Whyte has unveiled the new ELyte EVO electric mountain bike with Bosch’s latest Performance Line CX motor and a lower-than-ever centre of gravity for one of its eMTBs.
The brand says the new bike is aimed at trail and enduro riding, featuring a 150mm fork and 142mm of rear-suspension travel.
Whyte says the bike tops the scales at 20.8kg for a medium-sized frame, which is impressive for a full-power electric mountain bike.
That weight isn't far off the Bosch Performance Line SX-equipped ELyte, posing the question of whether the midweight motor is worth the power penalty.
Many manufacturers, such as Whyte, have adopted Bosch's new two-bolt motor attachments, enabling them to design frames to accommodate both the Performance Line SX and CX motors. Does this spell the end for SL-style eMTBs as full-power motors become lighter?
At the moment, the choice is still down to the customer.
Two spec levels are available at launch, with the ELyte EVO RS starting at £7,250 and the ELyte EVO Stag Works topping the range at £9,999.
More torque
As is the case with many eMTBs, such as the Specialized Epic EVO, the ELyte EVO is a harder-hitting, more aggressive version of the ELyte.
While the bike shares the same carbon fibre frame as the ELyte, it has different internals – which are said to make it more capable on the hills.
Bosch’s latest Performance Line CX motor is used at the centre of the bike, offering 85Nm of torque and 250Wh of power.
That's 30Nm more torque than was found on the 55Nm Performance Line SX motor.
The new motor is said to deliver “more runs and more grins” than previously and is connected to a 400Wh PowerTube battery hidden in the down tube.
Total battery capacity can be upped to 650Wh with the addition of a 250Wh PowerMore range extender that sits in front triangle.
Whyte says it has focused on the bike's centre of gravity when designing the frame, and claims the bike has the lowest point of any eMTB it has ever made or measured.
This has influenced where the PowerMore range extender sits in the frame, with the mount positioned low on the down tube.
The ELyte EVO can be run with 29in wheels front and rear, or with a 27.5in rear wheel to achieve a mullet setup.
This is done via Whyte’s Shape.It flip chip, which sits in the linkage – also giving the bike High and Low geometry settings.
Both bikes in the range feature 155mm cranks in order to minimise rock strikes, and there's room for two bottles in the front triangle.
Rather unusually, Whyte gives you the option of running the cables internally or externally of the headset, which will be good news for home mechanics.
Familiar geometry
The bike is available in four sizes; S, M, L and XL, and features an aggressive trail geometry.
Being the same frame as the ELyte, Whyte says the geometry numbers are the same on both bikes.
Head angles are set at 64.6 degrees, although this can be slackened to 64 degrees in the Low setting.
Reach measurements appear on-point, with a size L spanning 481mm.
| | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube angle (degrees) | 77.5 | 77.3 | 77.1 | 76.9 |
| Head tube angle (degrees) (l/h) | 64.6/64 | 64.6/64 | 64.6/64 | 64.6/64 |
| Chainstay (mm) | 450.4 | 450.4 | 450.4 | 450.4 |
| Seat tube (mm) | 395 | 420 | 445 | 470 |
| Top tube (mm) | 563 | 592 | 620 | 649 |
| Head tube (mm) | 114 | 127 | 140 | 152 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 1211.6 | 1242.1 | 1276.6 | 1302.7 |
| Standover (mm) | 741 | 741 | 741 | 741 |
| Stack (mm) | 628.7 | 640.5 | 652.3 | 663.2 |
| Reach (mm) | 431 | 456 | 481 | 506 |
Whyte ELyte EVO spec and price details
Whyte ELyte EVO RS
- Fork: RockShox Lyrik Select+, 150mm
- Shock: RockShox Deluxe Select+
- Motor: Bosch Performance Line CX
- Battery: PowerTube 400Wh
- Drivetrain: SRAM S1000 AXS Transmission
- Brakes: SRAM Code Bronze Stealth
- Wheels: WTB ST Tough
- Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5in (front), Maxxis Dissector 2.4in (rear)
- Price: £7,250
Whyte ELyte EVO Stag Works
- Fork: Fox Float 36 Factory, 150mm
- Shock: Fox Float X Factory
- Motor: Bosch Performance Line CX
- Battery: PowerTube 400Wh
- Drivetrain: SRAM X0 AXS Transmission
- Brakes: Hope Tech 4 V4
- Wheels: DT HX531
- Tyres: Maxxis Assegai 2.5in (front), Maxxis Minion DHR II 2.4in (rear)
- Price: £9,999
