B’TWIN ULTRA 520 AF GF RIVAL DISC
£1299 › An alloy all-rounder worth online browsing for?
Decathlon’s hypermarché house brand is coming into this test hot off a win in our £500 head to head (issue 337). The Ultra is another top-value alloy all-rounder that shames a lot more expensive bikes.
Coming in at just under £1300, you might expect some compromise with the alloy chassis, and at a claimed 1470g (M) it is fairly heavy. The only obvious cost-saving elements are the external gear cables and brake hoses, although they are bonuses in terms of minimal friction gear operation and easy servicing.
The mainframe tubes are triple butted (three different thicknesses in each tube) and the rectangular top-and down-tubes are smooth welded onto a short (150mm) tapered head-tube. Add the 390mm reach for a potential predatory ride position, if you remove all the carbon fibre spacers. It would feel even more speed focused with a normal bar rather than the stumpy 75mm-reach Deda drops, and SRAM levers that naturally bring your hands in close to the bar. The tall SRAM lever hoods give a good handhold for dropping your elbows and getting aero.
Opening the throttle confirms that the press-fit bottom bracket and deep tapering chainstays give forthright power delivery to the 142x12mm rear axle. A chainstay flat mount for the 140mm rear brake keeps the back end neat too.
Judging by the space around the 27mm-wide Mavic tyres there’s easily room for 30mm rubber, or clip-on mudguards. The lack of any proper mudguard or rack mounts is definitely a fail on what could otherwise be an outstanding winter club run/commute/group training bike for the UK.
Wet arse and dirty face aside the Ultra still managed to distinguish itself on grimmer test days thanks to the sticky compound of £70 worth of
Tall SRAM lever hoods give a good handhold for dropping your elbows and getting aero
Mavic Yksion Elite Guard tyres. Add a low-slung frame, in terms of standover height, and these give the B’Twin a surefooted feel despite a middling 72.5-degree head angle and metre-long wheelbase.
The stiff Mavic Ksyrium wheels and tapered steerer, full carbon fork and boxy frame give it an accurate steering and line holding character. Where B’Twin wins is that the triplebutted maintubes and single-butted chainstays keep this stiffness just the right side of harsh. The tyres stay tracking well even when the surface is more track than tarmac, and we never suffered from vibration numbness even on long rough rides.
The low frame gives 30mm more exposed seatpost to flex and soak up shock than the Canyon. Add the topquality Fizik Antares saddle and the Ultra is a forgiving place to sit, particularly if you get caught out by a sudden pothole slam.
In terms of kit hierarchy SRAM’s Rival sits third from the top so it’s equivalent to Shimano’s 105, and we’ve had no complaints about the sets we’ve used. The braking is well modulated, the extended lever hoods feel more secure than low, smooth levers like the new Ultegra, and once you’re used to the one-lever-doesit-all actuation, rear shifting is good and front shifting is okay thanks to the Yaw cage angling tech.
As an all-round distance package that’ll look after you well while still feeling dynamic and alive enough for shorter, sportier rides, B’Twin has done a brilliant job with the Ultra.