VAN RYSEL RR 900 AF
Shimano 105, UCI-approval and a bargain price
Decathlon used to market its bikes under the B’Twin name – but since 2019 its racier models bear the Van Rysel moniker while its commuting and touring bikes come under the Triban umbrella. Van Rysel may smack of a faux-Flandrian flavour but both the Van Rysel and Triban bikes are designed and tested in Flanders, and there’s a label on the RR 900 AF to remind you of that.
This Van Rysel is a stunningly well-priced entry into road cycling. It not only has Shimano 105 but it pairs this with Mavic’s tough entrylevel Aksiums. You want more? At the time of writing the price was just £799 although this is now back at £849.99, but even at its full price the arithmetic is startling. The newest R7000 version of Shimano 105 costs £599 and the Mavics £200, which leaves £50 for a frame, fork and cockpit. But is it the bargain it looks? Does the ride rise above the super-modest price? Yes, in spades.
For a start, the Shimano 105 comes without any cost-cutting on brakes or chainset. The brakes in particular are a highlight, with 105 some of the best rim brakes around, especially the Van Rysel’s powerful direct-mount front stopper. These were put to the test when an un-seeing driver didn’t use his mirror or signal before manoeuvring into my path while I was descending towards him at speed. A moment of panic was followed by a rapidly controlled, skid- and squeal-free stop.
This is one of a few bikes here with a pro-compact 52/36 chainset, which seem to be gaining a foothold, and here it’s paired with a more aggressive cassette than either the Ribble or Giant on test. This has an 11-28 for the small jumps between gears that stronger riders will appreciate. For those of us who prefer lower gears, the long-cage rear derailleur will allow you to
use a 32t sprocket. The tallish 34x28 bottom gear left me cranking out of the saddle on steeper climbs rather than my usual sitting and spinning, but the gearing complements the frame’s geometry.
Forget ‘sport’ or ‘endurance’, this Van Rysel’s geometry has a medium-length top tube, the racer’s classic 73-degree head angle, 73.5-degree seat angle, shortish 147.5mm head tube and compact 984mm wheelbase.
This equates to fast handling, a reasonably aggressive riding position and, thanks to the stiffness through the bottom bracket, there’s a great sense of efficiency. And even though the carbon fork has an aluminium steerer there was great precision throwing this bike into corners, where the Mavic tyres were probably the most limiting factor. The 25mm Yksions aren’t as supple or as grippy as some and they’re one of the few things I’d change. The Aksium rims also clicked thanks to slightly imperfect pinning. It’s annoying and goes away in time but it’s a familiar Mavic failing.
The Ultra RCR aluminium frame is butted to keep the weight down and while a shade under 9kg is not super light, that’s only 600g heavier than the lightest top 10 bike here. The welds are chunky and unsmoothed but the paint finish shrugged off knocks and the internal cabling for the rear mech runs through the chainstay and exits neatly at the dropout. The oversize 31.6mm seatpost contributes to a firm ride, but the Van Rysel’s contact points – especially the slightly flattened bar – are very good and it’s a delight to ride. It’s fast, rewarding, handles accurately, doesn’t flex under out-of-thesaddle efforts and there are no kit shortcuts.
This also has the ride of a much more expensive bike, a quality aluminium frame and carbon fork and a price that makes it hard to believe how Decathlon can turn a profit on it. A final bonus is that Van Rysel also offers a lifetime guarantee on the frame, stem and handlebar and two years for the fork. Looking for a first road bike for racy efforts, fast sportives and new personal bests, and you’re on a budget? This is a great place to start.
“It’s a delight to ride. It’s fast, rewarding, handles accurately and there are no kit shortcuts”