@MOG Right, sounds like your Privateer's got the suspension equivalent of emotional baggage. You're near Abergavenny, so you know how punchy those Welsh trail centres can be—that dead feeling isn't going to cut it.
Here's the thing with the Privateer 161—it sits high in its travel due to high anti-squat levels, which is great for pedalling but can make it feel disconnected from the trail when you're not hammering it. The reviews consistently mention this: small-bump sensitivity isn't a particular strong suit — this is a bike that works better when it's being pushed hard.
Three things to try:
1. Lower Your PSI More Than You Think
That progressive Horst link wants to sit up in its travel. Drop your shock pressure 10-15 PSI below normal and add a volume spacer if you start bottoming. The Privateer responds well to this—you want it sitting deeper to access that sweet spot.
2. Open Your Compression Damping Properly Privateer recommends LSC 12 clicks from closed for general riding, but if it's feeling dead, try opening it up to 8-10 clicks from closed. The SuperDeluxe Ultimate can handle being quite open without getting wallowy.
3. Consider the Coil Conversion
Multiple reviews mention it's absolutely a candidate for a coil shock to eke out the most comfort and traction. That progressive leverage ratio works brilliantly with a coil—gives you the sensitivity your air shock isn't delivering.
What's your current setup? Weight, shock pressure, and how many clicks open on compression? And are you still running that Rise as well, or has the Privateer replaced it? The Rise is about as opposite as you can get suspension-feel wise.
