# Whyte Bikes > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Whyte_Bikes > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Whyte_Bikes.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whyte_Bikes > Source revision: 1318647575 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) This article needs more citations. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Whyte Bikes" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message) British bicycle company Whyte Bikes Formerly ATB Sales Type Private Industry Bicycle Founded 1987; 39 years ago (1987) (Brand established in 1999) Founder Jon Whyte Headquarters Hastings, East Sussex , United Kingdom Products Bicycle and Related Components Owner Causeway Capital Partners Website whytebikes.com **Whyte** is a British [bicycle](/source/Bicycle) company established in 1987 as ATB Sales, the brand was established in 1999 by Jon Whyte. The bicycles are manufactured for Whyte in [Taiwan](/source/Taiwan). and then distributed to shops in the [UK](/source/United_Kingdom) and [Europe](/source/Europe) and the rest of the world.[1] Whyte's first bike back in 1999 was a full suspension machine and had a girder fork with twin wishbones, with a main frame made of two halves welded down the middle, and used Fox shocks for both fork and swingarm. The prototype's appearance was likened to Preston the robot dog of Wallace and Gromit fame, which later gave the production bike its name, the PRST-1. ## History The brand was established in 1999 by Jon Whyte, who had previously helped to develop aerodynamics and suspension systems for [Benetton Formula](/source/Benetton_Formula), most notably the [1994 Formula One](/source/1994_Formula_One_World_Championship) title winning [B194](/source/Benetton_B194). He later joined ATB Sales Ltd as chief designer and helped to develop the [full suspension system](/source/Bicycle_suspension) for [Marin](/source/Marin_Bikes), ATB's then UK distributor. This helped [Paul Lasenby](/source/Paul_Lasenby) to win the national championship in 1996, the first for a full-suspension bike. The suspension system later became the *Whyte Integrated Fork System*. By 2002, the company sold its 1000th bike. Whyte would leave after 11 years to set up his consultancy business in 2006; ATB retained the name rights to the Whyte brand.[2][3] In 2019, Whyte won a court case against British drinks company [Rich Energy](/source/Rich_Energy), regarding the potential theft of their stag logo. In November 2023, Whyte announced a rebranding along with the launch of a new range of electric bikes, including the E-Lyte lightweight mountain bike and a new line of hybrid bikes called the RHeO series.[4] in February 2024 Whyte announced their new [CEO](/source/CEO) and chairman as Nikki Haywes, formally of [Cannondale](/source/Cannondale) bikes.[5] On October 20, 2025, Cairngorm Capital announced that it had completed the sale of the UK firm to growth investor Causeway Capital Partners.[6] ## Products As of 2021 the range comprises Children/Youth, Commuter, Gravel, Road, XC, Trail, and Enduro ranges, with E-bike versions in several of these categories. The RD7 range is a road bike but with disc brakes and a more relaxed design. A common frame is used on all models: the wheel set, forks, group set and brakes are changed as the price increases. Whyte also have their own line in accessories. ## Further reading - BikeBiz (1 November 2000). ["Whyte aims to get its folder under £1000"](https://bikebiz.com/whyte-aims-to-get-its-folder-under-1000/). *BikeBiz*. Retrieved 1 March 2024. - BikeBiz (24 September 2004). ["MTB designer Jon Whyte produces folding bike range"](https://bikebiz.com/mtb-designer-jon-whyte-produces-folding-bike-range/). *BikeBiz*. Retrieved 1 March 2024. - BikeBiz (5 February 2000). ["The Whyte stuff"](https://bikebiz.com/the-whyte-stuff/). *BikeBiz*. Retrieved 1 March 2024. - BikeBiz (17 May 2000). ["Preston for time"](https://bikebiz.com/preston-for-time/). *BikeBiz*. Retrieved 1 March 2024. - Trapp, Roger (16 November 1997). ["Formula One know-how drives Jon's super-bike"](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/formula-one-knowhow-drives-jon-s-superbike-1294291.html). *[The Independent](/source/The_Independent)*. - Cunningham, Richard (22 August 2018). ["Now THAT Was a Bike: Whyte PRST-1"](https://www.pinkbike.com/news/now-that-was-a-bike-whyte-prst-1.html). *Pinkbike*. Retrieved 2 March 2024. ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Interview: Whyte's Ian Alexander talks geometry, 29ers and the future of mountain bikes"](http://bikemagic.com/news/davids-blog/interview-whyte%E2%80%99s-ian-alexander-talks-geometry-29ers-and-the-future-of-mountain-bikes.html). Bike Magic. Retrieved 10 December 2013. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** BikeBiz (19 September 2006). ["Jon Whyte sets up consultancy business"](https://bikebiz.com/jon-whyte-sets-up-consultancy-business/). *BikeBiz*. Retrieved 1 March 2024. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** BikeBiz (19 February 2002). ["ATB Sales sells 1000th Whyte bike"](https://bikebiz.com/atb-sales-sells-1000th-whyte-bike/). *BikeBiz*. Retrieved 1 March 2024. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** dimesuper. ["4 highlights from Whyte's 2024 range | New electric mountain and hybrid bikes unveiled"](https://www.bikeradar.com/news/2024-whyte-range). *www.bikeradar.com*. Retrieved 16 January 2024. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Blackham, Daniel (7 February 2024). ["Whyte Bikes announces new CEO and chairman"](https://bikebiz.com/whyte-bikes-announces-new-ceo-and-chairman/). *BikeBiz*. Retrieved 10 February 2024. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Cairngorm Capital completes sale of Whyte Bikes to Causeway Capital Partners"](https://www.cairngormcapital.com/cairngorm-capital-completes-sale-of-whyte-bikes-to-causeway-capital-partners/). *Cairngorm Capital*. Retrieved 25 October 2025. ## External links - [Official website](http://www.whytebikes.com) v t e British bicycle manufacturers Current A-bike Bickerton Boardman Bootie British Eagle Brompton Campion Condor Dawes Defiance Dolan Ellis Briggs Factor Falcon Frog Bikes Genesis Halfords Hetchins Holdsworth Islabikes Lotus Mercian Moulton Muddyfox Pashley Pedersen Phillips Planet X Raleigh Reynolds Ridgeback Robin Hood Saracen Strida TI Group Whyte Defunct Ariel BSA Carlton Claud Butler Chater-Lea Coventry-Eagle Coventry Premier Elswick Hopper Flying Scot F.W. Evans Freddie Grubb Harry Quinn Hercules Humber Norman Perry Roberts Rover Royal Enfield Rudge-Whitworth Sun Sunbeam Triumph Uppadine Viking Witcomb Components Brooks England Dunlop Hope Technology Middlemores Saddles Sturmey-Archer --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Whyte Bikes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whyte_Bikes) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whyte_Bikes?action=history)). 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