Stefan Frech / January 2022
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Reading Time: 12 Minutes
Test & Tuning Decathlon Bike:
Triban RC 120 Disc
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Model Year 2022 News
The TRIBAN RC 120 Disc is now available in trendy gray color with black lettering. Technically, nothing changes in the TRIBAN 120 Disc 'MY22'. According to the new product video, however, tires up to a width of 38 mm can now be mounted officially. So gravel conversion is more a subject than ever ;-)
French sports discounter Decathlon is known for its excellent value for money, but what you get for your money with the Triban RC 120 Disc - respect, that's awesome. Exactly € 499,99 are called for the chic blue racer with orange Triban lettering. Comparable bikes of other manufacturers cost gladly times the double. So maybe a cheater after all?
Anyone who has known Decathlon for some time probably knows that the entire cycling line, including clothing and accessories, is marketed under the B'Twin label. Or rather it was. Because everything has changed recently - from March 2019 there will be brand labels for every cycling sector. The Road Cycling segment, designed for comfort, long distance and everyday use, is covered by the Triban models. Road Racing, strongly competition-oriented, is covered by the brand label Van Rysel. In this respect it suits me, I am not a competition driver and therefore in good hands with the Triban brand. Nothing worse than a bike that doesn't fit your personal needs and abilities! The Triban 120 is actually a high-end Triban 100. A cyclist friend even called it the Triban 100 on steroids. The 100 has already proven in many tests that for € 349.99 you get a full-fledged racer with a range of uses from road to gravel to randonneur.
The Triban RC 120 Disc is based on the proven 6061 aluminium frame of the 100. Decathlon sells the Triban 100 in over 50 countries. That means really large
quantities and in total millions of kilometers of experience. Advantage: The 1830 g heavy frame is technically mature and Decathlon gives a lifetime warranty on it. By the way, this also applies
to the stem, handlebar and fork [Note: since 4/2020 fork 2 years]. The fork is undoubtedly the highlight of the
RC 120 Disc. No shit, it is a carbon fork. It doesn't just look that way - everything is real. I particularly like the natural carbon design. For me it also looks as if it is the same fork as
used on the higher quality Decathlon bikes RC 500, RC 520 and RC 520 Gravel. That would be nice, wouldn't it? In addition to the high-tech fork, there are mechanical disc brakes from Promax with
160 mm rotors and semi-metallic brake pads at the front and rear. Finished is the varnish concerning the optics! In front of you stands a bicycle dream in noble navy blue and black and it
definitely makes a good figure in the beer garden too.
With the favourable price, it is of course clear that there will be some compromises to be made somewhere. And so the Triban RC 120 Disc has a somewhat peculiar mix
of components. The rear derailleur, front derailleur, cassette and brake/shift lever come from Taiwanese manufacturer Microshift, while Decathlon uses the Shimano Tourney A070 road bike crankset
for the crank with double chainring.
By the way, the Decathlon bike comes with tubular tires, but the rims are already 'Tubeless Ready'. So you don't have to invest in new wheels. The standard tires are
sporty profiled road tires with a modern 28 mm width. Hell yea!
The standard pedals are, as I should say, very simple and don't really fit the bike. I think the pedals are mounted more for the sake of completeness. A Decathlon
customer wants a 100% ready to ride bike. After all, the plastic pedals are nice and light.
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Out of the Box and
Ride...
Officially Decathlon sells the Triban RC 120 Disc as a road racing bike with which you 'make fast progress'. With its 2x8 gears it is also suitable for any track.
And what does that mean in concrete terms? I would like to take up again the new brand philosophy of Decathlon: Triban stands for comfort, long distance and everyday life. In this respect, you
sit much more relaxed on this bike than on a competition racing bike. The Triban is really pleasant to ride and yet somehow sporty. I feel ready to ride an attack at any time. That is real racing
bike feeling what arises there.
I am 180 cm tall and have decided on the L frame. The size M was definitely too small for me. I would have had to ride with a lot of elevation and then there
wouldn't have been much of the Triban comfort left. The RC 120 Disc moves forward wonderfully, the bike is very stiff and the cockpit is great. The optical value continues in haptics and
function. A small drop of bitterness: Unfortunately, the employee in the Decathlon shop didn't check the gears and so there was chain rub in some gears on the front derailleur. When you pick up a
bike at Decathlon, make sure everything works perfectly. For me it was unproblematic because I know my way around quite well, but especially if you are a beginner, everything should work
perfectly.
Back to riding. The disc brakes are great, so are the tires. They have really good grip on the road and look great. Almost like a super bike tire that got too thin. The track keeping on fine, rolled gravel is also ok. At least as long as it's dry. Anyone like me who, motivated by the many positive tests of the Triban 100, intends to use the RC 120 Disc more on gravel should, however, put on other tires.
One more remark about the dropbar - it has a slight backsweep (approx. 4°) and therefore the bike is very comfortable to ride in the upper position. A small detail, but it makes the bike absolutely suitable for long distances.
Résumé
The Triban RC 120 Disc from Decathlon is a great sports bike at a fair price. The bike is neither a cheapo, nor a cheater. For price-conscious leisure cyclists with
sporting ambitions definitely a very hot offer. The seating position is comfortable and anyone who wants to attack can get out of the saddle and really put the pedal to the metal. No speed is too
high for the disc brakes, they are easy to adjust and decelerate excellently.
The Microshift gearshift is also convincing. It is in no way inferior to the well-known Shimano and Sram products. An 11x34 rear sprocket set and a double chainring
in the front with 50 and 34 teeth respectively results in 16 gears. Uphills welcome. Highlight is the carbon fork.
No wonder that shortly after the start of sales not all sizes are available anymore. I am really happy to have received a bike in size L for the 2019 season. The
conversion to the trendy Gravel Racer is possible with very little effort. I strongly suspect that the French will soon bring a 120 Gravel and probably also a 'Limited' edition. No doubt, the RC
120 Disc has the potential for it (Update: on 17 January 2020, the Triban GRVL 120 was presented at the Velofollies bike show in Kortrijk, Belgium).
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From Leisure Road Bike to Gravel Racer
My home is surrounded by woods. More precisely, there is a lot of forest and many gravel roads. And so it was obvious to make
few modifications to the bike. In the past months I have tested different parts and setups. Tires, pedals, bags, handlebars, brakes and of course riding, riding and riding again. Dry, wet, dusty,
slushy - except for snow really everything was there.
In the meantime Decathlon has launched the GRVL 120. A real gravel bike for the budget price of 700 Euro. So the question arises whether an RC 120 'Gravel' still makes sense at all. The answer is
simple: Yes, it makes sense. Because gravel is extremely versatile and the boundaries to randonneur, expedition bike, cyclocrosser and even to the classic hardtail are fluid. In addition, should
personal preferences change, the bike can be converted back into a pure road bike at any time. And a suitably tuned RC 120 can not only compete with the GRVL 120 in price and performance, but can
even compete with bikes in the 1000-1500 Euro class.
In the following I would like to introduce the tuning packages 'Performance Gravel' and 'Competition Gravel' for the RC 120 Disc, which I developed and tested in practice. Below are the
individual tuning parts with links to the shops.
RC 120 'Performance Gravel'
With the 'Performance Gravel' parts the RC 120 Disc becomes a stylish gravel bike. I have tested this package for several hundred miles on gravel roads in the woods
and fields, on tarred farm tracks and on the road.
Typical usage profile road/gravel: 50/50
Perfomance level: beginner / sporty recreational rider
- Tires Trekking Speed 700x38
- Combination Pedals Shimano 324
- Frame Bag Riverside 300
- Bottle Holder Triban
RC 120 'Competition Gravel'
With the 'Competition Gravel' parts the RC 120 Disc becomes a real hard gravel bike. I tested this package several hundred miles on gravel roads and single trails in
the Schoenbuch Nature Park and in the Black Forest.
Typical usage profile road/gravel: 30/70
Performance level: advanced / sports rider
-
Front Tire Schwalbe Smart Sam 700x40
- Rear Tire Schwalbe Smart Sam 700x35
- Schwalbe Extra Light Tubes
- Combination Pedals Shimano 324
- Frame Bag Riverside 300
- Bottle Holder Triban
-
Hydro-Mechanical 2-Piston Brake
- XLC Skewer Set
- Ritchey Ergomax Allroad Dropbar 44 cm
- Kellago Dropbar Tape 3 mm
-
Mudguard Frame
- Mudguard Saddle
RC 120 'GravelCross Pro' (2022)
The 'GravelCross Pro' is the current 2021 tuning stage of my Triban RC 120 Disc. I have modified the bike again and also reduced weight quite well.
Typical usage profile road/gravel: 10/90
Performance Level: Expert / Racing
WARNING For the use of a 180 mm brake disc on the Triban RC 120 Disc there is no manufacturer approval. Risk of breakage during riding. Possible consequences: Fall, injury, death.
Tires A (Max. Volume / Endurance)
-
Front Tire Schwalbe Smart Sam 700x42
- Rear Tire Schwalbe Smart Sam 700x40
- Schwalbe Aerothan Tubes
Tires B (Competition / Short Run)
- Schwalbe Rocket Ron 700x35 (used)
- Schwalbe Aerothan Tubes
Modern alternative:
- Schwalbe X-One Allround 700x35 / Tubeless
- Pedals Shimano PD520
- Sattel Selle Italia X-LR TM Aircross Superflow
- Carbon Seat Post EC90
- Bottle Holder Triban (2x)
- Hydro-Mechanical 2-Piston Brake
- 180 mm Brake Disc; Front
- QR Seat Post Clamp
- Ritchey Ergomax Allroad Dropbar 44 cm
- 80 mm Stem
- Kellago Dropbar Tape 3 mm
- Mudguard Frame
- CYSKY Cassette 11-40
- Shimano Alivio Derailleur
- Shimano Chain; 9 Speed
'The 50-34er crank with 11-40 cassette works very well for me - but is tricky in the setting and technically a conversion 'on the last groove'.
Therefore, I am also considering in the direction of super compact crank 46-30 in conjunction with the original 11-34 cassette.
Top Tuning Parts
Mudguard Frame
Saddle Mudguard MTB (modified)
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Triban RC 100
The cheapest entry into the Triban world and for years a classic in silver-gray. Unfortunately, no longer with the large 34 sprocket but with a 12x28 cassette and a
44 chainring. Recommended if you really do not have to ride steeper inclines. From time to time there are even 'Limited Editions' in great
colors.
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Triban RC 120
The RC 120 with V-brakes is something for tough calculators who can do without disc brakes in favor of a much lower price. Otherwise, the bike is in no was inferior to the RC 120 Disc.
Microshift 2x8 drive components and original Shimano road crank with 50/34 chainrings make neat speed.
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Triban RC 500
The bike of the year winner! The RC 500 has taken first place in three categories at road.cc 2019/2020. That means a lot, because the testers of road.cc are real bike fanatics and definitely know their stuff. Shimano Sora levers, Sora crank, Sora rear derailleur, plus Promax brakes and of course tubeless-ready rims. Wow!
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Leave a Comment
Sharing my experiences here with you is a great thing. Feedback from you helps me to be even more specific about the topics that are important to you. So, if you want, feel free to leave a message. Rate my review, ask a question or just say 'HELLO' to the worldwide Triban community.
Much more pictures and latest information on my Insta ;-)
So check out steffsworld_on_insta and don't miss a thing.
Koen (Freitag, 12 April 2024 11:34)
Great write-up! What size seat post clamp did you use?
PatTheExpat (Montag, 06 November 2023 23:09)
This post and thread are awesome. On the RC 120 Disc I bought in Sweden there was no Shimano 34-50T crankset, but rather a 34-48T from Wheeltop. It's easy enough to find the Shimano crankset but I prefer a 165mm crank length and finally found one online from Prowheel with 32-48T.
Any idea if the crankset I found will fit on the Triban's original VP-BC73 BB?
Here are the specs to the Prowheel RPL 421 32-48T, 8/9-speed:.
• B.C.D.: 110 / 80 mm.
• Chain line: 44 mm.
• Q-Factor: 161 / 132 mm.
• Pedal length: 116 mm.
SteffsWorld (Freitag, 06 Oktober 2023 13:28)
Hi Dawn,
as far as I understand it is technically impossibe to use a 142 mm hub. That 142 mm hubs are a so called 'gravel standard' is completely new for me. I made thousands of kilometers with the original 135 mm hub and like 85% of the distance was on gravel roads. Only once I had to adjust the bearing play. Greetings :-)
Dawn (Freitag, 06 Oktober 2023 10:58)
Can we fit a 142mm hub at the rear? Like a normal gravel bike? I want to upgrade for new wheelset but I’m worried about fitment
Lazar (Sonntag, 13 August 2023 17:34)
Another note I was refering to 11-32 11 speed SHM cs 7000 cassette
Lazar (Sonntag, 13 August 2023 17:12)
I would change the shifters as well I just want to know if the wheels come with a hg body or hg 11. Thanks for the fast reply
SteffsWorld (Sonntag, 13 August 2023 17:09)
Hi Lazar, thank you for your post. I would say it is possible but of course it's not working with the original shifters and not with the 8s chain.
Lazar (Sonntag, 13 August 2023 16:37)
Hi, I was wondering if there is a possibility to fit cs R7000 cassette on to standard wheels.
Aaron (Montag, 24 Juli 2023 21:45)
Hello, just got an RC 120 disc upgraded with CST TIRENT 700x40 fit perfectly with some room left.
Franz (Freitag, 19 Mai 2023 21:34)
Hello. How have xtech brakes worked for you over time?
Scott (Donnerstag, 22 Dezember 2022 02:21)
Just bought a rc120 disc. These rims have a hellish reputation for resisting tire changing (clinchers). Any advice to ease my mind before I get my first flat? Are there tires with easier looser tire beads?
Scott (Dienstag, 29 November 2022 17:08)
Great review and much appreciated upgrade worthy info. Nice to know the base model can get you in shape for better components.
SteffsWorld (Samstag, 27 August 2022 20:22)
Hi Steven, thanx for writing. As long as the tire fits with the rims in general there are no substancial downsides. What can happen if the pressure is too low is that the tire may escape to one side in turns and this feels pretty scary. My fav choice for mixed road/gravel use is size 700x35. And this size fits super stable in the rim under any conditions ;-) Greetings
Steven LENOS (Samstag, 27 August 2022 14:42)
Thanks for this exiting effort! Isn't there a drawback of using very wide tyres on a 17mm rim? What are the downsides?
Ivan (Dienstag, 14 Juni 2022)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AJSOlN43sw
Michał (Dienstag, 14 Juni 2022 15:58)
Hello,
How can i tuning drive in this triban? better than basic option with 8 gear?
Ivan (Donnerstag, 02 Juni 2022)
Hi, did someone fit Continental contact urban 40-622 on this bike, or a similar touring tyre of this size?
Rod (Montag, 23 Mai 2022 19:33)
On mine I upgraded the drivetrain with 1x12 SRAM eagle 10-52 using a shifter adapter kit from https://ratiotechnology.com/.
Also note the standard triban rims are incorrectly toleranced (common problem) such that most non-road tyres are very difficult or impossible to fit. They are also very difficult to seal the spokes (e.g. with tape) if going tubeless, due to the strange profile of the wheel rim channel. I switched my rims to 650B, but perhaps newer triban wheels are better.
One question: why did you upgrade only the front brakes to 180mm? Is it also possible to upgrade the rear?
SteffsWorld (Donnerstag, 10 März 2022 19:54)
Hi Tomas,
thanks for giving this information. What is your frame size? So what I learned is that especially the newer frames have the mudguard seat bracket in the same position as the GRVL 120 frame and so there is no clearance problem with the 700x38c tire. How much pressure you put in?
Tomas (Donnerstag, 10 März 2022 08:01)
Unfortunately, but Trekking Speed 700x38 tires does not fit properly for my rc120. Tires are too tall and rubbing (a lot) on mudguards mounting bracket located between seat stays. That is interesting, because I see a lot of clearance with same tires on your bike. Maybe on never bikes manufacturer (with the release of rc120 gravel edition), decided that rc120 road bikes shouldn't be used with wider tyres, and redesigned mudguard bracket positioning to prevent this?
Matous (Montag, 17 Januar 2022 19:47)
Hi, have you had any struggle to fit 700x40 as a rear tyre? How much space is left from the frame? Thanks a lot for sharin these photos and info:)
Franz (Mittwoch, 24 November 2021 15:54)
The photos link:
https://shorturl.at/hnJT2
Franz (Mittwoch, 24 November 2021 15:53)
The crankset is Shimano FC-TY501 46x30
https://www.amazon.es/photos/share/Lc3kpzfQG5YU6ZEsaQeeOX8s86cqwZmKbbE6qWzNhF8
The chain had to be shortened by a couple of links.
SteffsWorld (Sonntag, 21 November 2021 20:13)
Hello Franz,
this are great news. Could you send me a picture of it and the exact parts description? I think this is probably one of the best changes to the bike when using it for gravel because the original 50x34 crank is not really suited for steep uphills. Would love to have this information right here on the website ;-)
Franz (Freitag, 19 November 2021 15:50)
Hello.
In the end I placed the 46x30 crankset. It works well. Now I have a little more oxygen when things get steeper.
SteffsWorld (Sonntag, 07 November 2021 21:23)
Hi James!
I don't ride tubeless on my bikes anymore. This milk thing pretty much sucks. Had some problems with the valves too so I tried Schwalbes AEROTHAN tubes and I absolutely love them. They are super light (more or less the same weight like tubeless with milk), super stable, snakebites are not an issue and I can go down with the pressure nearly as low as on tubeless. Disadvantage: they are pretty expensive.
James (Donnerstag, 04 November 2021 18:12)
Hello,
have you tried going tubeless using the stock rims? If so, which rim tape did you use? I'm currently trying to convert it into tubeless but my Muc-Off tubeless rim tape doesn't seem to do the job well because of the deep center ridge of the rim. Thanks in advance!
SteffsWorld (Dienstag, 26 Oktober 2021 17:48)
Hi Franz,
thank your for your comment. I haven't done this conversion yet but it is still super interesting for me. The 46-30 crank should be perfect. Keeps the top speed high and climbing ability is so much better. I have in mind the Shimano FC-TY501 crankset 2x7/8 46-30. I guess it will fit but of course I can't guarantee ;-)
Franz (Dienstag, 26 Oktober 2021 10:10)
Hello.
Did you try the change to 46x30? I am also thinking of doing it but I am not sure which one is compatible.
Many thanks in advance!
SteffsWorld (Samstag, 17 Juli 2021 15:14)
Hi Neil,
please click SERVICE in the navigation bar. Here you can find a manual how to replace the caliper. Usually no other parts needed (if you have a bike produced until approx. mid 2020). Later produced bikes have flatmount brake at the front so you need a postmount to flatmount adapter (for example XLC BR-71). Greetings ;-)
Neil (Freitag, 16 Juli 2021 17:52)
Hi,
my back brake has broken so I now want to do the same upgrade you did. Were you able to just swap the brake calipers out (keeping the original levers and cables of course) or was there anything else I need to know about?
Many thanks in advance!
SteffsWorld (Sonntag, 30 Mai 2021 18:32)
Hello Honza,
thank you for sharing the information about the SM-BBR60 bottom bracket. Great to know that we can use this part too. This offers a lot new opportunities ;-)
Honza (Donnerstag, 27 Mai 2021 07:33)
Hey I just upgraded to SM-BBR60 and it fits perfectly.
SteffsWorld (Montag, 17 Mai 2021 19:44)
Hello Laura,
thank you for your mail. The original bottom bracket is a VP-BC73 (BC1.37x24T 68x110.5) from VP Components / Taiwan. I replaced it with a Shimano BB-UN300 BSA 68 110 mm and that works well. Actually I don't know if SM-BBR60 fits. But I'm really interested in your 1x11 conversion ;-)
Would be very nice if you could keep me updated.
Laura (Freitag, 14 Mai 2021 20:49)
Hi! Really cool what you did with it, I am considering upgrading my groupset to a 1x11 but I am unsure what crank would fit. Do you happen to know what sort of BB is in there and if it can be replaced by Shimano Ultegra SM-BBR60? I read somewhere that only MTB BB will fit, but that seems odd on a race bike.
SteffsWorld (Donnerstag, 06 Mai 2021 17:23)
Hello Mikhail,
thank you for your post. I don't have information rearding service for the LIXADA brake so far. I have the brake in use since more than 12 months and there was no need to bleed the caliper so far or replace brake pads. As soon as this becomes an issue on my bike I will come up with information.
Mikhail (Mittwoch, 05 Mai 2021 22:01)
Hello,
Thanks a lot for the great info!
How do you service the Lixada breaks you have installed? Do you need to bleed them? I didn't find information regarding that on the internet.
Best,
Mikhail
SteffsWorld (Montag, 03 Mai 2021 06:17)
Hello Hugo,
thank you for your post here. Yes, it's just simple colored tape.
Alban (Montag, 03 Mai 2021 00:14)
Hello,
Thank you for the great content!
Stupid question but how did you customize your fork to get those stripes?
Is this just simple colored tape?
Many thanks,
Hugo
SteffsWorld (Mittwoch, 07 April 2021 09:58)
The 700x40 Smart Sam tyre at rear just leaves 2 mm space between tyre and rear fender bridge. Other 700x40s might have a slightly bigger diameter and I also considered possible frame tolerances. That's why I suggest to use a 700x35 at rear. Because it will always fit. In fact most of the 700x38 tyres fit too as well as some of the 700x40s ;-)
tunadam (Dienstag, 06 April 2021 12:41)
Hello,
First of all, thank you for this well detailed and explained modification of RC120 disc. I have been using it more than 9 months and enjoying it a lot!
My question is focused on tires: why did you use 700x40 in front and 700x35 in rear on the "competition gravel"? Why not to use the same on both? Did not the frame allow it?
Thanks in advance!