TRIBAN RC 520 DISC
Decathlon’s dramatically redesigned Triban
The baguette, the beret, Brigitte Bardot, French icons all. But are they to be joined by Decathlon’s Triban RC 520 Disc? The French sports megastore Decathlon has a reputation for quality bikes at super-budget prices. Its newest RC 520 has lost the B’Twin branding and while this is the least expensive of our top 10, there’s no evidence of that from its components.
The shifting and drivetrain are based around Shimano 105 – itself very good at £729, and at this price we’ll forgive the non-series Shimano RS510 chainset and Microshift cassette. Its TRP HY/RD brakes are a clever mechanical-hydraulic hybrid design that pair Shimano drop-bar levers and cables that actuate hydraulic pistons.
Another distinctive feature is the geometry. Other bikes here big up their ‘endurance’ credentials but this moves further away still from race-bike angles. If you are looking for a pointand-shoot bike, look elsewhere. But I racked up the miles in comfort, as the upright position is perfect for long-distance commuting, negotiating urban traffic, unsurfaced tracks and towpaths. The head tube is taller than most, the top tube shorter, the handling leisurely, and in addition to day-to-day riding you could take in lightweight touring, although Decathlon “does not recommend overloading it with larger travel bags on the rear pannier”. There are also mudguard fittings with bags of clearance.
Decathlon says this offers “the most comfortable ride” it has ever made and its designers have radically dropped the seatstays on the compact frame and ditched its predecessor’s 31.6mm seatpost. The slimmer 27.2mm is more comfortable and the compact frame means a lot more of the post is exposed, softening the ride further.
The 28mm tyres offer more cushioning than the previous model’s 25mm rubber and with clearance for 36mm you could fit gravel-specific tyres. Unusually for a budget bike, the rims are tubeless-ready. The tyres are heavy but also grippy and comfortable, and their extra size allows you to drop the pressure.
The bar and stem are standard stuff, but the short drops are easy to reach and the tops ovalised for a comfortable handhold. Decent gelbacked bar tape rounds off the cockpit nicely.
The external cabling makes servicing easier and is fair enough at this price. And while I’d have liked the 105 chainset, I couldn’t detect any performance differences between the Triban’s non-series Shimano model and 105. In an ideal world I’d have thru-axles, but even with the quick releases there was no brake rub when riding out of the saddle.
The TRP hybrid disc brakes worked very well. They’re not drastically better than the best allmechanical systems but offer consistent power and control and are as good as anything you’ll find on a drop-bar bike at this price. Full hydraulics would have been nice, but this is the next best thing.
This brings us to the Triban’s value. If my 1979 O-level maths is correct, the brakes, levers, derailleurs and chainset would cost £623. And on a bike costing just £106.99 more, Decathlon throws in a frame, carbonbladed fork, wheels, tyres, cables and cockpit.
Negatives? It’s carrying more weight than most of the bikes here. But you only notice this on steeper climbs, when the 34x32 bottom gear comes to your aid. Relaxed frame angles mean it doesn’t have the zing of Specialized’s racier Allez and Cannondale’s CAAD, but what it lacks there it more than makes up for in its comfort, versatility and value.
The consensus here is also that Decathlon’s less costly Triban 500 looks better than the somewhat dulllooking navy-blue 520 Disc. But this is nitpicking. This Triban is a bike you can use for dayto-day riding, weekends away and more. It’s superbly specced, huge fun and a lot of bike – and all for not much money.