KEY FEATURES

BLACK BEAUTY

A full-carbon frame on a sub-£3k bike was a good deal even in 2012, and this one was a beaut, with swooping lines and Lapierre’s trademark (at that time) reverse-tapered seatstays. It wasn’t all form over function though – the OST+ four-bar suspension worked really well too.

MEASURING UP

While the 2011 Zesty had begun to look a bit dated, Lapierre refreshed the 2012 model with a slacker head angle (67 degrees), shorter stays (425mm) and lower BB, giving it on-point trail geometry.

LIGHT FANTASTIC

My final build, with lightweight DT wheels and Magura brakes, but also plenty of mid-range kit, including a Shimano SLX/OneUp 1x10 drivetrain, weighed around 11kg – pretty impressive for a 140mm trail bike.