NATURAL SELECTION

The story here is one of choice. Presented with a two bikes that are almost identical in terms of frame and fixings what would be the verdict?

The story has to begin I guess with the intimate relationship I made with the old school Zesty. Difficult suspension, cross country angles and noisy back end, it didn’t take long to remedy and evolve the bike into one of the best trail bikes ever made. Off–set shock bushings, a custom tune with more compression and 1×10 gearing with some soundproofing was pretty much all it took. Actually a new bar and stem, longer fork, stronger wheels…err maybe it was a bit more I guess, but it was overhauled into a stunningly fast trail flying machine.

In short, the new Zesty we have here has better suspension but poorer handling, this is a huge shame given how close the Spicy is in every department. It would have been crazy to make the two bikes with the same angles. Wouldn’t it? I believe it’s the Spicy that has come out the right end of Lapierre’s decision to make two bikes out of largely the same mould. The Zesty will always have had to be steeper than the Spicy, but it just doesn’t seem to be happy sharing the same chassis. The 140 places the rider slightly too high and too far forward even with a short stem. Riding the Zesty you feel out of kilter, a fact fully brought home when you climb on board the Spicy which feels beautifully at ease and balanced, quick of pace precise in the curve. It could just be that off–set bushings will place the rider further back and lower, which will remedy the need to lean backwards and counterbalance the bike mid corner. It bemuses me, with the angles so frighteningly close, why there is such a marked difference. It doesn’t make sense.

Slackening and lengthening the Zesty will make it so much closer to the Spicy and will strip it of its climbing prowess over the longer travel bike. At which point you would probably go Spicy anyway. And, more importantly, in making the change of angles you’ve instantly held your cards up as to where your priorities lie.

This new Spicy is barely inferior to this Zesty even in the manoeuvrability and climbing stakes. It simply feels like I’m riding faster nearly everywhere on the Spicy. If you’re honest with yourself that your locality ain’t exactly craggy and are searching for sensation, then maybe it’s not the Zesty you should be looking at but rather Lapierre’s X–Flow or X–Control?

It’s not always this simple. I’d choose the shorter travel Giant Reign over a longer travel Reign X simply because it feels more fun, yet would opt for an Alpine over a Five, Enduro over a Stumpy. If I’m honest I’d choose a 29×140 over a 26×140 any day, it feels faster, is faster and is more fun! In fact I’d even choose a 29×120 over a 26×140. All this leads to the fact that it’s not about the travel it is about the feeling and the Spicy simply feels better to ride.