The mags love them but whats the opinions of people who've got them? what have they had to compare them too?

thinking of getting one but also considering a blur lt

I test rode one a few weeks ago (the 314) and was unimpressed. I really wanted to like it as i'd heard amazing reviews. Felt very sluggish uphill and didn't impress me much down.

test rode a 2009 enduro last week and it blew me away. So much so that i'm selling my superlight i've had for 2.5 years as it does everything better.

I test rode one a few weeks ago (the 314) and was unimpressed. I really wanted to like it as i'd heard amazing reviews. Felt very sluggish uphill and didn't impress me much down.

did you check shock pressures etc.. one thing with the lapierre ost system is that they are very quick, lightning fast acceleration and responsiveness…..

yep.. it had the sag meter to check while sat on the bike. I went on a demo day with worc cycles the following week to give the bike back. The next guy that wanted to test it thought the same as me (i didn't say anything to him)

He was all ready to buy a zesty and after that day chose a trek.

Which Zesty you thinking of getting? You should ride the bike first and try out the others. A lot depends on how and what you ride. If you looking for Enduro type try the Spicey? All those reviews cant be that wrong 😉

714 Zesty here their very fast, light and acceleration is amazing. Simple to set up and the OST system is ultra efficient. Had it 3 weeks – twice to Afan 1 x Cym carn + local trails. It really is very efficient down and up. Easy to set up – not touched mine since setting it up.

RM was great bike but Zesty is loads faster. The Zesty rides a lot like the Stumpy – tried the 09 version before the Zesty (Not surprising as the geometry is very similar) 09 Stumpy impressed me, its very stable and assuring ride but felt dull. Zesty will fling you down the mountain at mach 10.

Previous bikes
ETSX70
Stumpy
Giant NRS

I'd be interested to hear if anyone has tried one against a Trek Fuel. My mate bought a Fuel and I demoed a Stumpy the same day. Similarly to what Pawsy_Bear said, the Stumpy was good but dull, the Fuel just wanted to go faster – havent had a chance to try a Zesty yet.. Anyone got experience of it by comparison with the Fuel?

I'm looking at getting the 914, which leaves a lot of choice at the price point i know but i like that bike. I have a carbon scott ransom atm and want something with less travel and a lot lighter, sub 26lbs really.

I'm going to test ride a few but as far as sbc are concerned i don't know whether i like the idea of the 'brain' as i've tried previous versions and they just felt heavily damped?

Other option was the fuel ex, but this is going to be my only mtb so i wanted something around the 140mm mark to go well in the alps and at home.

The new brain is much improved this year, seems to actually do what it's supposed to.
Hmmm Mondraker Foxy looks very nice but not seen any reviews.

there was another cracked one on Bike radar the other day – rear swingarm under the front mech. Think it was 514.

yeah i was looking at the mondraker foxy, looks nice but as you say, unproven

I don't normally care what my bikes are called, in fact they all have stupid names (Trance, Reign, Froggy and worst of all… Handjob!).

But I don't think I could bear to own a bike called "Foxy". It'd be bad enough even if it didn't make me think of that Foxy Biker chap.

Same thoughts as Akria – Same issues with the brain technology + it costs more to maintain I just don't think its performance justifies the extra cost and weight.

The choice between Zesty/Trek for was:

Wanted 140mm travel major point
Gobi seat – wow unexpected pleasure after years of faffing with different seats I have found the one!
UST wheels – ah no more punctures and roll well at low pressures.
Bolt through fork – nice to have not essential
My ETSX70 and the Trek has similar suspension setup which although good is nowhere near as efficient as the Zesty up or down
Its all black 🙂
Looks way better than Ibis Mojo (ugly bike)
Cable routing is superb.

3 weeks in and 3 trail center days I know I made the right choice. The reviews are right the Zesty is relentlessly fast.

I couldn't get hold of a Zesty demo bike without travelling 100's of miles, so scrapped that off my shortlist and test rode the 2010 Fuel EX9 & the 2010 Stumpy Expert.

Both were set to manufacturer's recommended shock settings for weight, although we had to add 10psi to the Fox fork on the Spesh as there was too much sag.
The Spesh felt loads better for me than the Fuel. The Fuel seemed to crash over everything, and the riding position didn't give me as much confidence.
The suspension on the Stumpy seemed to cope with the bumps a lot better, my body position gave me loads more confidence and it had loads more grip through the corners, although I can't say how much of that was tyre related.
It was a shame I couldn't try the Zesty, but I was pleased enough with the Stumpy to get one. Still getting it set just right, but I'm still pleased with my choice. One thing putting me off the Zesty 314 was the Mavic Crossride wheels that a friend has had loads of problems with.

Just another one to look at, the Felt Compulsion 1, not a brand you'd initially think of but I've a Redemption and for spec and performance it's pretty good. The equilink does work very well and it ticks all your boxes.

got stuck behind a guy pushing his 714? up cwmcarn a few weeks ago he was having a nightmare on the climbs but he wasa bit portly

I demo'd a zesty last year, 514 I think. Also unimpressed which was a pity as I was planning on pretty much buying it.

Bike was set up for me, and was at the correct sag setting. I guess it just didn't suit my riding.

I have a 2009 514 which has been to the local Bristol trails, The Mendips, The Quantocks and the South Wales trail centres. At first it was definely faster going up that my old Meta 5 was and I took 30 seconds of by previous best on the Bristol Bike fest route but the handling was cumbersome on the way down. 6 months later I've lowered the stem, fitted a Gravity dropper and fitted some proper tyres (HR front, Advantage rear) and it's so fast on the way down it's scary, especially at trail centres. The climbing has been compromised a bit, but that could just be the tyres and my own winter spare tyre 😉

Dont think 'fat bloke pushing up the hill thus bike is poor at climbing' analogy is a useful test of a bike LOL

wasn't me BTW did Cym carn when it was 'cough' closed in the last blast of snow. I did push through the snow near the top on the way up though so it could have been me 😳 could have swore I didnt see another sole on the trail. Coming down was ok until you get to a corner with a bank of snow!

Thought about the Zesty then I had a blast on a Pronghorn and it was ace!! So I'm now in the process of building a Pronghorn try one you'll love it 'ride on top'
Can also get discount code for them contact me direct if interested email in profile

zesty looks nice..i wouldnt mind having a BLAST on one but i bet they dont make em for shorty short arses like me… my limit is a 14 inch frame..

They make 314 40cm ladies – see the review in What Mountain Bike. Came 1st against Orange 5 diva and SC Jukliana. The Orange diva is 14 inch frame. Also great bike.

I have owned a spicy 5160, different bike I know and to tell the truth it was very hard going apart from pointing it down! on singletrack I was overtaken by hardtails which was embrassing but you could say I had the wrong tool for the job ! dont believe the hype as they say 🙂 best bike I have ever owned was a titus motolite that was rapid everywhere .

If you are after a zesty 514 then worcs cycle centre has a 2nd one in. Well when i say 2nd hand it's pratically brand new:

lapierre 514

Saw it in there last week when looking at an enduro ex demo.. asked why it wasn't with the rest and he said cus it was 2nd hand.. looks like it's been taken out once round the car park!

Spicy 516 is 6 inch travel bike and some 5 – 6lbs in old money heavier than a Zesty. Not surprised you couldn't keep up with a hard tail weighing I suspect about 5 – 2 lbs less on single track? I'm not.

See if you can find an MSC Zion to have a go on – 140mm travel (adjustable to 120mm) can be built fairly light and is superb on the way down, and fairly good on the way down – pretty rare too I believe!

Outside of the Zesty conversation.
I ride a Motolite at circa 22lbs and a Spicy at 30lbs.
Yes, the motlite is rapid on pretty much everything and is a great bike but its definitely XC orientated in terms of geometry, even after I AM'd it with a few choice component upgrades it still felt like a XC bike, because that what it is.
The Spicy is an unbelievable bike which does everything well, but with a bias to downward pointing stuff. The slacker geometry really gives you confidence to keep if flat out where the motlite gets a bit twitchy due to the steeper HA and the lighter build.
How does this relate to the Zesty – the Zesty offers a pretty slack HA (67 or 68 depending on which year and which data you believe) but can be built up incredibly lightly. I would imagine this would give a great blend of XC speed, ability to climb and still rip downhill.

Theres a review of the Spicy vs Zesty over at the Lapierre owners forums from the UK distributor which I think hits it on the head.
I think Steve @ Dirt is right when he states in the Dirt 100, there are only two oustanding trail bikes, the Zesty and the Orange5 – with the Zesty being a touch better….plus it looks a million times better IMHO!

Some pics of my rides

Sorry about the crap picture, its all I have right now….

Pawsy_Bear :::: yep i do have an 'orange 5' at the moment ( bought in may last year…. just wondering how the five compared with the zesty…

I've ridden both the orange 5 and the zesty. The zesty feels much lighter and sprightlier than the 5 in my opinion. The OST suspension really seems to work well under power and is quick up hill. Didn't get much chance to try it out downhill though.

I've a zesty for years, well, the original 714 anyhoo.
Its ace.

Put a short stem on it for a start (50mm)

and go razzing!

Now i dont know any details about this image or how it was done etc but i wouldn't be very impressed with that.

I suppose it could happen on any frame to be fair. Is this part of the carbon area?

They do look nice though I must admit.

thats why plastic bikes are crap. metal all the way for me boyo (hence why I got the original 714 with alloy swing arm)

cheers

Metal bikes never crack – FACT!