Whyte has sneakily launched a range of new enduro bikes, with some very impressive suspension numbers.

Industrial designers at the brand have leveraging the latest advances in single-crown fork technology to deliver some impressive new enduro riding rigs.

When RockShox revealed its new Zeb fork range, some might have pondered what the applicability of a 190mm single-crown 29er fork might be. Whyte’s product people immediately knew what they wanted to do with it.

Using Zeb to make a mullet

The company’s new lead offering is its G-170 replacement, the G-180. Whyte classifies it as their ‘gravity enduro’ bike, an entirely fitting description for frames that would easily have qualified as true freeride bikes not too many years ago.

Available in four derivatives (with an even split between 27.5- and 29” wheels), Whyte’s G-180 means business and offers the mullet bike wheel configuration, for those riders keen on trying the popular new downhill racing wheel size trend.

Although the G-180 naming convention denotes fork travel, Whyte’s enduro bike has a rear linkage and shock stroke that delivers 170mm of suspension action. All the G-180s use Rockshox’s Zeb fork, with its 38mm upper tubes and 15% stiffness gain over the Lyrik.

On the 27.5” G-180s, Whyte has configured the Zeb with 190mm of travel. The 29er platform, trims fork travel to 180mm. Interestingly, both wheel sizes use the same 29er Zeb architecture, allowing 27.5” platform G-180 riders the option of rolling a 29er wheel up front, evolving their enduro bikes to the mullet configuration.

As a geometry reference point, these new G-180s sit at a 64° head angle and stretch out to 483mm of reach, on the large frames.

Four build options

The more affordable G-180 S uses WTB ST i30 wheels and Verdict/Judge tyres, with SRAM Guide RE brakes. It retails for  £2700.

Whyte’s two mid-range G-180 RS variants roll Race Face AR-30 wheels, shod with the ever reliable and grippy Maxxis Assegai and Minion tyre combination. Deceleration is managed by SRAM’s Code R brakes. Both the 27.5- and 29” wheel version of this build spec price at £3400.

If you desire a premium alloy enduro bike with more travel than most riders could ever sensibly use, there is the G-180 Works. It rolls DT Swiss EX1700 wheels and you pull on Code RSC brakes at either end of the handlebar. Pricing for Whyte’s apex ‘gravity enduro’ bike is £4999.

If your requirements don’t quite extend to the need for 170mm of rear travel, Whyte has a compelling new T-160 29er platform too. This might be a more useable solution for most riders seeking a double-black descent capable enduro bike, which retains a touch more trail feedback.

The T-160s balance 150mm of rear suspension travel with Rockshox’s 160mm Lyrik up front, with the two build options available, priced at £2699 and £3500.