Quick thrash on the Privateer 141 Öhlins edition

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Our man in Sedona, Tim Wild, got to shred various gnars for a few hours aboard an Öhlins equipped Privateer 141. Here’s a quick braindump about the prog rocking Scando-Brit colab.

Price: £4,499

Privateer 141 Öhlins

British Bulldog

Are you bursting with pride that a small West Sussex company is making some of the most progessive bikes in the world?

Do you like a wheelbase longer than War and Peace?

Do you like smashing through the toughest trails like a giant crushing a village?

Do you think an umlaut makes things intangibly cooler in some Teutonic, ‘vorsprung durch technic’ kind of way?

Then this is the bike for you.

Gold? GOLD!

Privateer’s regular 141 bike is already punching above its weight. Its huge fork offset, long wheelbase, unashamedly burly build quality and no-nonsense looks have been attracting attention from riders all over the world, and it’s a testament to the company’s skills that there’s considerable interest at their stand in Sedona.

With the likes of Santa Cruz, Giant, Rocky Mountain and YT all vying for punters’ attention, the Hunt wheels/Privateer stand is busy with well-informed US riders.

Pride of place on that stand is this – a 141 build with 150mm Öhlins RXF36 m.2 upfront and the Öhlins TTX2M coil in the rear. A vision of aggression in black and gold.

It instantly reminds me of the packaging on the high-end protein powders you see pro weightlifters using, which may not be a coincidence. I don’t have long with the bike, just a couple of hours, so it seems like a better idea to just point it downhill as fast as possible rather than muscle it up the local hills.

So it’s off to the jump trail lines.

Simply smashing

There’s no doubt whatsoever that this is a bike for smashing down trails as hard and fast as possible – it practically rubs an angry hoof in the dirt as soon as I throw a leg over it. It doesn’t feel heavy, and climbs fine – in a ‘you’ll get there, don’t worry’, carthorse kind of way – but downhill, it sings.

The Öhlins coil is a lovely thing, delivering super-smooth travel with none of the mild snapback you get from an air shock, and I instantly clear a gap I struggled to make on a smaller bike the previous day.

Despite the fact that I’m in Sedona, one of the world’s great riding destinations, I have a powerful urge for the Reds at Bike Park Wales – I want to be charging into Roots Manoeuvre as fast as I dare, beating my own PB and being uplifted for another go.

Surprisingly reasonable

Given that the Öhlins rear shock and fork combined retail cost alone is over £2k, the overall RRP of £4,499 seems remarkable, considering you get a Magic Mary Super-Trail upfront and a Hans Dampf Super-Gravity in the rear, a decent One Up dropper, Hunt’s own excellent Enduro Wide wheelset and Shimano SLX on the drivetrain. This isn’t some mass-produced white label build either – this bike is assembled in the UK.

TLDR: A Powerful Argument

In a world where huge global brands all compete to produce near-identical bikes, this is a relatively unique, bikepark-destroying monster that will encourage you to go full Berserker at every opportunity, while also looking fairly slinky.

Privateer 141 Öhlins spec

  • Frame: 6066-T6. 141mm Travel
  • Fork: Öhlins RXF36 M.2. Air, 150mm, 44mm offset
  • Shock: Öhlins TTX2M Coil 205 x 57.5mm
  • Headset: ZS44/ZS56 sealed cartridge bearings
  • Handlebar: Protaper Aluminum, 25.4mm rise, 31.8mm, Stealth Graphics
  • Stem: Protaper 31.8mm Clamp/40mm Length
  • Grips: Protaper Lock-On
  • Saddle: Privateer Cro-Mo Rail
  • Seatpost: OneUp V2 Dropper Post 180mm
  • Brakes: Hayes Dominion A4
  • Rotors: Hayes D-Series 203mm front/180mm rear
  • Shifter: Shimano XT M8100
  • Rear Derailleur: Shimano SLX M7100
  • Cassette: Twenty21, 10-50, 12sp, Microspline
  • Chain: Shimano SLX M7100, 12sp
  • Crankset: Shimano SLX M7100, 32T
  • Wheels: HUNT Enduro Wide V2
  • Front Tyre: Schwalbe Magic Mary EVO 2.4, Addix Soft, Supertrail
  • Rear Tyre: Schwalbe Hans Dampf, 2.35, Addix Soft, SuperGravity
  • Price: £4,449
  • From: privateerbikes.com

While you’re here…

https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/privateer-141-first-ride-review-of-privateers-brand-new-all-rounder/
https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/ohlins-rxf-34-m-2-130mm-fork-first-ride-review/

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Home Forums Quick thrash on the Privateer 141 Öhlins edition

Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
  • Quick thrash on the Privateer 141 Öhlins edition
  • fahzure
    Full Member

    In my experience, the 141, especially with a coil (EXT has the most usable travel and off the top plushness due to its hydraulic bottom out), is an above class performer. Although, it wouldn’t be my first choice for a bike park, you won’t be suffering and as a UK all-rounder it is hard to beat, especially for taller folk.

    chrismac
    Full Member

    It doesn’t feel heavy, and climbs fine – in a ‘you’ll get there, don’t worry’, carthorse kind of way

    What does that actually mean? My interpretation is that’s it’s slow and heavy and you can expect everyone else to be waiting for you at the top

    Rubber_Buccaneer
    Full Member

    Its huge fork offset

    If you’re taking questions I’d like to know what this huge fork offset is too?

    robertajobb
    Full Member

    And is it actually MADE in Britain? Or is the frame made in an oppressive regime’s sweat shop then just badged up here ?
    I mightily dislike the false British claims of some brands. Is this one of those or actually MADE in Britain.
    These things do matter.

    Rubber_Buccaneer
    Full Member

    And is it actually MADE in Britain?

    Not made in Britain and I’ve never seen any claim or attempt to make it appear that they are. Assembled in Britain yes

    roycass
    Free Member

    It doesn’t feel heavy..
    but it obviously is..
    You’d of thought the 161 would get the full Gnaarr treatment … great price for a bike park bruiser but it will spend a lot of time hanging in the garage..

    DougD
    Full Member

    Its huge fork offset

    If you’re taking questions I’d like to know what this huge fork offset is too?

    Yeah this is a bit odd. It’s in the context of the ‘regular’ 141, however on the Privateer site the fork is a 150mm Pike Ultimate with a 42mm offset – https://www.privateerbikes.com/collections/141/products/privateer-141-enduro-trail-complete-bike-sram-gx?variant=33135259484263. The Ohlins one is only marginally greater at 44mm. Neither seem particularly huge.

    mahalo
    Full Member

    standard for me regardless of the bike!

    What does that actually mean? My interpretation is that’s it’s slow and heavy and you can expect everyone else to be waiting for you at the top

    Na, TBH as a 141 owner with a coil shock, nobody can deny the weight is considerable! and its a mental block i cant get over when asked what i think of the bike – which descends like a demon and genuinely climbs fine (seated position is the most comfortable ive ever ridden) but the mass is preventing it from being the best bike ever. i have ridden Gofie with a fair size group and was always amongst the first few to the top. My only issue is hoying it over fences & gates or loading it into the van with my sparrow arms!

    LAT
    Full Member

    What does that actually mean? My interpretation is that’s it’s slow and heavy and you can expect everyone else to be waiting for you at the top

    i have a heavy bike that climbs well, but not fast. to me it means that while sitting in a comfortable position you feel like you could climb anything all day long, but the bike isn’t the best for sprinting up fire roads

    jameso
    Full Member

    Or is the frame made in an oppressive regime’s sweat shop then just badged up here ?

    Taiwan?

    chakaping
    Full Member

    Very entertaining write-up Tim, but you’re obviously too young to remember the JPS Formula 1 cars.

    These things do matter.

    Yes they do, so you should inform yourself about labour conditions in Taiwanese bike factories.

    Spoiler: They are not sweatshops.

    halifaxpete
    Full Member

    Looks awesome, Love my 141. Weighty yes but still climbs well, I’m usually amongst the first to the top anyway and ride with fit folk.

    generalmtb
    Free Member

    I don’t suppose anyone here has bought the Öhlins bike have they? I’m thinking to pick one up in the Black Friday sale but not sure if I should go Ohlins or save some money and get a different build? Linky to sale https://www.privateerbikes.com/collections/privateer-bikes-black-friday

    weeksy
    Full Member

    Katy Curd has one, check out her Insta/FB on her own account and Katy Curd Coaching.

    I had a sit on it, but little more due to a rear mech issue she was having that day.

    She’s running a P2 front triangle with a P1 back end to give a shorter chainstay.

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