Remco Evenepoel raised a few eyebrows when it was announced he wouldn't be riding any preparation races before the Tour de France. The Red Bull - BORA Hansgrohe star is preparing to share leadership with Florian Lipowitz this summer, and both riders are preparing away from the spotlight. While Lipow...

Ribble expands its endurance road bike lineup while Canyon does the same with its shoe offerings. Read on and there's even a new Wattbike in this week's tech of the week.

Ben Oliver struck a double victory as the New Zealander picked up an emphatic Tour de Wallonie stage win on Friday's final day saw him also pick up the general classification honours. A dramatic final sprint saw him best Killian Thot and LottoIntermarch fast man Arnaud De Lie in Aubel. After De L...

Can you save watts without spending a fortune?

Lapierre is back in the XC fight with an all-new XR. This is a ground-up redesign aimed directly at where World Cup cross-country is now: faster, rougher, steeper, and more technical. The new design keeps a familiar look but updates the suspension placement, feel, and climbing performance. Plus, its a sharp-looking chassis and stands out from the current XC copy/paste designs. (All Photos/Lapierre_The new XR is a full-suspension 29er (sorry, 32 wheelers) with 120mm front and rear travel, updated kinematics, a lower shock position, revised carbon layups, and geometry that tries to keep the bike sharp uphill without getting nervous when the course points down.All-New Lapierre XR Lapierre says the new XR was developed with input from its PXR Racing program, and the brief was clear: keep the bike efficient, but make it more agile on climbs and more controlled at race speed. The previous XR/XRM was capable of technical descents, but Lapierre admits it was not the sharpest climber.So the new XR gets a more centralized rider position, a more aggressive climbing posture, a steeper seat tube angle, a shorter top tube, a higher head tube, and adjustable handling via a flip chip. The idea is to make the bike feel more engaged under power without giving up high-speed stability.Update Travel: 120mm Front and RearThe new XR is built around a modern 120mm of travel front and rear. The previous version had 120mm front travel and 110mm rear. However, 120mm travel front and rear is very much the modern XC sweet spot now. Enough travel to stay composed on ugly courses, but not so much that the bike starts feeling like a trail bike in a race kit.Lapierre pairs that with a flip chip that adjusts the bottom bracket drop between 40mm and 45mm. The good bit? Lapierre says the flip chip changes BB height without affecting the kinematics. So riders can tune the bike to the courses feel. Use the higher setting for more pedal clearance and sharper handling, and the lower setting for more stability, all without messing up the suspensions behavior.Geometry sits right in modern XC territory. In the 40mm BB setting, the XR has a 67-degree head angle and 76.5-degree virtual seat angle. If you drop the flip chip to 45mm, it slackens slightly to about 66.6 degrees up front with a 76.1-degree seat angle. The reach runs from 420mm in small to 495mm in XL in the higher BB setting.New Kinematics: More Support, Better PedalingThe heart of the XR update is the suspension layout.Lapierre introduced a new kinematic concept designed to balance pedaling efficiency and active suspension. The brand says anti-squat sits closer to 100% at sag, which should help the bike stay firm and efficient under power while still letting the rear wheel track when things get rough.That is the trick with XC suspension. Too firm and it skips around. Too active, and it feels like youre towing a wet mattress up the climb. Lapierre is trying to keep the rear end planted without letting it waste precious watts.The new vertical shock position also gives Lapierre more room to fine-tune the kinematics and lowers the shock in the frame. That lowers the center of gravity and should help the bike feel calmer as speeds rise. It also provides easier access for shock setup and cleaning, which isnt flashy but absolutely matters when the bike lives in real mud and needs real maintenance.Lapierre also worked to keep anti-rise close to the previous XR/XRM, aiming to preserve downhill braking composure. The bike should stay more predictable when you are hard on the brakes coming into the spicy bits.Asymmetric Frame and Lower Shock PlacementOne of the more interesting frame details is the XRs asymmetric construction around the bottom bracket area. The frame is open around the BB, which helps Lapierre lower the shock as much as possible, save weight, and make the shock easier to reach, but still only allows for one water bottleTheres also a Fidlock cover for the shock cover opening, and Lapierre says the bike can be ridden without it to save 44g.New Carbon Naming: UD Racing and UD PerformanceLapierre is also introducing new carbon naming for the XR: UD Racing and UD Performance.The top-end XR 10.9 gets the UD Racing layup, built around a T800 carbon fiber base with high-modulus fibers to improve the stiffness-to-weight ratio. Frame weight lands at a claimed 1,730g, which Lapierre says is 50g lighter than the previous XR. That is not a massive drop, but paired with the new suspension layout, geometry, and 120/120mm travel, the weight story is more about efficiency than just chasing raw weight reduction.The rest of the range uses UD Performance layups, keeping the same frame platform, geometry, and kinematics across all models.That last part is important. You are not buying a totally different bike if you dont spring for the XR 10.9. The lower models still get the same core chassis and ride character, just with different builds and carbon construction.XR 10.9: The Full Gas OneThe flagship XR 10.9 is the cleanest expression of the new platform.It uses the UD Racing layup and comes in at a claimed 10.4kg. Suspension is handled by a RockShox SID Ultimate fork and RockShox SIDLuxe Ultimate shock, both with 3-position remote control. It doesnt get the RockShox Flight Attendant like the team builds, but I expect we might see some eventually. The drivetrain is SRAM XX SL AXS, brakes are SRAM Motive Ultimate, wheels are FSA KFX i30 Team Edition, and the cockpit is an FSA NS SIC integrated one-piece setup.Price is 10,000.The Rest of the XR LineLapierre is not making the new XR a one-model halo project. The range includes five builds: XR 10.9, 8.9, 7.9, 6.9, and 5.9, with sizes from S to XL. (XR 8.9)The XR 8.9 gets the UD Performance layup and comes in at 11kg with Shimano XT Di2, Shimano XT 4-piston brakes, DT Swiss XRC1500 wheels, a SRAM Descendant flat carbon bar with XLC stem, and Fox 34 SL Factory / Float Factory suspension with 2-position control. Price is 6,999.The XR 7.9 drops in at 11.8kg with SRAM GX AXS, SRAM Motive Bronze brakes, DT Swiss XR1700 wheels, XLC alloy cockpit, and RockShox SID Select+ / SIDLuxe Select+ suspension with 3-position control. Price is 5,799.The XR 6.9 weighs 12.2kg and runs Shimano Deore Di2, Shimano Deore 4-piston brakes, DT Swiss M1900 wheels, XLC alloy cockpit, and RockShox SID Select / SIDLuxe Select+ suspension. Price is 4,799.The entry point is the XR 5.9, listed at 12.8kg with a new mechanical Shimano Deore group, Shimano M4100 4-piston brakes, XLC alloy wheels and cockpit, and the same RockShox SID Select / SIDLuxe Select+ suspension package. Price is 3,799.That is a pretty wide spread. The 10.9 is the race weapon. The 8.9 looks like the smart high-end rider build. The 7.9 is probably the sweet spot for many racers who want wireless shifting and proper wheels without hitting five figures. The 6.9 and 5.9 open the platform to riders who want the same frame concept without needing team-issued money.Lapierrebikes.com The post The All-New Lapierre XR Gets Sharper, Lighter, and Fully Ready for Modern XC appeared first on Bikerumor.

After two years of planning, Joe Nation and Rufus Wenlock finally found time to ride across New Zealand's South Island, following a historic trade route that proved to be even more difficult than expected. Watch Joe's 35-minute video from their ride here...The post No Country for Bikes: Traversing New Zealands South Island (Video) appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Clia Gery took a huge win as she claimed stage 7 of the 2026 Giro d'Italia Women on Friday thanks to a well-timed late attack from the peloton with other riders such as Elisa Longho Borghini and Lucinda Brand - catching the day's early breakaway and timing her sprint to perfection. Stage 7 served...

From cross-country to full face, heres every type of MTB helmet explained with help from ABUS