Lapierre has overhauled its E-Enduro race machine with 1.5x the battery capacity of its predecessor. Packing an external 725 Wh battery, the Overvolt GLP III is now powered by the Bosch Performance Line CX Race motor, benefiting from the competitive edge that comes with the system’s extended boost feature.
The engine room is not the only aspect of the GLP III that is new. It does retain its mullet configuration, but geometry is tweaked to improve the bike’s climbing capabilities, while travel is bumped up to 173mm in the rear, paired with a 170mm fork.
Lapierre Overvolt GLP III
- Bike: Lapierre Overvolt GLP III
- Fork Travel: 170mm
- Rear Wheel Travel: 173mm
- Wheel Size: MX
- Motor: Bosch CX-R
- Battery Capacity: 725 Wh
- Sizes: S-XL
- Claimed Weight: 23.4 kg (Team Edition)
- Starting Price: € 9,499
The Lapierre Overvolt GLP II won several E-EWS races underneath Nicolas Vouilloz. While clearly quite capable, that bike was lacking in battery capacity compared to some of its competitors, so it’s no surprise to see Lapierre rectifying that with the GLP III.
Not ones to bow down to fashion, Lapierre is sticking with the alternative battery placement that gives the GLP its instantly recognizable, yet polarizing aesthetic. An integrated battery solution may look better but Lapierre’s engineers don’t necessarily believe it makes a bike that rides better.
Frame Construction & Layout
Weight distribution is a key design consideration on any bike, but especially on an eBike that has a 750 Wh battery loaded atop its motor, weighing 3.8 kg. Much of the redesign centered on how best to manage the additional 1.3 kg. Lapierre endeavored to keep the battery and motor low on the frame. They’ve done that by tilting the whole lot up a little at the front, lowering the rear end of the battery, and reducing the space between the battery and motor.
It’s not so difficult to imagine the handling benefits that could arise from such central placement of weight, in comparison to eBikes where the battery runs almost the full length of the downtube.
That said, you can forget getting a water bottle inside that front triangle. The UD carbon frame comes under Lapierre’s SLI (Super Light Innovation) name. Briefly, the frame comprises a combination of intermediate- and very high-modulus Toray carbon fibers, with a greater proportion of these fibers, as compared to some of Lapierre’s other carbon frames.
This particular SLI frame also uses a new polypropylene mandrel that allows for improved positioning of the fibres on the mandrel, with fewer creases. We are told that results better compression of the carbon fiber when molding, resulting in a lighter frame with less resin between each carbon layer. The bike has an improved weight:stiffness, therefore.
The GLP III is endowed with a 230mm x 65mm trunnion mount shock, damping 173mm of rear wheel travel. Lapierre says the shock is packaged in such a way that the frame can accomodate any shock on the market, air or coil.
Overvolt GLP III Geometry
The Overvolt GLP III is available in sizes S-XL. Reach on this new model comes in at 435mm, 460mm, 480mm and 505mm, for S-XL, respectively. That range is intended to cater to riders from 150 cm to >184 cm tall.
In line with its increased suspension travel, the eBike gets a slacker head angle of 64°. The chainstay length is maintained at a relatively short 440mm, consistent across the S-XL range. Lapierre say this preserves some of the bike’s maneuverability in technical terrain.
Improving the bike’s technical climbing performance was another goal in the redesign. In regard to that, the M, L & XL frame sizes were the beneficiaries there, now boasting a more upright seat tube at an effective angle of 77° (versus the GLP 2 frame’s 76°). For the S, the seat tube angle is a significant 3° slacker. In comparison to its predecessor, the GLP III has the higher BB, with a drop of just 10mm.
For M, L & XL, seat tube lengths are now 30-40mm shorter than they were on the GLP II, improving scope to run a longer travel dropper. Still, the L & XL bikes are fitted with a 170mm dropper seat post, which is still very much on the short end of the spectrum by modern standards. On this, we have reached out to Lapierre for maximum seat tube insertion depths (hold tight), to gauge capacity to upgrade that for something longer.
Frame Details
- Maximum Rear Tire Size: 27.5″ x 2.8″
- Internal cable routing (option for thru-headset or not)
- 150° Block Lock Headset
Pricing & Availability
The Lapierre Overvolt GLP3 is available in three models; Team, SE and Elite, all in sizes S-XL.
Overvolt GLP3 Elite – 9.499 € // £7,999
Overvolt GLP3 SE – 12.000 € (No Image)
