TRIBAN RC500
£649.99 Decathlon’s understated wide-tyre-friendly all-rounder
Decathlon’s Triban brand is no stranger to our tests of bikes at real-world prices. The newest incarnation of the RC500 looks like it will keep up the French brand’s reputation for producing very good bikes at prices few companies can match, even if it has gained over £100 from the 2019 and 2020 models. And, in spite of it not being the most expensive bike here, the Triban has the highestgrade groupset. It also has cable disc brakes, much the largest tyre clearance and the carbon fork even has fittings for a front rack and a 9kg carrying capacity, upping the versatility factor further still.
While the other three bikes in this test are overtly road bikes, Triban’s RC500 is less racy and a bit more all-roady. For a start it has the widest tyres here, 28mm Protect+ tyres that measure a shade over 29mm on the tubelessready rims. It’s still unusual to see tubelesscompatible rims at the budget end of the market. If you don’t want to go tubeless you’re no worse off, but it’s good to have the option. My own road bike is tubeless and I’ve had just one puncture in three years, though your mileage may vary. I’m also a big fan of wider tyres, which are not only more comfortable but usually just as fast – though all-out speed is rarely an issue for me. The Resist+ tyres seemed tough and grippy and while they’re not tubeless-ready, there are numerous choices available – and with the RC500 having clearance for 700c tyres up to 36mm wide and 650b tyres up to 40mm, gravel-riding and bikepacking come within reach. The wheel and tyre combo is pretty heavy, though, weighing in at 2,200g, which will hamper acceleration, but they smooth out potholes and poor road surfaces excellently.
The Triban’s geometry is also the least aggressive here,
with a slack 71.5-degree head angle, a longer wheelbase and a shorter top tube all pointing to more leisurely riding ambitions. The handlebar is also well suited to this style of riding, with the tops very slightly swept back and flattened, making an ideal handhold for big days out where comfort and big mileage are more important than full-on speed. Though when you do crank it up to speed, it holds its pace well. I got on fine with the own-brand saddle too, which has a slight pressure-relieving groove.
The Triban RC500 has the highest-level groupset of our quartet and, I’d say, probably the best brakes as well. Whereas the Boardman and Mango bikes have eight-speed Shimano Claris, and the Wizard nine-speed MicroShift shifters and front mech with a Shimano Sora rear, Triban has managed a near-complete Sora groupset, with the MicroShift cassette the only deviation. Sora is an excellent groupset and a long-time favourite of mine, with smooth and accurate shifting, and the wide-range cassette seemed to prove its equal. And while the Promax cable-actuated discs are never going to equal the power of hydraulics, or better the best rim brakes, they proved smooth, consistent and quiet – and they won’t wear your rims out, an often-overlooked advantage of discs.
The RC500 is also easy to set up, with a couple of nice touches for the novice or more hamfisted home mechanic, like me: the seatpost has measurements on it to make it easy to set and adjust the saddle height, and the RC500 also has Triban’s new ‘No Gap’ stem. The top of the stem’s face plate tightens flush against the stem body, with the lower two bolts tightened in the usual way, ideally with a torque wrench, making it virtually impossible to overtighten. It might be a small thing, but it’s a nice touch nevertheless. If you’re looking for a sharp-handling, point-and-shoot road bike, you’re probably best off looking elsewhere. But if you want a high-quality bike for big days out, riding to work, loading up with shopping or perhaps adventurous weekends – or longer trips – away then Decathlon’s well-appointed RC500 offers you a hell of a lot of bike for quite a modest amount of cash.
The Triban RC500 has the highest-level groupset of our quartet and, I’d say, probably the best brakes as well