Bike We Like

This month we jump on Whyte bike’s latest creation the Wessex which was built to take on the British winter.

WHAT IS IT?

‘This isn’t a gravel bike or a cyclocross bike just because it has disc brakes,’ Whyte’sChief Designer Ian Alexander told us when we joined him in the Cots wolds for a test ride of the new Whyte Wessex. ‘The Wessex is a 21st century British road bike built with utility and winter riding in mind.’ Unlike many other bike brands,it’s also built specifically to be ridden in the UK’s particular weather conditions rather than designed for multiple climates and the international market. The mudguard system,for example, intentionally covers the wheels fully, to combat the amount of surface water we get on roads in this country.

DON’T WHYTE MAKE MOUNTAIN BIKES?

That’s certainly where the firm started out, but over the years it’s shifted its focus increasingly to road bikes with remarkable success.The Whyte Dorset, for example,won our best-value bike of the year award in 2015.Inour experience,their MTB know how gives them an interesting edge over more traditional road bike manufacturers and the Wessex is no exception.It’s crammed full of the latest tech from hydraulic disc brakes through to tubeless-ready rims.

AH, THOSE DEAD FANCY WHEELS.TELLUSABOUTTHEM.