VAN RYSEL ULTRA RCR CF Ultegra Di2 Review: Top-Spec Kit at a Sharp Price

By Sébastien Jacquet – Photos: Christophe Guiard

Décathlon unveiled at the start of 2019 the new name for the brand’s Performance and Cyclosport bikes: VAN RYSEL. B’Twin remains the name for children’s and mass-market products, Rockrider for mountain bikes, while Triban covers the touring and leisure bike range of the Décathlon collection.

VAN RYSEL, which literally means “from Lille”, catches the ear at first hearing and quickly takes on a Flemish ring, giving a strong character to a bike designed, developed, and built in northern France. The frames are made in Asia, but it is worth knowing that a team of 15 people is dedicated to the meticulous assembly of bikes in this line on a production line at the headquarters in Lille.

Top-tier equipment

The ULTRA RCR CF is not, strictly speaking, a “new bike,” since its frame has only undergone minor changes compared with the B’twin ULTRA CF that has been in the catalog for four years. The ULTRA CF here comes with high-end, high-quality equipment. The Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset is widely recognized for its top-level performance, reliability, and precision, at a more restrained price. The Mavic Cosmic Pro Carbon SL UST aero wheels bring lightness, versatility, and efficiency. The rest of the equipment completes the remarkable spec sheet of this ULTRA RCR CF with a Fi’zi:k Antares saddle with carbon rails, paired with an attractive carbon seatpost with a refined finish, and a DEDA SuperZero Carbon cockpit with a very appealing aero profile. The very elegant metallic blue, matte black, and fluorescent yellow color scheme breaks sharply from the pink-and-blue color codes of previous collections, which some riders found off-putting.

For €3,600, the ULTRA RCR CF comes out ahead of the competition on components for the price. On the same frame, it is also offered in a version fitted with a mechanical Shimano Dura-Ace groupset (at the same price, and about 100 g lighter). You can also find it with a mechanical Shimano Ultegra groupset at €2,500, on an ULTRA CF frame with Shimano 105 at €1,600, and in an aluminum ULTRA RCR AF with mechanical Ultegra at €1,400 or with Shimano 105 at €1,000. Note that there is a specific women’s model at €1,500, also with Shimano 105.

Know-how from the North

Used by the VAN RYSEL – AG2R La Mondiale U19 team in competition for the 2019 season, the VAN RYSEL ULTRA frame with so-called EVO Dynamic fibers is the most technically advanced frame in the range. It is built from a blend of high-modulus (HM) and intermediate (IM) carbon fibers, oriented specifically to achieve the best balance of lightness, stiffness, and comfort.

The frame is quite light, 850 g in size M, to which you must add 320 g for the carbon fork. The ULTRA CF uses a Press-Fit 86 bottom bracket shell to boost frame stiffness.

Available in five sizes, XS-S-M-L-XL, the frame features pronounced edges along the down tube, an arched top tube, asymmetric dropouts, refined and slimmed seatstays, and a tapered head tube. The ULTRA RCR CF uses traditional braking here, with a classic single-pivot caliper mount at the rear and a Direct Mount caliper on the fork.

Compatible with both mechanical and electronic groupsets, the frame has internal routing for all the cabling through to the cockpit, which is also designed to take cables. The DEDA SuperZero handlebar and stem assembly is very well executed, but its shape limits the fitting of aero extensions if you are training for triathlon.

The only minor drawback, perhaps, in the build is the connection of the Di2 wire coming from the cockpit, which looks a little exposed where it enters through the down tube. It seemed a bit vulnerable to us.

There is also the Di2 junction box at the end of the handlebar, and the placement of the D-Fly communication unit, which displays the battery level and the gear selected and lets you configure the Synchro-Shift sequential shifting system. Nothing has been left out: the rider has every feature thanks to a rich, complete setup. We appreciate the serious work and very neat finish.

The clever chain-catcher tab adds an extra layer of security at the crankset.

Fitted with Mavic Cosmic Pro Carbon SL UST wheels, the ULTRA RCR CF strikes a perfect mix of stiffness, aerodynamics, and lightness, delivering efficiency and excellent rolling performance across many road profiles. It also benefits from tubeless technology to boost comfort.

Paired with the superb Fi’zi:k Antares R1 saddle with carbon rails, which has a flat profile and seat, the ULTRA RCR CF features a very elegant VAN RYSEL carbon seatpost, which adopts a pentagonal shape. Its clamp at the junction with the top tube is discreet and tidy.

Stiffness and comfort for all-terrain versatility

While we appreciate the high quality of its build and the work that went into its profile and spec, the ULTRA RCR CF Ultegra Di2 is just as appealing for how it rides on the road. You can really feel the stiffness of the rear triangle and the bottom bracket, which allows it to hold a high cadence and not fade at speed when you pull long straight stretches.

The bike shows stability and does not feel like it falls apart under this kind of effort. It also has enough responsiveness and liveliness to jump away and sprint whenever you like. Above all, it does so without you having to work too hard.

Even if a very sharp, well-trained rider may find it perhaps not nervous enough, this is also what allows this VAN RYSEL ULTRA RCR CF to adapt to a wider range of riders and not feel too demanding for a less robust rider. It therefore sits perhaps more on the sportive side than the pure racing side. In this sense, the bike seems to lack a little firmness at the front (which also keeps it from feeling twitchy and makes it pleasant to accelerate both on the flats and up hills). It feels a little less precise on tight lines in descents, but the good overall stability is still very much there and the riding conditions remain very reassuring.

Comfort from the whole setup is very appreciable, at low or high speed. From wheels to frame and other components, each part plays its role in filtering vibration and helps make the bike unobtrusive, pleasant over many outings and many kilometers. At 6.9 kg on the scale without pedals in size M, the bike is light and never feels like it drags.

The ULTRA RCR CF Ultegra Di2 really comes across as a bike that is easy to ride, not tiring for the body, and that offers enough performance for many riders thanks to a rich blend of efficiency and comfort. Efficiency and versatility are guaranteed for a wide range of riders and terrains, from the dedicated sportive rider to the occasional road cyclist. For a very reasonable price, considering the strengths we found.

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