Privateer Bikes finally launch Gen 2 range and pre-sales

After three years of development, 500,000m of descent, an Ard Rock triumph, plenty of rumours, and a few spy photos, Privateer finally introduces the Gen 2 range.

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By ben_haworth

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Privateer Bikes finally launch Gen 2 range and pre-sales

Comes with a free crane to help you lift it onto the car or over a gate. 40lb for a bike is simply not acceptable imho.

Sadly feels like a swing and a miss. Geometry looks absolutely bang on for me, but the heft and being hugely progressive are not.

Still feel that no UDH might be a mistake too, but that could be fixable with a change of seat stay down the road.

Also pretty sure it’s more ugly than my outgoing Whyte G160, and that’s saying something

40lb for a full sus? Is that right? I thought we’d left 40lb non-e full sussers back in 1998?

Yeah 40.1lb for the one Pinkbike have. That’s an XL with Fox 38s, DH casing rear tyre and Doubledown front.

38.3lbs with lighter wheels and Exo+ casings if they work for you

So many marketing cliché’s in that press release. Jeez…

Yeah 40.1lb for the one Pinkbike have

Just skim read the review. Thats one heavy and ugly looking thing…

Much prefer the Airdrop edit

Edit MX Frame & Rockshox SDLX Coil Ultimate

 

im curious as to how this single sided hardware works? as you cant get a tool to things like the shock bolts unless you go from the other side?

Sod that…. 40lb…. That’s crazy.

My old Strive has bulked out to 13,5kg and is robust enough.

I was waiting for Privateer to release this before deciding between the Bird Aeris and this. The top tube alone makes the decision for me (Gen 1 Santa Cruz Nomad?), then the weight, then the aesthetics of the linkage, then the top tube again. Plus you can only change travel with a different shock, rather than a linkage swap.

Off to call Bird!

as other say… what a missed opportunity. Geo does look pretty good. But lack of UDH and a few other bits… its a no from me.

I can cope with 38-40lbs (the banshee is 38lb, what’s 2lbs between friends).

What I absolutely cannot deal with is the bends in Top tube and down tube behind the head tube.

I just see:

Why don’t you test ride the thing before griping about weight? I’m sure most people riding it could do with losing 5 or 6 lbs themselves…

Why don’t you test ride the thing before griping about weight?

Because its gopping as well.

I always thought the old 141 just looked… purposeful. Not sure why they had to hit this one with the ugly stick.

Unless there is some other benefit to a kink in the top tube.

I was waiting for Privateer to release this before deciding between the Bird Aeris and this.

The Aeris 9? It’s still a bit of a lump and best suited to winch-and-plummet riding, but I’m sure mine’s comfortably under 40lbs (with a coil shock and Zeb).

Yes, Aeris 9. Not expecting it to be feather weight (my Aether 9 build is burly with coil shock and Z1 coils) but at least it won’t offend my eyes and I can just swap the link for bigger days out/foreign trips rather than having to buy a whole other shock.

Plus if I get it in raw the Finance Committee at home might not tell the difference between old and new!

I’m sure someone somewhere will like it, but that is a gopping obese monstrosity of a thing and needs to taken out to a field by a vet with a shotgun and put out of its misery

Yeah, just watched the YouTube video wondering if this might challenge my lust for the Edit MX. I was too distracted by the top tube to actually pay attention to what was being said.

Yes, Aeris 9. Not expecting it to be feather weight (my Aether 9 build is burly with coil shock and Z1 coils) but at least it won’t offend my eyes and I can just swap the link for bigger days out/foreign trips rather than having to buy a whole other shock.

I had a couple of weeks in the Alps on mine last year and I never felt the need to fit the 180mm linkage TBH, it rides great with 160mm rear/180mm front and takes the hits really well. It was in its element out there, more so than most of my UK riding.

Oh, erm, well that’s, erm – well frickin’ ugly!!!!!

The previous one was decent looking.

What’s with the bent top tube crap – are they trying to look like a bad imitation of Mondraker – or was it designed to look like it’s hit a brick wall???

Aren’t all full suspension bikes ugly? 😉

proper stack numbers! Slowly brands are getting it.

chakapingFree Member
Yes, Aeris 9. Not expecting it to be feather weight (my Aether 9 build is burly with coil shock and Z1 coils) but at least it won’t offend my eyes and I can just swap the link for bigger days out/foreign trips rather than having to buy a whole other shock.
I had a couple of weeks in the Alps on mine last year and I never felt the need to fit the 180mm linkage TBH, it rides great with 160mm rear/180mm front and takes the hits really well. It was in its element out there, more so than most of my UK riding.

That’s good to hear, thanks. I’m heading to Whistler in the summer so the flexibility might be nice. Part of me wants to keep the Aether 9 and take that as it’s perfect for most of my riding. But new things..

Ive seen far worse looking bikes and im sure the will sell loads … Just not this way, after my limited experience of the gen1  which was heavier than a mk1 Landy even with gucci carbon wheels and stuff . It never felt like a good bike. A little cheaply put together and the weight .. did I mention the weight ……  Ive never ever wanted a Lakes hike a bike fun day to end  I bet that frame was stripped quicker than a facebook bag head on chuck day .

@Icj

Looked at the RAAW Madonna ? v2.2 on offer and v3 first batch still available

 

 

Aren’t a lot of enduro bikes quite heavy these days? Polygon in this vid is over 42lb

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/enduro-world-cup-bike-weigh-in-courtesy-of-edbull-media-house.html

tazzymtb
Full Member
I’m sure someone somewhere will like it, but that is a gopping obese monstrosity of a thing and needs to taken out to a field by a vet with a shotgun and put out of its misery

Not enough top tubes for you?

Its the +3000ft rides (which is only 13 miles or so where I ride), that you appreciate a lighter build. People say you wont notice the difference, but its the cumulative effort involved in dragging a heavy bike around that will change your mind. The weight of a bike has always been fairly high up on my list of bike attributes.

I love my Gen1 141 and have been patiently waiting for the Gen2 161, but it’s way too heavy no raw option and absolutely gopping looking, I’m really disappointed and a bit peed of the Raw Madonna 2.2 sale frame isn’t in my size now.
I’ve seen a few prototype Gen2 bikes in raw and they didn’t looks as ugly as the production bikes, not sure if it’s the paint  or the press bike in an odd size, I appreciate that part of the weight comes from proper gravity tires but +40 is ridiculous.

rootes1
Full Member
proper stack numbers! Slowly brands are getting

One of the things they got right, but then again at the other end you’ve got a whopping amount of progression in the suspension. Reckon I’d need to find a way to put a tru-tune in shock to ever get anywhere near full travel

Its the +3000ft rides (which is only 13 miles or so where I ride), that you appreciate a lighter build. People say you wont notice the difference, but its the cumulative effort involved in dragging a heavy bike around that will change your mind. The weight of a bike has always been fairly high up on my list of bike attributes.

Yeah, as much as condescending journos and bike designers tell us “weight doesn’t matter”, it bloody well does when you’re carrying it up a mountain or just pedalling it all day.

I’m sure this is fine for enduro smashing, but it’s not gonna be a great all-rounder for a lot of us.

My old steel frame Keewee DH bike is sub 40lbs with full fat DH tyres. Ok it’s 26″ but . . . .

Is this really progress?

Not enough top tubes for you?

🤣

Look, ive got and owned some odd and ugly bikes, ellesworth, mavericks, trek 69ers, jones space frames etc….

But those new privateer bikes make donald trump touching himself with his tiny hands look attractive

Is this really progress?

Yes. Because those old Keewee DH bikes were crap even when they were new and this is a versatile bike that can do a bit of anything.

40lb!?

Crikey,only a couple of pounds lighter than my ebike, and that has proper gravity tyres on it too.

Is the frame filled with lead?

Crucially,  no mention of how many d’s of traction it has. That’s the number we want to learn.

Total cluster **** of bad ideas. WTF were they thinking.