#103 JIMBOB SOWDEN’S WHYTE G 160 CUSTOM BUILD
One seriously rad project from a dedicated MBUK reader & Mint Sauce fan
The 2017 Whyte G-160 S was a decent enough bike, but you’d be hard-pressed to describe it as a ‘Superbike’ in stock form. However, when Jim ‘Jimbob’ Sowden sent us photos of his unique makeover project, we just had to feature this “retro-modern throwback bike” and find out more about the story behind it.
“Earlier this year, when riding with any kind of ‘dialled up to 11’ enthusiasm was frankly a no-no, I realised that I had a unique opportunity to do something creative,” Jimbob explains. “Having ridden and raced through the infant days of ATB [All Terrain Bicycle] riding, before it became MTBing, I remember those Bula-hat-wearing days fondly, through my rose-tinted, iridium-coated Oakley Frogskins.
“I used to drool over the new components and emerging trends in magazines such as MBUK. It seemed that a different anodising hue was in fashion every season, and the crazy paintjobs, including Klein’s ‘Gator’ and ‘Horizon’ linear fades, made a real impression on me too. Colour was everywhere and ‘stealth’ wasn’t an aesthetic anyone would buy into. Basically, there were Mint Sauce flowers all over the place!
“With Onza’s relaunch of their legendary Porcupine tyre in limited-edition white in late
2019, I knew I had to build a retro-modern throwback bike around it. My 2017 Whyte
G-160 S was the base and it snowballed from there.”
Back to the future An enduro bike doesn’t seem the most obvious candidate for a 1990s makeover, but JimBob had always felt that the Whyte’s forward-thinking geometry would make it a good base to upgrade from (and he’s certainly done that, adding ENVE carbon wheels among other choice parts), plus he reckoned the ‘backdated’ vibe would work well with the simple and clean lines of the aluminium frame.
He continues: “With the help of good friend and renowned frame painter and refinisher Matt Bown, at Alchemy Paint in Rye, I worked through a number of ’90s-esque colour concepts, finally settling on Yeti turquoise with retro Pantone magenta and tennis-ball-yellow (1). This decision was by far the hardest part of the build, because there were just so many options, with a blank canvas and huge colour palette at our disposal. The fades create even more hues and scream ‘early ’90s’, reminding me of the Kamikaze Downhill and MTV. Unpacking the freshly gleaming colourfest at home in Cornwall was something I’ll never forget!
“The cranks look like pear drops and hint at the funky colours used by Bullseye and Grove Innovations back in the day (2). They’re the stock SRAM Descendant cranks and were originally going to stay black, but an overzealous dishwasher session removed the surface ano, which made me decide to go full-throttle with the nod to the past. I’m pretty stoked on how they turned out! The 30t SRAM X-SYNC chainring is custom-anodised and drives a 10-42t, 11-speed cassette. No OTT big gears are needed in Kernow or at the bike parks I typically session.
“Steve Barry at Acorn Plating can’t be thanked enough for turning around the excellent-quality purple anodising, matching everything to my Hope headset spacer (4).
Slik Graphics then made wheel and shock decals in the exact magenta and yellow tones to match the frame. The retro RockShox RS-1 fork decals finish the front end off sweetly. Further nods to the past come from iconic brands such as DMR and SDG, who take care of my contact points – Yeti colour-matched, of course.
“The final build took two evenings, although I left the tedious task of routing the internal cables and hose to ex-Cosmic Trail (anyone remember them?) bike guru Mike Richardson, at Cog Cycle Repair & Design in Penryn. Mike was the first person to see the completed bike, so
I was relieved when he ‘got’ my throwback concept. The crowning jewel of the build came from Geoff Moorhouse at Headbadge.co.uk who custom-made the Mint Sauce head badge out of magnesium alloy (4). It continues the Mint theme also found on the MBUK stem cap and the ‘This is Why’ custom chainstay cover, created by Undead Cycles and limited edition frame strap made by Lourí (5).”
So, is JimBob happy with the finished bike? Of course! “The bike encapsulates everything I loved about MTB aesthetics in the early ’90s, but with modern enduro bike usability,” he explains. “Not everyone will get it, but who cares?”