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Van Rysel NCR in the TOUR individual test
Decathlon is getting serious. The French sports retail chain is constantly expanding its range of racing bikes, and a return to the World Tour as a sponsor is also on the cards. The Van Rysel NCR CF is an all-road racing bike with a carbon frame and fork that accepts tyres up to 35 millimetres wide. The classic design is completely free of the trend towards integration. Stem, handlebars, seat post - you can tweak and customise as you please and don't need any special parts.
Nevertheless, the bike is very tidy. The Rival AXS wireless groupset from SRAM requires no cables, the hydraulic lines of the brakes run mainly in the frame and fork, only emerging briefly into the open at the steering head. The sloped frame is elegantly shaped, the seat stays nestle compactly against the seat tube with a beautiful curve, the blue paintwork shines like the sky and is cheerful. The frame offers no aerodynamic refinements, but that doesn't have to be a brake on fun off the racetrack.
The riding position on the bike is sportier than usual in the Allroad class. With a stack-to-reach ratio of 1.43, the frame is more like a race model. However, this is mitigated by a short stem (90 millimetres in size M) and a handlebar with a short reach. The bike comes with 30 millimetre spacers as standard so that the handlebars can be raised if necessary. The bike rides and steers in a balanced and neutral manner, with a slight tendency towards good directional stability.
The ride comfort of the frame is very good - low seat stays and the thin aluminium seat post give the rear end a surprising amount of suspension. However, the riding impression still lacks some suppleness, which is probably due to the tyres. Although the Fusion 5 tyres from Hutchinson are tubeless-ready, they are fitted with tubes as standard.
A matter of taste
They roll a little stubbornly over bad roads and are also relatively slim for 28 mm tyres (with an inner rim width of 19 millimetres). We measured 28.5 millimetres real width. Faster and more comfortable tyres, such as the Continental GP 5000 or Schwalbes Pro One, would be a sensible upgrade. If you want even more suspension, you could use a carbon seatpost to make the rear end even more lively.
The slightly angled top link sits well in the hand, but does not dampen vibrations particularly effectively. The low, rearward sloping curve puts your hands far away from the brakes - this doesn't match the all-road claim and doesn't feel ergonomically favourable. We would therefore swap the handlebars, but the rest is fine. The saddle labelled "Van Rysel" is comfortable on short distances. It should be a little firmer for long distances.
The SRAM AXS gearbox with 48/35 on 10-36 offers a slight reduction and long enough gears to let it fly. The gears shift smoothly and reliably, the shifting logic with one paddle on the left and one on the right is unrivalled and there were no chain drops. The ergonomics of the Rival grips take some getting used to at first, especially if you're used to the slim Shimano levers. But that is certainly a matter of taste.
Van Rysel NCR - Easy to maintain
The brakes (160/140 millimetre diameter front/rear) are powerful, but tend to squeal even in the dry. At 8.71 kilograms without pedals, the bike is no lightweight, but not overweight for the price range. More relevant anyway is the good range of gears, which makes most road climbs sufficiently easy.
The variable tyre width allows the machine to be easily adapted to the desired range of applications. With wider tyres, gravel roads are also possible. Fulcrum's Racing 3-DB wheels are a technical treat. The 28 millimetre high rims are cleverly spoked and the even tension on both sides of the hub flange prevents spokes from loosening. The construction and bearing quality are good and the wheelset is pleasantly light at 1660 grams.
All in all, a solid machine that is versatile and easy to maintain. If you are looking for a relatively inexpensive road bike without system integration, but otherwise up to date, with plenty of scope for wider tyres, the Van Rysel is a bike for many situations.
Van Rysel NCR CF Rival - Facts and reviews
- Price: 2849 Euro >> available here
- Weight: 8.7 kilos
- Frame/fork/steering bearing weight* 1288/425/73 grams
- Frame sizes** XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL
- Seat/top tube/head tube 485/555/137 millimetres
- Stack/Reach/STR*** 556/388 millimetres/1.43
- Wheelbase/caster 1000/53 millimetres
Equipment
- Drive/Circuit SRAM Rival AXS (2x12; 48/35, 10-36 t.)
- Brakes SRAM Rival (160/140 millimetres)
- Wheels/tyres (weights)**** Fulcrum Racing 3 DB, Hutchinson Fusion 5 28 millimetres (front/rear: 1400/1834 grams)
Measured values & individual notes*****
- Weight of complete wheel 8.7 Kilo Note 4,0
- Steering head stiffness 102.0 Nm/° Note 1,0
- Lateral stiffness fork 43 N/mm Note 2,7
- Bottom bracket stiffness 61.0 N/mm Note 1,0
- Seatpost spring stiffness 105.7 N/mm Note 1,7
- Spring rate fork 108 N/mm Note 5,0
>> The Van Rysel receives an overall TOUR score of 2.1
*Weighed weights
**Manufacturer information Test size bold.
***Stack/Reach Projected vertical/horizontal dimension from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube;
STR (Stack to Reach) 1.36 means a very stretched sitting position, 1.60 means an upright sitting position.
****Impeller weights including tyres, cassette, quick release/threaded axles and brake discs if necessary.
*****Single noteswhich are weighted differently in the overall grade, are only partially printed for reasons of space. The grades are calculated with all decimal places up to the final grade; however, for the sake of clarity, all grades are shown with rounded decimal places.
