Privateer Bikes Releases More Gen 2 Details Ahead of Pre-Orders – Mountain Bike Press Release
WWe are pleased to announce our first official details on our Privateer Gen 2 platform, a series that has been in development for three years and has just completed its first season of racing, including victory at Ard Rock 2023 thanks to Privateer/HUNT Driver Joe Connell. Our most versatile and durable platform yet, the Gen 2 platform features all-new, user-friendly settings and our completely redesigned suspension platform combined with our proven, forward-thinking geometry, size-specific chainstays, robust alloy construction and huge oversized bearings. In developing Gen 2, we worked with Katy Curd, Fergus Ryan and Joe Connell, listened to our customers and spoke to media veterans. The result is a new platform that wants to ride hard, allowing the rider to tackle challenging terrain with confidence and consistency.
While this isn’t a full release, we hope there’s enough of it to get you excited and whet your appetite for early 2024.
Geometry highlights
- Size specific chainstays
- Steep seat angles
- Rear center adjustable with flip chip
- Flip chip mullet setting
- Fully deployable seat post
To maximize confidence, Privateer aims to provide a balanced and stable ride. Building on our size-specific chainstays, we’ve now included a flip chip in the rear center to allow the rider to adjust weight distribution. We also tested rear wheel sizes and found that riders have different preferences based on the trails they’ve ridden or their personal taste. For the 2nd generation bikes we have introduced a versatile flip chip function. This allows riders to easily switch between 27.5-inch and 29-inch wheels.
Suspension highlights
- Sensitive from above
- Lots of support in the middle of the shot
- Sufficient bottom-out resistance
- Stable when braking
- Great balance between pedal support and grip
“Confidence is everything; When you feel safe, you drive well. For me that means predictability, consistency and reliability so that the bike always reacts the way you expect it to. We explored options such as high pivot designs but found the best balance in the Horst layout. By designing the geometry, suspension and manufacturing holistically, I got the most out of my confidence. The result is bikes that are absolutely racy, and I’m excited to see how far they can be pushed!” – Dan Hicks, Engineer MEng Mechanical Engineering
We designed the suspension to be supple early in the stroke to minimize fatigue, with plenty of linear progression for mid-stroke support and enough bottoming resistance to really keep you going. We’ve balanced chassis stability and braking grip, so you can tackle the trail with confidence when braking as late as you want. Thanks to the good balance between pedal assistance and traction in all gears, the bike is ready to accelerate at any time.
Highlights in terms of durability and ease of maintenance
- Oversized bearings
- Secondary seals on all bearings
- Forged one-piece rocker arms
- Single tool hardware
- External cable routing
- Space for a large bottle and tools of any size
- Interchangeable ISCG mount
- Extensive frame protectors
Every time you work on your bike, you’re not riding – and we always prefer to ride. We have fine-tuned the details to make these bikes as durable and long-lasting as possible. Oversized bearings can better withstand high forces and a secondary O-ring seal on all bearings keeps dirt out. These are pressed into a forged, one-piece swingarm and frame that is CNC machined after heat treating for superior alignment, ensuring silky smooth suspension and longer bearing life.
We’ve made working on the bike as easy as possible with external cable routing and single-sided hardware so you can repair anything on the frame with a single multi-tool. Even with a piggyback shock, all frame sizes can accommodate a large bottle, and we’ve added a tool holder under the top tube for essentials so you can ditch the backpack.
We are excited to launch the Privateer Gen 2 series soon. Pre-orders begin in early February 2024. For more information and Gen 2 videos with our development team and riders, visit Privateer Bikes website.
