Privateer has been working on the second-generation versions of their 141 and 161 bikes for three years now, and Dan Hicks, the engineer behind the project, has a ton to share about the thought process behind the updates and bike design in general — and does a great job of explaining all of it. So we sat down with Dan for a very deep dive into the new bikes, and he shared a ton of thoughts that are going to be interesting to anyone who cares about mountain bike design — whether or not you’re in the market for a Privateer.
TOPICS & TIMES:
Dan’s background & role at Privateer (2:12)
The goals of the 141 and 161 V2 (2:55)
The E161 (6:02)
Sizing bikes & proportionality (10:13)
Geometry adjustability (25:34)
Suspension kinematics & shock tuning (29:16)
Sag & suspension setup (37:12)
Pedaling performance (44:16)
Pedal kickback vs. chain feedback (46:19)
Wheel sizes (56:26)
Cable routing (1:01:12)
Bottom-out bumpers & shock progression (1:19:46)
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Great rundown of the new bike. Sounds really well considered.
David was spot on in the intro to this podcast, Dan Hicks did an AMAZING job in this interview. One of the best I have heard. He methodically incorporated theory, strategy, tactual implementation, and benefit into everyone of the design details of the bikes. Totally turned my head in a serious way to the 141. Kudos David on letting Dan run with the Mic and just enjoying the convo without too much intervention/guidance.
Thanks, James, really glad you enjoyed the episode! And agreed, Dan did an awesome job with this one.
James’ comment on the episode mirrors my sentiments exactly. Well said!
As a 161 owner, I’m really happy with my bike, but now I’m seriously considering the v2.
Pleasure riding and chatting to you David. I’m proud of the work that’s gone into these and I may be biased, but they absolutely rip. Cant wait to see people giving them leather in the wild, I hope you come away with the same dirty big grin I do!
Cheers for listening; go fast and pull up,
Dan