First spotted under the auspices of team Groupama-FDJ during last summer’s Tour de France, Lapierre has officially unveiled the latest generation of its Xelius road bike called the Xelius SL3, featuring a new carbon lay-up process that the French brand says resulted in a 232 gram reduction in weight, while also increasing stiffness.
The result is three variants of the Xelius SL3, the Lay-up Light, the Lay-up Stiff and the Lay-up Standard, which tip the scales at 725g, 745g and 845g respectively, with the Light option being available in sizes XS to M only, while the Stiff variant is for L and XL.
Aerodynamics also played a key role in the updated Xelius SL3, including a newly shaped downtube, seattube, fork and bottom bracket, as well as wider, asymmetrical chainstays and 1.5in headset bearings, with CFD modeling and wind tunnel tests showing an average aerodynamic improvement of 8.5% at 0-20° yaw angles over its predecessor the SL2, equating into around 7 watts at 40kmh, 12 watts at 50kmh and 22 watts at 60kmh.
Other notable changes include a new more compact and lighter seat clamp, clearance for 32mm tires, a new smaller Trap Door for Di2 access, and a lowering of the overall center of gravity courtesy of lower bottle cage and Di2 battery positions.
Additionally, thanks to feedback from pro riders, Lapierre has also tweaked the geometry of the Xelius SL3, which now comprises a longer reach, a slightly shorter toptube and more slope, allowing for more seatpost exposure to flex over harsh terrain.
Lapierre
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