Tested: Privateer 161 Gen 2

BIKE Magazine aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.

Privateer has always been very upfront about their goals. It’s in the name after all: they make affordable, practical bikes, designed for privateer racers who want to go fast without the sponsors and support staff. The first iteration of the 161 launched in 2020 and was affordable, with very progressive geometry, and a carefully considered build kit. It was also a bit of a looker, and (full disclosure) a frame-only Gen 1 161 sat in my online shopping cart for about a month, before eventually some shenanigans occurred and I ended up with a different bike.

But my affinity for the brand remained, and when they launched Gen 2 of the 161 (and an updated version of their shorter travel 141) this spring, I was eager to spend time on the new bike.

Privateer 161 Gen 2 in a Nutshell

• Travel: 161 mm (rear) 170 (front)
• Wheel Size: 29” or Mixed 29”/27.5”
• Size Tested: S3
• Head Tube Angle: 64°
• Bike Weight: 40 lbs (18.14 kg)
• Partial build weight (complete bike without wheels, tires, rotors, or cassette): 26.5 lbs (12.02 kg)

The Privateer 161 Gen 2 is available now

Privateer 161 Gen 2 Review

What’s New?

Privateer puts a premium on predictability and usability, and this new bike reflects that. While the geometry and general attitude of the bike didn’t really change, it’s seen a bunch of tweaks that should add up to a pretty different-feeling ride.

The biggest difference is in the suspension’s progression. Privateer bumped it up from 18% overall progression to a whopping 39% in the new version, making it one of the more progressive frames on the market.

They’ve also tweaked the anti-squat of the new bike to provide a firmer pedaling platform deeper in the cassette and in the travel. While the anti-squat is still highest in the easiest gears, it doesn’t drop off as quickly in harder gears, or when running more sag.

Finally, the new 161 has significantly more anti-rise. While the last version was designed to stay very active under braking, the new version should be a bit more predictable when you’re braking hard in steep terrain.

The team at Privateer says that all of those changes were made in order to make the bike more predictable. They used the analogy of trying to play catch with the lights off. It’s a lot easier to anticipate where a tennis ball is going to fly than a badminton shuttlecock, and they wanted to make sure this bike behaves like a tennis ball.

Beyond all those kinematic updates, there’s a new frame aesthetic, with huge, well-sealed bearings, a flip chip that allows you to run 29” or 27.5” rear wheels (the old version was full 29” only) along with another chip in the chainstay that allow you to adjust the length by 10 mm. That adjustable chainstay means that you’re not able to run your 161 with SRAM Transmission, since it doesn’t use a UDH.

Finally, the price has increased significantly. While the old version retailed for $1,759 for a frame and shock or $3,949 for the Shimano SLX/XT build, the new version will run you $2,479 for the frame or $5,479 for a complete bike with a similar build.

Frame Details

Privateer has gone all-in on the frame details they prioritize. That means external cable routing (yes!) for everything, including the dropper, using bolt-on guides.

The derailleur cable takes a short vacation through the chainstay, but that’s it for fishing cables through the frame. That frame also sports huge, extra sealed bearings. I did notice those seals creaking initially, but a little bit of grease sorted that out. All of the suspension hardware can be checked with a single tool. That does mean that the hardware threads directly into the frame, so don’t mangle your threads unless you want to replace expensive parts. The brake adapter flips to account for the adjustable chainstay, bearing press surfaces are all flat and parallel, and, importantly, every size can fit a real water bottle in the front triangle.

Interestingly, the 161 doesn’t have integrated tabs for a bashguard. Instead, it ships with an adaptor behind the threaded BB. Privateer says they’ve seen too many frames compromised by impacts to integrated tabs, so instead went with a replaceable part.

In an increasingly frustrating world of integrated this and headset routed that, it’s refreshing to see a frame as nicely sorted as the 161. It’s easy to work on, with very little in the way of frustrating, arbitrary parts. It’s also rated for a dual crown fork, if you’re looking to make your 161 into a bike park bruiser.

Geometry and Adjustability

Back in 2020 when the first 161 came out, its geometry was decidedly aggressive, and while a lot of brands have gently applied the “longer lower slacker” filter to their bikes in the intervening years, that original geometry still holds up.

So, when it came time to update the 161, Privateer gave it some tweaks, not a wholesale reboot. The seat tube angle still sits at a quite steep 80°, the head tube is still 64°, and reaches remain almost entirely the same, ranging from 450 mm on the P1 to 515 mm on the P4. I rode the P3, and at 6’2”, its 490 mm reach fit me nicely. Privateer did raise their stack heights a little, which I appreciate. In the short setting, the chainstays are very similar to the original version, but can adjust to 10 mm longer.

Those chainstays are size-specific, and use an entirely new rear end to accomplish that, instead of just moving pivot points.

In addition to the flip chip to adjust chainstay length, and another to compensate for smaller rear wheels, you can also install a 65 mm stroke shock to bump the rear travel to 175 mm. I experimented with this, which I’ll get into later.

The one adjustment the 161 doesn’t have is any kind of swappable headset cups. I’d love to see the next generation either get swappable reach-adjust chips, or some version of an adjustable headset angle. The 64° head tube angle is great in a lot of terrain, but I think the chassis of the 161 lends itself to plowing in a way that would really be complemented by a sub-64° head tube.

Spec Choices

Privateer only offers one complete build of the 161, and by my standards at least, it’s pretty excellent. The 161 is suspended by a Fox Performance Elite level suspension Float X2 and 38 fork - all the adjustability for less money. The 2024 X2 held up fine during my time on the bike.

A mix of Shimano SLX and XT drivetrain keeps the wheels moving. It’s very cool to see a full SLX drivetrain specced, with the exception of the XT shifter. Too many brands do the opposite, mating an XT derailleur to an SLX shifter, cassette, and chain for more bling but less performance. In a blind test, I’m pretty sure most folks couldn’t tell an XT shifted SLX drivetrain apart from a full XT drivetrain – it’s a great value-driven hodgepodge. The one weak point of that drivetrain is the chain – the bike comes stock with a KMC chain. Shimano puts an absurd amount of engineering time into making sure that their cassette ramps and teeth play nicely with their chains. I'd spend the $40 to take advantage of that instead of running a third party chain.

The excellent Hayes Dominion A4 handles braking duties. I hadn’t ridden Dominions with a 220 mm front rotor before, and it was a revelation. Overkill is underrated folks! Having that much power on tap up front is a little absurd, and very fun.

Privateer’s sister brand, Hunt, supplies the Enduro Wide front-and-rear-specific aluminum wheels, and Privateer specs “real” tires - a MaxxGrip DoubleDown Assegai up front, and a MaxxGrip DH DHR II out back.

My two (small) niggles are with the dropper – 180 mm is adequate, but I’d love to live in a world where bikes with a reach of 470+ mm come with 200 mm posts by default. And then there’s the house-branded saddle. Saddles are super personal, and this one really didn’t work with my rear end. That’s an easy and affordable swap though.

Where does the Privateer 161 shine?

Remember that shuttlecock vs. tennis ball analogy Privateer used to explain predictability? I’d agree, but I’d argue that this bike is more of a lacrosse ball. It’s solid. Some of that comes down to the 40 lb weight, and some of that comes down the general ride feel. This bike feels burly and capable. It’s so easy to push in unfamiliar terrain, I felt very “safe” on the 161, very stable and composed. I found myself riding technical sections that have challenged me in the past on other bikes very smoothly and in control. Similarly, I rode a few new-to-me moves on the 161 where it handled the uncertainty of blind rolls and bigger compressions with aplomb.

It’s so easy to just ride this bike down things, over things, through things. I found myself forgetting the bike and focusing on the trail in a way that was refreshing after time on a couple of higher-maintenance review bikes. It’s got great traction off the top, even running the recommended 25% sag, and does an excellent job of handling impacts without ever feeling too active, or bucky, or harsh. I’d characterize the suspension feel as “intuitive.” It is nearly impossible to find the bottom of that travel though, the end stroke is really supportive.

And when it comes time to get into the air, the 161 is easy and predictable. No, it’s not the easiest bike to pop off of small side hits, but point it at a decent lip, and the 161 delivers a great platform to jump off of. And don’t stress the landing, you can get a little sideways, send it into the chunder, and the 161 soaks it up. A friend who spent time on the 161 called it a “freeride” bike in the traditional sense, great for big sends and gnarly terrain.

It’s also impressively easy to get the 161 back to the top of the hill. I have pretty weird body geometry, and the 80° seat tube angle complemented that nicely. I felt like I could sit up straight and spin up anything. Taller riders might find that effective top tube length awfully short though. I’m aware that I’m a bit of an outlier in terms of how steep and upright I like my seat tubes.

The 161 is fairly efficient. I never found myself reaching for the X2’s climb switch, in part because I’ve found it doesn’t do much at the higher pressures my weight calls for, but I never felt like the bike was wallowing or bobbing problematically. Yes. It’s heavy. And yes, MaxxGrip tires aren’t fast rolling. But this is a bike that’s fully capable of earning worthwhile descents.

I also spent some time on the 161 with a 65 mm stroke Rockshox Super Deluxe Coil shock out back. I found myself preferring the coil to the air shock. It did a great job of eating chunder, and didn’t really compromise the bike’s performance anywhere else. If I owned this bike, I’d be pretty tempted to run it with the coil full time. It’s heavy already, so what’s another pound? And it’s very progressive, and I think the more linear coil helped mellow that out to some extent. Similarly, I’d probably bump the front wheel travel up to 180, or even 190 mm. This is a solid bike that likes to smash, why not lean into it?

It’s also worth noting that thanks to that 40% progression, I never found a hard bottom to the bike’s travel, but I did find myself closer to the X2’s max pressure of 350 PSI than usual, and I’m not that heavy at 200 lbs. Bigger riders may need to spec a different shock.

Finally, I went on a couple rides with the rear end in the longer setting. While I appreciate that there are scenarios where that will make a lot of sense, I found that for the majority of my lower speed, tighter riding, the extra length was more of a hindrance than a bonus.

Where does the Privateer 161 make some compromises?

I rode the 161 back to back with Rocky Mountain’s new Altitude. On paper they’re super similar, with the same amount of travel, and the same purpose - enduro racing. On the trail, they’re very different. The Altitude feels like it requires a higher baseline of engagement from the rider. You need to work the bike, and then it responds with a lot of speed. It feels more demanding, more precise, and more efficient. The 161 in contrast let me get away with a lot more mistakes. It’s more of a “couch” and left me feeling more “in” the bike, instead of on it, trying to drive it.

Ultimately, this will be a really personal choice. I think that on more moderate trails that I know well, I could drive the Altitude faster. If for example, I was racing the Montana Enduro Series, I’d choose the Altitude as my race bike. Its precision and “sharp” feeling would be right at home there, and the 161 would be overkill. But, for riding blind, riding tired, riding at the edge of my ability, at an event like the NAEC, I’d take the 161 all day. The Altitude pushes me to give my best, the 161 has my back when I fall short.

That said, I do think Privateer could lean into that “safety blanket” persona a little harder. I don’t think a slacker head tube angle (or at least the option to add an angle-set) would be at all out of place on this bike. It plows well as is, but I think it could plow even harder, and there’s not that much nimbleness on tap to lose by making that change anyway.

The Privateer 161 is not a light bike. 40 lbs for a complete build with DH/DD casing tires isn’t wildly heavy, but this is not some snappy, “go for silly all-day rides on moderate trails” bike. I’d make sure to do the mental math to ensure that the juice is worth the squeeze before I hauled it out on a big ride.

The 161 isn’t the quietest bike I’ve ridden. Once the initial seal squealing was taken care of, I noticed a little bit of X2 squelching, along with a touch of chain slap, and an occasional pop from the rear end. Nothing offensive or problematic, but not perfect silence either.

Finally, I wish the new Gen 2 161 had managed to land a little closer to the original’s price. I know that the economics of bikes are still incredibly broken, but when an alloy GX build Transition Spire retails at full price for $479 less than the new 161, that once so compelling value proposition shines a little less bright.

That Top Tube Though

Mountain bikers claim to want function over fashion, until a bike’s aesthetic crosses some arbitrary line. For a lot of folks, this new Privateer 161 crosses that line. Its silhouette has just a little too much ugly duckling for many riders.

According to Privateer engineer Dan Hicks, the kinked top tube is actually a performance-driven choice though. Dan rides smaller sized bikes, and has noticed over the years that lots of frames that claim to fit a full sized water bottle only do so in the medium frame and up. The smaller frames might have bosses, but they don’t actually accomplish anything. So he made sure that every size of the 161 has room for a bottle inside that front triangle, and this is the tube shape that allowed for that.

At some level, I think there’s a bit of “average size privilege” at play here - I’m used to the bikes I ride looking a certain “pretty” way, but when I look at XS and XXL frames from many brands, the proportions look off, weird, funky, stretched or squashed. Lots of small and XS bikes have humped top tubes like the 161, but those aren’t typically the frame sizes being reviewed or featured. So I see where Dan and Privateer are coming from, but also, the vain part of me misses the clean lines of the original 161.

In Conclusion

In a lot of ways, from the outside, the original Privateer 161 didn’t “need” an update. Its geometry was still current, and nothing about it felt dated. But, the new model’s updated kinematics, along with the additional versatility of a 27.5” rear wheel and adjustable chainstays, makes for a compelling option. Factor in the utterly predictable ride quality, and the Gen 2 Privateer 161 is a very capable, easy to get along with bike.