Thoughts on the Whyte Suffolk

I would go for either the Canyon or Rose CX.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/LgMXo-p5pOeOdwvcdTH0E8XfkH94lOhf7B...

Follow up to my original post from 02/11/2014. My frame had just cracked and I was waiting to here back via my local Whyte bike shop. The link above shows the new spacing of the cable routing which is much further apart from the original frame. What really frustrates and worries me is that I had registered my bike and my details via their website to benefit from their free extended frame warranty. I suspect Whyte must have realised fairly early on that there was a problem with the frame. I also think that they are lucky no one has had a more serious accident stemming from these failures, which have the potential to be fairly catastrophic if the frame was to fail on a 30+ mph decent. They had the option to contact the resellers or in my case and probably quite a few others directly.

I bought this bike because it was one of the few bikes at the time that met my requirement list. I really wanted to like this bike . On paper it looked perfect, including some glowing cycling press reviews.

The reality has been a bike that has persistently let me down time and time again. This on at least 2 occasions have left me stuck quite far from home. This was bought as a "Winter" bike in the end I'm lucky if I've done 500 miles on it in the last 12 months. This is a result of the amount of time the bike has been rendered unrideable due to mechanical failures. In the end my "Summer" bike has been left filling the gap.

The failures include, Frame failure (replaced), Freehub (replaced but still does not run very free), bottom bracket failure (replaced) , several spokes ( more recently complete real wheel rebuild with all new spokes), replacement trp hy/rd brake set. This week I have been told that the rear bearings need replaced but the bike shop are telling me its wear and tear and not warranty. Not sure this is reasonable after around 500 miles and have never encountered it on any other of my own bikes. Already looking at some cheap mavic one disc replacements.

The only part that seems to be OK is the shimino groupset. This rest of the kit in my opinion is manufactured from a composite of papier mache and Swiss cheese. The UK based distributor have been good in replacing the parts quickly with the minimum of fuss, but that shouldn’t really be the case with a new bike. I have always felt since the problems began that I would eventually get the bike I wanted. It just doesn't feel reasonable that the bike was sold in its original form which in truth wasn’t fit for purpose.

Given the choice again I wouldn't buy this bike. To be honest I would put me of the Whyte brand completely. The bike will eventually be OK, but again that shouldn't really left to me to spend a year sorting it out.

0.5/5

ps. the brake cables should never be tightened without the lock screw being inplace. If they are tightened too much the pads will not "float" properly and as a result will wear unevenly. My new brakes fitted 2-3 weeks ago by the bike shop had been tightened well past this point. If in doubt check the trp website for more info.

My rear brake never worked as it should. Thought it was my fault with some careless Lube. Replacement pads and proper disc clean still didnt help. Bought extra fluid topped up reservoir . None of this helped. It was a fault with the original brakes one of the pistons wasnt moving freely. So after a year I have working brakes.

I've recently replaced the 2014 Suffolk with a 2015 model and have to say the later model is like a different bike. The 2015 has had changes to the frame and Whyte have fixed other problems that were apparent with the 2014 model. Although I've been happy with Shimano's 10 speed 105 set-up, the 11 speed shift action is so much better and adds to the enjoyment of the bike.

I also went down a frame size. Previously I had the 56cm frame, but I have changed this for the 54cm. At 5ft10, Whyte's sizing guide recommends the 56cm frame, but I have found the 54cm frame to be a much better fit. In size terms it feels much closer to my Boardman Team Carbon 56cm frame.

Like many others, I bought this bike as a winter commute. I wanted something with disc brakes and mounts for mudguards and racks. I have a daily round trip commute of 42 miles (into London) and wanted something tough enough to stand up to high mileage and winter.

The disc brakes do need to be set up properly. I also found changing to a sintered pad has improved braking performance. They work extremely well - so much better than my experiences with mechanical brakes.

Yes, I had problems with the 2014 model. Whyte's customer service has been fantastic. Which is why I decided on the 2015 model. I'm glad I did. In fact, I'm so pleased with the 2015 model, I'm going to use it through the summer as well.

Two words of advice when buying this bike: Get the 2015 model and be careful on sizing. Fantastic commute bike now that Whyte have got it right!

Interesting thread. I have the Whyte Cornwall. Overall it's a good bike but it hasn't been without its problems.

Firstly, there were no frame protection stickers around the cabled areas. Carbon, even aluminium, will wear through pretty quickly if the cable rubs against it, so these are essential. Not putting them on is a stupid mistake by Whyte.

Secondly, the supplied tyres were rubbish. So I replaced them with 4seasons 28mm. These are very comfortable and suit the bike well. I've had only two punctures since fitting.

Third, the Whyte mudguards are crap. The front mudguard has only one stay per side, which means that if you ride one-handed, it rattles and wobbles like crazy. The rear mudguard is supposed to be fixed to the frame via its own hole but you have to drill that yourself and then find a suitable rubber spacer. And the bolts supplied with the mudguards corrode easily. Don't even bother, get some SKS mudguards instead. They're much better.

Fourth, I've had continual problems with the rear gearshifts, particularly changing to the smaller cog. The cable is very sensitive to grime and stiffness, fully enclosed cables would be a bonus here so the next time it fails that's what I'm going to do. I'm not going to continue with the internal routing.

Fifth, after 4,000 miles the freehub bearings sound like a washing machine.

Sixth, the chainslap protection thingy on the drive side chainstay came loose during winter. I replaced it with self-amalgamating tape. Not pretty but it won't fall off.

Seventh, the locking skewers are pointless and will land you in a lot of trouble if you suffer a puncture and forget the removal tool. I replaced them with Hope skewers.

Eighth, one of the Whyte labels on the downtube isn't straight. It's out of line by a degree or two. This annoys me.

Don't get me wrong, it's a capable bike and is very good around the corners, but I've had much better reliability from my previous winter steed, a Ribble winter trainer. The brakes are absolutely excellent and I like the way the bike looks - tough and purposeful. But I probably wouldn't buy one again.

I have now purchased one of these beasties. As far as I am concerned, it represents excellent value for money - but I think Whyte may have missed a trick or two. Firstly, the pedals supplied are rubbish. Quite why these pedals were chosen is beyond me - Halford's cheapest plastic would have been better. Secondly, it appears that there are no manuals with the bike. As set-up by shop, the gear change for the front derailleur was poor and the cable miss-routed though the clamp. I also do not think the tyres will last for very long.

My next comments must be put into context. I've just started riding so I know very little about the subject. I'm also very, very slow. Anyway, here are my impressions - My old bike, a 25 year old Ridgeback 605 allowed me to average just under 13 mph but the Suffolk blasts this up to 15 mph (over 60-90 minute rides). I can also say that the Suffolk feels secure to ride in so much that it goes where you point it. The brakes work well and are very controllable. The gear ratios appear to be well chosen and appropriate for my needs. The lowest ratio (34 tooth crank, 32 tooth rear on 700 wheels) is low enough for me to get up steepish (7.5-8.5%) hills with a little bit of puff. The highest gear is more than fast enough for my ability. But the bottom line is that I really enjoy riding it.

I think it's an excellent bike.

I came across this thread recently and found it a bit alarming, but thought it
would be worth adding my comments as someone who has not had a bad experience.

I bought a 2014 Whyte Suffolk in December 2013, and as of the time of writing
(August 2015) it's done just over 10,000 miles, including LEJOG last year (and
I'm doing JOGLE on it later this month). I use it most days to cycle to
work (about a 30 mile round trip) and have ridden it year round - one of the
reasons I bought it was to have a bike I could use in the winter.

When I bought it, I had the original pedals swapped for SPDs, the original
tyres for Marathons, and added a rack and Whyte mudguards (which have been
fine).

The bad things about it are

• the brakes aren't as good as I'd expected. I had the rear caliper replaced
  under warranty about 3 months after buying it because the hydraulic thing
  was leaking, but they've never been great. When I switch to one of my other
  bikes with rim brakes, they feel noticeably stronger.
• I did have problems with the little torque bolt thing in the LH crank,
  which kept unscrewing itself. I lost one completely, but replaced
  it (they're only about £3 from wiggle) and the current one seems OK
• Not mad keen on the colour scheme

The good things

• I find it *really* comfortable to ride (especially like the wide
  handlebars). I find it more comfortable than my Felt racing bike or
  Specialized MTB.
• It's kept going for 10,000 miles and has had relatively little go
  wrong (apart from stuff wearing out, see below)
• I'm almost always using panniers (I bring my laptop and change of
  clothes to work) and I've had no problems here

In the time I've had it, I've had to replace

• tyres (~7,000 miles)
• bottom bracket (~8,000)
• rear cassette, rear derailleur, freehub, big front chainring (~10,000)
• numerous chains (I get through one about every 1,000 miles)
• brake pads twice (4,000 and 8,000)
• a couple of sets of gear and brake cables

(maybe I'm wearing things out at a shocking rate - I've never had a bike
that's done this many miles before so I don't know!)

I've checked pretty carefully (and anxiously) for cracks in the frame and
can't see anything. A lot of my journeys are on fairly poor surfaces
(including towpaths) so it has had a fair amount of battering.

Someone earlier said something to the effect of "all the 58cm frames crack".
Mine is a 56cm, if that makes any difference. Perhaps there was a batch of
bad 58cm ones? Or maybe I'm fantastically lucky and got an unusually strong
frame.

If my bike frame DOES crack, I'll come back and report it. But so far, I'm
really happy with the Whyte Suffolk and don't regret the purchase.

A few months into owning the 2015 Whyte Suffolk and really pleased with it. It is markedly slower than my summer bike (Cube Agree GTC Pro w/ Dura Ace wheelset) but that's probably in part to me lazily dropping to the 32 ring on steeper climbs. It's comfy as hell, and feels very assured when cornering and navigating Kent and Sussex's crappy roads. Way more so than my summer bike. It looks shit hot too.

I'd definitely recommend it.

Don't write off Sora! I deliberately stuck with 9 speed which I first experienced with a Merlin 20 years ago, when it was top-end. 9 is enough for me. I ended up with my best general bike ever - a Vitus steel gravel with cable discs which I've been using for all my bike trailer trips, cycling in the rain, general travelling to nearby towns within 12-15 miles etc., for over a year and about 5000 miles. now on 3rd chain, but I have a system where I reinstall them when the chain-rings and cassette become worn, so get about 4 chains per cassette- I want to change chainrings from 48/32 to 46/30 anyway, when I've worn these out. 

despite one or two disastisified customers on here, I'm interested in it. My friendly LBS would like to sell me one, but are struggling to get them in stock as Whyte aren't making them fast enough!

Update from Dec 3rd on this horrendous bike: After owning this for 9 months now, I've had more mechanical issues than I wish to mention. However, after xmas I started developing leg and back problems down my RHS resulting in time off work and trips to the physio. -fun times This all appeared out of the blue one day without any real explanation and has had me off the bike for 6weeks.

Today, I thought I'd have a look at my position on a few of my bikes to see if I could ease my back pain a little. Whilst tinkering I noticed that the drive side crank on the whyte is 175mm... Strange, I thought, I never usually use a crank that long, I turn the bike round and check the LH crank 172.5mm.

I reiterate: THE WORST BIKE I'VE EVER OWNED!

.

parksey - pretty much agree with all of that having covered a lot more miles since October

It's certainly nothing like as rapid as my normal road bike but for my 16km commute it does the job nicely. I'll certainly keep an eye on the frame but I've not had any issues so far with cracking on my 2015 model. One thing I would add is that before buying one make sure you understand how the TRP brake setup works - it's not very intuitive and it's easy to completely mess up. I'm not sure if mine wasn't quite setup correctly in the first place or whether I made a mess of adjusting them, but I suddenly realised I had no braking power during one ride! They're actually really easy once you understand how they should work

Just been on the phone to cycle surgery and whyte are now going to get me a new set of shimano wheels to compensate. There customer service cant be faulted. Hopefully all the teething issues are in the 2014 model and the 2015 is the bike it should have always been.