Lapierre Pulsium gets updated for 2021

Born for the fields of Flanders and Roubaix a little over half a decade ago, Lapierre’s Pulsium was a bike designed to give the riders of Française des Jeux a competitive edge at the cobbled spring classics, as well as a mile-munching bike for amateur riders with the edge of added comfort. 

New to 2021 is the latest update to the Pulsium range, Lapierre has acknowledged that more and more riders are taking their riding off paved roads and onto gravel and byways so updated the range to reflect the current needs of potential buyers. 

Lapierre is known to integrate some very interesting design details into its bikes, if you love a bit more design, with beautifully slender stays, flowing lines with an almost organic look to it, Lapierre’s design language is very attractive, for those looking for two black triangles, look elsewhere. That’s not to say the Pulsium is all show and no go though, far from it in fact. With the updates to the range, tyre clearance has been increased to 28c on the rim brake models and up to 35c tyres on the disc brake models, all very friendly if you want to take the bike out of the comfort zone of a traditional endurance bike. 

The range is split into two different tiers, the bikes with SAT or ‘Shock Absorption Technology’ and the models without. As part of that unique design around the seat tube/top tube cluster, the seat stays would normally join the frame at the rear of the seat tube near the top, what Lapierre does is to bypass the seat tube and let them flow directly into the top tube, this will transmit road feedback and bumps into the top tube rather than straight into the seat post, and therefore the rider. To add to this design concept even further, in the goal of further gains in comfort and reducing fatigue, Lapierre adds its S.A.T. concept to the models further up the range. 

The SAT is a small tuned elastomer that works as a direct shock absorber by being positioned where the seat stays meet the top tube so it can dampen shocks coming from the back wheel into the frame. The advantage of the system doesn’t just end at single large impacts though, it’s constantly working to reduce road noise, so even if you’re not taking aim at Boonen or Vlaeminck’s Roubaix records, it will have benefits for you preserving energy on long rides. This is all in a package that only adds 20g to the weight of the frame. 

The models in the range that don’t feature the SAT technology aren’t completely overlooked though, they all feature a 27.2mm seat post to help absorb road noise along with the newly reworked svelte and slender seat stays. All of this adds up to an 11 per cent increase in compliance compared to the other model in Lapierre’s endurance range, the Sensium. 

Upfront, there have been some improvements to increase lateral stiffness, too. With matched 1.5in bearings at both the top and bottom of the headset, this also helps to further integrate junction boxes for electronic drivetrains and cables for a neater, more aerodynamic front end of the bike. 

With more and more riders looking for their bikes to be more capable than one single discipline of riding, Lapierre has made the Pulsium as versatile as possible, by testing the bike to the same standards that would be required for a mountain bike. Therefore, you know that whichever model you choose, it is going to be able to stand up to wherever you decide to take it. 

The geometry has also been updated from the previous model. Depending on size, the head tube of the 2021 Pulsium measures up to 20mm longer than its predecessor, and the reach has been increased across all sizes. Along with fitting the bikes with a 10mm shorter stem, this means that while your reach will remain the same, handling will improve in off road situations. Lapierre has also increased chainstay length to 415mm across all sizes to provide more stability over all surface types. 

Lapierre Pulsium 2021: Range explained

The models without SAT start with the Pulsium 3.0 Disc. Priced at £1,749.00, this model comes equipped with a Shimano Tiagra groupset, Shimano wheels, a Selle Italia X3 Boost saddle and Continental tyres. 

You’ll then move up to the Pulsium 5.0 Disc, equipped with a Shimano 105 groupset and a pair of Shimano wheels - a rarity at this price point - which comes in at £1,999.00 for the disc brake model.

Then there are three models with SAT technology, starting with the 5.0 SAT Disc. This model is £2,499.00 with a Shimano 105 groupset, Mavic wheels, a Selle Italia XP Boost saddle and Continental tyres.  

The next set up in the range is to the 6.0 SAT Disc, with which you’ll get a full Shimano Ultegra Disc groupset and a pair of DT Swiss E1800 wheels.

Topping out the range is the Pulsium SAT 7.0 Disc, which is fully loaded with a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset and Dt Swiss E1800 wheels.

Whilst it is a slim range at launch compared to others, Lapierre has covered some important price points here with a broad spread of specification levels along with branded components which is a rarity to find. This, along with the increased versatility and design, makes the Pulsium a very attractive choice if you’re looking for a single bike that will allow you to do anything from short fast road rides, to all-day epics taking in gravel and mixed surfaces.

View the Lapierre Pulsium at lapierrebikes.com