The Privateer Gen 2 bikes, Renthal's flat pedals and more

Our recap on the best tech stories of the week.

Liam Mercer

Feb 17 2024

It's been a bit of a slow burn on the tech news front but this week has certainly ended with a bang. From Renthal's surprising move into the pedal space and the long-awaited unveiling of Privateer's brand-new mountain bikes, there's a lot to dive into so put the kettle on and get comfy.

Privateer finally unveiled its production 161 and 141 Gen 2 mountain bikes

Privateer has been teasing the legs off of its second-generation platform and even gave us a closer look at a prototype frame before the new year. The wait, however, is finally over as the brand has dropped all the details on its new bikes. Privateer has given both its 141 and 161 an overhaul, bringing fresh features to all-mountain and enduro riders alike.

Those features are plentiful, too, including an all-new suspension platform as well as geometry tweaks. Both bikes get size-specific chainstays but, what's extra cool, is that the 161 can be overshocked to run more suspension travel and is equipped with a dual-crown fork. So the 161 enduro bike looks set to quench the thirst of anyone looking for a Privateer downhill bike.

Hopefully, we'll be getting one of these in for review but, for now, you can read the full story of Privateer's Gen 2 161 and 141 mountain bikes

Renthal stepped into the pedal game

Renthal is renowned for its cockpit components but, this week, the brand moved into new territory having announced its new flat pedals. Renthal has gone all in, too, fitting the pedals with a dual-axis concave design and an interesting patent-pending servicing method that allows all of the components, including the Igus bushing, to be replaced by the user.

Renthal expands into the flat pedal game with the Revo-F

Hayes announced its love for purple

Last year, Hayes showed off a special colourway for its excellent Dominion A4 brake and now, the brand has formally announced that purple is its official colour. Just like Orange is to Fox, Purple is to Hayes but this new hue will be reserved for Hayes-sponsored athletes only. Fear not, however – if you love the colour, Hayes is offering a limited run of purple-coated Dominion A4s.

Read all about it here: Purple is now the official colour of Hayes.

Best dropper posts 2024

While dropper posts have become an expected component on all new mountain bikes, not all droppers are created equal and there's a high probability you'll need to swap it out for one that better suits the riding you do. Fret not, however, because we've done the heavy lifting for you and gathered the best dropper posts we've tested in one central hub, complete with handy tips to make the buying decision even easier.

Best dropper posts 2024.

Tubed vs tubeless tyres - everything you need to know

Our Lance reckons that the argument of tubed vs tubeless tyres is a hotly contested topic. Because of that, he unpacks the differences between the two and how inner tubes might be the way to go for some riders.

For more information, here's the full story.

We told the story of Scarab Cycles

In a world where huge brands, such as Giant and Specialized sell huge numbers of bikes, it's the small bike builders where true passion can be found. Josh Ross visited the Colombian-based Scarab Cycles, to learn how the brand came to be, its philosophies and how it builds bikes.

Check out Scarab Cycles - the story of a Columbian steel bike company.

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Liam Mercer

Since beginning his mountain biking career while working as a resort photographer in Greece in 2014, Liam became a freelance contributor at off.road.cc in 2019. From there, he’s climbed the journalism job ladder from staff writer to deputy technical editor, now finding his place as technical editor.

Partial to the odd enduro race, heart rate-raising efforts on slim-tyred cross-country bikes, hell-for-leather e-MTB blasts or even casual gravel jaunts, there’s not a corner of off-road cycling where Liam fears to tread. With more than 40 bike reviews under his belt and hundreds more on MTB, e-MTB and gravel parts and accessories, Liam’s expertise continues to be cemented and respected by the industry.