The Privateer: Back Between The Tape at EWS Northstar
THE PRIVATEER
SEASON 2
SEASON 2
It's been a little over a week since EWS Whistler and Adam is already back between the tape at EWS Northstar. The terrain is unlike anything Adam has ever ridden. Can he adapt to the Northern California tracks and better his result from Whistler?
PREVIOUSLY
Did you miss the previous episodes from Season 2 of The Privateer? Want to know more about Adam Price's 2019 journey? Here's the full Privateer playlist.
Did you miss the previous episodes from Season 2 of The Privateer? Want to know more about Adam Price's 2019 journey? Here's the full Privateer playlist.
We'd like to extend a big thank you to all of the sponsors who will be supporting Adam this year.
Special thanks to GoPro.
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Member since Feb 15, 2012
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Isn't this experiment over? I mean no disrespect toward Adam, especially considering we are close in results. But like myself, all the resources aren't going to change the fact we won't crack a top 30. Call it talent. Call it risk taking. Call it bike handling.
This was interesting because there is this fantasy that somehow having factory level support is worth "X" number of places on the results sheet. Turns out, it really isn't.
The only thing missing from Adam's training was consistently riding with guys faster than him. That would be a far more interesting expirement.
All the gym time, road work, interval training etc is worthless compared to getting a feel for a top 20 EWS guys' cornering speed.
Digressions aside, good crack Adam. But the "privateer" needs a new athlete, or a new guise all together...
My point is, everyone has a leveling out point, and for Adam (and myself) its far below the point of anyone giving a shit about our results.
I disagree that factory support doesn't lead to X% increase in results. Look at Eddie Masters. Vanzacs life, to low-tier sponsor, to Pivot with real support on the bike and suspension and he finishes top 10 EWS and top 30 WC DH while missing rounds due to injury this year. That's a big step from where he was previously. Sure experience and his riding has gotten better but you don't think the Pivot/Fox support made a difference?
It has to make a 10-20% difference. Put Greg Minnaar on old bike with privateer budget, you think he's getting the same results?
Eh, I see your point, but as I indicated above (and as this series goes to show) its not worth that much.
Eddie Masters isn't a good example. How do you know it was factory support that helped him get faster, not the time on the bike and experience racing?
A better example is a guy like the Denim Destroyer, who has some level of factory support, then went BACK to being a privateer and had a breakout season. Does this mean privateering is faster!? No. It means experience on bike, being around the fast guys, wanting it, talent etc is what matters.
Nearly everyone racing as a "pro" has access to top tier shit. In fact, I'd wager in a case like mine, I have access to MORE gear as I'm not limited to what the sponsors make me run. I can run a Schwalbe back tire and a Maxxis front. I can run any frame I want with any mix of suspension. Most pros aren't running clapped out gear, they are running the same stuff the factory guys are. (go to a race...its awesome to see the mix of bikes among the privateers)
In closing, if Greg was a privateer tomorrow I do think he'd be getting nearly the same result. Of course, the tiny percentage differences at the very top start to matter more, but I actually think if he had to run what he brung and was less in his head about one click of HSR he'd actually be better off at times.
YMMV, but no, its not worth 10-20%. Mabye 1-2 places at the very top of the sport. Or that DNF because you didn't check every bolt and had something rattle loose. Its tiny.
Being a high-level athlete and seeing you throw around numbers as high as 10-20% difference is quite hilarious! I approve of your comment for the chuckles it has given me. An upvote for you sir!
In terms of factory support to @monkeybizz point, I am more talking about factory support along the lines of the Syndicate, Specialized Gravity, Canyon, etc. and all the infrastructure that goes with it. Not just getting a free bike and kit.
You can't say that's not worth something significant. Otherwise the brands wouldn't pay for it. Take away all that support for Loic, GM, AP, etc. they're still top 20 guys but I don't believe there consistent podium finishers every weekend. Look at the jump AP made going from the "B" Commencal team to the "A" team. I am not taking anything away from his talent and commitment (it's incredibly impressive) but the support plays a key factor with equipment and mental preparation/stability which is crucial.
Also Pinkbike: Adam isn't doing better right away, what the hell.
Adam is clearly a good dude and a better bike handler than 99% of the population. Nothing being said here is that negative.
I'd just like to see PB mix it up, throw someone else a chance, and change the strategy a bit. Just my $0.02, but by no means is it disrespectful to Adam. He's doing something really (really) hard. And I bet he'll continue to do it well after the limelight of this silly series goes away.
This is not Adam's fault though. He is not directing the episodes. If he was getting better than expected results it might be a good format. As their may be some payoff with a good result. but at this point there is no surprise happy ending. We know what happens.
Personally I would have liked to see more of the preparation and training that is happening day to day. Even as a companion to this, a ride and training log to understand the work he is putting in now compared to when he was working. What progress is he making in the gym and on the bike. He must have done some racing before Whistler, is there any post race analysis that happens to understand what he needs to work on and where he loses time? Is it the tech sections, the pedally bits, corners? Other than a short cornering class we have no idea what he does on the bike outside of the race. How about some video ghosting of Adam vs a faster rider to give us some perspective of why the results are not coming.
In my opinion, a psychologist might be the better traineer to him right now. Or maybe follow some top tier riders around whistler, like Wyn, Eddie, or even Tahnee or Tracey.
Adam’s the man...this series is rad, it’s awesome seeing a “everyday” dude out there riding like that. I could care less what place he gets, it’s just cool to see a guy out there doing it who really isn’t too different than me (except he is a waaaaay better rider).
Keep that PMA Adam, I’m on board!
Surely this is the point of the experiment. Take an ordinary guy, give him pro level support and see what happens.
What's happened is a regular guy who is still working his regular job is competing at a decent level but not making pro level progress. Surely that tells you everything. Adam clearly has skills and seems motivated but won't make it to the next level unless he goes at it full time. This is the point of the experiment. So what if your mate who has two kids and whatever exec job got a better result in a race than Adam, perhaps he was a better rider to begin with, or perhaps Adam massed up a bit and lost time but your mate had a clean run.
Why all the hate towards Adam? Seems like a top bloke and probably under a shit load of pressure and wondering why the hell he ever signed up!
Marsellus : I think you gonna find... when all this shit is over and done... I think you're gonna find yourself one smilin' motherf*cker. The thing is, Butch, right now... you got ability. But painful as it may be, ability don't last. And your days are just about over. Now, that's a hard motherf*ckin' fact of life. But that's a fact of life your ass is gonna have to get realistic about. You see, this business is filled to the brim with unrealistic motherf*ckers. Motherf*ckers who thought their ass would age like wine. If you mean it turns to Vinegar... it does. If you mean it gets better with age... it don't. Besides, Butch, how many fights you think you got in you anyway? Hm? Two? Boxers don't have an old-timers' day. You came close, but you never made it. And if you were gonna make it, you would have made it before now.
So yes for me it was disappointing to see him picked again
Also, there are not a lot of people whose work would be willing to give them this amount of time off for training, racing, filming, etc.
That said, I think people will be stoked on what we're working on for next year.
Also don't quite a few privateers work like dogs in the winter to take the summer off to travel and race everywhere?
It might also be interesting to get Adam talking to other successful privateers about their experiences.
To offer constructive criticism, it does feel that the vids have become a bit formulaic.
It'd also be interesting to hear how it was decided top 30 was a reasonable goal, as it seems very ambitious as a viewer.
Maybe Amazon will pick it up for season 3 titled "Learning to love mountain bikes again"
The fitness and kit is only part of the equation and I think many have touched on it...you get faster by training with faster riders.
Also, wasn't his previous best (before this series) quite a bit better than 74th? Does this show that the standard has increased quite a bit in a few years? Or, was he more comfortable on the non-sponsor stuff he had then. Wasn't he riding a Pole?? Very different to the two bikes he's had in the two seasons. Just a thought, a certain irony though if after all of this it made him slower!