Dropbar brand expands into off-road cycling: Van Rysel unveils a mountain bike

Van Rysel has established itself as a major player in the drop-bar segment. Now it wants to Decathlon’s road bike and gravel bike brand is also making inroads into mountain biking. To kick things off, the French brand is unveiling the RCR-XC cross-country full-suspension bike with 32-inch wheels at the Roc d’Azur. From the 2027 season onwards, Van Rysel will be the official cycling and clothing supplier to the Decathlon Ford team and will therefore be present at the UCI MTB World Cup. However, it remains to be seen when Van Rysel mountain bikes will go on sale.

The way Van Rysel meets performance demands off-road is demonstrated, for example, by the RCR-G Race Gravel Bike. The RCR-XC now marks the company’s move into cross-country racing. According to the manufacturer, a dedicated MTB development facility was set up for this purpose, with a team based in the French Alps. Until now, the mountain bikes in the Decathlon range have been marketed under the Rockrider brand.

Decathlon Ford will be racing at Van Rysel from 2027

The partnership with Decathlon Ford covers both race bikes for the MTB World Cup and clothing. Van Rysel names Luca Martin, Samara Maxwell and Savilia Blunk as the riders who are set to compete on the RCR-XC in future. With 24-year-old Martin, the French team now has the dominant rider of the 2026 World Cup season in their ranks. Initially, the bike will be used exclusively by professional riders. Feedback from the races will be incorporated into the bike’s further development.

For Van Rysel, the partnership marks an entry onto the highest sporting stage, rather than an immediate launch of sales. An initial MTB clothing collection is set to go on sale in 2027. The manufacturer has not yet revealed when the RCR-XC will be available to customers, nor at what price. Nor does Van Rysel’s RCR-XC product page yet mention a date for the bike’s release.

32 inches as a sign of things to come in racing

The fact that Van Rysel is opting for 32-inch wheels from the outset is a clear commitment to a wheel size that is currently establishing itself in the XC sector. Our sister magazine BIKE has already 32-inch bikes compared with 29-inch bikes in practical and laboratory tests and via near-production 32-inch full-suspension bikes reports. The new wheel size is also becoming increasingly relevant in the gravel sector.