Lapierre celebrates its 80th anniversary: the story of a French bicycle craftsmanship
- Published on 21/07/2026 7:58
Since 1946, the French bike brand Lapierre has built its story around innovation, competition, and manufacturing in Dijon.
Founded in Dijon in 1946, Lapierre will celebrate its 80th anniversary in 2026 centered around cycling. This is an uncommon longevity in the cycling industry, which illustrates the ability of a French bike brand to evolve with its time, from the first handcrafted frames of the post-war period to the competition bikes participating in the biggest international races today.
The story begins with Gaston Lapierre, who founded his bicycle manufacturing company in Burgundy. Initially focused on mopeds, the company quickly chose to dedicate itself exclusively to bicycles. The quality of its frames helped build its reputation among cyclists. The brand’s slogan summarizes this philosophy: “More than a brand, a name.”
Over the years, Lapierre has remained deeply connected to its Dijon roots. After Gaston Lapierre, his son Jacky took over the management of the company in 1960, followed by Gilles Lapierre who continued the adventure from 1996. This same year marked a turning point with the acquisition of the brand by the Dutch group Accell. A new industrial phase that allowed Lapierre to benefit from additional resources while maintaining its French identity: the headquarters, the design office, and the assembly of high-end bikes remain located in Dijon.
The France of Cycling
Today, Lapierre represents one of the few examples of a French bike brand that has maintained a true industrial presence in France. Its Dijon site, covering over 3,000 m², assembles several tens of thousands of high-end bikes each year. The range covers the main practices of modern cycling: road bikes, mountain bikes, gravel bikes, urban bikes, and electric bikes.
The story of Lapierre is also linked to that of competitive cycling. In 2002, the brand became a partner of the professional team Française des Jeux, led by Marc Madiot, and continued this collaboration with Groupama-FDJ. For over twenty years, the Dijon engineers have worked with riders to develop bikes suited to the demands of professional cycling. Champions like Thibaut Pinot, Arnaud Démare, and David Gaudu have thus contributed to the brand’s international visibility.
The pursuit of innovation also accompanies the evolution of Lapierre. As early as the 1980s, the French company was among the pioneers of mountain biking in Europe. In 2001, the launch of the X-Control and its FPS suspension system marked an important step in the development of full-suspension bikes. A few years later, the LP 0.9C carbon frame confirmed the brand’s technological ambitions.
In 2026, Lapierre continues its adventure in professional cycling with Team Picnic PostNL, engaged in the UCI World Tour, while continuing to develop its bikes for amateur cyclists.
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Eight decades after its creation, the story of Lapierre reminds us that beyond athletic performances, cycling is also an industrial and human adventure. An adventure born in Dijon, that continues to keep alive French know-how in a sector undergoing significant transformation.
This page is translated from the original post "Lapierre fête ses 80 ans : l’histoire d’un savoir-faire français du vélo" in French.
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