MICROMOBILITY


RATIONAL THINKING


Whyte Bikes will always be synonymous with performance mountain bikes, but 2024 will see them engage with a wider audience. Rebecca Bland speaks to marketing director Matt Skinner about Whyte’s rebrand, new ranges and fi nding opportunity


hyte Bikes have been around for more than 20 years now, and are rare in that they stick to their roots. The roots in this case being engineering and pushing the boundaries of mountain bike design. Now, even with founder John Whyte no longer at the helm, the brand is continuing to impress and develop their bikes whilst maintaining the philosophy of being an “engineering- led brand.” We spoke to marketing director, Matt Skinner, about the company’s new look and where the recent changes are hoping to take them in 2024. “Whyte has always been engineering-led,” he added. “It’s


W Matt Skinner (Image credit: Steve Behr)


always been performance led. It’s always been about not just doing what’s already there, but looking for new and better ways of doing it. John initiated that philosophy, and it’s still with us to this very day.” In late 2023, however, Whyte debuted a new logo, and


38 | February 2024


two entirely new ranges. The rebrand may come as no surprise for astute watchers of the market, as the brand received investment from Cairngorm Capital back in 2021. With this investment, comes the pressure to grow the company beyond its small team, with a relatively cult following, as Skinner explained. “I guess really as a brand, Whyte has been punching well above our weight for many years. We’ve always been a small team who did [an] incredible amount of work. But now with the new ownership or investment to kind of grow the


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