[IH8Rice]

looks really interesting.
and it seems theres a Kashima RC4 on his bike
i liked the DH920 and would like to get one as my next bike, but this might be a good choice

http://www.vitalmtb.com/videos/features/Lapierre-Prototype-DH-Bike-with-Nicolas-Vouilloz,2795/sspomer,2

 

[norbar]

Wow. High pivot idrive mix. I like it and wish I had though about it myself

 

[BKQuill]

Why the foam around the shock mount?

 

[norbar]

Prolly not to collect mud as the weather is sub par at the moment. Though im speculating. Im pretty sure Sam Hill had a sterrer stuffed with foam in his sunday (dont know about now) for the same reason.

 

[Transcend]

Why the foam around the shock mount?

Keeps the mud out of the shock area! The 920 has a carbon piece and it still usually gets jammed full of space saver foam as well. That carbon piece turns into a bucket at muddy races.

 

[mattmatt86]

Carbon XC crankset Nico always has the lightest cranksets on his bikes, I remember he had a Dura Ace crankset on one bike.

 

[dropmachine]

I dunno. The bike strikes me as a marketing move, since they can't sell the current one in North America.

still, looks cool for sure.

 

[norbar]

I dunno. The bike strikes me as a marketing move, since they can't sell the current one in North America.

still, looks cool for sure.

It may be partialy due to that (though its not really a marketing move if the only goal is to bypass a patent it is not really marketing ) but the new system seems like a nice idea. Why slam it as a trick/sham.

 

[Pslide]

Question is can they sell this in America? Seeing as it's possibly got i-drive tech in it...

 

[captainspauldin]

integrated seat post clamp is a nice touch. Not as pretty as the old bike, but def. looks like a nice bike. Interested to see if this means Lapierre is looking to move into the US market(kinda doubt it, but interested none the less)

 

[leprechaun]

Kind of suprising that they'd be going for no pedal feedback/I drive type floating BB with that pivot location. The pivot is foreward, and inline with the ring, which i really like, but it seems there would be little need for the floating BB.

Wouldn't they be fighting a battle with GT over it?

It may blast through flat rock gerdens like nobody's buisness though. Curious of the rate of that linkage. The bike may be a little overcomplicated but i be it rips!!!

Could that be an Easton carbon post too?

Bolt on dropouts make so much sense these days! It's a great way to change geo without changing the linkage/shock orientation. Cool to see that, and the headtube despite the carbon and ti all over the bike.

 

[time-bomb]

Wow, looks very nice. Very good attention to detail, must be a later prototype version as it looks pretty finished to me. I too am curious to see if it overlaps w/the i-drive system in anyway. Regardless, very nice bike porn

 

[Nagaredama]

Here are some screen shots I took to help the discussion.

Thanks to Sven Martin (http://www.svenmartinphotography.com) and VitalMTB (www.vitalmtb.com) for the awesome feature on a very sick bike

 

[IH8Rice]

I dunno. The bike strikes me as a marketing move, since they can't sell the current one in North America.

still, looks cool for sure.

if we can get it in the States, then im all for it

 

[rosenamedpoop]

Oh man that thing looks delicate... Looks like a bike Nico could ride all season problem free, but Blinky would tear apart in a few rocky runs. That kid rides like an out of control steam roller.

 

[matsO]

Even if the BB moves it is not done in the same way as the GT-system. Therefore it shouldn't be a problem. The swing arm seems to be connected to the moving BB by another link, the BB-link?

I would buy it if they make it in a reasonably long size.

OT: Screen-capture program, what is that? Don't you use a mac?

 

[time-bomb]

Even if the BB moves it is not done in the same way as the GT-system. Therefore it shouldn't be a problem. The swing arm seems to be connected to the moving BB by another link, the BB-link?

I am not so sure about this. The system that GT uses is set up differently than the one Mongoose uses but both are covered under the same patent. Either way, it is too early to tell and there aren't any good photos of how the BB works on the Lapierre so us arm chair engineers can't even speculate very well

 

[matsO]

OK, then I go place myself in the armchair and check back here where the pics and video from Leogang starts to show up.

So long

This was an informative video, but maybe it does not shed any light on the current patent situation.
http://www.gtbicycles.com/usa/eng/Independent-Drivetrain

 

[monkeyfcuker]

Damn, if there was a reward for a bike I just want to sit and stare at Lapierre would win every time!

 

[General Lee]

Oh man that thing looks delicate... Looks like a bike Nico could ride all season problem free, but Blinky would tear apart in a few rocky runs. That kid rides like an out of control steam roller.

I just thought it looked shiny, but then again I'm not very good at assessing how strong something is from a photo

 

[YoPawn]

That shock linkage looks like it could infringe on the Knolly 4x4 patent.

So let me get this straight. The linkage allows for the BB and rear wheel to move backwards a good bit, while the BB system keeps it from moving as far back as the rear wheel does. So in essence, they are trying to give the front triangle a LOT of rearward give from the wheel, while reducing the amount of pedal kickback by making the BB move with it for good hit absorption, but not as much as it would if it was a simple high single pivot.

Conceptually speaking, that sounds pretty cool. Not all of the energy transfer happens at the BB and feet when taking a hit. There's still a lot going on with the seat and handlebars.



BTW, Vital MTB should message to people that they must join to watch videos. I am sure a lot of people would join instead of just thinking the website is broken. I deal with user interface theory a lot working in the video game industry. This is a pretty serious offender, since many new people will visit the site from links to content.

 

[rosenamedpoop]

I just thought it looked shiny, but then again I'm not very good at assessing how strong something is from a photo

Haha, it is definitely shiny... and it looks really intricate and delicate. No strength assessment here, just my initial reaction.

Actually, you bring up a good point. Why do I usually look at polished frames and think "paper thin aluminum'?

 

[leprechaun]

"So let me get this straight. The linkage allows for the BB and rear wheel to move backwards a good bit, while the BB system keeps it from moving as far back as the rear wheel does. So in essence, they are trying to give the front triangle a LOT of rearward give from the wheel, while reducing the amount of pedal kickback by making the BB move with it for good hit absorption, but not as much as it would if it was a simple high single pivot."


This is exactly what I drive does, or at least GT says it does. It works, some people like the pedaling benefits, some feel as if the suspension performance is compromised when standing, and aren't for the added complexity.

 

[spocomptonrider]

time for all the e-gineers to chime in with "the anti-squat curve never tapers off according to my linkage program"...

 

[Raingauge]

I dunno. The bike strikes me as a marketing move, since they can't sell the current one in North America.

still, looks cool for sure.

They sell them in Canada. We have a DH720 in the shop now.

 

[rosenamedpoop]

Is Canada in Puerto Rico?

 

[yuroshek]

Haha, it is definitely shiny... and it looks really intricate and delicate. No strength assessment here, just my initial reaction.

Actually, you bring up a good point. Why do I usually look at polished frames and think "paper thin aluminum'?

Sooo if this thing was matte black it could survive Blinky's riding style? Well I hope Lapierre is taking notes so his bike doesnt break this weekend... Be on the look out for Blinky runnin a matte black frame.

but anyway some positivity... Frame looks amazing and they seem like they got their head on straight. Beautiful lookin cycle.

 

[rbx]

Looking at the pics it looks like a floating BB system mated to a 4-bar mini-link, maybe trying to get the avantages of the i-drive but with a virtual point(near the BB) the system tries to minimize the leverage the rider has when standing-up...hmmmmmm

 

[no skid marks]

Wow a URT(?).
I've been wondering of late, but too busy to really think about it much, that by having the BB move, the riders weight can stay more combined over both wheels during suspension travel, while still having a rearward axle path to absorb impacts.
I'd like to have seen it with a higher pivot, but again havn't given it much thought, I hope Socket comes on here and thinks for me
Mega rising rate shock actuation, counteracted by the 4 bar link, I don't see the point, surely it'd thrash the shock more.
Pivots a gnats dick highr than chain line, so there's some anti squat right there.
I wonder if Nocko had much to do with the design, remembering his last Sunn(was it a Sunn?) had a similer pivot location.

 

[BKQuill]

Is Canada in Puerto Rico?

Puerto Rico is still in North America.

I'm with ya though!

 

[Dox]

I'm surprised no one talks about the carbon rear triangle...

 

[Owennn]

Wow a URT(?).
I wonder if Nocko had much to do with the design, remembering his last Sunn(was it a Sunn?) had a similer pivot location.

His last VProcess:

And yes, still a URT. This & the GT would be a lovely bike without it, hideous with it.

 

[Gelbwurstbrot]

Could that be an Easton carbon post too?

looks also like new Easton Havoc DH wheels at 02:43 min

 

[Sandwich]

They sell them in Canada. We have a DH720 in the shop now.

do you want to be bff? smuggle it across the border?

 

[time-bomb]

Wow a URT(?).
I've been wondering of late, but too busy to really think about it much, that by having the BB move, the riders weight can stay more combined over both wheels during suspension travel, while still having a rearward axle path to absorb impacts.
I'd like to have seen it with a higher pivot, but again havn't given it much thought, I hope Socket comes on here and thinks for me
Mega rising rate shock actuation, counteracted by the 4 bar link, I don't see the point, surely it'd thrash the shock more.
Pivots a gnats dick highr than chain line, so there's some anti squat right there.
I wonder if Nocko had much to do with the design, remembering his last Sunn(was it a Sunn?) had a similer pivot location.

His last VProcess:

And yes, still a URT. This & the GT would be a lovely bike without it, hideous with it.

Where are you guys seeing a URT? I don't think GT or Mongoose are categorized as a URT. In a URT the BB and rear triangle are all one unit on a SP bike. While the BB moves in a GT and Mongoose, they are separate units. The new Lapierre appears to be separate as well.

 

[Sandwich]

It's not a pure URT in the sense of a castellano sweet spot or trek monkeymotionmonster, but it is still a half-urt, like a maverick or idrive or mongoose thing. The weight on the pedals will have some effect on the suspension just like the others.

Initially I thought this was a great idea for a race DH bike, as these bikes do indeed pedal very well....but I was thinking, if you have to tune the bike for suspending the rider in the rough, wouldn't the tuning of the suspension take into account the rider's weight, and therefore you'd be running a softer suspension than a similar non-urt bike?

Does that make any sense? Basically I'm thinking that you would have to compensate for extra rider weight with lighter suspension, and all benefit would be lost. Nobody sits in DH, so there are no URT-based benefits to be had.

Maybe I'm overlooking some aspect of the design. Regardless, it works differently than the Idrive even if it achieves the same thing.

 

[time-bomb]

It's not a pure URT in the sense of a castellano sweet spot or trek monkeymotionmonster, but it is still a half-urt, like a maverick or idrive or mongoose thing. The weight on the pedals will have some effect on the suspension just like the others.

Initially I thought this was a great idea for a race DH bike, as these bikes do indeed pedal very well....but I was thinking, if you have to tune the bike for suspending the rider in the rough, wouldn't the tuning of the suspension take into account the rider's weight, and therefore you'd be running a softer suspension than a similar non-urt bike?

Does that make any sense? Basically I'm thinking that you would have to compensate for extra rider weight with lighter suspension, and all benefit would be lost. Nobody sits in DH, so there are no URT-based benefits to be had.

Maybe I'm overlooking some aspect of the design. Regardless, it works differently than the Idrive even if it achieves the same thing.

Makes sense to me. I have always wondered how well the bike would take a square edge hit if the rear has to absorb the energy from the hit and weight of the rider too.

 

[Raingauge]

Is Canada in Puerto Rico?

No we're the friendly people above you that wooped your ass in the War of 1812.


Cool looking bike. Hopefully there is more info released at the Leogang WC with some vid on showing the suspension in action.

 

[Sandwich]

no seriously what's the dh720 going for at your shop?

 

[Raingauge]

no seriously what's the dh720 going for at your shop?

Frame or complete?