Lapierre launch new XR and Overvolts for 2017

When visiting France for the launch of new bikes, it is only fitting that it takes place in one of the most well-known wine producing regions in the country. And as the Cote d’Or is also celebrating the year of the bike, it just made sense that the Lapierre 2017 product range was being launched at Nuit Saint Georges – surrounded by vineyards and forested hills, and about half an hour from Lapierre’s factory in Dijon.

If Nico gets into E-bikes – will you?

Amongst the crowd of journalists, there was also Nicolas Voullioz and Rae Morrison, the former a long-time Lapierre racer, and the latter a recent recruit to the Lapierre Enduro team. Both riders are based near Nice in the south of France, and Nico has been instrumental with the research and development for Lapierre for many years.

Nico Vouilloz has helped design the Overvolt AM range, making sure the bike is fun to ride, and efficient.

The new XR – for the racer inside

Lapierre’s E:i system might be best known on the Zesty range, but it started on the cross-country focused XR. Little has changed with e:i Auto, and the simple and svelte system has only had a few teaks to the battery mounting and seals, to make them even more waterproof, and easier to remove for charging.

The XR 629

If you’re not familiar with E:i, the system uses sensors on the bike’s fork and at the stem to sense the size of a hit the fork is receiving, and adjusts the compression settings at the rear shock to suit, between the open, firm and locked positions. It’s worth noting that open is more open than a normal shock, as with up to 60 readjustments a minute you can have some extra plushness as required.

The frame has had a redesign around some new standards, but also to reduce weight. The previous frame housed the shock in the middle of the seat tube, which limits options for a dropper or even putting the seat down much. The shock now sits higher and further forward, but the frame still ‘encases’ the shock, also aiding frame stiffness. The frame weighs 1.8kg with no shock but with all hardware – which is very competitive. Lapierre also kept it as laterally stiff as possible, wanting to make sure it would ride as it should.

A new shock location means a full length seat tube.

The geometry has been updated too, with a 70.5 degree head angle built around using a 51mm offset fork, chainstays are down to 440mm and the frame and fork use the Boost spacing. The OST+ system is highly efficient for pedalling, and the new straight seat tube allows the use of a dropper post – although none of the stock bikes coming with one.

Shorter out back, longer out front for the new XR.

The suspensions curve has been modified, staying very stiff until the sag point to be reactive under pedalling efforts, but from then it’s a smoother progression.

Internal routing is made easy with the new frame design.

Lapierre have also added the ‘Trapdoor’. It’s an integrated Di2 battery fitting in the back of the seat tube, which should allow riders do get any weight on the bike as low down as possible.

Lapierre will offer four models, the 529, 629, 729 and 929 – which will come with a RS-1 and Eagle.

The ride of the XR was the topic of much discussion.

The growth of E-bikes for Lapierre

While we are just starting to experience growth and interest in E-bikes in mountain bike circles in Australia, in Europe the E-MTB market is full steam ahead. Lapierre’s parent company has reported that 45% of their turnover in the bicycle market is E-bikes. Also, E-bike sales are growing year on year. So while there are plenty of naysayers about having pedal assisted bikes – there are even more who are interested enough to part with their hard earned cash to get one.

Yep. It has a motor.

The new Lapierre Overvolt AM Carbon

The task with the Overvolt was to make the E-MTB as playful as a non e-bike. One of the main ways to do this was to manage the extra weight of the motor and the battery. At 3kg, the weight needs to be in the right spot. 10 time World Champion Nico Vouilloz was instrumental in his role in the development of the Overvolt AM. He has been racing not just the French Enduro series and the EWS, but also the French E-MTB Enduro series, which is becoming very popular.

By moving the weight lower and more central, the bike is far easier to move around.

The aim with the extra weight was to move it as close to the bottom bracket as possible. Many E-bikes have the battery mounted on the downtube where a water bottle would go (more or less), but Lapierre needed to completely redesign the frame, and in the end the only way to make the new Overvolt was to manufacture the frame in carbon fibre. While there was a weight advantage as well, the reality is it was the only material they could use for the design.

An E-bike is a lot heavier than a standard mountain bike. But managing that weight location is the key.

The battery now sits above the Bosch motor, in a horizontal plane. It has moved 74mm closer to the centre of the bike and sits 72mm lower. In essence, this means it is far closer to the bike’s tipping point, and won’t hold the bike over when leaned into a corner. The frame is split and asymmetrical to accept the battery and motor, and we heard there may be some accessories coming to fit in the area in front of the battery, to hold a bottle or spares.

The battery sits down will into the frame.

This model could only be realised in carbon.

All the Overvolt models, be it the carbon models or alloy, can be used with 27.5” or 27.5+ setups. Some come stock as Plus, others as standard. As the frames use the Boost spacing, the front fork can take either. But the swing arm has been designed around inversable dropouts to give the extra room needed for the Plus option.

Overvolt AM Carbon

The Overvolt AM Cabron range comes with 145mm of rear travel using the OST+ system and 150mm front, and of course dropper posts are specced as standard. The new RockShox metric shocks are more sensitive, and the top AM900 has the dedicated E-MTB group set from SRAM, EX1. The AM800 and AM700 are the carbon models below the top model.

Overvolt AM Alloy

The Overvolt AM Alloy doesn’t have the same radical battery and motor positioning, but still has OST+ suspension with 140mm rear travel and 150mm up front. The spacing is Boost, so while there are Plus models any of them can be made as such with the same inversible hanger system. Depending on the model, the motor is either Bosch or Yamaha. Dropper posts are standard parts spec on these bikes as well.

Plus bike and pedal-assist you say? See my ride impressions in Issue 155.

There’s also a women’s specific Overvolt.

Overvolt XC

Designed for those who want to have their pedal assisted mountain biking a little more tame, the Overvolt XC has 120mm travel front and rear, and can still be 27.5” or Plus sized. The frames are dropper compatible but they don’t come as standard. The 300 and 400 models come with a Yamaha motor while the 500 comes with the Bosch CX motor.

Wheels and Droppers from Lapierre

Lapierre had more news, and it was based on producing their own 100, 125 and 150mm infinite adjust stealth dropper posts, and their own tubeless wheel sets. They have E-bike specific wheels in 27.5 and 27 Plus, and have worked out that for most wheels, a wider front rim and narrower rear suits.

Hub choice has also been optimised, with straight pull spokes on Boost front hubs for E-bikes, but modified 150mm DH hubs on the back, to work with the 148×12 setup. This make for a stronger wheel, capable of handling the loads put through by E-bikes.

See our next issue for further details on the range, wheels and dropper posts. Need to know more right now? Get in touch with Advance Traders.