Lapierre Xelius in the TOUR test
Although Lapierre entered carbon frame construction relatively late compared to its French competitors, the brand has recently become a regular at "Le Tour". This year, for the 22nd time in a row, racing bikes from Lapierre rolled through France - and with the Xelius SL, an all-rounder that stands out with its bold frame design. We put the top model to the test, which is almost identical to the professional bike from Groupama-FDJ apart from the paintwork.
The Xelius SL's trademark can be recognised with the naked eye on the rear frame triangle: In contrast to other manufacturers, Lapierre does not connect the seat stays to the seat tube, but attaches them to the top tube. This allows the "free" seat tube to swing over its entire length; only a few professional bikes currently offer more suspension comfort. With tyre clearance of up to 30 millimetres, the Lapierre can also cope with rough terrain, as FDJ pro Stefan Küng recently proved at Paris-Roubaix when he finished third (2022) and fifth (2023) with this set-up.
Lapierre Xelius SL 10.0 - 114 grams over UCI limit
The Xelius SL is even better off in the mountains than on rock-hard cobblestones. The high-end version with full Dura-Ace equipment comes within 114 grams of the UCI weight limit and easily gathers metres in altitude. However, the agile carbon racer reaches its limits on fast sections: More than two racing classes separate the Xelius SL with 229 watts at a speed of 45 km/h from comparable all-rounders.
The gap to the absolute fastest material is even wider. Big jumps are not possible even with faster wheels than the comparatively flat Shimanos. On flat stages, the Aircode, the specialist in Lapierre's portfolio, is somewhat better equipped.
In the current model year, the French company, which celebrated its 75th anniversary last year, has listed six versions ranging from 3300 to 10000 euros. Interesting for fans of mechanical gears: The two basic versions are each equipped with eleven-speed groupsets from Shimano. However, due to their simple aluminium components, these models do not come close to the dream weight of the top model tested, nor do they offer the same suspension comfort.
Individual review and details of the Lapierre Xelius SL 10.0
- Price: 9999 Euro
- Weight frame/fork/steering bearing* 943/382/91 grammes
- Frame sizes** XS, S, M, L, XL
- Seat/top tube/head tube 520/570/161 millimetres
- Stack/Reach/STR*** 569/398 millimetres/1.43
- Wheelbase/caster 1005/49 millimetres
Equipment
- Drive/Circuit Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 (2x12; 52/36, 11-30 t.)
- Brakes Shimano Dura-Ace (160/140 millimetres)
- Wheels/tyres (weights)**** Shimano Dura-Ace C36/Continental Grand Prix 5000S TR 25 millimetres (front/rear: 1129/1469 grams)
Measured values & individual grades*****
- Weight of complete wheel 6.9 kilos Grade 2,0
- Steering head stiffness 96 Nm/° Grade 1,3
- Lateral stiffness fork 56 N/millimetre Grade 1,0
- Bottom bracket stiffness 70 N/millimetre Grade 1,0
- Seatpost spring stiffness 127 N/millimetre Grade 1,3
- Aerodynamics****** 229 watts Grade 4,0
>> The Lapierre Xelius SL 10.0 gets an overall TOUR score of 1.9
*Weighed weights.
**Manufacturer information Test size bold.
***Stack/Reach Projected vertical/horizontal dimension from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube;
STR (Stack to Reach) 1.36 means a very stretched sitting position, 1.60 means an upright sitting position.
****Impeller weights including tyres, cassette, quick release/threaded axles and brake discs if necessary.
*****Single noteswhich are weighted differently in the overall grade, are only partially printed for reasons of space. The grades are calculated with all decimal places up to the final grade; however, for the sake of clarity, all grades are shown with rounded decimal places.
******Aerodynamics Theoretical pedalling power required to overcome air resistance at 45 km/h, measured in a wind tunnel with a pedalling leg dummy.
Julian Schultz
Editor
