Anyone have any info on these. I think they were made by Cook Bros. or VDC. Chris Moeller rode one in 86-87, and I think Greg Grubbs also around the same time. I just picked one up and they are RARE. Anyone with any pics/ads/info. please post.

This is one of my grails, after being out of BMX for 2 years I picked up a magazine while in College (1987) and the memory of the pic of Grubbs riding one has been stuck in my head ever since. I have been looking for one since I started collecting in 1997.

Richie Anderson rode a white F/F for them around 1986/87. I would imagine Johnny Johnson would have some specifics.

Rob Lynch is/was the owner of Peddlepower bike shop in So. cal. I'll bet Bill Ryan would have contact info. They were around for sure in 1987/88 while I was at Plus! Before or after that I couldn't say.

Sooooooo you were the lucky one to find that on ebay!!!! I found out about it while reading the text of another auction by that seller. Enjoy that rare frame and fork!!!!

chrome or white?--always loved the white ones

It is currently black. Orig color was ?????? What colors were available?? I kinda have my heart set on doing it in Hutch Judge Blue.
I have been doing Privateer searches on Ebay every day since day 1, this is THE 1st that has ever popped up. The price was definately right on this one!!! I stole it. This is definately one of the rarest mid-school frames out there, right up there with the Rumblefish, though more traditional in design.
Todd, Thanks! I'll give Bill a call and see if I can get a hook up with Rob Lynch.

Good luck. lmk how it goes. Rob probably has a dozen in his garage lol.

Post a pic and refresh my memory.

you can find it under completed auctions on ebay: peddlepower bmx. Nice score!

black was an original color (i have one). i also used to have one when they were current that was a blue similar to what Haro used on 1985/6 sports. others i've seen are yellow and red (fire engine red).

Anyone got any Privateer frame decals, let me know.
Private Message me.

I rode one of these babies for years. I loved my Privateer and won many races on it (turned AA on it). Many people loved and used only the forks as they were really steep. I believe Ken at Elf made these for Rob, but I am not sure. I am sure Rob has some stickers and more, whereever he is. If you find him, let me know, cause he is a good friend. He and I had some good times. He taught me the backstage part of BMX (the industry) which was not always as positive and fun as the racing part.

get ahold of carbiz or greyboy, they have/had a few of them.

Im pretty certain white was one of the colors. Man tons of peeps rode for Privateer over the years.
They were based out of the old - now out of business - Peddlepower bike shop. When the shop was owned by Steve Rink they started Powerlite. Then Rob bought the shop mid 80s? and it moved across town to 3 new locations before finally closing.
Ironically, its last location was on Lincoln Ave. right across the street of the site of one of Americas first and most influential tracks, Western Sports Arama.

Elf was a long walk away so he probably made them, but several other frame builders were just 10 minutes away also.
I bought Rob's Floval Flyer from him. Hated that bike, but wish I had it now lol.
I think the downtube decals were either clear stickers, but I'm remembering die cut decals?

Some of the guys I seem to remember riding Privateers at one time include Bryon Vorderman (sp?), Ricky Gilbert, Lonnie Tatton, Dugan Neil and of course Rob.

Here was my Privateer, raced it in 88' and 89':

Wow, that seat was jacked up to maximum boost.

Long legs and I used the seat for leverage in the turns.

Wow small world Stuart.
See the rider next to you? Im almost certain that is Clay Goldsmid. He was racing Pro those years if I remember right.
I was on Action Wheels also which is how Clay and myself met. I am the one who designed the jersey he is wearing. I still have the original artwork.
Then me and Clay started Hyper.
I dont have any pictures of me in the uniform I designed lol. But Im sure Dave Kapigian does as he also rode for AW and took tons of pictures. I need to bug him more to scan them.

Love your style Stuart. Were the downtube decals clear or die cuts?

You are correct that is Clay. That is probably the only time I ever raced Clay, just in front of me cropped out of the picture is John Kovachi in his first year of Kovachi wheels.

On the privateer they were diecuts if I remember correctly. The seat tube sticker, which was white was a clear sticker.

Here is a short history of that frame, I worked for a shop in Alabama called Betsill's Bicycles. We had ordered that frame for one of our rather tall BMX locals. We got the frame in and at about the same time the Free Agent limo came out and the guy wanted one of those instead. I was riding for Phase II at the time and I left the team and was trying to figure out what I wanted, as I needed a longer bike. I never realized the Privateer was as long it was but I measured it one day at work and decided I would give it a try. I loved that bike and wish I had never gotten rid of it, but I was building an all black bike, which eventually turned out to be my Elf posted in the Elf thread.

Thanks for the complement on the style. I will return the complement onthe jersey design. looks really good.

I remember clear and die-cut decals. Super sweet bikes!

One of my most FAVORITE frames ever! Whats up Eric(racer)- we seem to run into each other every few years!



sd
sean duncan
SHL for life!

Wow from Wyoming to SoCal to Cyber Space. Whats up Sean.