Roadbikes are a new fad. Especially when it comes to newbies. They all want lightweight, good-looking and fast bikes. And road bikes offer exactly that. However, these sleek machines might cost you a fortune. However, decathlon has put an end to that with the triban series.
In this video, we will be reviewing Btwin’s Triban RC 100. Months ago, we purchased the RC 100 limited edition in a fantastic blue to rent out in Mumbai. And so we decided to give you a detailed review. The bicycle has been with us for the past 9 months and here’s our detailed review to give you a better understanding.
Frame:
Weighing around 11.3 kgs,The RC 100 frame is built from 6061 T6 aluminium alloy that offers an upright position to the rider. The welds were seamless and weighing just around 1800 grams puts this frame in our list of entry level top quality frames. Thus making it a good energy level bicycle for those looking to upgrade from mtb or hybrids or just get started with cycling.
Leaving the frame aside, the fork on this bicycle is rigid and made from mild steel. This lets the rider absorb more shock. Besides, this also helps keep the overall cost low.
. Priced at NR 29,999. (without accessories), the bicycle gives a comfort-oriented frame geometry to the rider. This also includes a higher steering socket and a shorter top tube that offers an upright position to the rider.The welds were seamless and weighing just around 1800 grams puts this frame in our list of entry level top quality frames.
The RC 100 is usually available in silver, however, if you are interested in buying the limited edition, you will get blue and orange as an option.
Handlebar:
The RC 100 comes with a standard alloy stem and 420mm Handlebar that makes it lightweight. We found it a bit too thin for our liking. We’d prefer a much more masculine handlebar. If you have big hands, this might just not be the right one for you.
Drivetrain:
The triban 100 earlier came with shimano sis shifters that required you to change your hand position to shift between gears. However, the new RC 100 comes comes with a decent micro shift 7 speed shifter that gives you a pretty good feel of riding a roadbike.
Rear Derailleur: The 7 speed micro shift shifter is paired with Shimano tourney RD and they work really well with one another. That being said, the bicycle does not have gears in the front. So if you are looking for a road bike with more bicycle gears, this might not be it. However, the brand has made a provision so you can install an FD in the future if required.
That being said, the Shimano 7 speed freewheel does offer a mega chainring that eliminates the need to have a 2X option in the front chain ring. This makes climbing easier on hills as well as on your knees.
Brakes:
As expected, this road bike comes with Aluminium brake levers equipped with cartridge brake pads for increased braking efficiency. These types of brakes have been used for years and are sturdy, durable and easy to maintain. At this price point, rim brakes are the best brake options available.
Wheels and tyres:
The bicycle comes with 700c double walled rims that come with quick release on the front and rear wheel. Thus making it easy to undo the wheels in times of transport and puncture repair. These rims do a decent job, however, if you are a rough rider or on the heavier side, the wheels might need truing on a timely basis.
Inspite of the shortage of bicycle tyres, the brand has done decently well to offer Hartex 700 x 28 tyres. The tyres are pretty lightweight and do a very good job on Indian roads. However, we did face a few puncture issues right after buying the bicycle.
Saddle:
Just like any other decathlon bicycle the Triban also comes with an ergo saddle. However, the road bike comes with a much better quality saddle that’s designed in a hammock shape that is mounted over a 27.2 mm diameter alloy seat post.
The seat post comes with marking that lets you set the saddle height so you never forget. We found this feature very helpful in the long run. On rides we faced an issue of the screw below the saddle getting loose. This required us to tighten the screw every now and then.
So here’s a short brief of what we didn’t like
When you look at the weight of roadbikes, The rc 100 weighs way more than that of average roadbikes. For short distances, this is not a problem but for long distances this will be a reason for you to carrying more weight. From the industry standard of good roadbikes that weigh around 8.5 -9 kgs, and cost double;the Rc 100 weight over 11kgs.
Left crank arm: During our tenure with this road bike, we also faced issues with the left pedal coming off resulting in splitting on the threading. Besides, the left crank arm got loose and also fell off. This cost us quite a bit to get a repacelment as decathlon’s customer support didn’t provide any replacement of the part or so.
Nonetheless, the screw that holds the seatpost and the seat also gets loose and if you don’t notice it, it can get risky on your ride. We had to occasionally tighten the seat post from time to time.
So if you are looking to buy this roadbike and have a very low budget, this would be the one. However, to do recommend saving some more and buying a better branded roadbike.
