£3,999
For the XRM 6.9, Lapierre takes the full carbon frame from its World Cup XC bike, the XR, adds a longer-travel fork, a dropper post and slightly burlier components, and hey presto, Laipierre has a marathon/down-country bike. But has it worked? Before we answer that, let’s take a closer look at the details.
Frame travel on the XRM is quoted at 110mm, but we measured it at 95mm, which is an alarmingly big discrepancy. It uses a flex-stay design to save weight, where the carbon back end is big and burly, with the wide main pivot stance and deep chainstays providing ample stiffness.
The front end comes in four frame sizes, S to XL, and the standover height is really good for what is essentially a hopped-up XC bike. In terms of reach, the Lapierre is conservative: 458mm
