Lapierre Crosshill CF 7.0 Review

With the Crosshill CF, Lapierre enters a new era for its Gravel bike range, offering a comfortable and responsive carbon frame to tackle all surfaces without sacrificing performance. With its Shimano GRX Di2 groupset and 44 mm tires, This Crosshill CF 7.0 seduces with its piloting facilitiestagand its overall performance, even on the most difficult terrain.

By Guillaume Judas – Photos: ©3bikes.fr / DR

Lapierre launched its first Gravel bike in 2016, with an aluminum Crosshill designed for discovery and adventure. An accessible bike that is popular with gravel enthusiasts bikepacking. With this brand new carbon version, the Dijon brand intends to expand the possibilities of its offer for a practice which turns out to be a little broader than originally envisaged. The Crosshill CF is therefore part of a desire to offer a lighter, more efficient bike that is also more versatile in terms of riding.tage. Because as we have been able to see for several years since the real boom in this practice, there is not just one way to ride Gravel, but several, whether for a ride, for sporty or committed outings, or even in competition on courses that are again very different depending on where they take place.

With this new carbon Crosshill, Lapierre focused on weight savings compared to the first aluminum version, but also on comfort for more versatility and on pilot controltage for the most committed situations thanks to a revised geometry. Let's add that the frame is compatible with a suspension fork and a UDH derailleur hanger, a system that is found on more and more mountain bikes.

Six versions of the Crosshill CF are offered in the catalog, starting at €2799 and going up to €6999, including the €4299 of our model of test FC 7.0. A bike with a good price/quality ratio with a Shimano GRX Di2 double chainring drivetrain and DT Swiss GR 1600 Spline aluminum wheels, which weigh in at a reasonable 1650g. The rest of the components are more mid-range, favoring strength and comfort over lightness. Not exactly featherweight, the machine is displayed at 9 kg, but remains scalable for those who ultimately wish to invest a little more in their practice.

Comfort and controlled rigidity

Announced around 1000 g, The Crosshill CF frame is based on a fully unidirectional carbon construction with an exclusive draping of the pre-impregnated around a latex-coated core, in order to offer the nervousness necessary to follow the irregularities of the ground without loss of performance. It is distinguished by a seat tube completely detached from the seat stays, to offer more flexibility, and therefore more comfort but also more traction. Still with the same objective, the shrouds have an elliptical shape and a double line break to dissipate vibrations. The frame accepts tires up to 45 mm in section, which gives the bike great crossing capabilities, whether uphill or downhill, on rocks or in mud. Finally, it is compatible with a 40 mm suspension fork, as demonstrated by the presence in the range of two versions of the Crosshill with this equipment.

In terms of geometry, the Crosshill CF differs from the first Crosshill by a slightly shorter top tube (3 mm in size S), a more upright seat tube angle (1,5 to 3,5° depending on the size), shorter chainstays (5 mm), and a slightly higher bottom bracket (4 to 5 mm). At the front, the fork crown is particularly high, so as to provide the same geometry whether with a rigid fork or a suspension fork. Unsurprisingly, the pilot's posttage is quite high, an impression accentuated by the montagand a hanger with a rise 20 mm. An advancetage certain for the comfort of position and the handling of the bike, a little less for the pure performance on the fastest events. The most sporty can always start by changing the handlebars to find a more aggressive position, but without the pilottagand he inevitably wins.

Finally, on the practical side, let us note that The Crosshill CF benefits from numerous attachment points for light luggage, or mudguards, which further increases the versatility of the bike.

From the banks of the Orge to Gravel Roc

We first rode the Lapierre Crosshill CF 7.0 on our usual circuits in the Paris region before testmore intensely on the occasion of the Gravel Roc among hundreds of other participants. On the smooth gravel paths on the banks of the Orge and on the already damp paths in the undergrowth, we were able to appreciate the rolling qualities of the machine and the diabolical efficiency of its transmission. The GRX Group was already reliable and precise in its mechanical version, but here it adds comfort and speed in gear changes in its electronic iteration Di2, with a special mention for the ergonomics and finish of the handles, which take this transmission into another dimension. The braking is also ultra reassuring, as are the WTB tires with a section of 44 mm in montage tubeless, which offer great versatility of use depending on the inflation pressure chosen.

The upright position induced by the placement of the pilot's posttagIt is very comfortable in touring mode and contributes to the bike's handling in technical sections., or the Crosshill CF handles almost like a rigid mountain bike. On rolling sections, where you tend to want to lower your head to look like a racer, the bike lacks length, which is not always comfortable for the arms. But in any case it never lacks stability.

On the much trickier slopes of the Roc d'Azur, a reduction in inflation pressure quickly proved necessary to withstand the vibrations and shocks of very uneven terrain and gain grip on dusty bends. The Crosshill CF did not lose any of its brilliance on the uphill sections where, without appearing airy, it made it possible to overcome all the difficulties without a hitch thanks to its wide range of developments and its ability to adapt to all surfaces. Easy to use pilottagand which provides security on the most technical descents, and which allows you to stay on the bike when many other competitors prefer to finish on foot.

Finally, The Lapierre Crosshill CF 7.0 brings a lot of pleasure through its smooth operation and rolling and through the confidence it provides., whatever the distance envisaged. For a very sporty practice, it will undoubtedly require some adjustments to save a little weight or adapt the position. It nevertheless remains a well-born bike, with a very favorable price/performance ratio.

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