Monday, November 4, 2024

First Look: The 2025 Lapierre Spicy Can Be High-Pivot Or Low-Pivot – Pinkbike

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Lapierre is no stranger to trying new ideas. Remember e.i, the automatic shock-locking mechanism they launched way back in 2012? Now they have a new innovative suspension concept. The 2025 Spicy CF’s, suspension can be configured to run as a conventional low-pivot layout or a high-pivot with an idler. Lapierre is calling it “2 bikes in 1,” with the high-pivot setting optimised for steep and rough courses and the low-pivot for more rolling terrain where pedalling efficiency and responsiveness are higher priority.

In addition, the Spicy can accommodate 27.5″ or 29″ rear wheels, giving it four combinations of suspension and wheel size. Being Lapierre, it’s meant to be an uncompromising enduro race bike, but they say it works very well in the bike park too – especially in the high-pivot mode.

Lapierre Spicy Details

• High-pivot or low-pivot suspension
• 170 or 174 mm rear travel, 180 mm fork
• Mixed or matching wheels
• Full-carbon frame
• 63.5° head angle, 78° seat angle
• 440-450 mm chainstays (size-specific)
• Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL
• Price: 5 499€ – 10 000€
lapierrebikes.com

Whether in high-pivot or low-pivot settings, there’s around 170 mm of rear suspension travel, rising to 174 mm with mullet wheels, teamed with a 180 mm fork. It’s a big bike, but Lapierre promises respectable frame weight and climbing manners too.

Frame details

The Spicy ships in the high-pivot setting, but it’s possible to switch it to a low-pivot at home. This involves moving the main pivot to the lower bolt holes, removing the 15-tooth idler pulley and switching the rocker link – there is a different one for each mode included in the box.

Also, there’s a flip chip on the rear shock mount which has three positions to account for both the suspension and wheel size settings. The forward setting is for mullet wheels with a low pivot; the rearward setting is for 29″ wheels with a high pivot, and the middle setting is for the other two combinations. According to Lapierre, the BB height and frame angles are the same with any combination.
Fair to say it’s not designed to be a trailside swap, but you should be able to do it yourself without having to buy any separate parts. Swapping wheel sizes simply involves changing the flip chip setting, but Lapierre is only selling the Spicy with mixed wheels for now, so you’ll have to buy your own wheel to run it 29″.

Isabeau Courdurier has been riding the low-pivot & mullet combo this season.

In other news, the frame uses Lapierre’s highest-quality UD SLI carbon fiber front and rear. The rear section is said to be very stiff while the front triangle has been designed to compromise between high-speed precision and low-speed tracking. It also has a threaded BB, space for a bottle and ISCG tabs. Cables run through the headset. There’s no word on seatpost insertion depth but it does look quite shallow.
There’s a downtube storage section, accessed from underneath with a plastic cover and a pouch inside to store tools, snacks or spares.


Suspension

While the mullet setting offers more travel (174 mm vs 170 mm), the high-pivot mode is slightly more progressive. Each combination has a slightly different leverage ratio curve. Interestingly, while high-pivot designs with idler pulleys are usually designed to minimize or eliminate pedal kickback, Lapierre says the pedal kickback is similar in both high- or low-pivot settings. Perhaps they wanted to reintroduce some pedal feedback and responsiveness with the high-pivot setting, similar to what Greg Minnaar has been doing with his Norco.

Details are scant on precise values, but Lapierre says the high-pivot setting has more anti-squat and anti-rise, helping the bike to stay more level when stamping on the pedals or brakes.


One of the more comprehensive geo charts.

Geometry

Based on team feedback, the seat tube has been steepened and the head angle slackened slightly compared to the outgoing Spicy, which launched in 2019. The BB remains low for the travel at 335 mm, maintaining the same ride height at sag as the old bike.

The reach has grown too, and an extra small size has been added – as used by Isabeau Courdurier.


Builds


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