From the same people who bring us Hunt wheels, the Privateer 161 is a radical 29er aimed to shred the trails, not your wallet!
We had heard rumours that the big wheel, big travel, progressive prototype was being shown off around Eurobike (having originally been scheduled for a sighting at the cancelled Ard Rock), but when we stumbled upon it we could see just how far the geometry envelope had been pushed.
With an effective seat tube angle of 80°, it’s safe to say that Privateer Bikes is not messing around when it comes to geometry. If that impressive number isn’t enough to wow you then how about reach measurements ranging from 470-515mm? Still not impressed, how about a wheelbase length that maxes out at 1316.1mm?
| Privateer 161 | ||||
| Size 1 | Size 2 | Size 3 | Size 4 | |
| Reach | – | 470 | 490 | 515 |
| Stack | – | 633.99 | 642.97 | 651.96 |
| Head Tube Angle | – | 64 | 64 | 64 |
| Seat Tube Length | – | 420 | 450 | 480 |
| Front Centre | – | 811.87 | 836.23 | 865.6 |
| BB Drop | – | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Wheelbase | – | 1250.3 | 1278.7 | 1316.1 |
| Chainstay Length | – | 440 | 446 | 452 |
| Head Tube Length | – | 110 | 120 | 130 |
| Top Tube Length | – | 581.79 | 603.37 | 629.96 |
| Seat Tube Angle (Actual) | – | 75.44° | 75.49° | 75.53° |
| Seat Tube Angle (Effective) | – | 80° | 80° | 80° |
| Fork Offset | – | 42 | 42 | 42 |
| Span | – | 789.2 | 808.4 | 830.83 |
| Wheel Size | 27.5″ | 29″ | 29″ | 29″ |
| Shock Length | – | 205×65 | 205×65 | 205×65 |
| Wheel Travel | – | 161 | 161 | 161 |
Yup, those are some impressive figures, aren’t they?
Look past those radical numbers and you have a sensible, well-thought long travel 29er aimed at the aggro end of the market. This Privateer 161 model has 161mm of travel, but for the rider looking for something a little less gnarly a shorter travel bike with revised geo is also on the cards.
The full alloy bike is designed around a 170mm fork, has room for 29 x 2.6in wheels, gets a bottle cage mount and even a threaded BB.
Being such a big bike, and one that’s going to be ridden hard, Privateer has ensured stiffness and reliability with a 1 piece CNC rocker link, large 15mm axles for the main pivots, wide bearing spacing and double contact seals on all bearing for a longer life.
Privateer plans to launch the frame in 2020 and is hoping to offer the frame with RockShox SuperDeluxe Ultimate rear shock for around £1300. There are also plans to release complete bikes too, and if all of this sounds great but you want a smaller 27.5in bike, then don’t worry as a Privateer 161 27.5 is also in the works too.
We hope to jump on the Priveteer 161 for a test ride soon, but for now you can enjoy more photos of this UK designed Enduro bike below.
Privateer 161 Gallery
Comments (4)
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well I’m interested! Can it be #oncoil though?
How steep can seat angles go, wonder what an expert in biomechanics might think
It looks very similar to an Airdrop Edit, although in 29 version. If it rides similarly then this should be a beast of a bike.
Could I have a Size 2 in 27.5 please? Pretty please???