Nicholas Vouilloz on a Lapierre E-Bike
Would your thoughts change on E-bikes if Nico Vouilloz was riding one?
Depending on your point of view, this is either the worst news ever, or a great endorsement of E-bikes. While E-bikes have become increasingly common on the cycle paths of the Netherlands and much of Western Europe, they are still met with some scorn on Australian streets and bike paths, and in many bike shops.
I visited the KTM factory in Austria last year, and appreciated that E-bikes can help get more people out of cars for short trips, and more people on bikes. And although many brands are creating E-mountain bikes, I didn’t think my favourite tight, technical, exposed alpine singletrack holidays locations would ever be over run with people pedalling easily with their own Bosch assistance.
But then these photos came from our contributor Matt Page, who is currently in the French Alps for the release of the new Lapierre bikes for 2016, with some riding with Nico Vouilloz in there too.
The bike is running a Bosch engine, and in standard Euro Enduro style has had the main parts marked so they weren’t changed out for the Enduro series that Nico was riding in.
A big Bosch battery
Like most E-bikes, the motor sits low.We will wait to hear more from Matt, but this will certainly make those transition stages a bit easier! We’ll have an in-depth look at the new Lapierre ranges in Issue 149, out in August.
