The Best Value Entry Level Bike in 2023 - Triban RC520
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
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Francis, I think the affordable / entry-level segment is where this channel can really shine. This is the info people need to know.
100%!
Also the odd bikepacking vid again
This is what I would think of (as a roadie) when I think of an entry-level road bike. With this, a person newer to the sport could ride thousands of miles per year and participate in any type of an event, including just starting with racing and have a bike that could last years and not hold them back. With a price of less than $1,000, this is a complete winner.
Totally agree, but I don't agree with the video that this compares with a £2k - £2.5k bike. Hydraulic brakes - you won't be able to upgrade those calipers to hydraulic because of the cable shifters, and better / lighter cranks are all that it takes to stop the comparison. Just look at the Giant Defy 2 for example, under £2k - carbon frame, hydraulic brakes and 105 everything. BUT for £800, this Triban is of course great. For me £800 second hand buys all that and more.
Exactly. "Beginner" shouldn't have to mean crap. A crap bike will put off a beginner from cycling, so it's good to see something that will bring joy to someone starting out.
I've got a similar bike from Decathlon, and it's lasted me 5 years so far. I've made a few upgrades along the way, but I can see myself using this thing for at least another five years.
If you are a first timer, you can go bottom end in a brand name. Eg a brand new merida endurance 400 was recently going for £980 with a full 105 Hydro groupset and thru axle and that's not even their lowest model. If you it's your second bike and you are more confident checking out bikes, then second hand market is where it's at.
I don't think 105 is a "beginner" groupset. But I guess beginners can almost afford it. I went up to UCI continental events on 105 5800 😂
I bought this bike at the start of COVID, was my first ever "proper" bike. I absolutely loved it. As value for money it's aboslutely insane, like you say in the video it gets compared to bikes worth over twice as much. The 105-ish groupset was such a dream. It got me everywhere as a primary mode of transportation on road, I went on adventures on it over gravel and dirt, even got panniers for it to use it for bike packing and touring, and it was largely responsible for me getting back into shape. Early on I put Schwalbe Marathon tyres on the wheels and never once had a puncture, crash, anything.
A month ago it got stolen from my garden. I've never been so sad about losing an object before. The monetary value was one thing, but the sentimental value was a real hit. I still haven't really replaced it properly. I hope whoever gets that one you gave to Recyke y'bike enjoys it as much as I did!
That sucks mate I hope you manage to get the bike back, took me weeks and weeks but I eventually got my bike back when that was stolen.
I like to put some bike decal on my frame now that looks like it came on the bike, hopefully anybody ever steals it again it’ll stand out more as my bike if I see it in the street or for sale online.
Some good websites that can make custom decals for you too.
Did you finally get a new one ?
I proper low life move. Hope you get back on the/a bike soon
@@heathen-greaser Decals can easily be removed and most thieves with half a brain will try to change the look of the bike before getting out and about on it or selling it.
Removing stickers and decals are the easiest way to do this.
have you tried looking for it on groove street?
I bought such a bike for my 17Y daughter as her first road bike and this was in point. I have only changed the tires and back cassettes on 11-34 . The rest setup is perfect. She made this season 3000km. She loved it very much. Size of bike form 2XS, I have bought XS for 164cm and was perfect. No one offers such spec . Brilliant.
I can't recommend this bicycle enough, it is a great deal!
jeeeze 3k on her first season?
Hi....I'm a novice...could you show us the difference 650/700 wheels on a..gravel....Good and bad points about both....thankyou..x
I've been riding this bike for 2 months now. Here in Czechia they are selling it with a 10-speed Microshift groupset and Vittoria tires, purportedly due to component shortages. Either way it's an excellent bike and I am happy it's getting some recognition here on CZcams as well.
Hey, the web site says it comes with the 11 speed Microshift cassette even when everything else is 10 speed. Is it just a mistake in the website where they list the cassette from the rc 520 105 and this one comes with 10 speed cassette?
I like to think that Decathlon said something like "yeah, we will give you one for testing. Yeah, you can say anything you want. Yeah, you can give it to charity."
Just because they know the sales will go up after this video.
Really great to see you guys showcasing the RC520 (and others in the range in the earlier videos). I've been riding one of these for nearly 5 years now and I absolutely love it. It's taken me all over the UK on various tours, as well as been used for daily commuting and weekend rides. Never missed a beat. For the money it's a complete steal. Happy cycling!
Have this bike and converted it to a gravelbike, just fitted 38c tyres. Decathlon says max is 36c but mine fit fine (Hutchinson Override). Amazing bike, very durable, simple to work on yourself. Even did bikepacking on it with no problem at all, thanks to the many options for bags and racks. 😊
Got it used but like new for 600€.
It can be even fitted with 40c Hutchinson Touareg as well
I've got this bike atm but due to health reasons cant afford to fall off(long story) or more to the point get knocked off with all the dik eds up here, so not wanting to give up cycling I thought I'll sell this and buy the gravel version but reading your comment anr watching the video am I correct in saying I dont need to, just change the tyre's?, I'm not bothered about speed or anything but there is some decent gravel runs by me that could keep me on the bike and save £££
Bought the Gravel version for my wife earlier this year. Changed to 11-34, and made the tubeless ready 38mm Hutchinsons there tubeless. I'm happy she is loving it and actually wants to ride a bike now. She did not like riding her 2 y.o. Touring/Cross bike, so making her want to ride a road/gravel bike, and go for a ride with me is a big win. Definitely one of the best investments so far.
11-36 works with 105 mech as well if you want lower gearing. You might need a longer chain.
Crazy value for money, couple things that would hold me back from buying:
1) Quick release frame: You basically have to adjust the brakes every time you swap the wheels, you cannot put them back in exactly the same position.
2) IS/PM rear brake mount: Once you decide to upgrade to hydro GRX/sram, you cannot put a standard flat mount rear brake caliper on it unless you use exotic adapters.
Also I used to be a fan of 11 speed 11-34, but 11-32 is a much better option imo. The teeth counts:
11-12-13-14-16-18-20-22-25-28-32
11-13-15-17-19-21-23-25-27-30-34
The smaller gaps at high speeds for me is worth using the 11-32, the range is almost as good as the 11-34.
I have put and removed the wheel multiple times and never had to adjust the brakes.
For the rear brake it's true but on the other hand of you paid the extra for those hydromec brakes, upgrading to full hydro is not a nice move but as I understand some mtb calipers are compatible.
The only thing I don't like is that I would prefer a 46/30 chainring.
@@cruciforme2 I have the GRVL 120, and there's usually a bit of brake rub when swapping wheels, certainly more compared to my thru axle bikes. Yeah the HY/RD brakes might be alright, but on the 120 there were Promax mechanical brakes, which were worth swapping for GRX hydro ones, but I had to buy a funky IS-FM adapter (which is quite funky, it's harder to adjust compared to regular FM or PM brakes. Now basically the only original component on the bike is the frameset :)
That makes sense :).
My brother has this bike, and has been using it for 3 years now and it has been absolutely rock solid. Unbelievable value. He put some carbon wheels on it and it has taken the bike to another level.
I purchased the RC520 in July as my very first road bike, had a fitting from bike fit James, to get it dialed in and it's been wonderful. I have had two crashes (thanks TFL busses) and the bike has held up like a champ. Highly recommend. Looking forward to getting my fitness up and possibly grabbing something a bit lighter in spring.
If you intend to race, go lighter but otherwise, don’t bother.
Maybe change the wheels, you'll feel more difference than a new bike unless you're paying big money
@@johnnunn8688 Yeah fr, at best you'll be shaving 2.5kg off it unless you spend silly money, and 2.5kg is honestly negligible compared to the rider's weight unless you are using it competitively and you're already in the best shape you can be.
Remarkable review. I have owned many Decathon road bikes, from the cheapest ones to the higher end ones with carbon frames and I no matter how hard I try to get my hands on another brands, I always go back to Decathlon because I can not justify spending more money for something that has worse specs even though if the name of it sounds better.
I agree about every single thing you mentioned about Rc520 and especially about it's only disadvantage and that is the QR wheels. This is actually not the problem of the bike but of the industry and standards that are rapidly going towards the Thrue Axle systems.
One more big advantage of Rc520 which you forgot to mention is that the bike has externally routed cables and wires which saves a ton of time when servicing the bike and allows you to work on the bike by your self instead of taking it to the LBS.
Triban Rc520 is one of those rare things in our modern society that is heavily oriented around function over form and not the vice versa, like many, many other things today. One of a kind for the price...
I bought mine about a month ago now, getting 105 at this price point is practically a steal. Also had very good reviews. Can always get a different frame etc. in the future and move the 105 parts over along with buying the rest of the 105 parts (cassette and crank)
I know this doesn’t have a complete 105 set, but with 105 @ £500, it’s deffo a steal anyway.
Loving the honest review of lower price point machines and hardware. The worlds gone mad in what amateur, low level, relatively new cyclists are prepared to spend on a bike - it’s a marketing triumph and there needs to be a recalibration.
I've been riding with a 11-32 R7000 105 cassette for years, and bought an uprade to 11-34 with vacations in the mountains in mind. I switched it back after the first ride. The 11-32 cassette has 1 tooth increments between the 4 smallest cogs, whereas the 34 tooth cassette starts at 2 tooth increments: 11-13-15-17 etc. It is very noticeable when riding fast in the bunch on the flat. So, I would reommend the 11-32 cassette as an all-rounder option, with a 34 tooth cassette a specialist climbing setup. Now, in the 12 speed world this is not a problem, effectively you get a 34 gear as an extra.
I've got the 11-30t 105 rear cassette & it's the same, don't get a 34t one.
The Triban RC520s here in Asia come with 105 cranksets too, which is neat! Still the same KMC chain + Microshift cassette set-up though, but some regions have a near-full 105 kit, brake callipers aside.
8:58 this is already the case, but it is not an issue. on some hubs you just replace the endcaps, while on others you slot an adapter into the thru axle hub and it becomes QR
Cant speak highly enough about this bike. I bought a second one last winter as my winter commuter / wet weather steed. Best move i made in ages🙂
What it lacks in outright speed it more than made up by offering superior ride quality (thanks in part to running a tubless set up) and usability by offering multiple mount points.
Lighter wheels ( Cadex AR 35's) have also helped sharpen things up.
Without doubt one of the best value bikes out there!
I bought one, on the recommendation of your channel. As my first road bike in decades (been using MTB for a while).... I am REALLY happy with it. Comfortable and practical.
These videos are really cool and hopefully get a lot of people into cycling. love the humor and direction, I used watch the vlogs a lot and have to say having more content from both of you delving into bike tech is just awesome.
I appreciate you.
Now done 14,000 km on mine since buying it online in December 2022. The only original parts are the frame, the forks, the crank, the stem, front and rear mechs, and the bar tape. Everything else has either perished or been upgraded. Yes, good value, but you get quite a lot of cheap components hidden away out of sight. And avoid punctures at all costs as these wheels are a nightmare to change a tube.
This has been my bike for 2 years. 5k on it. Have ridden gravel as much as the road. Had my first race with it this year. I haven't had any issues. Did some bike touring in Italy. Absolutely love it.
QR wheels are definitely becoming harder to find. Unless you build your own wheels. I am doing that right right now with my Salsa Journeyman. It is QR and I wanted to build 650b wheelset for bike camping. I love the bike and refuse to get rid of it. I am from the US and love the channel. I like what you guys are doing. Keep up the great work!
Double this. May it beeing used or new, basically every Wheelset is TA. Was looking for a second set for my GRVL120, and it is really hard to find...so I gave up 😛 I'd go for a slightly more expensive bike for future proofing.
Buy a dt swiss TA wheelset. The dt swiss axles can be converted to QR by changing the endcaps easy.
@@aleman4everI'm currently building up a set with Sun Ringle Inferno TR 650b rims with Bontrager XLR disc QR hubs.
@pieterstablein1043 that's why I'm building up a set. Sun Ringle Inferno TR rims with Bontrager RLX QR hubs. I can't find anything decent that isn't beat up.
I have been riding the rc520 for almost 3 years now and it has been very good. Bent the frame but Decathlon did the replacement with 50% discount. I am riding 11-42 with a longer adjustment screw so that the 105 rear deraileur can fit the larger cassete. I do not think that you can go bigger that 42 though as the shifting with the extension is at the limit of smooth... Also Schwalbe G-one 35mm with TPU tubes - awesome.
Hey Francis, I love your videos. I think that an alternative to the rc520 could be buying an rc120 and fitting it with Sora or 105 as it works out to be around 350 for the bike and 250 for the upgrade at a shop and if you don't mind rim brakes, it works out to around £200 less, which you could spend on some upgrades such as tyres or wheels or aero bars, which I think would create a better overall experience.
Hi... I bought the same bike, Triban RC 120 disc 2 years ago and did the same thing. I upgraded everything to Shimano Sora 9 speed. This upgrade could have been expensive, but I was patient and bought used STI's cheap and rest of the components new and sold my Microshift groupsets online. I also did all the job by my self and didn't have to pay anything to LBS. The bike is great and Sora is nice and precise groupset, but still with these upgrades is still far away from Triban RC 520, Here us why:
1. As mentioned in the video, Rc520 has replaceable rear derailleur hanger which Rc120 doesn't have. Instead of that it is integrated on the frame. It means that if you crash hard with RC120 on the drive side and damage the integrated hanger, the frame will be useless.
2. RC520 has 11 speed groupset. It is not a must to have 11 speeds but is certainly sweeter and more pleasant to find better cadence when you have more gears on the back.
3. Most important are the HYRD brakes on 520. Promax disc brakes are not bad but as the pads worn out they require constant adjusting the pads in order to work flawlessly. Triban RC520 doesn't have that problem because HYRD brakes are powered hith hydraulic pistons which will constantly self adjust the pads as they worn out. The system is more maintenance free and it does provide a bit more power than normal mechanical disc brakes.
So because of all that, RC520 is definitely worth the more money when compared to RC120.
Great review. I got one of these in about 2019 on the cycle to work scheme. With that £1000, you've got extra budget for upgrades to tyres etc.
It's a no brainer really if anybody is looking for a road bike. It's my first modern road bike after riding an 80s Pat Rohan with a Campag groupset.
By the time working from home started, I'd put about 2500 miles on the bike and absolutely loved them all. It's great all year round.
Would be fun to see you guys try out the top of the range bikes Decathlon have as well to check out how they compare to other brands in the same price range.
Like the Van Rysel RCR and EDR.
Those will be in the World Tour next season ridden by AG2R.
Nice video.
Ive got a 2020 Pinnacle laterite 3, was around the same price. Also comes with Shimano 11 speed 105, but weighs 9.7kg. Great bike, is now my winter bike & my Ribble Endurance SL is my main bike. Pity as the Post Covid Laterite now has 9 SPEED Sora on it instead.
I owned a RC520 for a bit over a year now, and I have to admit that the stock Decathlon tires weren't that great in the end. They're rather heavy and I think they wear out really fast especially when exposed to the sun. They're not really that puncture resistand either. The ones I replaced them with are the Panaracer Gravelking slick, I think 32, and they work much much better. Better at cornering, tubeless compatible, faster and lighter than the original ones, and you can easily go on hardpack dirt roads without fear.
Great review gents!! I bought an RC520 @3 years ago was £729 at the time. Absolutely bomb proof , great spec. I did change out the old stock wheels, as getting tyres off/on when on the road was a nightmare, for Mavic Aksium other than that its all as shipped. Must have done north of 5000 miles on it. The relaxed geometry is great for comfort have done a few 100 milers on it with no issues. Bang for your buck this bike cant be beaten imo. Keep up the great work Francis & Jimmy. Cheers
While I've been following quite a while now, with the new format, your podcast and the stuff you guys cover this channel has quickly become one of my absolute favourite cycling channels! 👍 Well done for showing beginners that you don't have to drop a large amount of money to get a new, well made bike with good warranty. You just have to be able get over your ego and ignore the big brand snobs.
Disclaimer, I work for Decathlon. BUT I love my RC520! It's done me perfectly as a fair weather cyclist and commuter. The Decathlon bikes around this price point are always exceptional value.
520 is a great bike...i have one here in Canada. I did some upgrades like switch the casette to a 11-34, raised the bars with a new stem, replaced the saddle with a brooks and added clipless peddles. I also switched the tyes to Gator Skins but omg they're horrible to get off...but that good be the tyres fault. I also use it for gravel with a separate wheel set with 37mm tyres.
Out of curiosity, what wheels did you mount for gravel?
They are Bontrager wheels..not sure the particular model...just says Bontrager TLR as they can be tubless
I have had this bike for 2 years and love it. I switched to a tubeless set up and that’s the only change I have done. I have used it for events as well. For the average rider, we don’t need more than this. Bikes like this and the Poseidon are making quality bikes at an entry point for most riders
I have this bike, it's three years old (pretty much same spec). I've just upgraded the tyres to some GP5000s. Really love it, glad you do too. One thing you could have said is that the frame is not UCI compliant for racing, if that were an issue for someone. It's more of a comfortable geometry, really good for long rides and also has mounts for bags etc. you might want to put on it.
Thankyou for donating to Recyk y bike. They are a great group.
I love that you keep in mind that for many, it's hard to afford things: "It's an 800 quid bike, which is obviously a lot of money" Whilst there are indeed markets that a 10000 quid bike is researched, made, and taken to market and sells well... it is not so for many. I appreciate it!
Thanks for this video. I just tried the Triban RC120 and 520 in my local Decathlon store and ended up ordering the 520 with 10 speed Microshift and hydraulic disc breaks on sale for 750€.
Thinking of buying this too. Let me know how it is if you can
@@JordiR243after the first rides, I still really like it. The hydraulic brakes feel a lot better than the mechanic ones on the RC120 and RC500.
I have RC520 champagne gravel. I changed the cassette for a 11/34 shimano. The only mistake the bike has is the quick release otherwise is perfect for the price. In Canada the RC520 is 1700 CAD and the Giant, Trek and Canondale with 105 and AL frame are 2500$ - 3000$.
Change to a good dt swiss wheelset / axle. These can be used as TA and QR by changing the end cap 😉
i feel like if you have the money and the geometry fits for you, this is a great value. The 105 will be shifting a ton nicer than the
I did Paris Brest Paris (1200km Brevet) on a modificated RC520 (Carbon Wheels, Carbon Seatpost, Carbon Saddle, 105 Crankset with Powermeter) and was very impressed. Great review!
Nice. My current bike is a pure race bike, but I am getting more and more interested in randoneuring. This could be a sensible option, with some modifications. What wheels did you get and what is the weight of the bike after your upgrades?
@@eagerbob Elite Wheels ENT DISC in 50mm height. Good value for money 💰 After all modifications my RC520 is 9.4 kg with mini-Aerobar and pedals.
Good luck with actually getting this from Decathlon. Been wanting to get one and they've been out of stock for months, unfortunately.
You can order to the store
They have this at Decathlon in Canada, but it sells for the equivalent of over 1000 GBP. There are definitely a lot of competitive bikes from major brands at that price point.
Guys! I’m so happy you are reviewing the Decathlon Road bikes!! I love their Triban Road bikes and bought a 120 myself but it’s good to have this review for future reference if someone else still debating on which one to get. Keep them coming guys, I love Decathlon bikes so I’m really happy to see you reviewing it!
wheels and tyres are pretty heavy. changes to those two after a while would make a big difference to the bike. I got a set of Vel 28 alu wheels that weight in at 1590g I bought for £200. I considered that bike before I got my ribble endurance AI.
Its funny, in 2017 I brought an £850 in the sale, it is full Carbon, full 105 bike, with sealed integrated cable routing, which can take 32mm tyres and is disc brake compatible (though came with rim brakes), it weighs 8.5kg. The groupset apart from the chain is the same 8500km and 7 years later.
What have we got in 6 years other than a similarly priced but objectively worse bike here? While the £350 Btwin's are good value, this just begs the question why are road bikes are so expensive now because while there is nothing wrong with this frame or bike, it is basically just an entry level aluminium one from 2010 with discs slapped on and more tyre clearance (a good thing), it has similar features to a Trek 1.5 Alpha, and I literally brought tone of those frames second hand in 2015 for £30 with the final bike build there coming in around 10.5kg.
Maybe you should do a video with Nick the bikeshop guy where you try and buy decent second hand road bike that competes with this one and then he prices up how much it would cost for a bike shop to get it back to 95% condition...if you even can! What can you get for £600 plus £200 in repairs/replacements at a bike shop, with the assumption being maybe a person can change a tyre or wheel set, but might be less capable/unwilling/safe in setting up a bike fully. I found the disc version of my bike, in my size, which had been used as a commuter for a bit on Ebay for £400...no one bid at that price, but if the frame was okay which it looked to be let alone the other parts, it is equivalent of a £1800 bike these days.
Bought this bike a year ago, it's my first bike. Obviously I have zero point of comparison, but it's been great to commute around town, go for longer rides on the weekends, and on an indoor trainer this winter. If anyone out there is considering it, go for it!
105 and carbon fork for £800 when most brands give sora and full aluminium for a grand plus..
I saw a Salsa for £1800, and it's single speed.
Some name brands are still selling Claris with rim brakes for over a grand.
I ride this bike since 2 years as gravel / commute bike. Just had a Rs510 crankset. Works perfect. Never had a problem. Changed to tyres to pirelli gravel m tubeless. Even the saddle works perfect for me.
Only downside I see is the QR / disc combo. But just in case I want to buy a new wheelset. Qr / disc is hard to find. Not a lot to choose.
Love to see you testing the van rysel bikes.
Done 1000km this summer on RC520 (but w/105 front chainrings) Now, replaced road stock tires to Specialized Pathfinder 700x38 and put 1x 44t by absolute black - now I’ve got a gravel 😊
Love it! I rode 3k with Trigger pro, and didn't have a single puncture.
Bought this last year and it's my first road bike. I took it straight out of the box to a small biking weekend with myself. The shop set it up and they were amazed at the components for the price point. Did 20km on day one and 95km and 800m elevation on day 2. Been biking in amazing places with it since.
I like the modularity to just change it to a gravel, etc. I bought now 32mm Hutchinson Sector for the next season. We have a few roads that are a bit questionable and hope to have more grip. Other than that put my Downhill MTB clip less pedals on them :D Also bought the 11-34 cassette now, but still have to try it. There are bunch of steep mountains in my region and I had struggles on some of them, so hope that helps.
I have some issues on my home trainer (Garmin TACX Neo 2T special edition) with the derailleur. It does not shift into the lowest gear or in the highest the derailleur rubs against the frame of the trainer. Could also be me noobing around.
Overall I am super happy with the experiences I had with the bike so far and also glad about the good 105 shifting experience and the disc breaks. If I stick with the sport, there will be an upgrade to full carbon, electric shifting, 12 gears, etc., but I think this will be a while in the future as this one can do a lot.
Thanks for making this video. Helps me understand the differences as well to the other models.
For those that might not use it before, let me say that I can confirm that Shimano 105 are WOW!!! Chef kiss!! I've have another bike with that set and it just goes and goes!!! After 2000-3000 km (1000-2000 miles) everything it's still great with them. Just until now, after 5years I need to replace the chain because of wear and that's it
I've been looking for a commute bike with drop bar just because I like them better but at this moment, they're usually "gravel" so cost to much for my like and also don't have mounting points for paniers and mudguards. Even if you find a good hybrid, the cost of the conversion might be quite significant
Even though this is not completely intended to be a commute bike, for me, is perfect for my riding style and also with a a nice price given the groups set and other specifications. The tire clearance it's perfect!!! I'm ok with going with 35mm but it's good to know that it goes up to 40mm
I find it funny that here in Mexico, it's advertised with Shimano RS 510 crank so it's slightly different but still with Microshift cassette and Shimano 105
I think I just found my perfect bike!!!!
Great vid.
It's shows Decathlon are giving thought to the bicycles they produce.
Please can you do a best entry level gravel bicycle?
I got this bike from my GF as my second more "trashable" bike choice instead of using my Carbon (i was eyeing it up myself). I cannot disagree with anything in the video and for normally 850£ (which should be pointed out) its a FANASTIC bike. I changed the tyres for more gripper road ones for more all weather and i would change the cassette but I tried it out on 200m long max 12% local hill and it was fine. if you live near more hills then save yourself the effort and get that 11-34 but if its flat or less than 200 meters elevation over say 30+ km don't bother. I personally changed the crank arm from 170 to 165 and for me it feels better. One thing i have to point out is there is very little adjustment to shorten so fit smaller if in-between sizes, for example the stem is 80mm on the small etc etc.
Great bunch of guys there, spent a couple of days taking donations apart for them and got a few replacement bits for my own bikes there.
Just want to say, really love this format! You manage to cram a ton of infomration and testing/riding/opinions into such a shor video, while still covering all the areas and even explaining a bit of tech (mech/hydro brakes). Bravo!
Those shifters alone are 180 euro, the brake calipers are 110 each. On the mainland it retails for €980, it’s hard to beat for value
Wohoo, "my" bike - I am kinda worried before watching this ep :D (bought it last year when it came with 105 crankset back then)
Bought it with M-size which is a bit too big for me, so I pushed the seat forward and changed the stem from 100mm down to 80mm. Also I have bought a "true" Shimano R7000 105 crank with 165mm lenght instead of the factory 172,5mm length, love it with my short legs. I bought a Shimano cassette 11-34t so I have 1to1 ratio for climbing as well, instead of the factory Microshift branded cassette 11-32t.
Using it RN with 32mm wide Panarecar Gravelking slick tyres with Vittoria latex inner tubes, it got very confortable with these small changes, I am going to go only for endurance road bikes when I look for a future upgrade, for sure
My first ever road bike was a 2020 Triban RC500 (basically the RC520 but with shimano Sora, mechanical disk brakes) and it was amazing. Great value, super robust, reliable, not too heavy and looks alright for the price ! Perfect as a first "proper" road bike.
the achilles heel of all triban bikes are the rims. at some (not too distant) point, they start to crack at the spoke holes. if you want to use them on a daily basis, get a proper 32 spoke wheelset built in your local bike shop. :)
This is all the bike the average person needs.
I got one of these when they came out like 4 years ago after having my previous bike stolen and it's been great for commuting and the occasional weekend ride. This year though, I got an itch for adventure and it's also taken me on longer rides up and down proper mountains. It's started to show its limits on steep gradients (both up and downhill) but it's a great gateway for serious beginners or rusty riders on a budget.
We’ve got these in Australia too, at Decathlon. They’re 1599 AUD which is 835 GBP. It comes with 105 all round, except for the Microshift 11s 11/32 cassette, and the TRP brakes. Definitely a great deal.
8:15 all that work fitting a 40c tyre and not even including a shot of the clearance.
i ride my 520 disc now for 3 years and arround 25000km... i love it :D i alomost replace anything whats on the bike, but i still love it :D the only thing i dont unterstand, why they use this TRP brakes? the UPE for the TRP brakes and the mechanical 105 STI is higher then the retail price for hydraulic 105 STI and brakes
Got the 520 as a gift. It feels heavy and sluggish but the shifting is solid and I feel so confident descending on it
you should review Polygon bikes. they offer great value as well
I got my disc break rc 120 about a month ago and it’s my first bike. I’ve put about 250 miles on it already and I’m just in love, I’ll probably upgrade in another year or so
I brought the sora 10 speed version of the 520 about 2 years ago. Upgraded it to hydraulic disc brake 105 last winter (when they were knocked out cheap) and a new set of wheels and tyres over the summer.
This bike IS BY FAR the best ratio price/quality in this price range, if you can get it all fitted with shimano 105 and 11V. There is a 10speed Microshift version of it, it's even cheaper. But if the "Microshift RC520" is cheaper, it's because there is a reason for that : first, it is an outdated 10V (I've also got a 10V bike, it's ....15 years old). Second, as for most "reviews" you can find on internet, the reviewers test the bike over a few km...on the long term those "cheap" microshift group will quickly give up, whilst the Shimano is a the entry groupset of the professional range, and in the hands of an amateur it will last for ever.
Concerning "changing the cassette for a bigger one" to "climb any hill", this is a useless comment, as it all depends where you live. In my area which is rather flat, on the contrary, I had to install a bigger chainring.
I bought The RC520/shim105 for €900 last summer, fully shimano 105 except the crankshaft (which some cheap shimano compatible generic chinese crankshaft), but anyway I had to change the crankshaft, as on top of bigger chainring I also needed smaller cranks. So I changed it for a much nicer, shimano 105 series crankshaft.
This said concerning aesthetics, and as far as I'm concerned,I would fire the guys designing bikes at Decathlon....😂. Truth be told, this RC520 is the most ugly bike I've ever had. Even my wife (who is absolutely NOT into bikes) told me "but...they haven't finished the painting???" and it's true that this two tone mate blue, besides looking neither blue nor grey....looks more like the primer one applies before the final coat.... as for the stainless nipples on black spokes, they make the wheel look like some lunapark big wheel....and the hydro/mech brakes, whilst not braking much better than mech disc brakes, are disproportionally huge and absolutely ugly. But hey, I was looking for a cheap reliable training workhorse, and this is what it was equipped with shimano 105, and sold for €900
The wheels are solid (contrary on the comments you can find here and there) I weight 90kg and ride on average roads and they are sill going strong after 6000km on them. But they needed a serious truing and tensioning just right out of the shop ( machine fast -and bad- truing, obviously).
Concerning the tire clearance, the "reasonable" max is 37, you can go up to 40 (depending on the brand measurement, and tire type), but then expect some rubbing when standing on the pedals or sprinting...
I don't think that the bike is ugly. Can't post pictures here, but google "RC520 reddit rattlesnake" and look at the first result. The blue bike with brown gravel-tires, a brown bag and brown bar tape is beautiful af
I can also confirm that depending where you live, the crankset and cassetted can be adjusted. I am NY Metro and there are hills everywhere out here so I opted for a 105 crank set 52-36T and swapped the cassetted out to a Shimano 11-34T. Upgraded to the Ultegra BB60 and an Ultegra chain wiht quick link to adjust the higher tooth count.
I will agree as well on the wheelset although they are not the lightest but they withstand a good beating on all conditions. A quick solution as most will agree is to swap out to a lighter wheelset and better tire and switching to tubeless. This will get the weight down as well a quicker revolution in wheel spin.
Sturdy, durable frame and fork plus 105's groupset is perfect combination.
Anything else like: chain, casette, crakns, brakes, wheels or tyres are easy replaceable to customize bike to Your pereferenes.
Big OK for this price and don't forget about long Decathlon's warranty.
Bought this bike a few years ago, still love riding it everyday till now!
Those Hy-Rds are really underrated.
Not only do most of them perform better than Spyres (sometimes even Growtacs), they are an upgrade from the Aliexpress hybrid brakes, and they were designed such that changing oil/ maintenance is easy.
If Decathlon updated their frame to be like the Poseidon family of gravel bikes (to have interchangeable dropouts) and kept this price, these bikes will be a proper sleeper/ fly off shelves.
I was looking for a relatively inexpensive road bike I can ride through winter might be a good shout.
I'd change the chainset and front mech for GRX, I like the 46/30 a lot, stick some 32mm tires on and good to go.
Could you please film the gaps when you put on the wider tyres? I would like to be able to judge by myself if I am comfortable, since i believe Decathlon recommends going 36mm max. Thank you
They specifically use Hutchinson. A manufacturer known for labeling 34mm tyres as 35, 39 as 40 and so on
A few things: While $800 is on the cheaper side when it comes to bikes, it's still a bit of money, especially for someone just getting into the sport and not knowing if you're going to stick with it. The ideal situation would be to find this bike or one like it that's slightly used but in great shape and get it for half that price. Bikes don't hold their value well at all, so this bike, even just a few years old, would be worth only half or maybe even slightly less. You should be able to find such a bike because people (like me) usually start out with a bike like this and then, if they find they love the sport, eventually move up to a more expensive bike. The 105 group set is the work horse of the Shimano line and I've found it to be much more reliable than the Ultegra set. I even swapped out my front deraileur from Ultegra to 105 because I kept having to adjust the Ultegra.
Lastly, what is the deal with these HUGE sunglasses these days? You look like a 10 year old boy who's wearing his dad's sunglasses lol. Anyway, just had to throw that in. Great video guys, keep up the great work.
This is where the Specialized Allez used to shine. But this appears to be a seriously nice piece of kit.
All of the comments on the Decathlon videos really goes to show how good Decathlon have got spec of their bikes. Rate that.
That is a lot of bike for the money, I have the TRP Spyre cable brakes on the road bike and when I was building the gravel bike bought a pair of the cable hydraulic ones pretty good option compared to the price of a full hydraulic set-up. I like that it's a honest review so Decathlon actually get quite a good add and somebody who can't afford a bike will get a nice bike, good job lads.
I have 2 of them, you can’t be wrong with this one ! The gravel version is awesome although a bit more expensive.
I just picked up one of the last few 105 RC520's in the UK for £670. I was looking at an alloy Synapse 2 reduced from £1600 to £1075 but £670 for one of these has to be an absolute steal! Thanks for the recommendation, I'm not sure I'd have even looked at Decathlon 🤘
The harshness is more from the stiff stock tires than the alloy frame itself.
In Switzeraldn, because of shortage issues with the Shimano 105, they are selling the bike with Microshift R10 (R502E) and derailles Microshift R10 (R712). Is it still a good bike or should I try to get the Shimano 105 version ?? Thank you for your answer !
Ive used mechanical + semi hydraulic disc on my previous budget roadbike. Yes, indeed, adjustments are extremely easy. But braking power is horrendous, you need to have very strong fingers n grip to apply sufficient power to brake. Some might argue its the cable issues or caliper... but its definitely not better than rim brakea.
I had one a while ago before I sold on ,I changed the wheels for fulcrums and ran with 700x38 maxxis ramblers and it was a nice comfy machine
I love this bike, bought it in April, and I managed to ride my longest ride of 80km
It fits me almost perfectly in size small, however a bike fit to fine tune the fit would be a nice to have
Love the fact you gave them away at the end but would have been good to see what improvements you could have got from the bike with the money saved by not going with a big brand first.
I owned it for a year, it was my commuter bike, in the end also my gravel bike. Solid bike for the money.
This is a low budget bike i'd like to have for bad weather rides or as a back up if my other bikes are not available.
Big question is the wheel quality, and rather heavy too. That's why i would still prefer a lighter + 2000 pound one as "entry" bike for cycling as a sport.
(and frankly, if I would be new to cycling and could afford a + 7500 pound endurance bike i would get it)
The only thing to avoid as a beginner is a bike with pro racing geometry/set up, and even that might not be necessary for one who is a lean athlete already.
I got the RC500 which has the Shimano Sora groupset. Pretty much the same geometry as tghe 520 but has different components. Which serves its purpose well since Im only a weekend biker. Changed my wheels to 35C but since you said it can fit a 40C, next time I’ll put a 40C. Changed my brakes also to a Tourney mech brake. The ProMax was slippery from the get go. Happy to see you review the Decathlon bikes. Its a nice brand for those who are just starting to ride bikes.
In manual it says 32 is max, I put on 38 and I feel that is already a bit dangerous, I would not put on 40. Esspecialy as with gravel you tend to ride mud and it is not good for the frame.
Great stuff. Wonder if you could do something similar with Halfords and get a hold of the Boardman SLR 8.9. Full carbon frame and fork with 105 for less than £200 more?
Good shout that
Had two bikes from Decathlon, Btwin Triban 3 ten years ago and more recently Van Rysel EDR Ultegra rim 3 years ago. Both been great bikes.
New content is nice, but I miss old vlogs
I always seem to come back to Decathlon when lokking at bikes. Great values across the board and they often have sales. Fir example I bought the Rickrider AM 50 S for 1200€ earlier this year.
Great video. Im only riding as im injured from running. Aiming to average 90 minutes a day (10 hours a week) so can't compete with the big boys nor do I want to. A bike like this is perfect. I actually have a Cadd12 that was reduced from £1500 to £999 when I bought it. I can't believe today's prices
This bike used to be around £675 iirc. It's since crept up and it's still pretty decent value.
I can confirm RC500/520s can do gravel.... CX, mountain bike 24hr races, TTs, Triathlons
THEY RULE!!🔥🔥🔥
Also I have the RC500 with Sora 9 speed and I can get away with 42mm gravel tyres and have a 36t cassette because I like to live life on the edge
Why like and subscribe? This channel will actually fit a tire to check... instead of simply rattling off the maker's claims for how big you can go.