Nico Vouilloz with his 2016 Spicy Team, a bike he’s helped design from the ground upDan Milner / Immediate Media
Vouilloz settled on a 45mm stem after experimenting with longer and shorter items, as balances stability at speed with performance on steep terrainDan Milner / Immediate Media
SRAM’s BlackBox athlete program provides a super tough titanium nitride coated XX1 chain and cassetteDan Milner / Immediate Media
A 170mm travel RockShox Lyrik weighs 150g more than the standard fit 160mm Pike, but Nico reckons it’s got a more substantial feel when the going gets roughDan Milner / Immediate Media
Moto-style finger guards keep the prickly bushes of Vouilloz’ home trails at bay but also give warning when he’s cutting it fineDan Milner / Immediate Media
A prototype SRAM BlackBox 30mm carbon wheel is used up front to give a squarer profile, enabling lower pressures and improved side tread biteDan Milner / Immediate Media
A Truvativ chain guide adds security to the 34t direct-mount chainring. The bike is designed around this gearing, but Vouilloz says he can run a 36t when needed without too much pedal feedbackDan Milner / Immediate Media
A Fabric Cageless water bottle is fitted where the E:I battery is mounted on standard bikesDan Milner / Immediate Media
The E:I system is powered by a much smaller and lighter unit, mounted under the BB, than on consumer bikes. It only needs to provide enough juice for a day’s racing, while customers need theirs to last longerDan Milner / Immediate Media
The E:I control unit is Velcroed to the head tube instead of being mounted on the steerer, keeping it out of danger and aiding quick removalDan Milner / Immediate Media
See that white bit at the end of the bar? It’s a nylon plug that boosts the width of the Truvatic BlackBox bar to 770mm from the stock 750mmDan Milner / Immediate Media
As with everything else on this bike, Vouilloz carefully experimented until he was happy with the height of his front endDan Milner / Immediate Media
Vouilloz is more than just a team rider for Lapierre. He’s a salaried member of its R&D team and signs off on all the firm’s mountain bikes when his perfectionism allowsDan Milner / Immediate Media
Along with the longer travel fork, the head angle is slackened by a further degree by an offset cup. It helps on the super steep and technical trails of the EWS but Vouilloz says it can make the bike feel a little less fun on his home trailsDan Milner / Immediate Media
A specially rigged E:I motor is fitted to a Monarch Plus piggyback shock rather than the inline Monarch of stock bikes. It deals with heat better and keeps air pressure more consistent during long runs. It’s also fitted with a needle roller bearing rather than a bushingDan Milner / Immediate Media