FIRST RIDE REVIEW & RELEASE

THE WHYTE ELYTE EVO

Words & Photos by Robert Johnston

Today Whyte Bikes is launching the new ELyte EVO. Look familiar? Well, aside from the Bosch Performance Line CX Gen5 drive unit, the ELyte EVO is the same as the existing ELyte which launched earlier in the year and was powered by the Bosch Performance Line SX. How does the larger motor change its performance up and down the hill? We managed to log a solid day of testing to find out.

ABOUT THE WHYTE ELYTE EVO

The ELyte EVO is built with Whyte’s ELyte carbon fiber frame, but features the new Bosch Performance Line CX drive unit to power the rider back up the hill with its 142mm travel frame and choice of MX or dual-29” wheels.

DRIVE UNIT AND ELECTRONICS | The Whyte ELyte EVO uses the Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 5 drive unit, producing 600W Peak Power and 85Nm Torque with its 2.8kg (6.2lbs) drive unit – 800g heavier than the Bosch SX unit that featured on the original Whyte ELyte, but with 30Nm more torque to show for it.

Powering the Bosch CX drive unit is the 2kg (4.4lbs), 400Wh Bosch CompactTube internal battery. Bosch and Whyte are not afraid to admit though that the CX system exceeds the power draw capabilities of the CompactTube battery alone, and so the full power of the CX system can only be achieved through the use of the 1.5kg (3.3lbs) 250Wh PowerMore Range Extender. Whyte designed the ELyte with this in mind, considering the Range Extender in the Center Of Gravity of the bike so that it would have minimal impact to the handling of the bike when fitted.

Bosch’s Smart System features the LED System Controller in the top tube; a wireless Mini Remote on the handlebar. The Bosch Flow app allows users to customize power modes; update the system and access functions like theft prevention.

FRAME AND FEATURES | The ELyte EVO features all of the same premium features as the ELyte 150 we tested earlier in the year. Head to that article to learn about all of the nitty gritty details.

To sum up the key features, the rear wheel size can be switched between 29” and 27.5” with the Shape.It V2 link; two bottle cage bosses allow for the PowerMore Range Extender plus a small water bottle within the mainframe; there’s optional headset cable routing (bikes will be supplied with standard internal routing), and there are plentiful provisions to make the bike stand up to the abuse of UK mud.

With the ELyte EVO, Whyte has placed a high priority on optimizing the Center of Gravity of the bike – placing the weight as centrally and low-slung as possible. Such a key component of the handling of the bike does Whyte feel the Center of Gravity is, they produced a dedicated machine to measure the CoG of the bike (and the competition) to ensure they were happy with the distribution and resulting performance.

SUSPENSION | The ELyte EVO features a Horst Link rear end that delivers 142mm, and is paired with a 150mm fork leading the charge. Whyte isn’t planning to offer the shorter travel ELyte 140 platform in the EVO lineup.

GEOMETRY | The Whyte ELyte EVO geometry is well-rounded for its all mountain intentions. Stand out figures are the 481mm Reach and tall 652mm Stack height. There’s a geometry adjusting offset bushing in the lower shock mount, allowing the choice of a 64° or 64.6° Head Tube angle and 8mm of bottom bracket height adjustment.

BUILD SPECS | Whyte is going to offer the ELyte EVO in a choice of two build specs, the RS at £7,250, or the top spec Stag Works we tested at £9,999. This Stag Works comes set up as MX as standard, whereas the RS is 29”. Both come with the Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 5 drive unit with the 400Wh internal battery and the PowerMore Range Extender.

In addition to the crazy Blurple colorway, Whyte spec’d the Stag Works with a selection of high-spec components that should keep most riders happy. There’s Fox Factory suspension, with the Grip X2-equipped 36 fork and a custom-tuned Float X shock. Sram’s XO T-Type drivetrain

Hope Technology components feature throughout, from the Pro 5 hubs to the 155mm cranks, and the Tech 4 V4 brakes. There’s a set of DT Swiss HX531 rims wrapped in Maxxis tires. Rounding out the specs are a Whyte stem with Race Face ERA carbon bar, and Whyte’s Drop.It II dropper seatpost with a Fizik Terra Aidon saddle.

THE DIRT

I logged a solid first ride on the Whyte ELyte EVO Stag Works in the Forest of Dean, England, letting me quickly get a feel for its character and how it compares to the ELyte 150 I tested previously. Chasing down Whyte’s Engineer, Sam Shucksmith, was no easy task – he’s an exceptional rider, and certainly a man who’s capable of pushing the limits of the ELyte. As for me… I was left in his sloppy mud (no dust was found), but still managed to assess the performance of the bike.

ELECTRONICS & INTEGRATION | I found it extremely interesting to learn that the ELyte EVO was developed alongside the Bosch SX-equipped ELyte. It would be safe to assume that some compromises were made along the way, and I believe that the ground clearance is the only factor that has suffered here. The CX motor protrudes quite far below the downtube of the ELyte EVO, necessitating the burly alloy bash guard to keep it safe. Visually it looks vulnerable, and I’m certain it’ll take some abuse when ridden on technical terrain, but the first ride has proved it to be very manageable. That low-hanging motor means that the resulting Center of Gravity is very low, so it’s not all bad.

DOES THE RANGE EXTENDER-DEMANDING APPROACH MAKE SENSE? | Whyte justified it by suggesting the Center of Gravity was improved, but I suppose one thing overlooked would be hydration needs. If you’re running a small water bottle in the upper bottle cage mount, you will likely throw the Center of Gravity out more than if there was a 600Wh battery inside the down tube, though I haven’t done the maths. And maximum water capacity is going to suffer. However, a bigger battery needs a fatter downtube – adding weight – and the PowerMore Range Extender is relatively weight-efficient. So, the jury is out. There’s pros and cons there to be considered, and it’s safe to say that the resulting performance doesn’t suffer as a result.

CLIMBING | Taking the well-sorted seating position and climbing platform of the ELyte and boosting torque has made the ELyte EVO exceptionally well sorted on the way up the hill. The MX wheel setup feels a touch more rearward biased than the 29er did, but certainly manageable.

With the combined 650Wh battery capacity, range was solid. On long and steep climbs there was no evidence of de-rating, though the 400Wh battery alone was not tested. I’d proceed with caution if you’re a rider who’d be demanding full boost without using the Range Extender, but it comes included, so shouldn’t be an issue for most.

DESCENDING | The ELyte was an enjoyable machine on the descents, but the slightly more rearward and low-slung bias of the ELyte EVO took enjoyment to another level. Of course, the top-level Stag Works spec on the EVO compared with the lower spec’d ELyte I tested previously will have helped. The overall stability and composure of the Stag Works ELyte EVO was excellent, yet it retained sufficient agility to navigate the tighter and more technical sections of trail comfortably.

In the mid-travel, all mountain segment, the ELyte EVO sits in a well-balanced space that’s very fun. It’s not a pointed machine, but rather a well-rounded bike that’ll keep things fun whether pushing the limits in enduro terrain or riding more mellow trail center runs.

The Wolf’s First Impression

Given its overall agility, the reserves and reassuring feeling when pushing the Whyte ELyte EVO Stag Works hard are impressive. As a quiver killing eBike it’s likely to be a very solid choice for many. Some may question the decision to effectively rely on the Range Extender – would it be best to instead run a 600Wh battery? Perhaps. But at the end of the day, the Whyte ELyte EVO rides well enough to justify it.

Website: Whytebikes.com

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