French brand Lapierre are well known for their Zesty and Spicy platforms, but this year they released a new ‘sport line’ of affordable Edge bikes, hoping to bring some French “Va-va-voom” to the budget-conscious end of the market.
Pulling the 27.5” Lapiere Edge 527 out of the box, we were impressed; despite its bargain-basement price it looks amazing in its vibrant orange and blue colour scheme. The frame is distinctly Lapierre. With a curved, aggressive top tube, it’s also the longest bike in the group test, stretched out and menacing. Only the tall and slightly ugly seat mast brace breaks up the clean styling. Packing 140 mm of travel front and rear, and a robust Shimano Deore XT 2 x 10 drivetrain, it all looks good on paper. The testers loved the 55 mm stem and wide 760 mm Nico Vouilloz signature bar, and the MACH1 Klixx rims, although a little flexy, performed well during testing. The Schwalbe Tough Tom tires were rubbish, however – the tire profile and compound worked well enough on hardpack, but were as much use as a rubber nail when it came to finding grip on muddy trails. We like that Lapierre have managed to squeeze in their house-brand 125 mm dropper post too (not pictured, but included on production bikes).
On the trails it’s clear that Lapierre has the geometry dialled, as the Edge rocks an aggressive but balanced setup. The 67 degree head angle, steep seat tube, and generous reach ensure confident and neutral handling. The comfortable and roomy top tube allows the rider to move around on the bike, which certainly helps when the going gets steep. Slicing down the trail, it all feels stable and capable, but we did find that the limited support from the wheezy house-brand Lapierre shock made hard work of really rocky trails. The overdamped RockShox Sektor RL Solo Air fork is also no match for the more premium RockShox YARI offered by Radon, getting confused over fast, repeated hits and causing our hands to get sore.
The Lapierre Edge AM 527 in detail
Forks: RockShox Sector RL 140 mm
Rear shock: Lapierre 140 mm
Brakes: Shimano BRM396
Drivetrain: Shimano Deore / XT
Seatpost: LAPIERRE YSP-12L DROPPER POST
Stem: Lapierre AS
Bars: Lapierre Nico Vouilloz Alu
Wheels: Mach1
Tires: Schwalbe Tough Tom
Weight: 15.03 kg
Price: € 1,999
The Lapierre Edge does not push any design boundaries, but does everything well; the proven geometry works effectively on the trail.
The basic Lapierre shock soon runs out of support when charging hard though big hits, holding back the bike’s potential.
The Schwalbe Tough Tom tires are not tough, nor are they any good on the trail. We would like to see a more aggressive tire on a bike like this.
The Lapiere Edge feels long, low, and aggressive, perfect for the rider who likes to push hard or ride steep terrain.
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When it comes to the climbs, just like the Trek and Vitus, the Lapierre feels like a big, heavy bike – because at 15.03 kg, it is a big, heavy bike. It climbs OK, but suits more of a winch-and-plummet style of riding. At high speeds the basic Shimano BRM396 brakes feel a little out of their depth, and the combination of long levers and gear indicator windows make it hard to find a harmonious setup. Overall, we were very impressed: the Lapierre Edge AM 527 looks like a more expensive bike and handles with a refined confidence that reminds us of its bigger-hitting siblings.
Conclusion
The Lapierre Edge AM 527 delivers solid performance and looks great. Borrowing DNA from its premium siblings the Zesty and Spicy, it certainly punches above its price point. The wide bar and short stem supercharge the handling, but the budget shock and fork hold it back from really letting loose on the trail.
Strengths
- Great-looking frame
- Confident handling
Weaknesses
- Shock struggles in hard terrain
- Tough Tom tires are not tough at all
For more information head to bikes-lapierre.de!
For an overview of the test fleet head to the main article: Five affordable trail bikes under € 2,000. Are these the real ‘bikes for the people?’
Other bikes in this test: Cube Stereo 120 HPA Race | Lapierre Edge AM 527 | Radon Slide 130 8.0 | Trek Fuel EX 29 5.0 | Vitus Escarpe
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