Yes, you read that right, this new carbon Lapierre Spicy CF enduro bike is both a high-pivot and a low-pivot mountain bike in one. It is a race-ready enduro bike. We already Isabeau Courdurier win the Bielsko-Biała Enduro World Cup on the bike earlier this summer. But by being able to shift the swingarm mount and swap one link, you can transform it into a bikepark shredder, too – whether you prefer a full 29er or mullet wheel setup.
2024 Lapierre Spicy CF carbon transformer enduro bike
Seriously, one bike that is both a high-pivot and a low-pivot is a pretty wild concept, not to mention a flip-chip to swap wheelsizes too!
We first spotted Courdurier on the new 2024 Lapierre Spicy CF carbon enduro bike back at the new Bielsko-Biała UCI World Cup venue in May.
She won on the new bike, set up in the more conventional-looking low-pivot position and with a mullet 29″ front/27.5″ rear wheel combo.
So frankly, I simply overlooked that extra unused high-pivot mounting hole when we were snapping sneak peek photos of the new bike in and out of the rain.
But there’s some pretty cool innovation tucked inside this transforming carbon enduro bike!
What’s new?
Well, pretty much everything is new. The previous enduro Spicy had been a shared Horst-link platform with the all-mountain Zesty. But the Zesty got its own upgrade at the start of the summer, and now it’s time for a bigger update to the Spicy! The general 4-bar concept is pretty much the only thing that remains.
The all-new Lapierre Spicy CF has been reshaped from the ground up to be more versatile for the type of riding & racing modern enduro bikes actually see. Now with longer 180mm forks, and either 170mm travel out back with a 29″ rear wheel or 174mm with a 27.5″ rear wheel.
Lapierre wanted to create a bike that was equally at home doing bike park runs as it was during enduro races and pedaling back to the top. And they also wanted to satisfy both riders looking for the stability of a full 29er setup or the agility of a mullet wheel combo. The time came to decide whether to stick with a main low-pivot (LP) or shift to a high-pivot (HP), and Lapierre said, “Why not both?”
High-Pivot vs. Low-Pivot
“What enduro rider hasn’t wanted to own a high-pivot mountain bike, but worried about being able to use it on a daily basis? With its unique HP/LP concept, the new Spicy CF is the solution! …There are so many ways to ride enduro that we wanted no limits on this new Spicy! From rolling terrain to the steepest slopes there’s bound to be a configuration to suit, with 4 possible versions without compromise.”
– Nicolas Vouilloz
Lapierre calls this the bike that will revolutionize the enduro market. By keeping the same rear triangle, but changing the height of the main pivot, the new Spicy CF changes the path of the rear wheel under compression, and the overall kinematics of the suspension. “In the High Pivot position, the rear wheel recoils further than in the Low Pivot position, providing better absorption of large impacts.“
Suspension progression remains pretty constant in every possible mode – and air or coil shocks – for a plush start and more support as you ride through the travel. But the new high-pivot is inherently a bit more linear.
Swapping between the 2 modes… and wheelsizes
Changing between the two positions requires just 4 relatively simple steps:
- Unbolt and rebolt the main pivot location – high or low
- Install the idler pulley & chain guide on the swingarm in HP mode, or just the chain guide on the frame in LP mode
- Swap in the appropriate upper rocker link – HP or LP, which differ in overall length, and length from the seatstay to downtube connections
- Put the 3-position flip-chip in the correct position – LP mullet, LP 29er/HP mullet, or HP 29er
Enduro Geometry for every occasion
Each of the 4 different suspension modes and wheel size settings slightly alters geometry. But Lapierre says it has evolved and tweaked the new Spicy CF geometry to be more capable in every trail situation.
Compared to the old bike, seat angle has been dramatically steepened to 78° for better climbing, and frame Reach has grown to match a more forward position with better weight balance over the front wheel. Head tube angle is also slacker to 63.5° to accommodate a 10mm longer travel fork, and give the bikes a more stable feel on the steepest, roughest tracks. Lastly, BB height is 3mm higher because of the higher front end, but is effectively unchanged at the recommended 30% sag.
One big geometry shift is the addition of a new fifth size (XS-XL). That smaller XS was made possible by the forward shift and generally longer Reach figures – letting Lapierre keep the old small Reach for an extra small bike. That’s a big bonus for self-described “Tiny Enduro MTB rider” Isabeau Courdurier who’s already won on the bike, but also for young enduro racers and bikepark groms.
Tech details
Besides the new transformer suspension tech, the new Lapierre Spicy CF also gets some functional carbon tech upgrades. Aiming for improved stiffness where it counts – mostly in the rear triangle – the bike moves fully to Lapierre’s lightweight hi-mod UD SLI carbon construction with a claimed frame weight of 3.2kg (M in HP configuration).
Keeping their light feel and low center of gravity concept, the new Spicy CF gets in-frame storage inside the downtube, with a toolkit bag and place to stuff spares and/or a jacket.
The frame features internal cable routing through the Zero Stack Acros Lock Block headset for mechanical or electronic drivetrains, a PressFit bottom bracket, Boost rear end, metric trunnion shock, UDH compatibility with SRAM T-type derailleurs, ISCG tabs, a mini rear shock fender, headtube bumpers (for double crown forks) that double as external routing ports, and integrated upper & lower downtube & chainstay protectors.
Lapierre Spicy CF – Pricing, options & availability
The all-new 2024 Lapierre Spicy CF enduro bike comes in 4 complete mullet bike builds and 1 frame kit. All come pre-configured in the High-Pivot (HP) setting and include the Low-Pivot (LP) rocker. Plus, all 5 sizes (XS-XL) can be run with 29er or mullet wheel setups by flipping the included flip-chips.
The Adventure blue Lapierre Spicy CF 6.9 is the entry price point at 5500€ and 16.5kg complete, with a RockShox Zeb Select fork, Vivid Air shock, and a Shimano Deore mechanical build kit.
The 6500€ & 16.1kg Sequoia green Spicy CF 7.9 upgrades to Fox 38 Performance Elite & Float X2 Performance suspension and also a mixed Deore/SLX/XT build kit.
For 7000€ at 16kg, the Olive green Spicy CF 8.9 goes for Fox Factory suspension and a mostly XT build, also upgrading from house-branded wheels to DT Swiss EX1700 alloy enduro wheels with a 36T SL star ratchet.
Lastly, at 10,000€ in Cosmic orange, the Lapierre Spicy CF Team bumps up to a RockShox Zeb & Vivid Air Ultimate setup with a SRAM X01 Eagle build kit, but still mechanical so it’ll be cheaper to replace when you eventually crash into the rocks. Plus, you get new carbon DT EXC1501 wheels with a Ratchet EXP freehub, all adding up to 15.8kg complete.
If you want to build up your own super enduro bike, then opt for the 3700€ Spicy CF Team frame kit in Racing blue which comes with the RockShox Vivid Air 2 Ultimate shock, your headset, thru-axle with a bottle opener on the lever, and the kit for switching to the Low-Pivot configuration, too.
2024 Lapierre Spicy CF Availability
The new bike is officially this year’s model, but you may still have a hard time getting ahold of one before early Autumn as stock is limited. Some sizes and models are ready to go right now, though. Also, Lapierre is running Test Tour dates around France this September, which may be one of the best ways to see and try out the new bike in both of its HP/LP suspension setups. Check with your local dealer for dates and places.
