£4,299 Elastomer-infused French smoothie
Weight 9.18kg (L) Frame Carbon Fork Carbon Brakes SRAM Paceline, 160mm front /140mm rear rotors Gears SRAM Rival AXS (46/33, 10-36) Wheels DT Swiss ER1600 Tubeless Ready Finishing kit Lapierre alloy 3D forged seatpost, Lapierre alloy 100mm stem, Lapierre alloy 42cm handlebar, Fizik Aliante R5 Manganese saddle, Schwalbe One Raceguard Tubeless Easy 28mm tyres
LAPIERRE’S LONG-STANDING Pulsium endurance platform’s latest redesign has added a new SAT (shock absorption technology) rubber-insert section to the arched, flattened seatstays that attach to the top-tube. Lapierre claims this insert (whch adds just 20g to the frame) helps reduce vibrations and increase comfort by 11% over the standard Pulsium design without losing any of the bike’s lateral stiffness. Comfort is increased by clearance for 35mm tyres, and using a carbon frame construction that’s stiffer at the bottom bracket and head-tube with more vertical give in the seat-tube (which tapers down towards the bottom bracket to act like a leaf spring in conjunction with the SAT insert). The frameset is UCI-approved and Lapierre says it’s designed for sportives, ultra-endurance competitions, light bikepacking trips and even cyclo-cross!
Neat and nimble
The frame and fork are neatly integrated, with the fork noticeably slimmer than most. Lapierre has kept the front-end tidy by routing the brake hoses under the stem and through the frame and fork. The one omission, however, is that despite the generous 35mm tyre clearances, there aren’t any fittings for mudguards.
My Large test bike combines a 618mm stack with a 395mm reach, which gives a ride position just a bit more upright than a pure race bike. The 72° head angle and 50mm fork offset combined with the 28mm tyres fitted makes for a 59mm trail, which keeps the steering responses sharp without losing out on stability. Short 415mm chainstays and a wheelbase that edges just over a metre adds to the nimble overall feel of the SAT with a great balance of speed and comfort.
This SAT 6.0 AXS model sits at the top of the SAT range with a 105 Di2 model at £3,899, a GRX-equipped all-road version at £3,399 and a mechanical Ultegra model also at £3,399. The Rival AXS drivetrain impresses as usual, and its 46/33 chainset with a 10-36t cassette offers an ideal spread of gears: 46/10 is ample for the fastest descents and a 33/36 lightest gear will keep you spinning the pedals up severe ramps. I have no qualms in recommending Rival AXS, even over SRAM’s more expensive options as, except for a few extra grams, you’re still getting similar performa
