The Spicy's innovative design means riders can swap between high and low pivot positions without needing a new frame, thanks to some clever engineering by Lapierre.
Lapierre’s new Spicy CF enduro bike utilises an innovative suspension design to offer both low and high pivot options using the same frame. There are four models in the range, with prices starting at €5,499. The entire frame has seen a redesign, and if Isabeau Courdurier’s early season success in the EDR enduro series is anything to go by, it looks like it’s hitting the mark. Competition is equally hot to be among the best enduro bikes on the market, but this innovative new design and reasonable price point mean the latest Lapierre Spicy is coming out of the blocks swinging.
The new Lapierre Spicy CF has already won a few rounds of the EWS this season thanks to Isabeau Courdurier
Lapierre Spicy CF need to know:
- The new Spicy CF aims to give riders the choice between enduro racing and bike park shredding
- Options to run 29in or mullet wheel set-ups
- High-pivot or low-pivot suspension configurations in just one frame – you choose
- Four models and a frame-set, with prices starting from €5,499
- Bikes to come setup in the high-pivot position, but a kit is included with the bike to change to low pivot if desired
Lapierre’s new frame design is apparently aiming to bridge the gap between enduro racing and bike park riding
One frame… two swingarm positions
According to the French brand, enduro can be split into two types of riding in the modern era – racing, and bike park riding. The Spicy CF has pretty big ambitions to bridge the gap between the two, and offer riders the choice of two different kinds of enduro bike in one. To blend enduro race and bike park styles, high pivot or low pivot suspension, and 29in or mullet setups – with one frame.
But what’s going to make the Spicy CF stand out? In essence, Lapierre has managed to design a bike that offers the possibility of a dual swingarm position (either high or low pivot) with the change of just one suspension link. Ans yes, the kit to make the change is included when you buy the bike.
Can’t decide whether you want a high-pivot or low-pivot enduro bike? Well the Lapierre Spicy CF gives you both options in one.
The brand says the position of the shock and lower link has been reworked, as well as the swingarm pivot point. This, it claims, is with the aim of retaining the “same progressive curve whatever the high-pivot or low-pivot configuration.” And to suit both coil-sprung and air-sprung shocks.
The redesigned kinematics offer more progression beyond the mid-stroke compared to the old Spicy, whilst being more sensitive to small bumps thanks to a higher initial leverage rate.
You can also alter the rear travel by going from a mullet setup to a 29in setup or vice-versa.
Why two pivot positions?
We know that the trajectory of the rear wheel is dictated largely by the main pivot position. In the high pivot position, there will be a more rearward axle path than the the lower position. Which, in turn, can help improve suspension performance on square-edge hits and rough descents.
With the swingarm in the higher position, the rear wheel has more time to move out of the way of bumps, which can help maintain speed and traction. The key word in that line being ‘can’. Chain growth and anti-squat is kept in check in the high position by Lapierre’s 15t idler pulley. Being more of a mid high-pivot design, there’s less issue with chain wrap and drag compared to models with a higher main pivot. The flip side being that the rearward axle path is less pronounced – the Spicy has around 8mm of rear axle displacement looking at the graphs, and starts to move forward again about 90mm into the travel. Lapierre says is has configured the idler to give a similar level of anti-squat and pedal kick-back to the low position. Specifically, there’s about 1º less pedal kick-back in the high-pivot position at 100mm of travel.
Two travel and wheel size options
A three-position flip chip at the lower shock mount gives riders the option to switch between full 29in wheels front and rear, or a mullet MX set-up. Switching wheel sizes also has a knock-on effect on travel – the MX configuration giving 174mm of travel, and the 29in option reducing that to 170mm. Those travel options remain the same whether the bike is in the high-pivot or low-pivot position. As such it’s more of a wheel size compensator than a geometry adjustment feature.
Each model has its own assigned colour. This is the Spicy CF 7.9, at €6,499.
The Lapierre Spicy CF frame and geometry
As Enduro courses change, bikes need to react to this and change too. The main alterations with the Spicy CF frame include changing the seat angle to 78º, which should improve climbing performance on liaison stages. The reach has also been lengthened across all five frame sizes. These stand at 410mm, 435mm, 460mm, 480mm, and 505mm from XS to XL.
The head tube angle is more relaxed to adapt to the longer 180mm fork, standing at 63.5º. And, the bottom bracket is 3mm higher in compensation for the extra travel. If you’re a smaller rider, then the inclusion of an XS size will be of interest.
The bike’s frame composition has also been changed, with a stiffer rear triangle, and a 100% UD SLI carbon construction. The weight for a size M frame is a claimed 3.2kg.
Pricing and models
There are four new models and one frameset in the Spicy CF range, and they will all be sold in the high pivot version, but with a special kit included to change to low pivot. The Spicy CF 6.9 will cost €5,499 and use RockShox Zeb Select Charger RC forks and a RockShox Vivid Air 2 Base shock. It runs Shimano’s Deore groupset.
The Spicy CF 7.9 costs €6,499 and runs Fox Float 38 Performance Elite forks and a Fox Float X2 Performance shock. It also runs a 12-speed Deore groupset. The Spicy CF 8.9 costs slightly more at €6,999 and runs Fox Float 38 Factory forks and Fox Float X2 Factory shocks, with a Deore mix groupset.
The flagship model, the Spicy CF Team, costs €10,000 and uses RockShox Zeb Ultimate Charger 3 forks, a RockShox Vivid Air 2 Ultimate shock and a SRAM X01 Eagle groupset. The frame kit will cost €3,699 and comes with a RockShox Vivid Air 2 Ultimate shock.
The bikes are available to order from Lapierre dealers today.