WHYTE ELYTE 150 WORKS REVIEW
Powerful performance in a lightweight package
Words and images: Neil Kerr
Whyte isn’t your typical bike brand. Born from motorsport engineering in the late 1990s, they’ve always done things differently. Pushing geometry forward before the industry even knew it needed to catch up, Whyte was ahead of the curve from day one, designing long, low-slung frames with slack head angles optimised for ripping through the wet, rugged trails of Britain.
Durability and all-out performance have always been their thing, so when it came to designing a lightweight eMTB to compete in mountain biking’s hottest category, Whyte was never going to just slap a motor on a frame and call it a day. Instead, they took their time, refined the concept, and, earlier this year, released the sleek looking ELyte range.
When Whyte NZ approached us to test the ELyte 150 Works model, I was first to put my hand up. I was fizzing to test Whyte’s take on a lightweight eMTB built to ride fast, send big, and keep you grinning all day long.
The lightweight category has become muddied with a range of franken-bikes using various combinations of motor sizes, batteries, travel, and components to configure what they believe to be the ultimate sub-20kg motorised trail bike.
As an early adopter and fan boy of this category, I have some clear opinions on what a true lightweight e-trail bike should look and feel like. I reckon you need at least 150mm of travel for aggressive trail riding and it’s important to not save weight by compromising capability on critical components like rims, tyres, or brakes. Weight savings for this style of bike are best made on the heaviest components: the motor and battery. I also feel like 20kg is not a relevant baseline if you’re legitimately trying to compare a lightweight e-bike’s trail performance to analogue versions—sub 19kg should be the target, ideally closer to 18.5kg.
Components
The spec of the ELyte 150 Works is impressive, the Hope Tech4 V4 brakes instantly jumping out—I struggle to recall another bike coming stock with what I consider to be the industry’s leading stoppers. I’m a massive fan of these brakes, so Whyte gets a huge tick from me.
The ELyte 150 Works also comes with SRAM’s AXS T groupset, the best e-bike shifting currently available.
Most interesting, though, was the new Bosch SX Motor, the German behemoth’s first foray into a lighter, lower powered motor.
My only gripe from the spec sheet was the tyre selection, a Maxxis DHF with EXO casing up front and an EXO+ Dissector out back. It’s a choice that falls firmly into the “let’s save weight by sacrificing a critical component” category. This bike deserves burlier tyres.
Motor
The Bosch SX motor’s performance was tailormade for my riding style, rewarding high-cadence riding and lots of rider input (always shifting to be in right gear). It was, in a word, exceptional.
On paper, the motor’s torque and battery specs look very similar to others in this space at 55Nm and 400Wh, but what jumps out of the page is its peak power output of 600W. This is double what most other motors in this category produce. There is a caveat, however: that impressive 600W is only accessible in short bursts via turbo and spinning a cadence of 90-100rpm. You can get there, but only in certain situations. For the majority of time, the SX sits at about 300W with the rest of the lightweight eMTB crowd, quietly waiting to show its full potential.
The only downside of the SX motor is its size—it uses the same housing as the full-sized CX version which means it takes up a lot of real estate on the frame. You may think this is purely aesthetic, but from a bike engineer’s perspective this also changes how close the bikes geometry and suspension kinematics can be pushed towards the feel of an analogue bike.
Frame
Aesthetically the ELyte 150 Works is a masterpiece. The full-carbon frame is engineered with strength and weight efficiency in mind, giving the bike a sleek, aggressive stance. It’s well-thought-out battery integration and square downtube give it a clean, slimline look that is notably different to their full-size e-bikes.
The 150 Works gets its name from the 150mm front travel supplied via a Fox Factory 36 fork. The rear travel is slightly less at 142mm, again provided by a Fox with a Factory Float X. I’ve already touched on some of the key components but another worth mentioning is Whyte’s TeXtreme Innegra-infused carbon rims on Hope Pro 5 hubs, which are an excellent bonus and add extra rigidity and lateral stiffness, counteracting the extra weight and forces e-bikes exert.
Another bonus with the works model is that a Bosch 250Wh range extender is included as part of the price. This is stored in the water bottle holder and adds an extra 50 per cent range.
Another cool touch from Whyte is a second water bottle holder mount further up the downtube so you can still carry water while using the range extender.
Weight-wise, the E-Lyte 150 sits at 19.2kg, which is pushing into the higher end of the lightweight eMTB spectrum. However, the extra motor power and high-end componentry offsets this and Whyte has managed to keep the handling characteristics close to that of a traditional enduro bike.
Climbing
The first critical test for any lower powered e-bike for me is always its climbing prowess, and here the ELyte 150 Works excels. The SX motor has a very natural-feeling power delivery that complements rider input rather than overpowering it. The extra top-end power available with a high-cadence pedalling style is impressive. At times the climbing prowess of the ELyte 150 Works approaches that of a full power eMTB.
“At times the climbing prowess of the ELyte 150 Works approaches that of a full power eMTB.”
Descending
Once on the downhills, the ELyte 150 Works really came alive, with handling to rival any of the top lightweight eMTBs on the market. Its low weight and progressive suspension give it an agile and flickable feel, allowing you to throw it around with ease.
When pushed, the ELyte 150 Works holds its line well and its stability at speed is confidence inspiring. The low-slung bottom bracket enhances cornering, keeping the bike planted through tight turns and off-camber sections.
However, the extra length of the 450mm chainstays is noticeable in a couple of ways. On the positive side, the long rear centre works in tandem with the superb Float X shock to give the rear end a bottomless feel, performing way beyond its stated 142mm.
On the negative side, I found the front end of the bike could be a bit twitchy when cornering. The head angle (64-degrees) and reach (456mm) sit in the sweet spot for a size medium, so I could only attribute this quirk to the relatively long back end. I reckon this feeling was largely down to the low bar and the front tyre casing choice. While the Maxxis Minion DHF is an amazing tyre, the noodley EXO casing felt squirmy. However, this seems like an easy fix; a stiffer-casing tyre and a higher-rise bar to shift the rider’s weight back would go a long way to making the front end feel more predictable.
Battery range
The perpetual million-dollar eMTB question of range was going to be interesting with the new SX Motor and 400Wh battery combo. I was curious to see how quickly the 600W max power output drained the small battery and the results were pleasantly surprising—the E150 was easily capable of 30-35km without any thought of battery conservation.
The Works model also comes with the 250Wh range extender as standard, alleviating all range anxiety at the cost of a 1.6kg weight penalty, turning the ELyte 150 into a very viable option for long-distance riders who require extended battery life. For my riding, I tended to only run the extender battery on longer loop style rides. Otherwise, I prefer to run the bike without it, stashing it until I’ve lapped out the main battery.
Final verdict
The Whyte ELyte 150 Works is a very impressive eMTB that delivers full-power performance in a lightweight package. The motor and build kit are exceptional, offering one of the best-equipped setups on the market. The bike climbs effortlessly, descends with deft ease and agility. At $18,999, the Works edition is an expensive piece of kit, but if you factor in the level of componentry and the bonus of the 250Wh range extender, then the price seems very justified and a great investment into your enjoyment on the trails.
Who is the ELyte 150 Works for?
- Experienced riders who want an eMTB that handles like a lightweight trail bike but delivers full-power assistance.
- Riders who favour high cadence pedalling and are comfortable giving the bike plenty of input through actively shifting gears.
Whyte ELyte 150 Works RRP NZ$18999