In the world of bikes, and particularly World Tour proven road bikes, the words fastest and cheapest are rarely heard in the same sentence.
But the bike brand I have here before me might be about to change things forever. I am, of course, talking about Van Rysel.
Cast your minds back to the end of 2023 when French pro team AG2R made a splash in the cycling press, announcing it would be partnering with Decathlon for 2024.
At the same time, it also announced that the team would be riding premium bikes by Decathlon’s cycling brand, Van Rysel.
Now, this had some people scratching their heads, as surely a more budget-oriented retailer like Decathlon wouldn’t be able to match the likes of Pinarello and Colnago when it came to out-and-out performance in the World Tour.
Well, if the 2024 road season is anything to go by then it looks like Van Rysel and Decathlon have done just that.
At the time of writing, the AG2R team has piloted their flagship Van Rysel RCRs to 26 victories at the highest level.
But perhaps the most striking thing is that you can go into a shop and buy the exact same bike as the pros for just £9000.
Of course, £9000 is far from cheap, but when you consider that Colnago and Pinarello’s World Tour race bikes cost well north of £10,000, the RCR starts to look far more competitive on price.
And cyclists bought into the hype, with the first batch of top spec Van Rysel RCRs selling out within minutes when they went on sale in the UK.
So it seems like competitive pricing and high-end performance can be offered at the same time. But what could this mean for the bike industry as a whole? Well, you’ll have to watch to the end of the video to find out.
Before that, I’m going to tell you a little more about Van Rysel and why they're causing such a stir.
Who are Van Rysel?
At this stage you may be wondering what Van Rysel is and where it originated from.
Well, Van Rysel, which incidentally translates to ‘made in Flanders’, emerged in 2019 and is Decathlon’s premium bike brand.
And while Van Rysel has only been in the World Tour since 2024, Decathlon has a long history of making bikes for professional teams such as Cofidis and AG2R Prévoyance in the early 2000s.
It’s worth mentioning that Van Rysels aren’t just rebranded from other Decathlon models, they’re a whole new line, with a dedicated team of engineers striving to make the best performance bikes possible.
Why should you be excited about Van Rysel?
That marketing speak is all well and good, but why should we be excited about Van Rysel bikes? For me, I think there are four key reasons.
Number one. It’s just great to see a relatively new brand on the scene that isn’t afraid to shake things up and put their money where their mouth is.
Sponsoring a World Tour team isn’t cheap and it’s a huge risk for any new brand, so to see the Decathlon AG2R teams doing so well aboard Van Rysel bikes, well, it can only put a smile on your face.
Number two. And you’re going to be hearing this a lot throughout the video, it’s got to be the price. As we all know by now, bikes are seriously expensive in this day and age, and that isn’t going to change anytime soon.
The fact that Van Rysel is trying to offer something at a more competitive price can only be a good thing.
Number three. They’re in it for the long haul. Decathlon and Van Rysel have committed to a five year partnership with AG2R, so I'm pretty sure this won’t be a flash in the pan thing.
Brands making long term commitments is great for the likes of you and me, as the tech that the pros get eventually trickles down to the bikes we get to buy in the shops.
And number four. The brand has teamed up with some interesting partners, including the likes of Swiss Side, Deda Elementi and French aerospace research laboratory ONERA.
ONERA is based round the corner from Van Rysel’s headquarters in Lille, so I can imagine having such an amazing facility nearby will mean Van Rysel are in the best position to make good on their claim of making the fastest and cheapest bikes possible.
Who should consider a Van Rysel bike?
In terms of who I think should consider buying a Van Rysel bike, well, in this video I’m riding the mid-range Van Rysel RCR, which features SRAM’s Force AXS groupset equipped with a power meter.
This is exactly the same frame shape and geometry as raced by the pros, albeit with a marginally heavier carbon layup. We’re talking only about a 40g difference, which is hardly noticeable.
Van Rysel says the RCR is in its ‘lightweight aero’ category of bikes, coming in at £5,000 here in the UK.
With this in mind I think a bike like this would be ideal for the amateur racer, keen sportive rider, or someone who just likes to go fast and doesn’t want to break the bank.
It also features Zipp wheels and some pretty tasty Michelin Power Cup tyres, so you wouldn’t need any upgrades for a while.
There are different models if you’re looking to spend less than five grand, and as I’ve already mentioned there’s the all singing, all dancing pro replica if you want to spend more.
All this to say, if you’re looking for a performance-focussed bike that's ready to ride or race straight out of the shop, then Van Rysel should have something to suit your budget.
How do you buy Van Rysel products?
At this stage you may be wondering, how do I actually go out and buy Van Rysel products? As you’d expect, you can go over to the Decathlon website to find the bike I’m riding today along with other products from the Van Rysel range.
It’s available in a range of sizes and you can then arrange for it to be delivered to your closest Decathlon store where you can go and pick it up.
Or, if you’re after a more bespoke retail experience then you can head to Van Rysel’s own concept store in London, where you can access services like bike fits and gain hands on experience with their full product range.
What does Van Rysel's presence in the market mean for the entire cycling industry?
Finally, let’s get on to what Van Rysel’s presence in the market means for the cycling industry and you, the viewers.
As we’re at such an early stage in the brand's development, I can only speculate for now, and things may change, but… here are my takeaways.
Number one. The fact that we have a World Tour team racing and winning on what are perceived to be more affordable bikes can only be a good thing.
We’re often sold the idea that the most expensive product is the best, so it’s refreshing to know you can buy the same performance at a more competitive price.
At the time of writing, AG2R Decathlon was ranked 6th out of 21 World Tour teams, so I’d wager that any concerns the riders had about racing bikes from Decathlon have long disappeared.
Number two. In the future, we may see more brands leading with the affordability of their top spec road bikes, rather than their performance.
Van Rysel created quite the buzz when it released ‘the world’s cheapest World Tour bike’ and I’m sure that’s one of the main reasons they sold out so quickly, rather than because of any performance claims.
And number three. If Van Rysel continues to build on its success of selling high-performance bikes at more affordable prices, will we see more premium brands having to reduce their prices to keep up?
Again, it’s just speculation for now, but my instinct says probably not. Our buying decisions are based on far more than just price, with marketing, brand history, region, after-sales support and a whole host of other factors coming into play.
In short, I don’t think we can expect a sub £10k top spec Pinarello or Colnago anytime in the near future.
But hey, it’s amazing to think that with Van Rysel, we can now buy a World Tour winning race bike for well under £10k, and in terms of change within cycling, I think that’s one we can all get behind.
If you’ve made it this far then I’d love to know what you think? Would you consider buying a Van Rysel as your next road bike?
