Lapierre Zesty TR 529

Lapierre was one of the first companies to really get it right for aggressive trail riders; in particular the Zesty range of bikes has won accolades and garnered praise for many years now, with its ability to both climb and descend with equal measures of ease and self-assurance. In 2013 we saw the advent of the optional ‘E:i’ intelligent electronic shock—as reviewed in Mountain Biking Australia Aug/Sept/Oct 2013. For 2014 the range was further split into two distinct line-ups; the 27.5-inch wheeled Zesty AM with 150mm travel and the 120mm Zesty TR 29er.

Based on our prior experience, we know the E:i system works well but going forward it’ll only be available on the top end 829 model. So for this review we decided to aim at the more affordable middle ground with the purely mechanical Zesty TR 529.

By the time you read this the 2015 models will be hitting the shop floor. The frame, suspension and most components are identical to model pictured here, but there are a couple of well-chosen spec changes. For $5,199 the carbon front and alloy rear triangles come slung with Fox Evolution suspension at both ends, brakes and drivetrain will both be from Shimano’s superb XT group, with the cranks and wheels from Raceface.

The Lapierre branded bar is a comfortable shape, although only just wide enough at 720mm, while the stem gets swapped for a shorter 70mm—perhaps a better match for the attitude of the Zesty. Without doubt the biggest plus for 2015 will be the inclusion of a KS LEV Integra seatpost—a class leading dropper post in our opinion.

We would have preferred a clutch style rear derailleur, but that’s about the only fault we can pick in the parts selection given the asking price. The frame and shock weight of 2,990g for a large size is fairly typical for a sturdily built 29er trail bike, and at around 13.25kg without pedals it may not be featherweight but it’s certainly no boat anchor either—especially when you factor in the extra weight of the included dropper post.

If your budget doesn’t stretch this far there’s also an alloy framed Zesty TR 329 with a Recon Gold fork and a lower end but totally serviceable Shimano build for $3,499. Alternately, if you’re feeling particularly flush you might want to splurge on the range topping 829; equipped with the exceptionally clever E:i automatic electronic suspension, high end SRAM brakes and a 1X drivetrain—it can be all yours for the princely sum of $7,399.

The French have always had an eye for aesthetics, and with its low slung top tube, curvaceous lines and clean internal cable routing, the Zesty TR is certainly a looker. The press-fit bottom bracket has ISCG tabs for those running a chain guide, and the front derailleur is mounted to the swing-arm; this helps it to track the chain as the suspension cycles, ensuring smooth shifting and silent operation regardless of where you are in the travel. This also means that should you choose to remove the front derailleur and run a single chainring at some point, there won’t be an ugly blank derailleur tab to detract from the Zesty’s smooth lines.

Other neat touches include a bolt on down tube guard to protect the precious black plastic and to cover the cable exit ports, a carbon rear derailleur guard, and there’s just enough space to fit a small water bottle within the frame too. Torque specs are etched into each of the pivots for ease of maintenance, but the collet type hardware should mean a long stint between services. It’s also nice to see that whilst the rear brake hose is routed internally, there are also external tabs to ease installation and bleeding for those who choose to fettle with their brakes more frequently.

With sufficient mud clearance in the rear triangle for genuine 57mm tyres, the beefy stays are pushed wide enough to tuck the rear brake calliper neatly inside the swing arm. Because of this width, those with big feet may find ankle clearance a little tight around the seat stays and there are scuff protectors in place to prevent rub damage to the frame, but for my size 42 shoe it was never an issue. As always with Lapierres the frame stiffness front to back is excellent, and it’s obvious that the Zesty’s designers have sweated the details to ensure they maintain their premium reputation.

Smart Suspension

The OST+ suspension used on most Lapierre bikes is a variation of the venerable Horst Link design with a rear pivot on the chainstay, and it’s been steadily refined for the better part of a decade under some of the world’s best riders. In order to maintain a full length seat tube the Zesty uses a yoke to drive the shock, but unlike some other users of this design the shock is a standard unit without any proprietary parts, and by rotating the rear eye through 90-degrees, lateral load to the shock is completely eliminated to improve the seal and bushing life.

Lapierre’s rendition of the Horst Link is relatively conservative in regards to its suspension geometry. The axle path isn’t radically rearward like Norco’s ‘ART’ system for example, but it’s still more rearward in its trajectory than something an Ellsworth ‘ICT’ design (both different takes on the Horst Link suspension system). What’s it all mean? Well the rearward axle path delivers decent square edge bump absorption and reasonable pedalling efficiency without creating excessive feedback through the drivetrain when pedalling over bumpy ground. So while it mightn’t sprint with XC race-like authority, it remains active to seek out traction no matter what.

With the rear shock in the open setting it’s admirably supple over small to medium trail chatter, and given there’s only 120mm of travel it does a brilliant job of keeping the wheel glued to the ground on fast and rough downhills too. After a bit of experimenting we also chose to run the damper at its softest for low speed technical climbs, and the traction offered by the Zesty TR in these situations is nothing short of exemplary; without question one of the best climbing bikes we’ve come across.

Flip the CTD lever to the ‘trail’ mode and there’s a noticeable improvement in the immediacy of power transfer to the rear wheel; it definitely lends the Zesty a much racier feel and provides extra resistance when pushing into smooth berms or popping off trailside obstacles, but of course comes at the expense of the plushness. Nonetheless, for groomed and well used trails this could be your set-and-forget option, offering up an excellent compromise between support and bump absorption. As usual, placing the shock in the ‘climb’ setting turns an excellent dual suspension bike into a heavy hardtail—unless you’re grinding out long distances on blacktop we can’t imagine why you’d use it. We’ll take the added comfort and vastly improved traction of active rear suspension any day of the week.

Even Smarter Suspension

So if the OST+ suspension on the Zesty TR 529 is so good, why did Lapierre bother with developing its fancy E:i system for the Zesty 829, and why would you consider shelling out the extra clams for it? In short, because it makes a great suspension design even better. For those unfamiliar with this clever piece of electrickery, it uses a set of accelerometers in the fork and stem, as well as a cadence sensor in the cranks, to determine whether you’d be best served by an open, intermediate, or firm damper setting. It then uses a small servo on the rear shock to make these adjustments in as little as one tenth of a second. We’ll admit to being highly sceptical before riding it a year or so back, but came away very impressed with just how smart E:i really is.

When we tested it on the older Zesty we found that even though E:i could be tricked if you tried really hard, in general it worked exactly as claimed. The latest version of E:i has evolved to address some of the minor shortcomings of the original design. Gone is the front wheel magnet, the handlebar remote and the control screen atop the stem; instead the new head unit sits sleekly beside the stem and has just one button to switch between modes, and a single multi-coloured LED to display the current setting. The battery has also been slimmed down so that you can now run a water bottle cage on the E:i bikes, and it even adjusts your sag level according to the current damper setting; very clever indeed.

The true beauty of the E:i system is that you’ll never again forget to open the shock for a descent, nor mush your way up a gruelling climb; it’s plush when you need it, efficient when you want it, and everything in between without ever having to take a hand off the grips or your mind off the trail. It’s proven to be very reliable too, and most riders will only need to charge the battery once every a month or so—imagine if your smart phone went that long between refills!

Zesty Bond

Great construction, great suspension, smart parts selection; the only other major factor that plays into how the Zesty TR performs on trail is it’s geometry, and here too the latest Lapierre is pretty much on point. The bottom bracket sits 35mm below the axle line for outstanding cornering performance and stability at speed, delivering that classic ‘in the bike’ 29er feel.

Big wheels always carry momentum over lumpy trails and the Zesty is no exception, with the supple suspension further enhancing that trait; it’s easy to get caught out coming into corners a little too hot if you’re not careful. The top tube length gives enough space to move about the cockpit on undulating trails or on short steep pitches without cracking your knees on the hangers, and on longer climbs you can stretch out and open your lungs whilst simultaneously keeping the front wheel grounded.

Slow and tight trails do require a little more thought; at 446mm the chainstays are neither long nor short, but if you’re used to riding bikes with smaller wheels or like to flick and drive your bike hard there can definitely be a sense of waiting for the Zesty’s back end to negotiate the turn that your body has already finished, and corners will always require a little more planning than on a bike where the back wheel is tucked in tighter. This characteristic is offset somewhat by the middle of the road 69-degree head angle, with the steering response being sharp enough to offset the slower back end without being overly skittish.

Fast and smooth is where the Zesty shines, but steep and rocky descents are clearly not its home territory; no matter how good it is, 120mm of travel still has its limitations, longer chainstays make it harder to get your weight back for steep drops, and tucking the front wheel in even a little edges you closer to an OTB moment.

Twenty-nine inch wheels have greater leverage to exert twisting forces on a fork, and if a law was passed limiting 32mm stanchions to 100mm travel or less for 29ers, we’d be amongst the first to crack in a beer in celebration. There’s no doubt that a stiffer, longer fork would enhance the descending capabilities of the Zesty TR significantly, both in terms of its ability to track through pinball sections of trail, and how fast and steep you can go without catapulting yourself into the dirt. Whilst we can definitely see some riders going down this route and ending up with a very burly and capable 29er, we’d suggest that if this is how you ride, you’d be better served by looking at the Zesty AM range instead.

Overall, the geometry of the Zesty TR is perfectly suited to all-purpose trail use and the prior points are not intended as a criticism; we mention it because by splitting the Zesty range, Lapierre have created two distinctly different bikes. The old Zesty was a belligerent, adrenalin fuelled delinquent teenager of a bike that was lively, agile and up for anything; that DNA now resides firmly in the Zesty AM. The Zesty TR, on the other hand, has settled down to become a more conservative, respectable citizen; still a very accomplished bike by any account, but no longer pushing the boundaries of acceptable behaviour. For the vast majority of riders and riding conditions it’s going to the perfect riding companion, and indeed a very firm friend.

Modern MTB trail design is tending towards smoother, faster and more flowing lines, and it’s hard not to see a synergy between the evolution of trails themselves and the way the Zesty TR rides—they complement each other perfectly. If you can spring for the 829, the E:i suspension is a game changer. If you’re looking for a mini downhill bike with snappy handling like the original Zesty, best go check out the Zesty AM range. For everyone else, the Zesty TR 529 is one of the best expressions of a modern 29er trail bike out there.

Thumbs up

Excellent core frame stiffness and handling

Supple, active suspension

Well thought out and finished 

Thumbs down

Fork underbuilt compared to the frame

Lacks a clutch-style derailleur

E:i system no longer offered at lower price points 

Specifications (2015 Model)

Frame: Carbon main frame with alloy rear end

Shock: Fox CTD Evolution series 120mm Travel

Fork: Fox 32 Evolution series 120mm Travel

Headset: FSA Orbit semi-integrated

Handlebars: Nico Vouilloz alloy riser 720mm

Stem: Nico Vouilloz Alloy 70mm

Shifters: Shimano SLX

Front Derailleur: SRAM X.7

Rear Derailleur: Shimano XT

Cassette: Shimano HG50, 11/36 10-speed

Chain: Shimano

Cranks: Raceface Turbine 22/36

Bottom Bracket: Raceface

Pedals: N/A

Brakes: Shimano XT

Wheels: Raceface

Tyres: Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.25

Saddle: SDG Duster

Seatpost: KS Lev Integra 125mm dropper

Weight: 13.25kg without pedals (Large frame 2,990g)

Available Sizes: S, M, L (tested) and XL

Price: $5,199

Distributor: Advance Traders 1300 361 686 / www.lapierrebikes.com.au