Podcast #058 How Decathlon is making World Cup-ready Rockrider MTBs affordable

As you are probably starting to realize, road bikes are the fastest ‘breed’ and this speed comes with a small price – ease of handling, limited utility for accessories like racks and kickstands, and lack of control on rough surfaces. So if you’re intending to stick to the roads 100% and enjoy the thrill of speeding down your favorite stretch of tarmac, a road bike would be the perfect tool for the job. We have another great article here on how to choose the best road bike for your needs. I was considering either a stationary exercise bike, or a set of indoor rollers for my mountain bike. I was leaning towards the former because the latter would also require assembling a road-specific rear wheel set, something I didn’t have the time to figure out (T-2 days before quarantine).

We were introduced to team members who told us they had been to national championships in running, swimming, triathlon and cycling. Theft, efficient inventory management and checkouts were addressed by every item having RFID tags attached — and a single front-end checkout station. Shelf talkers and in-store video touted Decathlon’s in-house product development teams (who knew it had 200 bicycle product engineers?) and its own factories. The next day – as it was a Sunday – instead of visiting the headquarters, we were invited to visit the Velofolies bike exhibition in the nearby Kortrijk, Belgium. Two of the most recent addition to the Decathlon bike range were introduced at this well-known event.

decathlon bike

In March 2018, Decathlon revealed that it was planning to drop the B’Twin name completely, marketing its entry-level road bikes as Tribans. Budget Cycling has been set up to help people find ways to start cycling on a budget, but we only want to recommend ethical sources of bikes and cycling products. Noteworthy was a storewide focus on triathlon, which Decathlon believes is underserved decathlon road bike in U.S. retailers. The store doesn’t yet carry triathlon bikes but its house brand tri-bars, wetsuits, shoes and apparel are specifically targeted at multisport. You can recharge the bike via the nicely integrated charging port on the seat tube. The Shimano BR-MT410 dual-piston brakes and small 180 mm rotors don’t offer enough braking power for heavy riders, especially on long descents.

B’twin Village in Lille, France is actually a huge Decathlon store carrying predominantly products related to cycling and triathlon. The other portion of the one-time tobacco factory houses the testing facilities and the offices of the biking division. A new sports e-tailer is poised to put some serious pressure on the cycling industry with bargain-basement prices on gear.

Frédéric Jung, Product Director at B’Twin told French e-mobility publication Clean Rider that the 920 E’s prowess lies in its ease of use. “At the slightest pedal stroke, the bike reacts instantly and super fluidly. We are talking about a technically very advanced and very innovative bike that will simplify the life of a cyclist,” he said. They also offer a range of XC racers, and have their own e-MTB offering in the form of the E-ST500. Their other Triban offering is the RC520, which shares the same frame but comes with significant spec upgrades. Combine comfort and control for your commute to work or your more leisurely rides through the park, to the beach, or around town.

As its name suggests, folding bikes literally fold via hinges or clamps on the frames into a smaller form when not in use. This makes them ideal for riders who have limited space at home or at work, or for those intending to commute most of their journey on a train or bus, using the folding bike as a “last-mile” transport. In addition, families who struggle to transport 4-5 bikes in their car to the park have also found folding bikes to be a godsend, as have smaller-sized riders who struggle to mount a full-sized adult bike but don’t wish to ride a child’s bike.

The company earlier in October unveiled its Rockrider electric mountain bike portfolio for 2023. With the introduction of the Long Distance 920 E under the B’Twin brand, it decathlon road bike has urban dwellers and commuters in its sights this time. Folding bikes have surged in popularity in recent times especially among city folk, and its not hard to see why.