Lapierre still Snapierre? 2013 Zesty a good idea?

notax

I'm considering swapping my heavily upgraded Orange 5 for a 2013 Lapierre Zesty 914 (with a carbon frame). I know about Lapierre's historic frame reputation, but doing some research it seems there are still loads of issues. I'm a reasonably light rider but would need the bike to stand up to Alpine trips, trail centres and occasional jumps.

I've always been a fan of Santa Cruz and still have a Bullit and an aluminium Blur in my collection, so could buy something else from Santa Cruz instead of the Lapierre. Keen to go carbon frame for a change - and seeing Santa Cruz's Youtube film helped convince me...

What would you recommend?

supersonic

Have to ask - anything wrong with what you have? If you have upgraded it then the customization would surely make it to your taste?

Frame wise the Lappierre would be lighter - and the sus is rather different. One to test?

notax

supersonic wrote:

Have to ask - anything wrong with what you have? If you have upgraded it then the customization would surely make it to your taste?

Frame wise the Lappierre would be lighter - and the sus is rather different. One to test?

I've never felt completely at home on the O5 - although I loved it when I test rode one before purchase. Ironically I have loved all my previous bikes and have never had a chance to test any of them prior to buying! I think the issue is that my O5 frame is slightly too big for me - it is an 18 inch whereas my Santa Cruz have all been medium which seems smaller and a better fit for me. I could swap all the upgrades on the O5 to the new bike - although a 914 has some pretty tasty kit anyway. Would probably make sense to strip the O5 in any case and sell the pimpy bits separately (Crossmax ST, The One brakes etc...) as I still have all the parts the bike came with.

Does anyone have any idea how big a problem Lapierre carbon frames still are? Various complaints on line but hard to judge what proportion have issues...

lawman

Well put it this way, we've got two different guys with carbon lapierre frames and both have either snapped, cracked or popped...

Shocking humor aside both frames were written off and replaced under warranty, one was a zesty the other a DH720 so the issue seems to be across the board with whoever makes their carbon parts. Likelihood is at some point in its life it will go, certainly put me of them, although the zestys I've ridden I've never got on with. Basically I'd avoid and get something different

RockmonkeySC

I know of cracked / snapped zesty, spicy and three DH720's. All aluminium though. Personally I haven't heard of a carbon one breaking. I would still rather buy a Santa Cruz though.

sofaboy73

If you were sold on carbon by the Santa Cruz video, I'd go for a Santa Cruz then. Not all carbon lay ups are the same

lugsey2k5

Im currently in the middle of a warranty claim with a possible crack in my zesty : viewtopic.php?f=10002&t=12917636

Would i still buy another? ...... Yes. Mine has been used for Dh etc which although should be within its limts as im not doing anything huge, Its not really designed for it.

I was told the original cracking issue was to do with a worn tool they used to ream out the BB shell? causing it to create stress when a press fit bb was fitted?

widge34

Well I have just sent a 2011 zesty 514 frame back as it had cracked on front shock mount.Two cracks one on each weld.

sofaboy73

I had a similar dilimea myself last year when my insiurance co offered me a spicy 916 as a replacement for a bike that got stolen. did a lot of digging on on lappys current run of form on frame snappyness and there seem to be an awful lot more posts around the web about snapped / cracked carbon lapierres than santa cruz's (may well be a volume of sales thing though and obviously a purely subjective & non quantifiable).

don't know about lappys warranty but i know SC have recently up theres to 5 years on all frames as well as the lifetime bearing warranty.

all things considered, i took the cash and bought a carbon nomad. have given it some hefty wacks with very minimal damage

nferrar

It's not clear if you're talking about a new Zesty or second-hand one, new then I'd say go for it, second-hand then don't touch with a bargepole (and that's coming from someone who's 2009 Zesty is still going fine). That said if you have the budget and don't mind paying over the odds for the brand name then an SC Tallboy Carbon or similar would be a nice alternative (I'd prob go for a carbon Transition or wait on the new Turner though myself).

EH_Rob

sweeping statement, but id take a santa cruz over a lapierre under any circumstance i think. and happily pay the difference in price.

sure, you pay more, but you've already got 2, so you know why.

lostboysaint

Transition Covert Carbon

http://gp1.pinkbike.org/p4pb8341126/p4pb8341126.jpg

felix.london

yummy.

EH_Rob

that does look nice.

although id go nomad carbon personally.

lostboysaint

EH_Rob wrote:

that does look nice.

although id go nomad carbon personally.

Of course you would, you're a SC fanboi!

sofaboy73

http://www.santacruzbikes.co.uk/BronsonCarbon/

fit nicely into the current stable?

EH_Rob

lostboysaint wrote:

EH_Rob wrote:

that does look nice.

although id go nomad carbon personally.

Of course you would, you're a SC fanboi!

i thought i was getting away with that.

jairaj

+ 1 to either the Transition Covert or the Santa Cruz Bronson / Nomad

I bet you could run the Bronson fine with 26" wheels and large volume tyres and wouldn't notice much difference.