LAPIERRE ZESTY – Torben tunes up some beauties Given the wide range of standard tune shocks available we were fortunate that Torben could send us a few shocks to get an idea of suitability for a Lapierre Zesty we had on test. The earlier version of this bike was a classic example of a one that needed more support and harder compression tuning for some riders. Dirt: OK so this shock for the Zesty feature in the magazine for example is set for what range of rider weight? What changes might I be looking to do (internal or external) to the shock for a heavier rider?
Torben: The shock pretty much is set up for a rider weight from 70kg to around 100kg (150lb–220lb). Heavier riders should be good, lighter rider might ask for a faster rebound. This would be a change of the rebound shim stack.
Can you decide what shock suits a bike simply by sitting in an office?By looking at graphs and numbers on the computer I’m able to find an ideal point to start at, but real world testing is always necessary. Numbers and charts don’t tell you about rider–weight distribution on the bike, tyres, forks and other variables that influence rear suspension characteristics.
Balancing the system then. I’m going to run a RockShox Revelation World Cup up front. How comparable will it be in spring/damping terms to the Monarch Plus?Perfect match. The Monarch Plus is a very good match for a Revelation bike.
The old Zesty design was a tricky one to manage the travel, you made me a custom tune with very heavy compression yet it seemed to control the travel far better. The new design is more progressive with an easily understandable stroke correct?The engineers at Lapierre put a lot of thinking into the new Zesty platform. The position on the bike and also the geometry changed quite a bit. The leverage ratios did also. Since you have a very hard–on–the–suspension style of riding we have to think differently about your set–up. The average rider would probably prefer a softer and more linear set–up like the stock one we’ve developed for this bike.
OK basics. The bike comes standard with a FOX Float RP2 HV Boost Valve 200×57 for OST+. You’ve given me two shocks here. One will be a base setting shock right? Which one and why?Based on the information I have from previous test sessions with Lapierre I’ve built an ‘L’ compression tune and a slightly reduced high volume air can. The second shock comes with a medium set–up. This gives you a good comparison and also might suit your riding style.
Light rebound and medium compression Fox on the standard bike though?
That’s right. Fox is working different with their tunes, so they have different descriptions.
Are they standard units?Yes, both are standard tunes. If both tunes wouldn’t work at all, we are going down the custom path.
How do you work out the tunes?The individual standard tunes for the Monarch Plus have been worked out in our test lab in Colorado Springs based on the damping curves and data of the Vivid shocks.
Do you have base settings, that’s enough surely?The three base setting we have cover a pretty wide range. Sometimes the frame engineer or product manager is looking for something very specific for their bike design, that’s when we start working on a custom tune.
Do you believe there is enough variation on the dials on standard shocks (assuming average rider weight) to accommodate ‘rider style’ as some tuners say?Most of the time the frame and its shock comes as one system. If the frame engineer or product manager takes full advantage of the variety of parameters and work out the right tune, the shock should be pretty much perfect for a given bike and would not need additional tuning.
