For over two decades, British brand Whyte Bikes has been all about mountain bikes. With a wide collection of MTBs in its roster, the brand caters to all the needs of various mountain bikers. Now, with the rapid growth of the e-bike segment, electric mountain bikes are ripping up the trails more than ever before. That said, Whyte has a new flagship e-MTB called the E-Lyte.
As the name suggests, the E-Lyte is all about keeping things light. In contrast to urban commuters and cargo bikes, electric mountain bikes tend to focus on low weight and natural pedal feel as opposed to outright power and torque. As such, the Whyte E-Lyte makes use of a full carbon fiber frame, as well as cutting edge motor options depending on your variant of choice.
According to Whyte Chief Engineer Ian Alexander, the new E-Lyte has such a focus on low weight and optimum balance that the company made use of a bespoke jig to perfectly dial in the bike’s balance. A recent article by Cycling Electric highlighted this custom jig which allows Whyte’s engineers to dial in the perfect weight balance for their bikes. The jig is extremely sensitive to even the slightest adjustments, so designers know exactly where to place the electronics of the bike so as to provide the best weight distribution possible.
The E-Lyte is offered in a variety of configurations. For starters, the E-Lyte 140 gets a 55-Newton-meter motor paired with a 650-watt-hour battery pack. According to the company, the E-Lyte tips the scales at merely 16.4 kilograms. It gets 140 millimeters of front suspension travel and 135 millimeters at the back courtesy of a Fox 34 fork. Meanwhile, those looking for more suspension travel in exchange for a little bit of extra weight can opt for the E-Lyte 150 and Works builds weighing in at 18.9 kilos and 19.2 kilos, respectively. They get 150mm and 142mm of travel front and rear thanks to a Fox 35/36 fork.
The Whyte E-Lyte also boasts the brand’s eShape.it Link V2. This technology allows riders to adjust the bike’s geometry to a slacker setting for more aggressive downhill riding. By flipping the link, a taller stance can be adopted for better ergonomics for longer rides. Last but not least, there’s also an E-180 long-travel version that offers the top-tier Bosch Performance Line CX Race system. This motor is Bosch’s top-tier setup reserved for the best e-MTBs on the market, and is renowned for its 400-percent pedal assistance and lightweight magnesium housing.
