Lapierre Officially Enters US Market
Lapierre has earned top reviews for its innovative mountain bikes and for its results in Enduro and on the World Cup downhill and circuit. Until now, the French brand has focused its sales in Europe, and its presence in North America has been mainly on the road, with a limited offering of its mountain bikes available through a network of pre-existing national distributors. The announcement from the Accell Group, that also owns Raleigh America and Diamondback, officially states that Lapierre has set up a stand-alone distribution and sales network in the US and expanded its existing facilities in Canada. The good news follows some important changes in the patent landscape have made it possible for Lapierre to offer its entire lineup of off-road bikes in North America. We welcome Lapierre to PB's home shores and look forward to seeing a lot more of its its innovative shredders on North American soil. - RC
![Lapierre action]()
Lapierre Press Release:
Lapierre, an established, performance-driven mountain and road cycling brand born in France, is a key brand within the Accell Group NV (AG), and will now become the premiere performance brand within the Accell North America (ANA) portfolio. Lapierre North America launches with a dedicated sales and marketing team to drive a greater presence of the brand within the North American dealer network.
Lapierre was founded in 1946 and four generations of the Lapierre family have contributed to shaping the company into a designer and manufacturer of premium road and mountain bicycles. Located in Dijon, France, Lapierre has been a long-time supporter of the French professional cycling team, Francaise de Jeux (FDJ), as well as the Gravity Republic mountain bike team. Design input and feedback from these athletes supports a company philosophy of integrating the Lapierre team of elite professional cyclists to continually improve the Lapierre product. Lapierre joined the AG brand portfolio in 1996 and has since grown into one of AG’s primary brands in Europe under the leadership of Gilles Lapierre. Gilles Lapierre has been the Managing Director of Lapierre since 1996 and has worked with the family brand all of his life. He remains committed to driving innovation and performance into all Lapierre products
![Lapierre Zesty 914]()
![Lapierre DH Team]()
Accell North America announces two key new hires for Lapierre North America. Kirk Bausch has been named Lapierre’s Director of Sales and Marketing in the North American market. Bausch is a seasoned veteran of the endurance and bicycling markets. He’s held positions as sales director, design consultant and athlete agent and management for many prominent brands in the cycling market, including Oakley, Smith, Spy, Monster Energy and Lava magazine. He’s also an accomplished cyclist who holds several ‘Masters’ road and time-trial titles.
![Kirk Bausch]()
Kirk Bausch will focus on tailoring the Lapierre assortment and creating world-class service to enhance the business of partners with the Lapierre brand. Bausch will work closely with Dave Taylor, who leads the sales and marketing efforts for the Canadian dealer market, to grow the visibility and presence of Lapierre in the North American cycling market.
![Lorna Shouten]()
Lorna Schouten also joins Lapierre North America as the brand’s marketing manager. Schouten [BC Shredder] has worked as Lapierre’s Global Marketing and PR Manager, at the Lapierre global headquarters in Dijon, France, since January 2011. She brings more than 20 years of cycling market experience and has worked in IBD retail, branded product, manufacturing, management and as a professional cyclist for various brands during that time. Schouten is also an accomplished road and mountain bike racer.
Lapierre North America will launch the 2014 model line at DealerCamp in July of this year.
About Accell North America:
Accell North America is committed to leading in cycling innovation in product, brand and specialty business practices to grow Independent Bicycle Retail in North America. Accell North America is the North American business entity of Accell Group, NV, Europe’s leading bicycle company. Accell North America, located in Kent, Wash., is completely focused on growing the specialty bike business by providing excellence in customer service, product innovation, profitability and brand marketing on the regional and national level.
Lapierre racer and product designer Nico Vouilloz in his office.
Lapierre Press Release:
Lapierre, an established, performance-driven mountain and road cycling brand born in France, is a key brand within the Accell Group NV (AG), and will now become the premiere performance brand within the Accell North America (ANA) portfolio. Lapierre North America launches with a dedicated sales and marketing team to drive a greater presence of the brand within the North American dealer network.
Lapierre was founded in 1946 and four generations of the Lapierre family have contributed to shaping the company into a designer and manufacturer of premium road and mountain bicycles. Located in Dijon, France, Lapierre has been a long-time supporter of the French professional cycling team, Francaise de Jeux (FDJ), as well as the Gravity Republic mountain bike team. Design input and feedback from these athletes supports a company philosophy of integrating the Lapierre team of elite professional cyclists to continually improve the Lapierre product. Lapierre joined the AG brand portfolio in 1996 and has since grown into one of AG’s primary brands in Europe under the leadership of Gilles Lapierre. Gilles Lapierre has been the Managing Director of Lapierre since 1996 and has worked with the family brand all of his life. He remains committed to driving innovation and performance into all Lapierre products
Lapierre Zesty 914
 | The launch of Lapierre North America is an exciting opportunity for us to press ahead with the very important U.S. and Canadian markets. We are especially excited for the introduction of our mountain bike products in the North American market; while many in the U.S. may know our road product, we think some of our best and most innovative work is in the mountain category. All bikes are designed and conceived in France, and we believe the Lapierre product and brand will have great potential for North American riders. - Gilles Lapierre |
Lapierre Team DH
Accell North America announces two key new hires for Lapierre North America. Kirk Bausch has been named Lapierre’s Director of Sales and Marketing in the North American market. Bausch is a seasoned veteran of the endurance and bicycling markets. He’s held positions as sales director, design consultant and athlete agent and management for many prominent brands in the cycling market, including Oakley, Smith, Spy, Monster Energy and Lava magazine. He’s also an accomplished cyclist who holds several ‘Masters’ road and time-trial titles.
Kirk Bausch
Kirk Bausch will focus on tailoring the Lapierre assortment and creating world-class service to enhance the business of partners with the Lapierre brand. Bausch will work closely with Dave Taylor, who leads the sales and marketing efforts for the Canadian dealer market, to grow the visibility and presence of Lapierre in the North American cycling market.
Lorna Schouten
Lorna Schouten also joins Lapierre North America as the brand’s marketing manager. Schouten [BC Shredder] has worked as Lapierre’s Global Marketing and PR Manager, at the Lapierre global headquarters in Dijon, France, since January 2011. She brings more than 20 years of cycling market experience and has worked in IBD retail, branded product, manufacturing, management and as a professional cyclist for various brands during that time. Schouten is also an accomplished road and mountain bike racer.
| Lapierre represents innovation and performance at the highest level. We felt it was critical that we look for leadership in the sales and marketing functions dedicated to the unique brand DNA of Lapierre and the performance sector of the market to build a long term sustainable position within the North American market. I believe that we have found that leadership in Kirk Bausch and Lorna Schouten. - Steve Meineke, CEO of Accell North America |
Lapierre North America will launch the 2014 model line at DealerCamp in July of this year.
About Accell North America:
Accell North America is committed to leading in cycling innovation in product, brand and specialty business practices to grow Independent Bicycle Retail in North America. Accell North America is the North American business entity of Accell Group, NV, Europe’s leading bicycle company. Accell North America, located in Kent, Wash., is completely focused on growing the specialty bike business by providing excellence in customer service, product innovation, profitability and brand marketing on the regional and national level.
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I'm looking at replacing my old enduro with either a spicy or an other, it will probably come down to which distributor has stock..
I sure as hell love my Orbea Rallon though! Lighter than most carbon enduro bikes, climbs better than the epic I had, wicked fast on techy downhill, fantastic jumper, never bottomed on any drops, yep... The D-Ville classic will be won by this guy
If everyone actually took 10 minutes out of their day to read the details of this lawsuit, they would hopefully change their viewpoint after becoming informed.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liebeck_v._McDonald's_Restaurants
Also, my local Lapierre dealer was great to deal with, I hope you guys get the same service.
I'm going on a limb and going to say that the FSR design that Spec uses mostly, the kind that has a short link connected to the seat tube, that comes back to the seat stay, which connects to the shock and pushes it forward (roughly inline with the seatstays), is still active. I believe the design where the seatstays extend past the seat tube, and drive the shock (or uses a dogbone link connected to the top tube), using the Horst Link, is expired. The walking beam style, with horst link, is another design that's patented; I'm not sure if that one is expired or covered under some other patent like ICT. Anyone want to confirm? This is only my vague understanding of it, after looking into it a while back.
Manitou and the Dorados, which I have years of experience with.
"I asked him, through a question"...Really, how else would you ask anything? With an inquisitive expression and a shrug of the shoulders?
"If someone can't back up their strong statements, with facts and experience, they should keep them to themselves." OK, asking him to exile himself or to become a recluse because he didn't back up a statement is a little over the top.
"A persons limitations, precieved for otherwise" Is precieved like perceiving something beforehand? for otherwise?
*applause*
Because it had too much truth in it.
Ill repost.
These bikes are crap
Don't buy from foreign boutique brands
You'll get screwed over when it comes time to warranty your bike mid season
Did anyone see their team tear the rear ends off them at worlds last year?
This blurb was months in the making, drafts going between Marketing, Mgmt, PR-Agency. Probably cost 50k alone. These messages always smell of corporatist fear, panic and preemptive backstabbing if something goes wrong. So wrong.
I'm pretty sure most people have learned an important lesson already
Don't buy shit from the French.
They'll argue their design flaws as being positives in some retarded way.
And then refuse warranty because the bikes aren't used for their intended purpose somehow (bicycling I think)???
And somehow you'll end up dealing with some French tool whos just gonna tell you to go f*ck yourself and get away with it by calling "language barrier"
All this will happen right in the middle of riding season and you'll be forced to buy another bike to keep riding
Anyone see their team break their custom painted rear ends right off their bike at worlds this year?
There's only 5 bike companies worth supporting. Not necessarily even because their bikes kill it
it all has to do with support
Trek
Specialized
Giant
Norco
Santacruz
Maybe devinci and kona are in the running now too.
"Lapierre Officially Enters US market"
As much as most Americans and apparently some Canadians would like to believe, Ontario is not actually part of the USA.
Spare me your comments implying I think Ontario and USA are one and the same. I'm proudly Canadian, and by no means ascribe us to the USA. (No offense to my American friends)
What's your guys' problem with America? Forget the issues in the middle-east, we need to invade you guys....that way we'll actually gain something from sending our troops out of country.......SWEET-ASS RIDING!!!!!! (how do I put one of those smiley-faces on here?)
Accell Group announces that the famous French moniker will be a stand-alone brand in US and Canada." Just putting that out there. It says Canada too.