With elite French enduro pilots like Adrien Dailly, Isabeau Courdurier, Chloe Gallean, and Nico Vouilloz pushing the Lapierre Spicy to the edge, the bike has been leaned against more than one EWS podium. This CR 7.9 Spicy that we have in for review is the 29″ carbon fiber version that a lot of aspiring enduro racers might have their eye on, with its durable build spec, top-shelf suspension that offers 170mm of travel front and rear, and a reasonable price (€5,299) given the component spec.
Gear stash bash-box 
The full-carbon Spicy frame has cleanly routed internal cables that have been nice and quiet thus far, and the ports keep those cables out of the stick and stone firing line. In place of a traditional down tube protector, the Spicy has a stash box where riders can pack a tube and CO2 so there’s no need to lash things to the pretty silver paint. A geometry flip chip at the main pivot allows riders to switch between 29″ and 27.5″ rear wheels as they prefer.
Geometry measurements on this size medium are on the playful side, with a 440mm reach, 433mm chain stays, and a slightly steeper 65° head tube angle. The seat tube angle is a touch slacker at 74.5° though that’s easily adjusted by slamming the saddle forward. I would like to test the size large bike, with its 465mm reach, but the jump from a 430mm seat tube length to a full 460mm would compromise the dropper post fit. A longer stem will likely sort out the sizing, and I will test several different options over the next few months of riding.
In addition to its wildly adjustable Öhlins RXF36 R TTX18 3 Air fork and TTX22M coil shock this build comes with a proper set of grippy tires. The 2.5″ Maxxis Assegai up front and 2.4″ Minion DHR II rear should sit well with the bike’s intentions. That rubber wraps a set of DT Swiss E1700 Spline wheels that we have enjoyed on countless test bikes in the past.
Slowing the Spicy is controlled by a set of trusty Shimano XT four-piston brakes, and the drivetrain is mixed with an XT derailleur and crank, SLX shifter and chain, and a 10-51t cassette. These components were clearly selected with longevity in mind.
There won’t be a need to trim the handlebar, as the Lapierre brand tube comes in a 760 x 31.8mm size on the small and medium frames with a 45mm house brand stem. The Lapierre-brand saddle looks like a love-it-or-leave-it shape, so we’ll see how that goes, and the JD Dropper offers adjustable travel but I’ll be keeping that at the full 150mm.
This Spicy build weighs 15.25kg (33.62Lbs) with a set of Saint clipless pedals mounted up. Stay tuned for the full review of this good looking gravity sled later this spring.
