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Can't see a lot wrong with this.
https://bikepacking.com/news/decathlon-riverside-touring-920/
Maybe a steel build would be nice but I guess they're keeping prices as low as possible. Great spec though.
I like that, the colour has even grown on me.
Nice spec. Looks great, pretty close to my ideal ATB, if it was steel!
The fixing points on the chainstays are for this rack
https://www.decathlon.fr/p/porte-bagage-arriere-touring/_/R-p-333521?mc=8646629
33 mounting points 😲
That's really nice - wonder when they're available?
I like that, a lot. In fact I would buy one now.
Watching with interest.
I really do like that but won't the 1x with 32 chainring up front limit "progress" on anything remotely flat?
That does look nice - I don't need one, but I'd buy that!
Im pretty sure my next commuter will be a rigid or short travel xc hardtail, however that ticks all the required boxes apart from the colour and there being no stock. Basically a modern vagabond.
What are the differences that would make someone by that over something like the al sonder camino?
I really do like that but won’t the 1x with 32 chainring up front limit “progress” on anything remotely flat?
It's probably OK. How fast do you want to go on a touring bike? I have 38 - 11 top gear on a 650B gravel bike at the mo, it's fine on road unloaded and only ~50cm development higher gear.
Compromise of 1X isn't it - gear it for loaded climbing and you'll have limited top end.
The fixing points on the chainstays are for this rack
https://www.decathlon.fr/p/porte-bagage-arriere-touring/_/R-p-333521?mc=8646629/blockquote >
It's a nice bike. Please don't spoil it with that rack.
About the only obvious weakness in the build might be the seatpost; shim in a decent 27.2 and that's sorted too.
this , Want not need again!!!
nice bike
@jameso - my guess is that it won't be used fully loaded, or even lightly loaded all the time. It looks like a great all-rounder bike.
I think the 32 will be good off road with a load though.
^ Agreed, I suppose they spec it for intended use and you swap in a 36 or 38 for mixed-terrain day rides if you want to.
31.6 is dropper friendly though!
Another like from me, excuse the ignorance but does a dub chainset mean a non standard bottom bracket or could it be converted to a 2x easily 🤔
That looks great. Definitely adding that to the next bike list. More details on the Decathlon UK website.
Hang on... It look fine but it £1400 for what is fundamentally a rigid MTB with drop bars. With less gear range than a traditional tourer, yet designed to go off road.
Looks like a great bike but has some fundamental flaws I'd say.
Have you ^ seen the price of bikes/components recently?
I really do like that but won’t the 1x with 32 chainring up front limit “progress” on anything remotely flat?
Not really. I ran 32/11 on my 'adventure' bike for a while, now it's on my XC bike. It's easily good for 25mph and more on flat which is more than I can manage for long especially on a bike like that - dunno about you! On descents, well you just spin out or freewheel and enjoy the scenery. Take it on narrow lanes instead of open straight roads and you won't even notice. I would have no concerns doing long distance on/off road touring on my rigid bike, although I've gone up to 34T I wouldn't worry about having 32T. In fact if I were loaded I'd probably put the 32T back on.
Can this bike accept a 34T?
Well my newest MTB is a 2006 vintage Kona, so I'd guess not?
My 2014 Trek crossrip was £900. The significant upgrades in 7 years appear to be more braze-ons, clearance for bigger tyres and hydraulic discs (over cable BB5s, which were rubbish in fairness). Given the perceived savings you maybe should be getting my not going for a "premium" brand, it feels expensive for what it is.
Oh, And three more sprockets on the cassette, with 2 less chainrings. With a smaller overall range.
It looks like a great bike for a very limited range of circumstances, so fits it's "riverside" name I guess: Pootling along gentle trails carrying your luggage with you.
I really do like that but won’t the 1x with 32 chainring up front limit “progress” on anything remotely flat?
Bear in mind its got mtb tyres too so the effective gear is a lot higher than a road bike. 32-11 might not suit a roadie group ride, but would probably be fine solo, just coast down hills.
I do agree though, a double, 26-38 or whatever shimano were pedaling to the xc crowd before 1x took over would be a better bet. 1x seems a pointless compromise (on a bike that is already compromised trying to do everything).
This has a front dynamo and a dynamo headset port and brooks saddle.
I think it's pretty good value for money compared to similar bikes (Sonder Camino, Pinnacle Arkose).
It looks like a great bike for a very limited range of circumstances
Not to me. It looks like an all-day bike for riding a really long way on trails or roads. If you want to do that, it's ideal. My adventure bike is like that but with flat bars, and I could easily use that as my only bike, road and off.
It's not a compromise, it's a choice. Most of our bikes are quite specialised, that is a generalised bike. You could ride anything on it bar hardcore gnar and it wouldn't be too bad at any point.
In reply to Dickyboy- no obvious reason that a 2x setup wouldn't work just fine, although the front mech would have to be a modern direct pull design, as there's no cable stop on the frame. I'd guess that there's no shifter inside that left hand brake though, so increasing the complexity of changing. At 1x11 on this particular bike, I'm not convinced that the downsides of the compromise are sufficient to warrant the cost and complexity of going 2x. Just my perspective..
Yeah, 1x would rule it out for me.
Ok so I missed the dynamo hub, so yeah with the brooks maybe it's not as poor value as I initially thought. Fair enough. Just climbing down off my high horse now...
Cheers,
Keith
I think the 520 is same frame with all the bosses and clearance, but with 36t, flat bars, more kit, alloy fork, half the price.
Tempting to grab that for the frameset only.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/touring-520-bike/_/R-p-312723?mc=8575005&c=BLUE_TURQUOISE
How fast riders are you all that 32x11 is not enough on the flat?
How fast riders are you all that 32×11 is not enough on the flat?
Dunno how fast, but I do know that 32x11 is the lowest I like to ride a 29er for any distance on the road at all.
I was thinking of long flat road sections or long easy descents. If it's fully loaded then it's plenty, I just think that a do it all bike like that will be used all the time. As said earlier, lots of compromises are made to make it a jack of all trades
I'd still like one though... Is Santa reading this?
I was thinking of long flat road sections
Not an issue for me with 32x11 I must say. Long shallow descents are a bit irritating, yes, for sure. But the bike is capable of 2x so it's not a deal breaker anyway.
Bike companies spec 1x because it's cheaper. If this were the kind of company that does custom specs it'd cost at least 50% more - but it's Decathlon, so you get what they supply at a good price.
It’s not a compromise, it’s a choice
Broadly agree with this. When I chose a (retro) touring bike *for general use while being capable of touring* I chose it for being:
- Comfortable all day (and the next all day)
- Swiftish when unloaded (near audax)
- Stable when loaded
- Geared for hilly terrain/winching and also road (still triple)
- Can handle a range of paved and unpaved surfaces up to gravel tracks at a push
- reliable, simple, possible to hikeabike, decent paintjob ie not afraid of getting bruised
That Decathlon 920 looks like a very versatile bike for general use, just not a broad range of gears for extensive touring.
Also just read that it comes with Sun Duroc 30s, Thunder Burts and tubeless setup (supplied)
I would very much like to try one out. Can’t see that being an option which is a shame as it reminds me very much of why I bought a Vagabond, yet this seems to address the short wheelbase issue which made me move it on.
Wow! Who's now designing their bikes!
The rear rack mounts on the seatstay is the best thing about the bike. Looks amazingly stable. If it wasn't AL - Steel or Carbon I'd be lusting after it even though I have an AWOL.
Very mixed feelings on this bike, love it can take up to 2.4" tyres; road standard bolt thrus, but wary of it being 1x; double-tap; things that add unnecessary weight for me like the dynamo hubs.
A bit cheaper than the Cutthroat though! 😆
Loving the look of the flat bar version as a do it all gravel / adventure bike - just got to find some stock. Seems a cracking bike for £700
no triple is a deal breaker on this sort of bike for me.
Looks nice , Be a good commuter bike for sure but as far as actually touring on one - its been specced by someone whos done no touring and has limited access to parts .
I would not immediately write it off if i could fit a triple to it though - as i do appreciate alot of folk buy em for the image of being an adventureous sort and ride to work on it so wont need a triple but more and more bikes are adding lots of tire clearance at the expense for being able to have a wide range with close ratios which is annoying.
SRAM Dub ... wonder if it's the BSA version? PF would be a pain.
Looks nice , Be a good commuter bike for sure but as far as actually touring on one – its been specced by someone whos done no touring and has limited access to parts .
I rode for a while with one of the guys testing a prototype a couple of years ago, he brought it along to the TNR. He was on 1X, very similar spec to what this bike is from what I remember, spent a moment looking over it. The gearing wouldn't be my choice either but realistically the number of people wanting a £1400 OTP Al/carbon bike for touring+bikepacking who will do a bigger ride than something like a week across the Alps is small. It's a commercial or product management call and 1X sells bikes like this these days.
They geared to for the climbs, at least : )
Now in stock online, limited sizes. Ordered a large.. Time will tell how I get on with the limited gearing but I'm looking forward to trying it out around Scotland. Looks perfect for the likes of a week on the Great North trail.
The gearing wouldn’t be my choice either but realistically the number of people wanting a £1400 OTP Al/carbon bike for touring+bikepacking who will do a bigger ride than something like a week across the Alps is small. It’s a commercial or product management call and 1X sells bikes like this these days.
I can see your point, especially the marketability point. But for me I use my CX bike for everything. It does laps of trail centers, bikepacking and steadier club runs. So I like having a range of chainrings.
That said, with big cassettes the range* is pretty much the same anyway.
And credit to Decathlon, the rest of the spec is great, Brooks saddle, dynamo, USB charging. Shame it doesn't have a lights, and the dynamo wiring looks a bit clunky. Why have a tube ziptied to the outside of the fork? I managed a neater looking job on my commuter with just black tape and heat shrink.
*11-42 with a 40t chainring Vs say 11-32 with 32/48, it's only 2 top gears, I could probably spin through those if push came to shove.
Does anyone know how you do bike to work with decathlon by buying online? Their website just talks about in-store.
Delivery is booked for 14 December. Merry Xmas to me!
Gearing: rather than top end spin-out, I'm more focussed on what it'll be like when loaded and winching up a long climb as that's the point of greatest suffering. We'll see..
Anyone checked out the geometry chart? Looks massively long to me, even the small is 4cm longer in the reach than my medium kinesis!
In large, the supplied stem is 80mm and the bars have just 52.6mm reach, compared to the 110mm stem and ~75mm reach on the bars for my Cube Attain. With the high stack numbers too (623mm for large), it's a very relaxed aero brick fit.
I asked them on instagram about this - "Yes to cyclescheme in all stores and green commute in Cambridge, Aberdeen, Wednesbury and Southampton. They stated at the moment you need to buy it to store for click and collect, then get it refunded in store and immediately repurchase the bike via your voucher at the tills. First half of 2021 this option is coming online."
They have another cheaper gravelly bike I quite liked the look of , and was ready to buy when it came back into stock, them they put the price up by 100 just as stock returned.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/rc-120-disc-gravel-adventure-bike-microshift/_/R-p-312397#picture-0-0
Felt a bit cheated by the jump from 500 to 600 so more likely to hang on till January and see if any of the Boardman's go on the sale.
I'm in when finally available - cheaper alternative to Bombtrack Adv+ or Trek 1120...hope they deliver as im not exactly close to a Decathlon store!
trailwagger
Free Member
Anyone checked out the geometry chart? Looks massively long to me, even the small is 4cm longer in the reach than my medium kinesis!Posted 16 hours ago
REPLY | REPORTn0b0dy0ftheg0at
Free Member
In large, the supplied stem is 80mm and the bars have just 52.6mm reach, compared to the 110mm stem and ~75mm reach on the bars for my Cube Attain. With the high stack numbers too (623mm for large), it’s a very relaxed aero brick fit.Posted 16 hours ago
This is why bar or grip reach and stack numbers can be helpful, since you don't hold on to the top of the head tube.
I can see your point, especially the marketability point. But for me I use my CX bike for everything. It does laps of trail centers, bikepacking and steadier club runs. So I like having a range of chainrings.
Maybe it's not going to be much cop on a steady club run : ) depends just how steady.
@jameso - as a bike designer yourself, what are your thoughts on this bike? I'm intrigued, I can't decide if it's a super-flexible design that would suit many (depending on tyre size) or a specialist niche product that only a long-distance bikepacker can fully enjoy?
And I see the weight (12.8kg I think) is fairly hefty, but comparable to a Fargo. Is this going to make it a plodder or can it be used for a quick unladen dash around the local woods?
(Edited to add some stuff and punctuations.)
@theboyneeds tricky to say really as it's so subjective. Designers (more of a product manager in my case tbh) have to have opinions and my opinions are probably quite different to the guys behind this bike. ie, not a lot of point listening to what I think : )
If anyone was listening, basically this could be a great bike for long rides on roads and dirt tracks, ideally loaded up and under a rider who's not a downhiller at heart or seeking techy goat track sort of trails. It might not make a lot of sense on a short ride in the local woods or it might be a lot of fun as a monstercrosser, that's a really personal thing related to what gives you your input>output kicks.
So far / ime I prefer bikes that sit a bit more clearly in one camp or another, embracing the pros and cons that brings. A test ride on this might say it's a really involving bike is a certain situation though and that might clinch it for me, it'd be compared to a good rigid 29er though since it's clearly aiming at off-road ability.
All that aside, it's a bike that could navigate and win the Tour Divide pretty much straight out of the box for £1400, just add a Garmin, lights and bikepacking gear and check if you like the saddle (you won't have a prob selling/swapping it either). I'm impressed. Maybe just not my ideal club run winter bike : )
Thanks @jameso - much appreciated.
I've ordered one to replace a cx/gravel bike, a rigid 29er, and potentially my hardtail xc bike because I don't have the room to store them all anymore. I'm slimming down to just the three bikes 😀 (the 920, short travel full-susser, long travel full-susser).
I'll report back when it arrives in a couple of weeks. And maybe post a few classifieds.
Looks like something in the Pipedream ALICE camp, if the flat bar model is £700 it's a lot cheaper though.
basically this could be a great bike for long rides on roads and dirt tracks
It's essentially the same as my rigid 29er but with drops. For me it's the perfect bike for long rides in my area because there can easily be 10-15 miles of road, then some steep climbs and descents and lots of moorland tracks which are usually rocky. So my ideal bike for this kind of exploration needs low gears and fat tyres. If I'd had this kind of choice when I was buying, I'd have probably gone for a drop bar like this Decathlon, however these things weren't really available and I was on a budget so I had to port as much across from the donor bike as possible which included shifters and brakes. And now the frame's too long for drops really.
And I see the weight (12.8kg I think
I was wondering about the weight. So an aluminium bike with carbon forks that is yet still a KG heavier than my old (stock) Vagabond (which was cromo, 2x, with fairly hefty wheels and 2.1 tyres)?
Ahm oot (was thinking about MAYBE consolidating my retro touring bike* and Longitude for one of these)
Weightwise the 2016 Vagabond (£1k) I had was more than fine for what I wanted it for (solo exploring, ATB, bimbling, commuting, carrying stuff at times), and I think a lot of the complaints about it’s ‘weight’ at the time were OTT. 12kg/26lbs is just about great for a steel monstertourer/bikepacker IMO
But, if I was shelling out another half a K for similar type of bicycle then I’d want something to be a little lighter, but that’s me.
* Edit, second thoughts. I LOVES my 531 tourer, like no other 😍. Other second thoughts - this Decathlon 920 (Trek must be annoyed?) at under 30lbs is probably still respectable for a monstercross(ish) offroad touring bike with hub generator and gubbins. Look forward to hearing people’s experience with it!
So far / ime I prefer bikes that sit a bit more clearly in one camp or another
I think that's the flipside of what I was trying to say. By trying to make a bike that really can do anything (albeit possibly badly) you end up with a bike that's really only optimum for a very niche use (the Tour Divide).
Whereas something in the same mould as an Arkose or a CX bike struggles to get through that extra few per cent of technicalness, or do it well when loaded, but much nicer to ride elsewhere.
I'm basing that opinion on having previously had a Vagabond, it was great for that few per cent of my riding where a CX bike wasn't enough, but was heavy and slow the other 98% of a long ride (and there was no way it was keeping up with a group ride of others on CX bikes once we hit tarmac or even dry hardpacked fire roads).
It's all about the clearance for me. What other ali/carbon framesets are out there that can take 29x2.25+ tyres and dropped bars, with full guards please!
On weight, dynamo and tyres in the main. And half a kg of boss bolts!
A Vagabond is more like 13kg isn't it? The frame and forks on the Decathlon prob only 750g to a kilo lighter in total, the XT dyno hub (500+g) the charging gear and a Brooks saddle add that back on.
you end up with a bike that’s really only optimum for a very niche use (the Tour Divide).
"Depends..." : ) It might also be optimum for byway bashing which is just UK Gravel isn't it. One rider's niche is another's do-it-all. One rider's do-a-fair-bit isn't wide ranging enough for another rider. Bikes like this do sit in the most overlapping area of the bike category venn diagram, for good or bad. Sounds like you and I prefer something biased toward a use/category rather than aiming for the biggest overlap area.
A Vagabond is more like 13kg isn’t it?
Yes sorry, good catch. Now realise that I mistakenly looked at the Giant Anyroad figures by mistake in the side-by-side test I searched!
Vagabond was tested at 12.43kg/27.35lb without pedals. The new 725 one (2021 Vagabond) I’ve seen listed (but not tested) as 11.73kg (25.86lbs)
But I didn’t feel mine was overly heavy for a bikepacker/tourer/ATB, in fact it felt much like my (rigid) old Lava Dome maybe a pound heavier, but the Vagabond was a lot less flexy when loaded.
“Depends…” : ) It might also be optimum for byway bashing which is just UK Gravel isn’t it. One rider’s niche is another’s do-it-all. One rider’s do-a-fair-bit isn’t wide ranging enough for another rider. Bikes like this do sit in the most overlapping area of the bike category venn diagram, for good or bad. Sounds like you and I prefer something biased toward a use/category rather than aiming for the biggest overlap area.
True, I'd really like to get a demo on one to see if it solves the problems I had with the Vagabond. I put a lot of it down to the frame feeling heavy, with a lack of urgency when pedaling and lacking directness and at the same time not having that nice comliant steel zing. It actually rode a bit like my old 1980's Claud Buttler Dalesman (badge engineered Dawes Galaxy), nice in it's way but I always preferred riding my actual road bike.
I put a lot of it down to the frame feeling heavy, with a lack of urgency when pedaling and lacking directness and at the same time not having that nice comliant steel zing.
Sounds about right for a drop bar 29er capable of proper touring or bikepacking, needs to be fairly stiff, can't see the Trek or Decathlon 920 feeling a lot different? I rode the Trek briefly once, it was loaded up but it was certainly stiff and had a fairly slack/floppy steering feel for a drop bar bike. I mean, so's a Croix de Fer, just that bikes like that can never feel like a brisk 531 audaxer and carry a decent load off-road.
I had a really nice skinny classic road bike made for me this summer and went touring on it in Wales - only put a bit over 4kg on it and it was starting to feel out of it's range, verging on wobbly, hitting holes in the road too hard. If I still had a CdF I'd have been better off on that. Unloaded though it's lovely ride, zingy and lively compared to a CdF.
highlandman
Free Member
Now in stock online, limited sizes. Ordered a large.. Time will tell how I get on with the limited gearing but I’m looking forward to trying it out around Scotland. Looks perfect for the likes of a week on the Great North trail.
Darn - just had my order cancelled by Decathlon. How about you @highlandman?
Out for delivery on Monday coming, apparently.. Holding on to that hope at the moment! Will report once I've had a chance to ride on some local, mellow trails and see how it does. The only changes that I've currently in mind are to put a shimmed 27.2 Thomson post on it from the spares box and probably a hop up to 180mm front rotor as I just cannot see that a 160 will be enough for assured, comfortable braking. Again, rotor & caliper adapter from the spares box, assuming that the fork is post mount not direct mount.
wrong geo
BB drop is WAY too short, every bike is this category have at least 15mm more (given the tyre size I believe it's at least 20mm too short).
So stack is too low as a result
FAIL
True, I’d really like to get a demo on one to see if it solves the problems I had with the Vagabond. I put a lot of it down to the frame feeling heavy, with a lack of urgency when pedaling and lacking directness and at the same time not having that nice comliant steel zing.
I’d question that reasoning, sounds like you would better suit a nice light road bike/gravel/racing bike, not another touring/bikepacking all-terrain bike? Especially not one with even less-‘zing’, ie overbuilt aluminium one that weighs about the same (stock build) as a Vagabond?
@ciquta Bit harsh! Care to explain?
Stack on Large is 16mm higher than Large Arkose, for instance.
Reach is 16mm longer.
ETA New video on the product page now, and they are promising a suite of matching luggage next year. Nice!
and had a fairly slack/floppy steering feel for a drop bar bike. I mean, so’s a Croix de Fer, just that bikes like that can never feel like a brisk 531 audaxer and carry a decent load off-road.
And therein lies the problem - it's really hard to find a 'gravel' bike in size small, with a head angle steeper than 71.5°. The Escapade, for instance, is reputed to be lively and fun, but the M,L etc have 72° head angle but the small is 71.5, so back to the CdF feel. I assume it's a toe overlap thing but it makes life for us short arses difficult.
I don't know where to start...
First of all this is a different bike than Arkose: has mounts everywhere, it's a 29, has real flared drops and so on...
Anyway, the BB is almost 4cm higher than arkose (23mm from the geo plus 14mm from the tyre). That's HUGE!!
That's a drop for a hardtail, how many bikepacking rigs has a BB visually in line with rear axle?!?
It's a big fail to me, and not even cheap. The Sonders have a much a better value.
^ I did a chunk of the King Alfred Way on my Arkose X and there were sections with deep ruts and "jeep tracks" where I wished for a higher BB (my cranks are already relatively short). I run 50mm 650bs which might well have contributed to that..
Given that's the route I'd use this on, instead of the Arkose, the only reservation I had with the bike was the weight, and what that would be like when loaded with all the mounting options.....I'm still very tempted and think it looks good value , despite picking up my Arkose x (which is ace bar the lack of fork mounts) for only £840 in a sale. Thinking about it again, probably cheaper for me to put different forks on the Arkose...but those 29er Thunderburts on the Riverside also looked handy
I run 50mm 650bs which might well have contributed to that.
well of course it matters, that's 25mm difference from the ground
Fresh out of the box and first impressions:
It's a proper large. BB is threaded which is good to know, along with there being a cable stop fitted for a front mech, bottom pull; cable can be run internally. The LH hood has no shifter inside. Brakes are UK spec, RH Front.
While it's light to pick up, it feels 'stout'. Hard to explain. I guess I mean stiff.
Position is quite high at the front but I'm more used to a nimble hardtail with 120mm at the moment, so cruising position would feel quite upright. The shallow drops are still a fair bit lower than the wee hardtail position. Taking out spacers and an inch or two of steerer tube is likely soon.
Bars have a flat top and a very slight backsweep. Tape is better than I expected.
It's come with a tool roll, with the tubeless valves in, so I'm going to take a stab in the dark and say the tyres have tubes in now. Not for long though.
That seatpost could be used to support a crane. It's going..
In the tool roll are spare spokes, a spare mech hanger, chain link and some basic reflector/lights. There's a pack of clear frame tape too. Nice.
Spec as per advertised is absolutely spot on, no changes or substitutions.
There will be plenty room for 2.4 tyres, as suggested; It would probably take larger, depending on whose tyres you like to use.
Hopefully get a proper ride at the weekend.
Excellent. Especially on BSA BB and front mech pre-prep. If it took 2.6 Ikons I wouldn't be able to resist!
(That's if they ever sort stock AND C2W out!)
On the stock rims, 2.6 will be pretty close to the frame and fork; hard to be certain but comparing the 2.5 Vigilante off my hardtail, that would likely work fine but I doubt there's a huge lot more room after that. There's room for quite a tall 65mm tyre but a flexy wheel could lead to problems. With the 2.25 Thunder Burts in, there is not less than 15mm clearance in every direction around both wheels.