Lapierre’s Pulsium is a carbon-fibre gravel bike without extreme tyre clearance, reasonably mild geometry and integrated frame suspension. Riders with a keen eye for detail will notice that the Pulsium, available in two builds, retains a front derailleur. And that’s because Lapierre’s gravel bike adheres to the principle of having lots of gearing range, with tiny steps in between. This is a gravel bike that respects the legacy of road cycling cadence.

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If you want a gravel bike to roll huge 650b 2.1in or 45c tyres, the Pulsium isn’t it. The maximum tyre clearance for the new AllRoad models is quite conservative at 35mm, but that comparatively mid-sized gravel bike rubber plays into the Pulsium’s theme of aerodynamics and low-rolling resistance. 

As Lapierre’s product people advocate, this is their two-in-one bike, for gravel and road. Therefore, its standard tyre is a WTB Expanse 32mm. 

2023 Lapierre Pulsium Allroad sat, by Lapierre

Pulsium’s most notable and interesting feature is its integrated elastomer shock. Both the Pulsium AllRoad derivatives, designated as 5.0 and 6.0, have similar seat stays, that attach to the top tube and bisect the seat tube. But on the Pulsium AllRoad 6.0, an elastomer is integrated into the seat stay, enhancing vertical compliance and reducing some of the fatiguing terrain buzz from those long-distance gravel bike rides. 

Both Pulsium models have fully integrated cockpit cable housing, leaving space for additional storage bags or large GPS computers. Lapierre’s drop handlebars are size specific for the Pulsium, ranging from 420mm on the XS/S frames, 440mm for M/L bikes and 460mm on the XL versions. Those three handlebar widths all feature the same 16-degree flare angle.

2023 Lapierre Pulsium Allroad riding, by Lapierre

The Pulsium AllRoad 5.0 gets a mix of Shimano's gravel GRX RX600 and RX800 components for shifting and brakes, while the 6.0 both is fully equipped with Shimano’s GRX RX810 groupset. Superior specification on the Pulsium AllRoad 6.0 tally the integrated elastomer ‘shock absorber’ and DT Swiss E1800 Spline 23 wheels, compared to the AllRoad 5.0’s WTB ST i23 hoops. 

• www.lapierrebikes.com/

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