[Closed] Please tell me about Whyte Cross bikes

Theres one on display in my LBS [url= http://velo-m.co.uk/bikes/bikes-crossbikes/ ]Velo M[/url]-caught my eye last night!

So are they not popular?

Very nice, had a go on one the other day.

Only thing I didn't like about it was the SRAM Apex, but that's my personal preference for Shimano. I'd happily get one and swap the SRAM out for Shimano though.

It's a more assured handler than a conventional CX bike if that makes sense, definitely one for the MTBer's going to cross rather than the roadies. Light, stiff, fast and well specced though (SRAM aside).

They look to have really lazy head angles, which seems to be a bit of a problem for some. Not me though. I think they look great, I'd love one.

I've got a 2013 Saxon Cross, I've had since the end of September and only ridden it once but it was very nice to ride on my commute across the Quantocks, much more forgiving than my previous CX bike (Orbea igorre) and soo nice to have brakes that work when you want them to, not just when they feel like it.

I'm a plodding, touring, day riding atber, who likes to look around not any kind of racer so the handling sounds good.

This would be my first foray with SRAM having always been a confirmed Shimano user.

Just read the comment about the SRAM Apex and I admit I was worried about it before I got the bike, my previous CX bike had Shimano Ultegra and my road bike has Campag Athena but the SRAM seems very intuitive and from my limited experience didn't give me any problems at all.

Test rode a Whyte Charing Cross as part of my ongoing CX bike hunt.

It did have a fairly slack head angle which made the steering either "boat like" or "stable" depending on your point of view. I quite liked it, but did find the top tube was pretty long so it was a bit of a stretch for an inflexible non-roadie.

By the way, the Saxon Cross doesn't have eyelets for mudguards or racks, so if you are looking for something for touring/commuting/winter then you might want to looking at the Charing Cross.

By the way, the Saxon Cross doesn't have eyelets for mudguards or racks

I wouldn't worry about the SRAM Apex, I'd always gone for Shimano in the past but after using SRAM on my new CX bike and having got used to it I think I now prefer it more than Shimano.

I have the first model Charing Cross and its great for commuting, lane touring and training rides with a bit of bridleway thrown in.

One word of caution the frame is LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG so make sure you test ride before you buy - I didn't and I am 6'2" with a long upper body and ape arms and the large is too long for me - in line seat post, saddle all the way forward and 65mm stem has sorted it.

That all sounds fairly positive; I did find an online review by a bike journo (who sounded like a roadie) who wasn't overly enthusiastic.

I think I'll have to throw a leg over one for a test ride.

Cheers!

I like the look of those Whyte CX bikes but also liking the look of the new Saracen Urban Hack 1
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and
Urban Hack 2
[img] [/img]
Prices for the above 2 dont seem bad either
http://www.saracen.co.uk/bikes/urban/hack-1

Yep - got a 2012 Saxon Cross. Great bike, very comfy. Use it for commuting 10 ish miles each way to work and for the usual off road bimbles which CX bikes are made for. Really good paint job too.
I was also a little put off initially by he SRAM components, mainly because I'd always used Shimano, but I actually quite like the double tap now. Only thing which niggled me was that it came with locking skewers and I new that I would forget the special tool thing so changed them for a nice blingy Hope pair.

Some of the bikes on Saracen's website are really, really nice.