Privateer 161 Race-Enduro unveiled – Progressive geometry, aluminium frame and a hot price tag
UK-based bike manufacturer Privateer is new in the game and has just launched its very first bike. The Privateer 161 Race-Enduro features a progressive geometry and was designed specifically for enduro racers. The new kid in town looks incredibly robust and comes at a very attractive price.
Behind Privateer Bikes stands British bike specialists HUNT, which produces high-quality carbon and aluminium wheels at interesting prices. And that’s exactly the philosophy the Brits are following with their new brand Privateer, creating a high-tech and yet inexpensive 29″ aluminium platform with a progressive geometry. Allister Backet, the mastermind behind the Forbidden Druid, was heavily involved in the development of the frame.
The Privateer 161 in detail
“Simplicity” is the motto of the new Privateer 161. The rear brake-line, for instance, is externally routed and will avoid time consuming bleeding sessions every time you have to install or take off the brake. To prevent irritating clatter-noises, both the brake and shifter cables are clamped to the head tube. On the production bike, however, the clamps will be moved further down to prevent the cables from getting in the way of the race plate: Privateer hopes that racers will appreciate such attention to detail.
Since bearing longevity is an absolute priority for Privateer engineers, both the chainstay and the rocker-arm are manufactured from one solid piece, to allow for an easy and more precise positioning of the bearing seat. This, in turn, prevents the sensitive areas to be exposed to transverse loads. This meant to increase both the responsiveness and the longevity of the bearings. Since the Privateer only relies on two different types of double-sealed bearings you can easily store a few spares in your tool box.
As the name suggests, the Horst Link suspension-link generates 161 mm of travel, managed by a RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate rear-shock. At the front you can use either a 160 mm or 170 mm fork. But why would anyone use a “short” fork on a bike with this much potential?
The geometry of the new Privateer 161
With the 161, Privateer is mainly addressing weekend warriors, park rats and mean shredders. Accordingly, the geometry is very progressive. The Brits combine a long reach with a slack 64° head angle. In addition, the chainstay length varies according to the frame size, which allows Privateer to provide a balance handling across sizes. When climbing, an efficient geometry is often more important than a light overall system weight. The extremely steep 80° seat angle should allow for a very centered and thus efficient riding position even on very steep hills.
| Size | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube | 420 mm | 450 mm | 480 mm |
| Top tube | 582 mm | 603 mm | 630 mm |
| Head tube | 110 mm | 120 mm | 130 mm |
| Head angle | 64° | 64° | 64° |
| Seat angle | 80° | 80° | 80° |
| Chainstay | 440 mm | 446 mm | 452 mm |
| BB Drop | 30 mm | 30 mm | 30 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1.250 mm | 1.279 mm | 1.316 mm |
| Reach | 470 mm | 490 mm | 515 mm |
| Stack | 634 mm | 643 mm | 652 mm |
Prices and availability
Privateer will be taking preorders for their new 161 from October 2019. The first frames will be shipped in spring 2020, just in time for the upcoming racing season. The frameset with RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate will cost around 1450 €. Complete bike options will be available at a later stage.
Our first conclusions
On paper, the geometry of the Privateer 161 looks very promising. Thanks to the variable chainstay length, even the very long frame of the largest frame size will feel nicely balanced. We have already ordered a frameset for a thorough test and are really looking forward to finding out whether the Privateer 161 is as rowdy as it’s meant to be.
More infos: privateerbikes.com