Whyte T-160 RS Review

The T-160 RS is the ‘do it all’ full suspension Mountain Bike from Whyte. It’s a trail bike that handles both rough stuff and smooth terrain, including ascents and descents - comfortably and efficiently. The rear shock of this bike has 150mm of travel - and the front fork of the bike, a RockShox Lyrik, provides 160mm of travel.

Only alloy versions of the T-160 are available, with the RS being the more expensive. All versions of the T-160 use 29-inch wheels. Although some may be disappointed at the lack of a carbon fibre option, it’s worth noting that Whyte is intentionally moving away from carbon fibre frames on their longer travel bikes. Instead, it’s looking at providing well-spec’d long travel mountain bikes at a more available price point.

T-160 RS Features & Design

The frame on this bike provides a solid and stable bike. The T-160 has a four-bar suspension, a low bottom bracket and a symmetrical rear triangle. There are also clever features, including an integrated seat clamp.

Whyte was one of the pioneers of slack geometry on a trail bike. This bike is designed to bridge the gap between an enduro bike and a trail bike. This bike has adjustable geometry that uses a brass insert into the shock extender yoke to cater for as many conditions and preferences as possible. In the lowest position, the bottom bracket can be lowered by 11mm, achieving a slacker head angle of 64 degrees. This lower ride height provides a low centre of gravity which can be felt as stability in the turns, but can leave riders at risk of pedal strike.

T-160 RS Specification

There’s plenty of decent kit on show here, including an Sram 12-speed GX eagle with a big cassette to ensure all-mountain performance. There are powerful Sram Code R brakes with 200mm rotors. There’s also the Rockshox Lyrik Select + RC air-sprung fork and the Super Deluxe Select + RT rear shock.

Grips and bars are designed and manufactured by Whyte; there are also 160mm travel dropper posts from BikeYoke. This bike uses Maxxis rubber in the form of the MaxxTerra High Roller II.

T-160 RS Riding

As with many Whyte Bikes - this bike is a bike you instantly feel comfortable on. At no point did we feel the need to make a million adjustments; we jumped on the bike and went. This bike does not feel incredibly light on the trails - it’s not meant to. Ascending on this bike was comfortable and smooth, and the suspension was not bouncing too much as we climbed.

The bike was impressive when descending; the plush rear suspension gave us confidence over the toughest of obstacles, confirming that this bike can handle everything an enduro bike can handle. The T-160 remained comfortable across a full range of singletrack. It’s a bike which rewards all levels of order, and it’s certainly a bike that new mountain bikers will find rewarding to work with and ride on.