Whyte Caledonian

There's a place in every cyclist's lock-up for an all-purpose, take-it-out-no-matter-what-the-weather type bike like the Whyte Caledonian, and with the past couple of winters being harsh enough to make Dickens shiver in his grave, this is now truer than ever.

This kind of bike usually gets allocated names like commuter, urban, hybrid and the like, and sometimes the term 'all-terrain' gets bandied about, but is rarely genuinely applicable. So, with an all-terrain label firmly affixed to the Caledonian from Whyte, what's it actually capable of?

For starters, it's nice to see a bike of this ilk with a female specific frame - it's available in both men's and women's versions and we've ridden both – although it's the women's bike that I put through its test paces. I'm not going to go into the ins and outs of women's frames vs unisex and men's frames, but, depending on your proportions and on the fitting skills of your LBS, sometimes it's nice to have an option pre-tweaked for the fairer sex. This is the kind of bike that will see many recreational cyclists and fitness cyclists out on the road, and as such, it's good to offer easy straightforward encouragement to female riders in this way. There isn't a huge amount of difference between our test bike and the men's/unisex version, but on the women's the top tube is slightly dropped. More on this later.....

I'm often a little dubious about the idea of the all-terrain bike, but the Caledonian was a pleasant surprise. Its 700c wheels work admirably with the mountain bike-esque frame geometry, giving an upright ride with good bump absorption, without the rolling resistance associated with chunky mtb tyres. The gear ratio that comes as standard is spot-on for pretty much anything you fancy doing on this bike and the riding position allows for a relaxed and confident ride.

But is it all-terrain?

Well, yes actually, pretty much. It coped admirably with forest trails and gravelly bumpy tracks, was perfect for canal tow paths and the like, and whilst the SR Suntour Lite 63mm travel fork wasn't the plushest, I'd be happy to take it properly off-road on all but the gnarliest singletrack or big drops. So much so, that if I'd had it any longer, I'd have been making plans for a mixed-terrain tour like the Great Glen Way! It would make an ideal tourer, even coming with mounts for a proper rear rack, although it would equally well take a beam rack. On the road the knobbly WTB All Terrain Comp tyres weren't too knobbly for comfortable and responsive riding, and were narrow enough to keep rolling resistance to a minimum.

Another surprise was the handling of the bike. Having frequently ridden mountain bikes on the road, as well as an assortment of hybrids, rough stuff tourers, commuter bikes and the like, I was expecting a certain sluggishness from the Caledonian. But I did it a disservice in this expectation. The ride was lively and assertive, with enough acceleration on the flat to happily negotiate busy traffic. Descending was a doddle, with confidence boosting Hayes Stroker Comp disc brakes front and rear and a riding position to inspire reckless turns of speed, and it cornered beautifully, sticking to the road like glue. It was only in the climbs that the Caledonian disappointed slightly, with the upright riding position making for soupy steering and some oscillation on hills, no matter what the riding position.

On the whole, the Caledonian managed to combine a sporty and responsive ride, with a good turn of speed and a massive dose of grin factor. Chuck some spokey-dokeys in the wheels and I'd have felt 7 again!

The transmission, Shimano Deore and SLX, gave reasonably smooth shifting, but was lacking in some crispness and a little tricky to adjust successfully. The brakes were effective and easy to take care of, giving good stopping power. Even the saddle, as provided, was comfortable, which is rarely the case!

It's a great looking bike too, with an attractive white frame and pleasing lines, sporty and sleek without being overly girlie. The dropped top tube enhances the looks, whilst also giving confidence and making the bike accessible to all styles of rider. It's also a look that spans the urban and off-road sectors with ease.

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 bike genuinely capable of handling all but the most extreme terrains. And guaranteed to make you smile.