2018 Whyte Wessex Zinc

Building on the tremendous success of the Wessex in 2017, Whyte have set out to produce an even better machine for 2018, developing the spec to enhance all the best aspects of the Wessex even more. The Wessex was conceived to be the ideal British road bike, ready to soak up everything our inclement climate and rugged road surfaces might throw at it. To achieve this goal Whyte take the concept of the traditional road bike and adapt a few things.

Starting with a fairly industry standard frame made from uni-directional carbon fibre, Whyte adapt the geometry, making the bike slightly longer in its wheelbase and marginally slacker in its head angle for an overall more stable and comfortable ride, key for dealing with our difficult roads. The carbon forks and frame are both built with concealed eyelets for mudguards, keeping your road bike sleek and stylish, but also practical. The frame forks are also designed with tolerances for wider tyres, with the Wessex coming with Schwalbe G-One Speed 30c tyres as standard. Wider tyres roll better and provide more comfort on damaged roads, as well as providing more grip and confidence all-year round. The tyres and Easton AR-21 rims are also tubeless ready, with the option to go tubeless should you so wish, which is beneficial to puncture resistance and rolling resistance. A threaded bottom bracket and fully sealed internal cabling, offer weather proofing measures not normally considered on road bikes. Slightly more concurrent with recent industry trends the Wessex is only available with Shimano's excellent Ultegra hydraulic disc brakes. Providing excellent braking performance in all conditions, they're perfect for the Wessex and its mission to be the most ideal British road bike going. This different outlook on performance, comfort and reliability sets the Wessex apart from other road bikes, making the Wessex fast in real terms on real British roads.

Not doing things completely its own way, the Wessex does fall back on ever popular Shimano 105 and Ultegra to put together a lightweight, precise and durable drivetrain. Utilising an 11-32t cassette, with a compact 34-50t crankset, the Wessex has a very wide range of gears, making it a very capable climber, with plenty of top end speed. The Wessex is all about delivering performance and practicality, for a thoroughly enjoyable experience overall. Perfect for someone who wants a bike capable of delivering a fulfilling ride all year round, the Wessex has the potential to be the only road bike you'll ever need.