The Privateer: Racing Under Pressure & What's Next - Season Finale Part 2

 Adam, if you're reading this comments section (which you probably shouldn't) three things: (1) Thanks to you and Pinkbike for a very revealing series (2) I was rooting for you this year and I'm disappointed you didn't do better – disappointed *for* you, not *with* you (3) If had 25% of your steez and speed, I'd be a really happy rider. F*ck the haters and keep two wheels on the trail, fella! (Oh, that's 4 things. Never mind.)

 Moral of the experiment - "it's not as easy as people think". The haters will always hate but I would like to see them try it and see how "easy" it is for them.

 Ben Cathro, your very own 'inside the tape' hero is looking for sponsorship support to be a privateer in the 2020 WC DH season. Come on @pinkbike, you know it makes all the sense in the world for season 3!

 Enjoyed the hell out of this series! Keep shredding Adam!

 Nice one, Adam!

 I enjoyed the videos of Adam just riding his bike spliced in. The guy is a joy to watch. I hope this experience hasn't affected his ability to go out and have a good time on two wheels.

 1. I wanna know more about Adam’s bike of choice, gear and set up for next season.
2. The internet is full of crybaby bullies who talk sh*t undercover and feel cool about it. I’m convinced mountain bike forums are one of the worst. Some people just need a smack in the teeth and unfortunately they won’t ever get it.
3. Adam shreds and, again, seems like a dude who’d be rad to grab a beer with. Dude presents well and is humble - hopefully his sponsors keep flowing him!!! Keep ripping bro! I’d have loved to seen a season 3 just to see how it goes with more training under his belt.

 All you can ever do is give it your best, sometimes the best is not as much as it was yesterday, or the day before.
That involves variables that we can’t control, just like thoughts we kind of need to let them role, they come and they go and that’s ok.

The importance of a healthy mental state is not just on results on paper, but also the emotional well-being of the person affected by hate comments.
Messing with someone’s head, some one who hasn’t gotten the chance to accept the harshness that your own head can dawn on you, can undoubtedly lead to very bad things.
Your confidence can take a toll, and that can affect so much more than just your racing, your riding performance but it can also have a toll on your dietary requirements, your mood will affect how you digest food.
After all, hate comments can make you feel rejected, and rejection hurts, just as much as physical pain(found in a psychological study.)

What Adam has been going through the last two years could be described as a rock solid blissful slap on the face followed by flowers and great memories.

Adam, you did more than just amazing, don’t put your goal to the side, don’t do it for the job, do it for the love.

The difference between a person who doesn’t know how to cope with hate comments and a person that does, is on the self love.

You take a beating and you have to fall back to love, an environment that does offer you a form of unconditional love, be it friends or and family, even fans perhaps.
A save space becomes so much more important when you reach a point of publicity.
Especially when it’s involving something you love to do.

My point here?
None other than to simply say, ride on
... in love, with love, for every little or big thing that you have archived up until this very second.
You can’t expect more from yourself than to give your best and that’s totally ok. It’s great.
Don’t judge yourself with hateful eyes on the results outside your bubble. More so, pat yourself on the shoulder for the experience and the chance to evolve, learn, grow.
With that being said.
Greetings, have a nice day.

 Really enjoyed it Adam. Good job man, I can’t imagine the pressure and the spot light. Also love your honest take...it’s a lot harder than it looks and most people are not really making a living regardless of what their Instagram portrays. Well done - wish I rode like you!

 Tough spot to be for sure. I would not want to be scrutinized by the masses either.

 Chin Up Adam, you did this! Very few would, I’d never change with you, takes balls to do that. Well, what can I tell you, now everyone will be buttering your crack, even though they were not there few months before. Yeah your deadlift was shit but that was your coaches job, and deadlift ain’t everything. It’s quite amazing to see how better at riding you got, there’s more fluidity, more nonchalance, zapping turns, flying over huge features, you go fast yet you look like you have more in store. Don’t put too much on your shoulders, outwit the devil. You got this!

Cheers!

 sticks head out of the sand " did someone say enduro bike test"

To Adam. it has been an absolute pleasure. Really enjoyed your journey unfold. Best of luck woith next season

 Thank you Pinkbike and thank you Adam for an amazing series! Pinkbike: kudos for having the balls to do this. Adam: kudos for having the balls to do this!! You are a super shredder... don't let any comments get you down, 95% of those who watch are with you, supporting you... send it buddy! And drink more beer!

 Wasnt the whole idea behind the series to show people how difficult stepping up to the world stage would be? Its a shame that adam has been given sh*t as a result of being part of an insightful, enjoyable series. There are alot of bitter individuals on here. The main thing was that experience and knowledge was gained and fun was had in the process ( bar a couple of rough patches ) . Good luck in your next venture, dude!

 I hope this series hasn't taken away from his love of riding bikes. You can see how much pressure he was putting on himself and it seems like it really took its toll. Just goes to show how challenging the mental side of competition can be.

 Great job racing and working full time! There's a lot of humility in your video, that shows you're mature enough to handle the big stage and more success. Keep chasing your dream!

 I met Adam this past season at the Trans BC enduro. Really nice guy and a hell of a rider! This series totally helped me prepare for that race, in that as a lifelong biker, and at 44 years of age it was my first race ever. I really felt while watching I was learning along side, and taking notes to help me with what could get me through that event. So thank you Adam! and Pinkbike, please keep content like this coming!

 It's clear a ton of work went into this series and I enjoyed the hell out of it! I wish Adam all the best moving forward. It takes massive cajones to be under public scrutiny in a video series like this and not crumble completely. Well done!

 Cool series, thanks for all the time and effort put in by everyone. Adam, you did great! Time to race for THE LOVE OF SPEED!!! As a former privateer pro DH racer in the 90's, I can easily relate to the trials and tribulations of racing on the cheap. I spent thousands to feed the rat. I never said no to a call to ride, race, dirt jump, or slice it up at our local slalom track built illegally on a reclaimed piece of public scrub land in the middle of suburban Arvada. Early on when I was racing as an expert and learning the craft, I called a silverback pal of mine who was a low budget but immensely talented motorhead sports car racer all his life. I was complaining to him about not having any sponsorship, sleeping on the ground next to my car, blah blah blah. He was quick to silence me and tell me that no one was gonna give me anything to race. Never expect anything in return. You race for yourself, for the love of speed and the thrill of competition. This quick talk changed my attitude and experience in a very positive way and from then on it was about just that, the phenomenal experience of testing myself against the track for the thrill of it all, regardless of winning or loosing. Sure, the local podiums were cool, but the mid pack finishes at the toughest NORBA tracks of the day like Mt Snow, or just missing the quali bubble at Mt St Anne were equally cool and some of the best, most challenging and most fun experiences of my life and I'm sure my pals from back then would say the same. The point is, Adam and all the other guys out there hustling to make it to the weekend shred fest near you, do it with your own inspiration, don't expect anything, and have a great time. If you're one in a million and one hungry, savage competitor, you might wind up in the top of the field at a EWS or WC DH race, but don't sweat that too much and let it kill the buzz of racing! Internet comments, behind the back jabs, no matter. Some poor sucker who's not happy with themselves will always try to take a swipe at ya.

 Adam you got some crucial stuff out of the way, the “what if”. You gave you all, and at the end thats is all that matters. It sucks that you didn’t get the results you wanted, but man you can give me all the gear and support in the world and I’d still never be half the rider you are. Enjoy your gift man, you have ridden with the best of the best and never looked out of place.

Hope you create your own YouTube channel. I’d certainly follow your post privateer series content if you do.

Cheers! ????????

 So happy we got a montage!


The vast majority of people on here were 100% behind you Adam. What an experience and good lukc in the future!

 On this day, and all days, I am more than thankful to follow Adam’s story. Big prayers that he finds what he’s looking for during this chapter of his life. Grace and gratitude y’all and Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate today.

 @pinkbike Adam, super happy you had this amazing experience, I'm sure so many of us wonder what you do, "if I had the support what would I be capable of". You put everything into this and didn't hold back and for that I think you can and should be proud of that. Unfortunately the arm chair idiots of the internet collectively have more sway and harm than they rightfully should, I can't even imagine what it would be like to read the comments that you mentioned and have your head on straight. All the best moving forward Adam. Cheers

 You can see from the clips that Adam can ride a bike really well! I am really impressed with how he put himself out there to be judged and applauded. I think his season is a great example of how important the mental aspect of competition is so important to overall results. Thanks Adam for letting us be a part of your journey. Good luck going forward. Cheers

 Thanks for sharing your experiences with us Adam! What a cool thing to have been part of and I hope the negative feedback doesn't change that when you reflect on it. Best of luck in the future. Well played Pinkbike- the content these last few seasons just keeps getting better between the field tests, Zoes' progression, Adam's, Mike v Mike, humbled... all fantastic. Maybe a "Drop-In" reboot in the future?...

 Adam, You might not win an EWS race but dude you can shred on the bike and you’re living the dream in Whistler. I’d say thats a pretty great accomplishment. I bet with the cameras off in 2020 you’ll perform much much better.

 Such a good series. Love watching Adam ride. He's so smooth and fast.

 Awesome show Adam! You're an amazing rider and gave it your all. I think The Privateer shows just how good the top pros are, and that it's simply not possible to bridge that gap even if you're better than 99.999% of riders in general, which you are.

 I enjoyed this series immensely. The original premise being if you gave an above average rider with a decent set of skills access to the advantages that a top pro rider has, would it feasible to perform at the same levels as a pro. Based upon the Privateer’s experience, we have the results of this experiment. Answer being - access to the best coaches, recounting lines with top pros, the latest/greatest equipment, structured training, nutrition, etc. are not enough. This isn’t meant to be a direct criticism of Adam but... there’s a saying that permeates the roadie world “you can’t turn a donkey into a thoroughbred”.

What makes the best the best is, in part, less the kind of support that Adam was given and more the innate skill, reflexes, drive, genetics, confidence, fearlessness, and ability to ride closer to the “edge” that separates elite riders from the rest of us.

 Adam is a pinner. He's probably faster than 99% of the people commenting. Loved the series and learnt a lot. I with there was more, or the videos were longer. See you at the races.

 Keep shredding Adam, you're a great rider and the results will come with time. Keep up the training in the gym, but from the videos, you really do need to work on your body mechanics. Don't want you to injure yourself.

 even though the first season was way cooler i still enjoyed the second season too and think it was a realy cool series + adam seems to be a cool dude and really good rider.. perfect guy for the series

i am really putting my hopes into artificial intelligence that will enable future browser addons to not only block adverts but also dickheads from the sites i am visiting .. all the hatefull idiots really get me down some times

 I found the series really fun to watch. Both the good races and the bad ones had their charme. The problem with doing everything for everyone to see, is the haters will give you a really hard time, whereas the fans wont do much more than press a like button...

 Super awesome series. Adam was great! Haters are going to hate. There’s probably a lot jealousy wrapped in it. Anyone who is going to rip on him, likely has their own issues that need to be worked out. He’s obviously talented. The pros are just so freakin’ fast.

 Havent watched the entire series but what ive seen ive liked

There will always be bitter and pathetic souls who got nothing better to do than complain and harass. Dont let them drag you down.

Thank you and best of luck in the future Adam \o/

 I wish there were more of this type of insight of whats it like for a privateer and a pro. This is not easy shit. I do tenpin bowling and travelling overseas paying your own way with 6 bowling balls is not cheap. So kudos for Adam for fronting up and letting us see what its REALLY LIKE. Good job man.

 What this episode shows (and previous episodes should have shown more of) is that getting pro support comes with media commitments, which take up a lot of time and energy. Just filming for each episode would burn up hours of each week that Adam would otherwise have gotten some proper sleep, recovery, fun rides etc.

I think that would have helped some of the bashers understand the reasons behind the results.

Would also have been good to get a perspective on having to ride sponsored gear that you might not like or be familiar with VS gear that you want to ride

 Must have been a mint experience.....bet lots has been learned from it all. I'm going to miss the series. We are all critics, some more than others. I am sure the negative messages did not help...At the end of the day we are here to ride bikes and have fun. We are all equal and our shit all smells relatively the same... Thanks for the journey Adam, you rock!

 Not as easy as it seems to be. And being followed by thousands of people also gives an extra pressure. And I guess, ADam felt that as being seen as the Pinkbike privateer.
Anyway, good try Adam! top level sport is not as easy as it seems to be. You give your best and I am sure the experiment has provided you some great lessons and knowledge. Ride for fun now!
@pinkbike, it was interesting to follow. Will you hook up a new rider and start season 3?

 Its not all about whether the "others" acknowledge your ups and potential downs. You have become a better rider with much more insights and also with the awareness of the extra bit others have. I found it an excellent real world journey away from all the YT hypes, thanks :-)

 Great series - I wish for half of Adam's riding skills. Don't forget he still had a full time job so although all the back up he still wasn't a pro rider. Would be great for Pinkbike to do another series - certainly the most anticipated videos I thought.

 Fair play to Adam for stepping up and doing these last 2 seasons as The Privateer. Clearly a hell of a rider, and he's now had a taste of what's needed.

After 20+ years of competitive sport (latterly MTB), I know how important the sports psychology side of it is - would have been awesome to see the series making use of a good sports psychologist to help Adam build the mental resources to match the physical, technical and bike based gains. You only have to look at the EWS this season to see how Sam Hill's mental resolve bolstered his unquestionable physical and skill attributes. Can we train that into someone stepping up to that level? I'd love to see that in a video.

 Watching Adam while I ride the trainer has not made me better, but it has been entertaining and relatable. Well done with having the opportunity and providing a look for the rest of us into what's required to do better than we do.

 Well I'll put my hand up and day I was one of the "haters", not hate, but annoyed at Adams seeming lack of appreciation for the opportunity. I wasn't worried too much by the results, as that was the whole point of the series, and we got an answer "can anyone be a top race r if enough money off thrown their way?" = No!
But the last 2 analysis interviews showed a different side to Adam, or maybe it was edited out? More humble and connecting with viewer, shame it was left to the end, but that's producer /editor decision, not Adam's. Wish him all the best in future, and hope he can get back his stoke and joy.

 Adam! your the Man, i've loved watching your journey. I see a guy who loves to ride his, and he does it for the sheer joy of it. the second thing i see is that your a pinner! Mate keep it up keep riding, hope to see more of you.

 Thanks for sticking your neck out and training like a mofo for us the ungrateful. Inspirational series definitely the best insight into the sport. Er were also a bunch of armchair piss takers not one of us would say to your face what they troll online it's just kids being kids you know this bruv but yea xunts. In my professional expert opinion : ) I think you could have done with some mindset coaching I think as I'm soooo qualified that's the only difference between placing top 10 and what you busted your balls for. Btw if you give a toss read Steven Pressfeild War of Art that's a game changer for athletes. And any sponsor would be dumb not to responsor you for another season that's marketing department s dream of. I want a pivot never ever thought they were any cop until the series....oh yea get rid of the graphics at the start thats wack Lol. Peace man whatever you do
it was great entertainment. Welldone PB. Peace.

 Respect for signing up for this and your obvious skills on a bike. I’m so intrigued by the financial aspect of our sport from the athletes perspective. That would be a cool episode idea. Good for you for bringing it up and I hope you keep on keepin on man. Don’t sweat the haters. They don’t know what it’s like.

 I thought the series was awesome, Adam was great. Aside from the results, which don't mean everything obviously, I'd like to hear how Adam felt with the improved fitness and skill after these two seasons. Did he notice a big change?

 Spot on John!
Great 2 years, thanks for letting us all in for a humble and candid look at racing and life!
Thanks Adam, forget the naysayers hold your chin up high, as I’m sure 99% of us here on PB loved it!
Enjoy 2020, whatever shape the year takes for you!
Cheers !

 It's already been said but watching Adam ride his bike is a joy - the guy can ride. Perhaps going to upset some but I think that long long stage at Whistler is not a great idea for close racing - do badly on that and there's no way of making the time up. Northstar was also a hell of a venue. Adam did well there to just complete the runs! My point is that if he'd maybe done a couple of the European rounds he may have had better results. I for one have really enjoyed the series and wish him well for the future.

 Well done Adam! What an adventure it has been. It has been a pleasure watching the series. You have balls to expose yourself this way and to go through all that tough training. Thanks for sharing all this with us!

 Congratulations Adam and Pinkbike. It was massively entertaining and insightful series. The internet can be a very cruel space so good on ya for being brave enough to put yourself out there.

 Great series Pinkbike! Well done Adam for putting in the work and putting this out there, I can't of been easy at times. Good luck next year!

 Hi Adam hope the hand is heeling well, I know it must suck not to be able to ride ya steed for fun after a full on season. As all the above, enjoyed seeing you go another year and seeing the progress. Gutted for you that you obviously in this last interview were down on your reflection of the year but remember my friend why you started riding in the first place and I'm sure that was for fun and adventure so don't lose sight of your love for the sport. Chin up and have a good off season, Pink Bike community are behind you. (Well I wouldn't be in front of you your too fast for me) ????

 Total Respect to you Adam, certainly was never going to be easy and you pushed your limits and progressed , Let the haters be jelly, I like the series a lot!! Chin up and just sendit boiii!!

 Thanks Adam and Pinkbike. It was a great series and big effort by all. Sometimes you prove the null hypothesis and that’s just how it goes.

 You made the series mr. Price !!!! Cheers

 Amazing effort, please keep it up. Watching something real and honest is refreshing,

 Don’t let the opinions of the masses bother you, The majority of people who take the time to comment are online are hat

 great serious, thoroughly enjoyed watching it. Love seeing adam get stylie and loose!

 Good job Adam!! I enjoyed the experiment and rooted for you. Good crack at it.

 Great series & great selection for the privateer! You’re freaking fast bro!

 For a humble, unassuming guy, he's fast as hell!

 Great job Adam, wish it was continued on. Learnt lots, and awesome work pal.

 Great job Adam. Like most sports out there it's never for the money just for the love of the sport. Keep riding and racing!

 Adam - you are GREAT MAN !!!!

 Still love it happy to see the third season- more more more

 Adam does have the makings of a Varsity Athlete.

 You're my hero great job privateer and team!

 Well done Adam. I really enjoyed following you over the 2 seasons.

 Great effort, Adam! Great series, Pinkbike.