At the rear, a lightweight X-Fusion E1 air shock is installed. That alone saves almost half a kilo to the coil shock of the ST 530 S. Soft decathlon road bike response in front and progressive characteristic curve at the rear. Neither fork nor rear shock have a rebound adjustment option, however.
Additionally, you can also fit panniers to improve its functionality as a potential commuter or bikepacking rig. Aesthetically you wouldn’t know it was a budget option with its trendy olive green frame as well as black carbon forks paired with Hutchinson Overide 700×38 Tubeless Ready tan sidewall tyres. You can even swap to road tyres to easily double up as a road bike too. As a leisure bike I think it performs pretty well so 7 or 8. As a leisure ‘mountain’ bike it’s a little too short and too steep for progressive fun off-road.
So a few grams of weight can be saved at the rear with the small disc. The ROCKRIDER AM 50 S or All Mountain Fifty S has been introduced in July 2021 and ROCKRIDER thus closes the relatively large gap between the ST 900 S and the AM 100 S. As with the AM 100 HT, the S and M sizes come with 27.5″ wheels and the L and XL come with 29″ wheels. And also with the AM Fifty S can be mounted later tires up to 2.8 inches wide. Just a few years ago, Decathlon sold everything related to bicycles under its own brand B’TWIN.
Hydraulic suspension fork 100 mm with weight adjustment and lockout. The stanchions have a bigger diameter than those of the ST 530 and ST 120. For me, the ROCKRIDER AM 100 S is one of the best examples of the new ROCKRIDER brand experience.
That with the help of abundant E-Newtonmeter plowed forest soil and deeply dug ruts on trails lead to acceptance problems was foreseeable. Not to mention illegally built kickers and drops in protected areas. A way out are official, nature-compatible MTB trails as there are now more and more.
Decathlon’s range and value for money is hard to beat, especially given most major cities and towns in Europe have their own store, making cycling more accessible and affordable. With these bikes, they may not be your top of the range super duper fancy racing machines, but the cycling market is a lot more than just that. A good leisure bike for having fun in the Park and gentle family trails with no technical features. The ST-100 comes with a derailleur protector as well which is a useful addition for excitable children dropping their bikes in a hurry. Pretty much everything worked smoothly out of the box with just a very slight toe-in adjustment to the V-brakes to stop some hideous squealing.