The Van Rysel RCR Pro is without a doubt one of the most talked about bikes of 2024, and for good reason. The subsidiary brand of Decathlon has only been around in its current form since 2019 and has historically been known for value-oriented products rather than always aiming for halo bikes. However, in the last twelve months, everything has changed.
Last year Van Rysel introduced the RCR Pro, which promised top performance for road bikes at a far more affordable price than some of its competitors. This was followed by the announcement of a €26 million budget injection for Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, who race the bikes all season long with great success.
But WorldTour victories aside, has Van Rysel really built a Superbike killer? Let me explain.
Van Rysel RCR Pro: Construction
If you were to catch a glimpse of the RCR Pro as it rolls past you in the cafe, you’d think you’d just seen another Specialized Tarmac SL7. The RCR Pro shares some distinctive design elements, such as a seat tube cutout, dropped seat stays, a sloping top tube and a slightly lower head tube. This is far from a complaint though – the Van Rysel RCR Pro is a great looking machine and certainly feels at home in the WorldTour stable.
The frameset is claimed to weigh just 790 grams in size M, keeping up with the competition. In fact, it’s just a tiny bit less than the much more expensive Factor O2 VAM, and beats the Cannondale Supersix Evo Hi-mod’s frame weight of 810 grams. All of this was achieved through the usual effort of iterative computer design to figure out where best to place the “Super Hi Mod Carbon” throughout the frameset.
At least visually, the Van Rysel RCR Pro is reminiscent of Specialized Tarmac
(Image credit: Future (Richard Butcher))
As the RCR Pro is a modern, high-end road bike, its aerodynamics have been carefully considered. The frame was first subjected to computational fluid dynamics before different versions of the bike were tested in the wind tunnel so that Decathlon’s engineers could develop the fastest Van Rysel frame shape possible.
The RCR Pro features an aggressive 1.40 stack-to-reach ratio coupled with 410mm chainstays. The wheelbase is a bit longer than some of my favorite road bikes, which, as I’ll explain, contributes to the bike’s stable handling.
The two-piece cockpit features the Superzero handlebar from Deda
(Image credit: Future (Richard Butcher))
In terms of specs, my RCR Pro on test is a bit of a mixed bag. Group duties are handled by Shimano’s Ultegra R8170 Di2, wheels included, all of which performed reliably as expected. The spec, on the other hand, was more varied. The handlebars are a two-piece set with Deda’s Superzero bars. At 42cm centre to centre, they feel a little wide and I also found the drop quite shallow, which prevented me from being really comfortable. For comparison, Canyon’s Pace Bar system can be adjusted up to 35cm, and similarly Pinarello offers cockpits with up to 35cm wide bars with the new Dogma. The upside, however, is that swapping out the handlebars isn’t too difficult thanks to the two-piece design.
Van Rysel RCR Pro: the ride
However, putting aside my taste for the handlebars, it’s a pretty impressive bike on paper. The problem is, for me at least, that this didn’t quite translate into great performance on the tarmac.
As with all my road bike testing, I started with a local test route that I know more than well. This 25km route features some steep climbs, a fast descent and some bumpy and slick road surfaces, so I was able to get a good feel for a bike’s handling in a controlled environment. The bike felt stable straight away, but I couldn’t quite get it to feel lively underneath me like other bikes I’ve tested recently.
The wheels are Shimano’s Ultegra
(Image credit: Future (Richard Butcher))
However, as I don’t hold grudges when a bike makes a mediocre first impression, I continued the testing with some longer rides into the Cotswolds where I put the bike to the test on some tougher climbs. But even on the road I had mixed feelings. The Van Rysel RCR Pro is certainly a very comfortable bike that does a great job of soaking up the numerous bumps on the roads in my native Oxfordshire. However, this comfort seems to come at the expense of responsiveness. I also lost a seat post once or twice, albeit on a particularly rough road surface.
Particularly when weighing or sprinting, I think the RCR Pro lacks the responsiveness that the best road bikes convey so well. The RCR Pro is certainly a fast bike, numerous WorldTour wins prove that, but the slightly dull ride feel means it’s not as much fun to ride as other bikes on the market.
The bike works very well on descents. The slightly longer wheelbase combined with the aggressive head angle makes for a stable ride that still allows you to change direction fairly well. The RCR Pro was a bike that I was able to push pretty hard from the start.
Value and conclusion
Has Van Rysel really created a Superbike killer? After all, this bike is all about offering WorldTour quality at a more affordable price.
Our test bike costs £5,500 and comes with Ultegra Di2, carbon wheels and a two-piece finishing kit, which is great value for money but nothing out of the ordinary. The new Canyon Aeroad CF SLX 8, for example, comes with the same groupset, DT Swiss wheels and an integrated aero cockpit for just £500 more, so £5,999. Having ridden both bikes, I’d say the Canyon is better value for money.
While it may be a little cheaper than the competition in this price range, I don’t think that necessarily means it’s the best value bike on the market. I think Van Rysel absolutely established themselves in the market with the RCR Pro, and that road bike certainly gave the brand a boost too, but I still think it’s still an iteration or two away from beating the big guys.
