Strengths: very good components, frame detailing [16" frame]
Weaknesses: The Mary bar is a cruising bar. No good for really hauling uphills out of the saddle as it places your hands too far in and too far back, and it did my wrists in too.
Overall: Nice durable bike ripe for upgrading [sus fork and gears] A while back on paper it was great value but now a few hardtails are starting to come in with recon forks and hub gearboxes at around £900, though not in 29er format yet. Still very good when one looks at the quality, and I was only interested in 29ers, funnily enough I miss gears far more than front sus. I think 29ers roll better over little used natural terrain. If I lived in the Midlands probably would have kept it as SS but I live in the Welsh Marches...
Strengths: One size fits all, really easy to set up, works really well when new
Weaknesses: Totally unacceptable durabilty. Before Compact there was Standard size chain ring and lo Shimano built a bloody durable set of front derailleurs for that. They're taking the p***
Overall: Lasts about as long as two chains [one winter]. Thus a piece of kit that used to outlast several rear derailleurs now lasts a fraction of one. Jolly well done Shimano, upped your spares sales no end.
Strengths: Loads of ground and mud clearance, tough, great handling, and on really steep slopes climbs a gear higher than anything else I've had/got
Weaknesses: I would have liked a cable stop for the optional front mech even though one can get clamp on cable stops. er that's it
Overall: On the grassy little used trails of Radnor full sus is nice but not needed. I've got both. My hardtails with a sus post get way more use and this is a fine hardtail. Having just returned from surveying Rutland's mud strewn rolling bridleways I finally understood Singlespeed but not here.. Surrey maybe. Skinnier tubes than ally mean steel frames can end up way lighter in sticky mud so this is a really good winter option, and the gears can go back on in summer.
Strengths: Easy to fit, and change elastomers but make sure you buy the optional cover to ensure good durability
Weaknesses: Not as light as USE, and my elastomers were way off as to their suitable weight cats. I've gone down a complete colour range and still not got anywhere near bottoming [sic] out
Overall: It makes riding a hardtail a pleasure again
Strengths: as above. Basic frame design sound and durable
Weaknesses: Front shock bushes last days in winter. Spherical bearing and rear glacial shock bush last 2 or 3 months Front shock faulty from the moment I got it. Whyte did me a deal when the rear air shock packed up [a year]on two fox coil shocks. Front spring a tad hard, rear spring [same spring rate] just fine almost wound right up. New seal kit for front sperical bearing wrong dimensions so use a bit of innertube wrapped round the whole lot which works fine and protects shock bushes as well. Swing arm came with wrong pivot so self destructed in days
Overall: Sounds terrible doesn't it but actually all glitches easily fixed, though air shocks in general don't have much of a rep for durabilty. I really like it though the sizing is a bit odd [5' 8" 33" leg=smallest frame Much more durable than 2002 Enduros which appear to be breaking at the shock mount [as did the first few Whytes] and have durabilty problems on the shck bushes
