New Triban RC520...?

[Spoons47]

I might possibly be getting the cycle to work scheme in the next week and this bike is screaming at me to buy it. If anybody that buys one and has to time to stick a small review on here, I’d be very grateful.

 

[MilkRace]

Just taken the plunge tonight to buy the Triban RC 520 and it’s bloody out of stock in large!

I had it ready in my basket to buy at 5pm but got distracted, went back to it at 7pm and they are all sold out now! Anyone any idea how quick Decathlon are to stock back up?

Bugger.....hope you don't have to wait long.....and don't forget to tell us how it rides when you do get it.

 

[MilkRace]

Managed to pop to my local decathlon and pick up the Triban RC520 today. Very happy with it, hopefully be able to get out on a nice ride in the next couple of days.

Just next to add some mudguards and it will be ready for winter and commuting.

Wow.....looks good to me......can't wait to hear what you think of it.

 

[MilkRace]

I might possibly be getting the cycle to work scheme in the next week and this bike is screaming at me to buy it. If anybody that buys one and has to time to stick a small review on here, I’d be very grateful.

I'll second that....!

 

[ellis]

Managed to nip out for a quick 10 miler on the bike today. Feels great in the saddle and can really picture doing long rides with ease. For me, coming from a 10 year old Tiagra system to 105 on this bike the difference is huge! The shifting and gear changes were fantastic and made riding the bike very enjoyable. Also, first time on a disc brake road bike and I was impressed with them!

Thumbs up from me

 

[rcp_typo]

I'm also very keen to hear more about your experiences with this bike. Very much looking at buying a new bike ASAP as want to start commuting by bike again (need a bike having just moved back to London, 9mi commute each way), and this is right up there against a Genesis Equilibrium or Ribble (either CGR or Endurance 725). I'm just not sold on the rc 520's brakes, having read some bad things about the TRP's. Though full hydro on a Ribble does run to almost double the cost (plus a trip to Birmingham to have a better look).

 

[MrPorridge]

Being in the market for this sort of thing, and living only 4 miles from a Decathlon, I'd be all over this if only the small size was available.

I asked customer service and they said that it wasn't yet available (unlike all the other sizes - XS to XL) and they had no idea when the S would be in stock.

Not sure whether to just take the plunge and get the Vitus Zenium which is on offer from the Wig-Reaction people. £100 more but you do get the full hydro 105 brakes and £829 still seems like a lot of bike for the money. Downside for me seems to be the reported problem with getting mudguards that can fit it, although Chain Reaction do advertise it as having a "seat stay bridge for mudguards" so maybe you can put a proper guard on the back and a clip-on on the front?

Anyway, I digress. The 520 looks amazing value.
Oh, and @ellis - the L size seems to be back in stock now.

 

[BianchiVirgin]

Very tempted for C2W Scheme for winter bike and general arsing about. Looks great in that dark blue.

 

[tom73]

I'm also very keen to hear more about your experiences with this bike. Very much looking at buying a new bike ASAP as want to start commuting by bike again (need a bike having just moved back to London, 9mi commute each way), and this is right up there against a Genesis Equilibrium or Ribble (either CGR or Endurance 725). I'm just not sold on the rc 520's brakes, having read some bad things about the TRP's. Though full hydro on a Ribble does run to almost double the cost (plus a trip to Birmingham to have a better look).

Looking at CGR for my n+1 seen them all in the flesh. Both Ribble ones look great and I think better than RC520. CGR has more wheel and tyre options than the others. If you do go and a have a trip out to Ribble I found it well worth it great bunch of guys really helpful. In the end come down to which one you like the most.

 

[plasticniki]

I've had this bike for a week now, racked up 300km on it. Did a 200km around Kent yesterday, I love it. Noticeably more comfy than my other B'Twin (an Ultra AF 700) over longer distances. New 105 gears are excellent, brakes and excellent but need bedding in. I can't fault it really.

 

[Geoffers]

Hi all
I've just bought an RC520. I started cycling in June (divorce, new girlfriend, new hobby!) and initially started with a BTwin Triban 500 from Decathlon because it was cheap and I wasn't sure how I would take to cycling. It had a rep for being a very good bike for the price so seemed like a sensible choice. I rode over 1000 miles in 4 months and I really liked it until a couple of things started to break. It was in warranty so I traded it in for the RC520 .... twice the price but more than twice the bike - it's like night and day!

Since getting the RC520 I have ridden a 30 mile social ride and a few commutes ( 8 miles each way). The bike is way faster than the 500 and the wider tyres make it feel much more planted on the road so I'm less bothered about minor potholes. The 105 gearset is so much better than what I had before and so are the brakes. I'm not properly accustomed to the brakes' power - I've locked up once already.

I can't really talk about frame stiffness and all that because I'm not very experienced - I just know that I'm faster (both uphill and down), more comfortable and more in control with better shifting and braking. I'm setting Strava PBs for fun at the moment.

I've got a medium frame and the usual accessories - saddle bag (2 tubes, multitool & tyre levers), torches and spares, 2 water bottles, rear mudguard & garmin. All those bits weigh about 2kg and the whole thing weighs 12.5kg, so I reckon 10.5kg for the bike itself.

One thing - my local Decathlon (Bolton UK) wasn't that great at setting the bike up and so I had a few minor niggles (cable tension on the front cogs, a rattle in the shifter). Nothing to worry about and easy to fix but worth noting if your local branch is setting up for you.

Hope this helps. Now I've registered for this site you'll probably see me knocking about in other threads... mostly lurking because I've got more to learn than to say.

 

[nickAKA]

Hi all
I've just bought an RC520. I started cycling in June (divorce, new girlfriend, new hobby!) and initially started with a BTwin Triban 500 from Decathlon because it was cheap and I wasn't sure how I would take to cycling. It had a rep for being a very good bike for the price so seemed like a sensible choice. I rode over 1000 miles in 4 months and I really liked it until a couple of things started to break. It was in warranty so I traded it in for the RC520 .... twice the price but more than twice the bike - it's like night and day!

Since getting the RC520 I have ridden a 30 mile social ride and a few commutes ( 8 miles each way). The bike is way faster than the 500 and the wider tyres make it feel much more planted on the road so I'm less bothered about minor potholes. The 105 gearset is so much better than what I had before and so are the brakes. I'm not properly accustomed to the brakes' power - I've locked up once already.

I can't really talk about frame stiffness and all that because I'm not very experienced - I just know that I'm faster (both uphill and down), more comfortable and more in control with better shifting and braking. I'm setting Strava PBs for fun at the moment.

I've got a medium frame and the usual accessories - saddle bag (2 tubes, multitool & tyre levers), torches and spares, 2 water bottles, rear mudguard & garmin. All those bits weigh about 2kg and the whole thing weighs 12.5kg, so I reckon 10.5kg for the bike itself.

One thing - my local Decathlon (Bolton UK) wasn't that great at setting the bike up and so I had a few minor niggles (cable tension on the front cogs, a rattle in the shifter). Nothing to worry about and easy to fix but worth noting if your local branch is setting up for you.

Hope this helps. Now I've registered for this site you'll probably see me knocking about in other threads... mostly lurking because I've got more to learn than to say.

Welcome & thanks for taking the time to review this bike, it's of interest to me and plenty of others.

If I needed a bike right now this is undoubtedly what I'd buy as a do-it-all machine. When you inevitably get wanderlust and start drooling over a bianchi or suchlike as an upgrade, take a step back and consider upgrading the wheelset instead... I think it would lift it significantly performance-wise.

 

[nickAKA]

Managed to pop to my local decathlon and pick up the Triban RC520 today. Very happy with it, hopefully be able to get out on a nice ride in the next couple of days.

Just next to add some mudguards and it will be ready for winter and commuting.

I think it looks a lot nicer in your picture than the pro publicity shots! I'll have to go and have a proper look at it in the flesh (very dangerous...)

 

[plasticniki]

cable tension on the front cogs

yep, they'd not set this up for me properly either, which is disappointing. apparently the new 105 FD is different to the old one

 

[ellis]

I think it looks a lot nicer in your picture than the pro publicity shots! I'll have to go and have a proper look at it in the flesh (very dangerous...)

Haha. I actually think it does look better in the flesh to be fair. Your right their pictures don’t seem to do it justice.

Couple more observations:

Very impressed with the disc brakes. I haven't had any other experience of discs but after breaking them in slightly the stopping power is Impresive and superior to anything else I have ridden.

I'm still getting use to the shape of the drops, feel quite different to drops I have ridden before. I'm sure once I have ridden them for longer they will become more familiar.

Once thing I would say about the bike is how easy it is too ride and that whenever I'm riding it makes me want to continue... for the price in my opinion it's an utter steal.