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I was out at ArdRock and chatted to the guys at Privateer about their new E161, and they gave me a voucher for £1000 off now this week the RRP has been cut by £600 and the discount code still works 😀 so guess who is getting a shiny raw E161 at the end of this month! The code is ARDROCK161 for anyone looking to grab a deal bringing the cost down to £4400, which for the spec is really good even in today's world of heavily discounted ebikes.
I suppose I should have included a link... https://www.privateerbikes.com/collections/e161
Hi,
Thanks for post, the code/discount does indeed work 🙂
I was all set on buying a Whyte E160 because of the Bosch motor and repair kits/servicing availability.
Now I don't know what to do, its a great price (relatively for an ebike) and spec so wouldn't change anything, but you hear so many people moan about the Shimano motor not being repairable.
The Bosch motor is 'serviceable' by which they mean you can replace the bearings, but only the bearings, so it depends on how long you intend to keep and use it and if you think having the motor replaced in about 5 years is worth that cost.
The Bosch does come with the bigger battery, and if you're using it climbing etc, thats going to be the better choice.
PLUS. the great glen run in Scotland that has charging points are to my knowledge only charging bosch kit, and nobody else.
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Very nice and good kit for the money mostly, even going by the £5400 website price(reduced from £6000). For £4400 its a steal(as long as the kit is the same)
Seems to be a lot of Ebikes adopting the mullet. Theres 3 in this months STW mag, plus the Privateer.
I'm going to wait and keep pedalling my meat powered bike very slowly up hills.
I keep thinking how good e-bikes will be by the time I want one. I think there's far too many downsides at present. They'll get better and better but presently they all seem a bit crap.
That's a really good and well thought out spec especially for the discounted price. Unlike many eMTBs or bikes in general really. Replace the saddle, grips, shifter unless it's XT and it's bang on.
Yeah, I was a little worried about the Shimano motor myself but apparently, the EP801 has some major updates to make it quieter and also more reliable. I also spoke to Privateer after confirming my order about spec of the E161 and they confirmed that the bike ships with DH casing tyres and a Performance Elite Fox 38 too, so the spec is even better 😀 I'm really excited, first ebike and Privateer seem to get great reviews!
Yeah, I was a little worried about the Shimano motor myself but apparently, the EP801 has some major updates to make it quieter and also more reliable
They literally say this about every new iteration of everything. I'm not bitter but having served my time in the bike trade it's all BS until proven otherwise.
They literally say this about every new iteration of everything.
To be honest though, "worse than the last one" wouldn't be much of a strap line for a new product would it?
That it's a nice looking bike and a very reasonable price even before the discount.
I do not need an ebike.
I do not need an ebike.
I do not need an ebike more than I want a happy wife.
I’m going to wait and keep pedalling my meat powered bike very slowly up hills.
I keep thinking how good e-bikes will be by the time I want one. I think there’s far too many downsides at present. They’ll get better and better but presently they all seem a bit crap.
I'm sat here waiting for the 'Privateer launches E-131 Frame only trail e-bike option' that I know will never happen.
That is what will get me into an Ebike.
The only real issues I've seen on the EP8 (online forums facebook etc) were on those RS models on the Orbea Rise bikes. My understanding was those motors were restricted, perhaps they were also a slightly different build? I have riding mates on a mix of Shimano and Bosch (which is why I am now buying one) and they've had no issues so far. Anyway I'll post some pics when mine arrives this month 😀
Hi everyone! The info in this thread is correct! We accidentally left our ARDROCK161 code live after dropping the price of the Privateer E161 by £600 for pre-orders, so stacking the 2 offers does give you a £1600 saving. It was a mistake, but we've made the decision to keep the code live until the end of August. So anyone who is looking for properly sorted EMTB has a couple of weeks to get an amazing saving. We're expecting E161s to arrive around the 21st of August so not long to wait!
Also, just to confirm the spec in the photos from the launch is NOT the production-spec. Production spec bikes will receive an updated Fox 38 Performance Elite fork and DH casing Maxxis tyres (because we want you to ride the E161 really hard 😀 ).
We will be monitoring the forums so if you have any questions feel free to ask.
> https://www.privateerbikes.com/collections/e161 <
If i was in the position to buy another bike right now, it'd be this!
Wow, that's a cracking deal - kudos to @privateerbikes for extending the discount too!
Not in a position to buy one, but that looks massive VFM.
I'm finding myself torn now, this evening was already looking like it would need steak and a nice bottle of wine.
Anyone got any experience of travelling with an ebike?
The thing that keeps me from an ebike is:
I don't see much point in a short travel one, a long travel one (like this) makes sense *but* if/when I travel with my bike I'm much more likely to want to take my big bike than the little one and an ebike looks less than easy to do so with. This is probably a thread in of its self isn't it?
What do you mean by 'travel' and how would the longer/shorter travel bike affect it ? I can see there's something in your head on this, but for the life of me i can't get it ?
keep thinking how good e-bikes will be by the time I want one. I think there’s far too many downsides at present. They’ll get better and better but presently they all seem a bit crap.
+6500ft & 30 miles of Tweed Valley trails on Wednesday for 4 of us, yeah all eBikes are crap.
What do you mean by ‘travel’ and how would the longer/shorter travel bike affect it ? I can see there’s something in your head on this, but for the life of me i can’t get it ?
Eg given the choice between them I wouldn't want to take my 130mm travel bike to e.g. finale , I'd take the 160mm one.
To get to there I'm going to end up with the bike as hold luggage on a plane, obviously there's a weight issue to that but there's also (and more significantly?) the battery.
Yeah, you're not bringing an Ebike on a plane full stop, and they're not much use without the battery.
You still need an acoustic bike for travelling. Or a van and a ferry ticket 🙂
+6500ft & 30 miles of Tweed Valley trails on Wednesday for 4 of us, yeah all eBikes are crap
All current e-bikes have quite obvious shortcomings and the technology is developing quickly so that much better versions are always just around the corner. Is what I could have said.
You still need an acoustic bike for travelling
I don't think I could manage to justify a "holiday bike" to me, even with a lot of effort. Selling that idea to Mrs brain would be a non starter.
Or a van, a ferry ticket and six extra days holiday
FTFY 😉
Just shows you what the margins are on ebikes......
Just jumping in here for the OP thinking of getting an EP8 powered bike. There is a company oop North who will indeed service and repair the EP8. I myself have a Marin Alpine Trail E2 (great bit of kit) that has now done 1,750 miles, totally issue free.
The company is ....
The company is
Can’t see who you’re trying to link to as you’ve linked through a user group
+6500ft & 30 miles of Tweed Valley trails on Wednesday for 4 of us, yeah all eBikes are crap
What would you do without the ebike though? Those numbers on their own don’t mean much when people do 6,000ft days there in a normal bike
@motozulu
Just jumping in here for the OP thinking of getting an EP8 powered bike. There is a company oop North who will indeed service and repair the EP8. I myself have a Marin Alpine Trail E2 (great bit of kit) that has now done 1,750 miles, totally issue free.The company is ….
/blockquote>
Is it these guys:https://www.e-motorrepairs.co.uk/services/
Wish I hadn't bought my Trek Rail 9!
Anyone got any experience of travelling with an ebike?
Happen to wonder the same for biking holiday, two options that could work 1) light weight ebike should be light enough without the battery, 2) a separate holiday bike frame and share the big components (fork/frame/wheel).
That really is quite a deal. The spec doesn’t want for much does it. Way more bike than I need………black or raw?
“Yeah, you’re not bringing an Ebike on a plane full stop, and they’re not much use without the battery.”
They work fine without the battery, it’s just like pedalling a slightly higher total system weight (ie you and the bike) around. They feel a lot heavier to pedal but if you persevere you notice that it doesn’t make anywhere near as much difference as those first pedal strokes make you think.
And obviously if you’re doing uplift stuff then it makes no difference at all, you’re just getting a bit more stability and suspension that works a bit better vs the same bike without the motor weight.
They work fine without the battery,
Do they tend to have some sort of blank plate or leave a [s] huge gert hole [/s] downtube storage where the battery belongs
Some ebikes are better for travel than others; Spesh's SLs can be used with just the range extender battery (which is 160Wh so you can take two in your carry on luggage) and there's no hole in the frame to fill. Getting the main battery out does mean dropping the motor though.
There's also a few places that hire out batteries. I've only seen Levo/Kenevo batteries, but that doesn't mean there aren't others available.
Is £1,600 enough to be able to buy a new Shimano motor when it inevitably dies and you can’t get it repaired or serviced?
Wish I hadn’t bought my Trek Rail 9!
Why? Do you want to downgrade to the Privateer?
I've always wondered if you buy an e-bike from a direct sales company, where do you take it for warranty issues? Do you have to start shipping parts back and forth? That could cost a small fortune for motors and batteries, assuming you can disassemble it yourself without voiding the warranty.
Will your LBS deal with it and if so who compensates them for the faff since they made nothing from the sale?
I ha just bought a nukeproof megawatt XXL when CRC had discounted it to 4000 from 6000 the did an extra 10% off so paid £3600 in the end elite spec which is basically the same spec as this but with ep8 rather than 801. I understand the have also updated any new ep8 motors with the better seals too 801 adds di2 linkglide compatibility whick I'm unlikely to use is it £800 better than the megawatt?
I’ve always wondered if you buy an e-bike from a direct sales company, where do you take it for warranty issues? Do you have to start shipping parts back and forth? That could cost a small fortune for motors and batteries, assuming you can disassemble it yourself without voiding the warranty.
Will your LBS deal with it and if so who compensates them for the faff since they made nothing from the sale?
Maybe @privateerbikes can tell us how they'll be organising warranty claims on these. They have a sterling reputation for supporting their normal bikes and wheels so I'm sure they'll look after customers.
It'd also be interesting to hear if there'll be any support for kaput Shimano motors once out of warranty. Sounds like that's the main blocker for a lot of peeps.
Sounds like that’s the main blocker for a lot of peeps.
It is for me. I might come across as a hater from this thread but I'm eagerly awaiting e-bikes to be as good as they promise. Then I'll have one. This one looks great but I wouldn't buy one this early. I'll give it a year or so and see what the user experience is like.
The Fox X2 shock is another timebomb from my personal experience. I'm not spending another penny on rebuilds for one of those bloody things. I'll wait for the Ohlins version to match my 141.
Why would you be sending a motor back? Orange have been saying they’ve never had a return. . .
Mine arrived today, barely had time to pull it out of the box but here it is
Imagine a picture here whilst I figure out why it isn’t working
I was on the verge of ordering but when I enquired about what would happen if I needed a repair doing I was just linked to an FAQ page, I guess if I finally commit to buying an e bike it would have to be from a shop for piece of mind.
+6500ft & 30 miles of Tweed Valley trails on Wednesday for 4 of us, yeah all eBikes are crap
Still trying to work out what this is actually supposed to mean...
Four of us went for a ride which although not particularly long did have a reasonable amount of climbing in it. We put in an unspecified amount of effort, the bikes did too and aren't broken yet, ebikes are game changers ...
CSB
I enquired about what would happen if I needed a repair doing
I live under 15 miles from Privateer so this was less of a worry for me.
No picture yet but as it came, out of the box with no pedals, my cheap luggage scales said about 26kg. No lightweight but it does come with Maxx Grip Downhill casing tyres which will be adding to the heft and Hunts eBike wheels were always rather hefty. I will weigh these new wheels when I get the chance to see what they are adding to the heft.
Minor disappointments so far are the shifting is way out, goes haywire in the middle of the block and was able to shift straight off the top of the cassette into the plastic guard (first time I’ve been pleased to see one of these, not that it will be staying). Initial suspicion is the spacers in the cassette are cocked up. Also the left brake bar clamp was the wrong way up, trivial but there is an arrow on it. Also the front brake hose appears to have been squidged halfway along its length but doesn’t hamper operation. I’d better check everything over before venturing too far from home I think.
On the plus side it was very enthusiastically packaged so nothing was scratched etc and the FedEx delivery guy was great.
Unexpected bonuses are that unlike photos I’d seen the brakes are black and silver matching the bike nicely. The shifter where I expected a downgrade as it wasn’t specified beyond ‘Shimano’ is in fact XT in iSpecEV attached to Hayes ‘Peacemaker’ matchmaker things. Nice OneUp 180 dropper appears to have their latest rather nice lever too where I feared it would be something cost cutting.
Sounds good - sure the shifting isn't a mech hanger alignment thing? Always a bugger when they're boxed.
Could be. I have an alignment guage so will check it all. Sure it will be something simple though.
The state of my 141 out of the box was pretty shocking. I gave it a full strip and rebuild. All the cable routing was horrible, the chain was too long. I had a shifting issue which required the rear derailluer to be spaced out with a washer so I could use the smallest sprocket. I'm happy with the bike now but it looks like it was thrown together before being dropped in the box.
For anyone disinterested…
Cassette removed and replaced, problem solved and gears shifting nicely. Not sure what was askew but all OK now. Given how much time Shimano took to come up with their ‘not XD’ 12 speed freehub I’m disappointed in just how awkward they have made it with different thickness spacers and shallow indents.
Wheels, I can’t see available on the Hunt site yet but are their new AM eBike alloy jobs. They run true and the spoke tensions are pretty even. Weight front 29er 1016g and rear 27.5 with MS freehub 1225g, a total of 2241g taped but no valves or discs. That doesn’t seem too bad if they are tough, not sure whether the freehub is steel or aluminium. If I build up Hope ebike hubs and DT rims what will I save? 250-300g? I think I will see how the wheels fare. Tubes were 660g the pair (now replaced with sealant and the tyres 1427g F and 1225g R. (All weights courtesy of cheap shit kitchen scales)
The bike appears to be put together just fine, grease on all the bolts and axles, cables pretty tidy, etc. One wire to the display was disconnected and I don’t know whether that is a deliberate thing for shipping? Regardless there is a ‘pronger’ in the box specifically for (un)plugging Di2 cables.
After some talk on here about Trunnion shocks and misaligned frames I thought I’d unbolt the shock and see whether it was aligned OK and all was good. The mounting bolts were greased where I may have expected thread lock (my assumption, which is correct?) but all pivots appear to be torqued up correctly.
Brakes feel good, loads of power but honking like a goose. I will check the calliper alignment or maybe just go for a ride and see whether they shut up.
TL:DR Bargain with that discount, thanks OP!
Oh and thanks to Privateer for generously allowing the double discount 👍
My mind is truly blown by all that ' information' and thought processes, with no mention of the one thing that actually matters. STW really is a bike forum rather than a biking forum.
Well hang on to your panties because there is more to the process. Have to go through the above before a ride happens. This thriller comes in instalments
I'm assuming they mean "what colour is it"?
@Rubber_Buccaneer now that you have had your E161 for a few months, what do you think of it? There appears to be another discount offer and I'm tempted! It's just the weight putting me off, especially as I'm only about 62kg myself.
about 26kg. No lightweight but it does come with Maxx Grip Downhill casing tyres which will be adding to the heft and Hunts eBike wheels were always rather hefty.
Nothing to do with a massive battery and motor.....
Hi everyone! We've just set up a special discount code for Singletrackworld members, which saves an additional £250 off the current discount (or €300 if you're in the EU). So, the E161 will cost just £4500 (€5699 in the EU).
Codes are;
UK: STPVT250
EU: STPVT300EU
Enjoy 😀
I'm interested in long term reviews if anyone is running one of these things.
A new jobs means that I'm walking further every day to a place with very secure bike storage and scope for actual post work MTB rides.
I reckon I could find my way to Stanage Edge in under 40 minutes. On a regular bike I'd have to sleep up there because I'd never make it home.
I'll add my 10p @Sharkattack - I've had one since they first came out.
As a full power ebike, it is well specd' if you compare it with others (decent wheels, brakes, fork and shock). It is well made with nice thought out touches that you would expect form Privateer. All the hardware is decent and its easy to take apart, service and get back together (easier than other ebikes I've seen / helped work on). I have a habit of swapping kit out on bikes, but haven't felt the need on this one. Stock, it is a great, well though out package thats easy to set up and get going on.
Riding wise, I haven't ridden too many ebikes, so some comments can be applied to all, such as they are heavy and need a different riding style. However, it tracks the ground very well, is well balanced and and once you get it moving is actually rewarding to ride (I say that as a lot of these style bikes just seem to plough). It's the sort of bike that is way better to ride on chunky rocky trails. Something that is going to make it work rather than 'flow' trials, if that makes sense. On the steeper stuff, it's only limitation is the weight - it wants to push on in steep tight corners, but thats just the nature of the bike and something you have to accept on any form of full power ebike.
The bottom of the battery cover seems to let the wet in, so care needed there. I cant work out how to charge the battery off the bike. I dont think mine came with the right adaptor (I've been meaning to ask them - @privateerbikes - was it meant to come with something that allows this??). The charge port can fill up with crap if you leave the cap off (watch that) esp, given it's location. I'd like to see extra storage mounts on the underside of the down tube, but these are all minor details.
It is a big bike. You really have to ride it, but it is cracking fun up and down. Its been great to have on those crap weather days, get dressed up in the wets and go out. I'd get it again if I was in the market. esp over the other offering considering the build. Sounds great for what you are looking to use it for.
Cheers
@neilforrow Hi, thanks for the feedback, we love to hear what you guys think of our bikes as it helps us make even better bike! As for the adaptor, no the bike doesn't ship with one. The item you need is a Shimano SM-BTE80. With this you can charge the battery off the bike using the charger that shipped with your bike.
While you're here are you going to make an Ohlins version?
I love the RXF36 and coil shock on my 141 and have no desire to go back to Fox.
@sharkattack It's Great to hear you love your Ohlins 141. However, we don't have a plan to release an E161 with Ohlins build at this time. Sorry
That's alright, it's just that if I bought the regular version and then saw the Ohlins E161 press release in my inbox a few weeks later I'd be devastated!
@sharkattack 😀 haha totally, but nothing to worry about on that front 😀 A little off topic, but with the DH starting again this weekend, have any of you seen the bike Joe Connell is riding on? 😀
privateerbikesFree Member
sharkattack 😀 haha totally, but nothing to worry about on that front 😀 A little off topic, but with the DH starting again this weekend, have any of you seen the bike Joe Connell is riding on? 😀
If it's not an ebike with the battery and motor removed (like Martin Maes is riding) I'm going to be very disappointed!
As a full power ebike, it is well specd’ if you compare it with others (decent wheels, brakes, fork and shock).
Build kit is spot on on this bike, regardless of the price. I'm pretty fussy and a lot of bikes I look at there's a couple of non-trivial things that I'd want to replace from the start. Extra cost, and hassle to shift the removed parts on. On this, grips and saddle.
@bikesandboots Awesome to hear this! This is exactly what we go for when kitting a bike out. There will be parts like the grips and saddle that are perhaps person pref items and will be changed, but we try to ensure that brake, tyres, suspension, drivetrain is all up to the job of hard riding out of the box 😀