Continuing the series about our bikes and why we ride them…this is Pat’s Whyte Caledonian set up for his daily commute to the Whyte R & D facility.

What a work horse, design and function in the ideal commuting package.

“I got it to test ride a non-spec sample front fork, then went back to the standard fork and carried on riding around town.  Just added mudguards and a rear rack and it’s been a very reliable steed. The disc brakes work great, ideal for quick stops when carrying a lot of luggage around. Tyres have had very few punctures (glass chips mostly).  Still on original brake pads and chain, after 18 months continual use and just some extra chain oil now and again.  It still feels nearly as “tight” as a brand new bike”.

Cheers,

Pat

I recently dropped off a Whyte Coniston with Rob Penn, Author of “It’s all about the bike” – The Pursuit of happiness on two wheels, later made into a documentary for the BBC.

He is shooting a new film and will be riding a Coniston all over the UK…watch this space.

http://www.robpenn.net/index.phtml

The latest Cycle Scheme magazine is out this week and the Whyte Caledonian features on the cover, has a double page review and is included as an example Cycle Scheme package bike.

See it all here in the digital version…

http://issuu.com/cyclescheme/docs/cycle-commuter-06

Here’s the latest from our London blogger…a new and happy cyclist.

Still cold, but more motivation…

With the snow firmly behind us, my excuses were wearing thin, so I donned the thermal base layers and put my bike to the test with some serious (ish) commuting…

Overall my first impressions have been reinforced and I’m rather taken with my new wheels.

First up the geometry.  The comfortable position really gives me confidence in the traffic.  I find it provides great visibility and allows for excellent manoeuvrability in the traffic which is vital given my commute takes me across London town.

Another boon are the excellent disk brakes which I am frequently grateful for when having to react to erratic pedestrians or traffic.  They really do stop the bike rapidly and feel like a significant upgrade over the brakes that typically come as standard in this price range.

I also like the hybrid tyres, which strike an excellent balance between rolling resistance and stability.  This feeling of stability is enhanced by the front suspension.  Its no downhill bike in terms of suspension travel, but it does a good job of softening the worst of the surface.  Given the state of our nations roads currently any help in this direction is appreciated.

So in summary I am extremely happy with my Whyte Malvern as a commuting tool.  Its comfortable, stable and the disk brakes are a real highlight.  It may be a ‘hybrid’ but it doesn’t feel compromised in any respect on the road.

Read the latest from www.road.cc @

http://road.cc/content/review/33931-whyte-caledonian

All in all, there’s little to dislike about a bike that offers a relaxed but sporty ride, is versatile enough to genuinely cope with all but the most hardcore off-road riding, looks good and makes you smile. For £849, that’s a lot of bike for your money in my book.

Verdict

A versatile, great looking bike, genuinely capable of handling all terrains with ease. And guaranteed to make you smile.

- road.cc

Here at Whyte World we love the Coniston, it is the ultimate utility bike, light and stylish for commuting the streets yet comfortable and robust for trails and by-ways. We have raced CX races, toured with panniers, commuted in the city and hammered endless miles of towpaths on this bike! Complete with proper MTB components and geometry the Coniston is able to handle both rolling bridleways and technical forest trails. We have fitted 38mm CX tyres for trails and slicks for Urban riding…this bike screams use me and if you only have room for one bike, one absolute work horse that is light weight, brilliantly specced and with stylish clean lines, then the Coniston is for you.

What an adventure bike…

Next stop for the Coniston, touring with the CTC.

The Coniston commute continued this morning on a frosty towpath, this bike really turns my daily ride into an adventure; mixing up trails with traffic hopping and dis-used rail way lines.

The Coniston really opens up so many possibilities both in the city and countryside. I am beginning to think of it as my “freedom bike”, which allows me to get away from the traffic and see parts of the city and surrounding countryside that I don’t normally see. This happens at speed, in comfort and with style

These photo’s are from Sustrans route # 4 along the Thames from Chiswick to Barnes Bridge and Fulham and then back toward Richmond. A combination trail of hard pack, tarmac and mud (in uber sloppy conditions), ideal terrain for the C7 with 700c fast rolling tyres, comfortable MTB geometry and lock out suspension fork.

The C7 series of adventure bikes are perfect for this kind of riding; whether you are riding the tow path mixed with tarmac while commuting, riding forest trails to the pub with a child seat or touring the Alps with trailer or panniers the Coniston, Caledonian or Malvern can do it all in style.

Whyte are new to the urban bikes game so you might expect them to be doing a bit of learning in the first model year of their C7 (multi terrain) and R7 (road) ranges. There’s no feeling that the £1,099 Coniston is half cooked though, it’s a versatile all-rounder that’s fun to ride and up for the dirt as much as the tarmac.

Road.cc

Read more @ http://road.cc/content/review/27295-whyte-coniston