-honzo-an-overgrown-dirt-jumper.html

That Kona looks a very different bike.

Worse fork (32mm stanchions vs the 35 on the other bikes), much steeper head angle, very short back end (can be a good thing as manuals and popping off stuff will be easy), lighter and smaller tyres etc. More at the xc ish end of trail whereas the Gt and particularly the Whyte feel more at the burlier end of trail bikes.

I always feel you pay a lot for a Kona for the spec you get vs most other mainstream brands - but it’s not quite in the same category as Santa Cruz / Yeti in terms of desirability.

Marin sanquentin at a suitable model range for price.

If you’re open to considering other bikes the Sonder Transmitter NX Eagle looks a good option (better fork).

Also the Vitus Sentier 27 vrs or Vrx also look pretty well specced and have a fun ride (I’ve got one).

If there are any sale models about the Orange Clockwork Evo looked like it would be fun too.

Both look really nice. Worth trying to get a test ride as places start to reopen over coming weeks.

I’ve always been anti 29er after riding early models (Which apart from the Evil nearly all sucked) and ride a 27.5 Bronson + old 26 ball burnished Zaskar. I have been really surprised how nippy the latest 29ers with modern geometry are vs older models. Even doing switch backs etc I’m finding no real disadvantage - times have moved on.

Looking between these two I’m pretty sure I’d be happy with either - would let deciding factors be weight, colour and price. Don’t think too much and enjoy riding it...

Another bike to consider is the Bird Zero29er. Just had a play and you could get a deore 12 speed one with RS 35 fork / dropper / DT Swiss wheels for about £1500.

The Kona seemed relevant due to OP mentioning xc and trail rides.

Personally, this is top of my list once I’m back to work and get the C2W thing sorted.

https://www.commencal-store.com/meta-ht-am-ride-29-c2x29149854

Cool Cheers peeps loads of bikes to look at;
Bird Zero AM
Sonder Transmitter NX
Vitus Sentier 27 VRS
Orange clockwork evo
Marin Sanquentin 2
Anyone got one to share some experience with any of these?
again much appreciation on opinions

I’ve got a Vitus Sentier - built up with 140mm pikes / normal size 650b tyres (not plus as the wheels I had spare are 25mm internal width) / Code R brakes etc. It’s really fun - really easy to manual and pop off little jumps etc. Corners amazingly well and pedals pretty well. I’ve used it for longer ‘non gnar’ rides joining up bridleways with road sections.

Comfort wise it’s ok - but I have a full suspension bike as well (Bird Aether 7) and on longer rides I tend to take that or for bigger rockier terrain. I have done an uplift day at Flyup 417 on the Sentier and it was fun there though tbh - on the blues I was faster then the guys I was there with on their fs bikes - but on the reds one of them was quicker on their big bike Where they could carry more speed.

I’ve ridden a Marin San Quentin as a hire bike at Leeds Urban Bike Park - it felt a bit handicapped due to no dropper post (but you could easily stick one on). It’s a little longer and slacker than the Vitus and I had fun on it. It was the base model with a cheapie Suntour form and 1x9 gears I think. It was still good but I’d want to go a model up for better forks and more gear range. I’d suggest this bike (with a similar spec) might be a bit quicker on rougher downhills than the Vitus - but on the flip side maybe a tiny bit less lively on easy trails.

I’ve not ridden the Bird Zero29 but can vouch for them as a brilliant company to deal with. You can also play with the specification on their online builder to come up with the best compromise for what you want. I’d get the best spec fork you can afford and worry about the rest down the line. The wheels will be DT Swiss at your budget which is decent and just try to get ok brakes. The gears I’d just go with whatever gets the bike in on budget, whether that’s deore or NX.

German outsider: https://www.radon-bikes.de/en/mountainbike/hardtail/cragger/cragger-70-2020/

Ribble do some decent specced hardtails too.