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TECH NEWS
Lapierre Aircode 002Lapierre’s new Aircode aero road bike
French brand Lapierre is launching a new aero road bike called the Aircode.
Lapierre say that the bike has been tested by the FDJ.fr professional team riders, and they’ll be racing on it in 2014.
The Aircode comes with a Kamtail shaped down tube and an aerodynamically shaped seat tube. The seat clamp is integrated into the frame to help reduce drag although the seatpost it holds in place is a standard round profile.
The headset is slim to reduce the size of the frontal area and the bike's cable routing is internal, except for that of the direct mount front brake.
The Aircode will be available to buy from July, although we don’t have build details or prices yet. The FDJ.fr version shown here is built up with sponsors’ kit, of course: a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset with C75 wheels and Schwalbe One tubs. Shimano sub-brand Pro provides the stem, bar and seatpost, and that’s a Fizik Arione saddle on there.
Here’s another version, again with a Di2 groupset but this time with C35 wheels and some 3T components. We can’t see that being a standard model because 3T don’t sponsor FDJ.fr.
For more on the Lapierre range go to www.lapierre-bikes.co.uk
Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.
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18 comments
Second picture has no bottles or pedals fixed, so looks very different to the first one.
The Aircode is really pretty bike. But I would like to know the exact aerodynamic advantage (in watts) of this frame over Xelius or over my Sensium frame at 50 km/h.
Yes, it's there indeed - thanks. It would be nice if there actually were two possible ways of installing the brake. Quite convenient.
Nice paint job, makes the bike look like its frame had a totally different shape.
By the way, what happened to the rear brake in the second picture? Is it hidden under BB or what?
Looks like it, in the second pic you can see the caliper just to the right of the 'c' on the rim decal.
Peculiar that it's positioned differently in the two pictures.
Good spot, mikroos. It is behind the bottom bracket, yes. The production versions will have a direct mount brake here. Team bikes will have the brake on the seatstays for easier/quicker wheel changes.
The front end probably looks unusual, by the way, because the head tube is shortened so that the headset sits flush with the top tube. Lapierre call this a 'semi-integrated stem', which seems like over egging it to me, especially if, as in the top picture, you use a bunch of spacers underneath the stem.
Sorry but that's a bloody ugly looking bike
Tasty little number! Never usually pay much attention to Lapierre, I will now
Just looks like a TCR to me.
I've got a TCR. If it was as pretty as that I wouldn't be looking to sell it.
Lovely looking steed! Just needs a different paint job!
Yes, the head tube looks quite long for a frame that size. Designed with an eye to the sportivistas? The pros are gonna be riding with stems right down, or on a smaller frame size .
Looks no bigger than that of a Venge or Noah to me.
Really like Lapierre bikes, lovely looking frames. This is no exception, I don't normally dig aero frames but that's gorgeous.
The front end just doesn't quit look right but I can't figure out why
The second one looks like the stem has sunk into the head tube, it looks a bit like Harry Hill's head peeping out from under his big collar. Maybe that's what is wrong.
unslammed stem, nuff said
That's a very pretty bicycle.