Lapierre has shown just how committed it is to the burgeoning yet controversial electric-assist mountain bike category by investing heavily in its latest e-MTB, the Overvolt AM carbon. We took the cheapest of the three bike line-up for a spin on its native trails in Dijon, France to see just how Lapierre's new take on e-MTB design shapes up in the real world. Here’s our initial impressions…
Lapierre Overvolt AM700 Carbon: highlights
- All new carbon frame shifts the battery position as low as possible
- Convertible between regular 27.5in and 27.5+ wheels
- 150mm travel up front and 140mm of travel at the rear
- Uses Lapierre’s proven OST+ suspension platform
- Features Lapierre’s new internally routed dropper post
- Aggressive geometry
The frame: how low can your battery go?
According to Lapierre, creating an e-MTB out of carbon was never about weight saving. No, this was all about how its engineers could package the hefty battery and motor in a bid to create an e-MTB that handled more like a regular mountain bike, lowering the bike's centre of gravity and injecting some of the nimbleness that e-MTBs are often a little short of.
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In the end, Lapierre managed to lower the 500Wh battery a whopping 72mm in the main frame, rotating it and plonking it just above the Bosch CX Performance pedal-assist motor.
The slack 66-degree head angle certainly gives you an idea of what Lapierre had in mind for the Overvolt AM700 Carbon when pointed downhill. Meanwhile the effective top tube on our medium test bike was a reasonable 600mm, though the 415mm reach certainly isn’t the longest out there. Lapierre has also opted to use a 5mm bottom bracket drop coupled with slightly shorter 170mm FSA cranks in a bid to get the right balance between ground clearance and cornering prowess.
If you’re still unsure whether you’d prefer to run standard wheels or try out the new plus-size option, you’ll be pleased to hear the Overvolt AM will happily accept either, courtesy of the DWS (Dual Wheel System) dropouts and Boost axle spacing at the front and rear. Flip the dropouts and simply slot in your preferred wheel/tyre combo. It’s worth noting that Lapierre will be selling separate wheel packages should you want to try this for around €300. Switching between 650b and plus will grow your chainstay length by 10mm though, stretching it from 475mm to 485mm.
Thoughtful spec choices and excellent own-brand dropper
A new kind of e-MTB handling
- Frame: Overvolt UD Carbon with 140mm travel, Bosch CX Performance 500Wh motor and Intuvia display
- Fork: RockShox Yari RC Boost with 150mm
- Shock: RockShox Deluxe RT
- Drivetrain: FSA CK745 cranks, SRAM NX rear mech and 11spd shifter
- Wheelset: eAM Mavic rims on Formula hubs
- Tyres: Michelin Wild Grip’R GumX Advanced Reinforced 2.35in tyres
- Brakes: SRAM Guide RE
- Bar: Lapierre Nico Vouilloz Signature 760mm
- Stem: CNC stem
- Seatpost: Lapierre dropper post
- Saddle: Lapierre
- Weight: TBC
- Price: TBC
You can read more at BikeRadar.com
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