Whyte Translates “Light” in Two Ways with the E-Lyte

Whyte Bikes are one of the most prominent names in the British bicycle industry. Anything that finds its way into the cycling world from the tranquil town of St Leonards on Sea on the Sussex Channel coast is usually looked at quite closely by the scene. The presentation of the new Whyte E-Lyte has made correspondingly big waves. As the name suggests, it is a particularly lightweight e-mountainbike. In fact, there are at least two bikes behind the name – but their character is noticeably different.

Since 2019, Whyte’s range includes ebikes as well. This makes the manufacturer one of the late starters. However, its first model, the E-160, already scored top marks in the reviews and ride tests of various bike magazines. At the time, the company was keen to be one of the first brands to launch a model featuring a Bosch Performance Line CX motor. Its torque had recently been increased to 85 Newton metres. Now it is once again a case of being one step ahead of the competition. In this case, however, the decisive ingredient is the Performance Line SX from Bosch, which was presented at Eurobike in the summer.

The lightweight of the range

With its E-Lyte model range, Whyte demonstrates – intentionally or unintentionally – the range in which Bosch’s lightest drive can be used. One of these is the E-Lyte 140 Works. It builds on the SX’s low system weight of around four kilograms. The result is an e-mountainbike that aims to be as light as possible on the scales. However, Whyte keeps an eye on the essentials. And that is still: the bike should be rideable. It was expressly not intended to be a high-bred product that impresses with numbers but is best ridden with kid gloves on the trails because it cannot handle the stresses and strains typical of this sport.

That’s why you’ll quickly recognise the E-Lyte 140 Works as a cross-country bike. With 140 millimetres of travel on the fork and 135 millimetres on the rear triangle, the travel is average in the best sense of the word. Just as it should be if you’re primarily focussing on speed – which also deliberately applies to longer uphill sections. The smaller Fox Float 34 Factory suspension tubes save valuable grams, as do the components of Sram’s XX T-Type electronic drivetrain and the Sram Level Ultimate Stealth brakes. The latter emphasise Whyte’s approach once again. Use high-quality and therefore lightweight parts. However, choose a variant that will also work permanently off-road. With a hydraulic disc brake with four brake pistons and a disc diameter of 200 millimetres at the front and 180 millimetres at the rear on a cross-country bike, you can confidently make this claim. In the end, we arrive at 16.4 kilograms for frame size M.

More robust twin

The almost three kilogrammes more weight on the E-Lyte 150 Works indicates that a slightly different approach is being pursued here. Central components come in bigger dimensions. As a result, the suspension travel increases to 150 millimetres and 142 millimetres respectively. With the Fox Float 36 Factory, the suspension fork becomes somewhat chunkier. The decision in favour of Hope Tech4 V4 brakes and Sram’s XO T-Type drivetrain also results in more stability and, in some cases, more power.

Given the changed requirement profile, we can understand the changes very well. After all, the E-Lyte 150 Works is much more of a trail bike. If you want, you can even give it some enduro genes. This is also reflected in the frame geometry. From the E-Lyte 140 Works to the E-Lyte 150 Works, the steering angle slackens again by around one degree to 64.6 degrees. As a result, the E-Lyte 150 Works will feel a little more stable while riding and should give you more control when turning compared to the model with the steeper steering angle.

Typical Whyte

The relatively large distance from the bottom bracket to the ground is somewhat unusual for both models. The approximately 348 millimetres on the E-Lyte 140 Works and the approximately 342 millimetres on the E-Lyte 150 Works result in the centre of gravity being quite high up on the bike at first glance. Whether this is confirmed in practice can only be determined on a test ride. At least the centre of gravity can be lowered by a few millimetres in both cases. A flip-chip system allows you to change the position of the shock on the seat tube. Whyte calls this solution the Shape.it Link and has already installed the second version of it.

Not a bargain even at entry-level

As an integral part of the carbon frame, the Shape.it Link is also part of the equipment of the entry-level model in the range. This includes a third bike, the E-Lyte 150 RSX. At £7,999, its price is £2,000 less than that of the E-Lyte 150 Works and £3,000 less than that of the E-Lyte 140 Works. As expected, its equipment is somewhat more basic. The suspension system comes entirely from RockShox, with the new transmission group from Sram it is only good enough for the cheapest version and the brakes are Code Bronze from Sram.

Nevertheless, it will ride extremely well. In terms of actual function, the cheaper versions are not really a downgrade. The brakes are just as big and also feature four brake pistons. The cassette also includes twelve sprockets in exactly the same range from ten to 52 teeth. In terms of weight, the E-Lyte 150 RSX is even 300 grams lighter than the E-Lyte 150 Works.

An ebike system to match the concept

In terms of its data, the Bosch Performance Line SX should fit all three versions of the Whyte E-Lyte quite well. It will be particularly exciting to see how the drive performs in the tests that are sure to be published soon, especially with the two models for rougher terrain. The motor requires a sporty riding style with high pedalling frequencies in order to actually be able to call up its peak power of 600 watts. If you take a more leisurely approach with cadences of around 70 revolutions per minute, you can only expect a maximum of 400 watts.

In any case, the range of the battery should not be a limiting factor for longer rides. In addition to the Bosch CompactTube integrated in the down tube, Whyte adds the Bosch PowerMore as standard. Together with the range extender, this gives you a total capacity of 650 watt hours. At the same time, you can leave one battery at home on shorter tours and ride much lighter. If you decide to skip the range extender, you can alternatively attach a large water bottle to the frame. Further up in the frame triangle there is even a mount for a small 400 millilitre water bottle. However, this is only available for frame sizes M, L and XL.

A few buttons, but no display

Basic information such as the current riding mode and the remaining battery capacity is displayed on the Bosch System Controller integrated in the top tube. While riding, you can change the riding modes from the handlebars using the Bosch Mini Remote and, for example, test the Sprint mode, which is only available on the SX drive. The Mini Remote is also used to switch the system on and off. As an alternative to this concept, we think the Purion 200 would have been a good fit for the E-Lyte. It might even have been a little more minimalist. However, the British magazine Mountain Bike Rider suspects that Whyte’s decision in favour of the System Controller is based on a knowledge advantage. The control unit is integrated into the top tube in a larger cover. Larger than it needs to be for the System Controller. MBR believes it is likely that Whyte is already adjusting to a real Bosch display at this point. Other drive systems already offer such a solution. The assumption therefore seems reasonable.

Whyte E-Lyte 2023 at a glance

• Variants: E-Lyte 140 Works, E-Lyte 150 Works, E-Lyte 150 RSX
• Frame: Carbon
• Frame sizes: S, M, L, XL
• Suspension fork: Fox Float 34 Factory, Fox Float 36 Factory, RockShox Lyrik Select+
• Motor: Bosch Performance Line SX
• Battery: Bosch CompactTube
• Control unit: Bosch Mini Remote + Bosch System Controller
• Drivetrain: Sram XX SL T-Type AXS, Sram XO T-Type AXS, Sram GX T-Type AXS
• Brakes: Sram Level Ultimate Stealth, Hope Tech4 V4, Sram Code Bronze Stealth
• Weight (frame size M): 16.4 kg, 19,2 kg, 18,9 kg
• Maximum permitted total weight: n.a.
• Colours: Matt UD Carbon / Gloss Black, Gloss Olive with UD Carbon, Gloss Silver with UD Carbon
• Price: £10,999, £9,999, £7,999

Pictures: Whyte Bikes Limited