Lapierre Overvolt HT 900 Review

The Lapierre Overvolt HT 900 is one of the lightest weight hardtail electric mountain bikes I’ve had the chance to test ride. It’s due out in the United States around Q4 2014 and will be the first Lapierre electric bike this side of the pond. In Europe, Lapierre has released one other Overvolt model (simply called the Overvolt Hardtail) that leveraged the slightly less powerful 250 watt Bosch System. With the HT 900 Lapierre is delivering a solid cross country riding experience with 27.5″ wheels, a 120mm RockShox Reba air suspension fork and seat post shock that provide an efficient and enjoyable ride. It’s also a beautiful looking bike in black with blue and white accents. The custom frame has been engineered to keep weight low and center while protecting the centerdrive and downtube battery pack.

The motor used here is a geared centerdrive from Bosch offering 350 watts of power. It’s extremely efficient and achieves excellent climbing and acceleration when used in conjunction with the 10 speed cassette in the rear. Three sensors communicate with the drive system for responsive activation and cut off. The bike monitors your pedal cadence, torque and wheel speed as well as shifting so it won’t mash gears. I’m a huge fan of the system on this and other electric bikes and while it doesn’t offer a throttle mode, the four levels of assist deliver an exhilarating ride. As someone who loves to ride trails but suffers from a knee injury I’ve found the lowest mode of pedal assist adequate for flats and light climbing with the highest level more than enough to ascend steep ridges.

Powering this bike is a nearly 400 watt battery pack offering 36 volts of power and 11 amp hours of capacity. This is slightly above average in terms of size and the the drive system really rations power as described above. The chemistry used here is a Lithium-ion mixture akin to that used in electric cars. It’s very stable, light weight and long lasting (in terms of charge cycles). I love that you can easily take the battery off for charging and safe storage inside. These Bosch power packs are also fairly standard so buying a second one to extend your range or simply replacing it after years of use won’t be an issue. Frankly, I also like the all-black motor and battery pack design used here. It’s not perfectly stealth but blends in well enough and seems protected from trail hazards.

The display unit on the Lapierre Overvolt HT 900 is large and easy to use. The screen is backlit and shows speed, distance and assist and you can interact with it using a break-out button pad. The benefit is being able to keep your hands on the grips at all times (critical when riding on rough potentially hazardous terrain). One of the neat things about the Bosch display is that you can either lock it to the mount with a set screw or remove the screw entirely and take the panel off each time you park (to prevent tampering and vandalism). It’s nice that they give you the choice here though I’ve heard that removing screens too often can allow the contacts to get dirty and weaken if not cleaned so be careful.

I really enjoyed testing this bike and appreciate how light and responsive it feel. During a press event I was able to meet a fourth generation member from the Lapierre family named Stephane who performed a short demo ride of the full suspension Overvolt. I was amazed to see him bunny hop the entire thing up a large curb right on video and that bike is two pounds heavier than this one! The higher price tag on these machines reflects the quality components, balanced design and excellent support offered by the major companies producing and distributing them. As a final thought, I especially appreciate the suspension seat post they added here. It feels like they really paid attention to the details of this bike… This single feature enhanced the ride quality for me while still enabling the power transfer and performance feel of a hardtail frame.

Pros:

• High performance 350 watt Bosch Centerdrive is quite powerful, provides great acceleration and climbing
• Motor and battery pack are kept low and center for improved balance and handling off-road, battery is removable
• Sophisticated control console has a break out button pad for easy reach when riding, it’s removable and backlit
• Drive system uses three sensors (cadence, torque and speed) to activate the motor making it extremely responsive
• Thanks to the Supreme 6 Alloy frame and RockShox Reba air fork this bike is very light weight for an ebike ~41 lbs
• Shimano XT 180mm hydraulic disc brakes deliver excellent, smooth stopping power without tiring your hands and fingers
• 27.5″ Mavic EN321 wheelset is strong but light, this “in between” wheel size balances improved rolling momentum and bump navigation with responsive handling
• Seat post suspension bumper offers the feel of a full suspension bike without the weight while maintaining the stiffness and performance of a hardtail, great accessory!

Cons:

• The battery pack takes up space on the downtube where a water bottle cage might otherwise mount, consider a seat adapter like this
• Externalized battery, larger bottom bracket and quiet whine during operation make it more obvious that this is an electric bike “less stealth”
• No throttle mode, this bike only uses pedal assist (like all Bosch powered systems)
• Only available in a high-step configuration but the top tube does curve down a bit for easier standing or bails (avoid racking yourself)

Resources:

• Official Site: http://www.lapierrebicycles.com/lapierre-unveils-revolutionary-electric-mountain-bike-the-overvolt
• More Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/unmVfjvc8pRJw2Go6