van rysel bikes gravel Van Rysel RCR Pro Force AXS Road Bike

Van Rysel is Decathlon's performance cycling brand, based in Lille, France — the city that gives the brand its name ("Van Rysel" means "from Lille" in Flemish). That geography carries real cycling weight: Lille sits at the edge of the legendary cobbled sectors of Northern France, a region that defines a particular kind of hard, fast riding. The RCR line is the brand's flagship road platform, and the Van Rysel RCR Pro Force AXS Bike is where that platform becomes accessible — a WorldTour-derived aero-light road bike at $6,999 with a power meter and carbon wheels already on it.

The RCR Pro frame is built from Super High Modulus carbon — the same premium Japanese fiber used in the RCR-R line raced by the Decathlon CMA CGM WorldTour team. Van Rysel developed the frame in collaboration with ONERA, the French national aerospace research center, using Computational Fluid Dynamics to model and refine every surface for minimum drag. The frame weight runs 740–790 grams depending on size; the carbon fork is 380 grams. A topological optimization process removed material where it wasn't structurally necessary, keeping the system light without sacrificing the torsional stiffness a race frame needs to translate power efficiently. The result sits in the aero-light category rather than trading one quality for the other.

The geometry puts riders in a road-race position — committed but sustainable across long efforts. Head tube angle is 72 degrees on XS and 73 degrees on S through XL. Chainstay length is 410mm across all five sizes, a short measurement that gives the rear end a reactive, lively feel under hard accelerations. Stack ranges from 515mm on XS to 596mm on XL, with reach from 382.5mm to 408.4mm. The seatpost is the proprietary RCR Carbon with 15mm offset, keeping the build system cohesive.

SRAM Force AXS E1 with Integrated Power Meter

This build runs SRAM's Force AXS E1 groupset — 12-speed wireless electronic, with both derailleurs operating through SRAM's eTap AXS protocol. The crankset is SRAM Force E1 with an integrated power meter, delivering training and racing data from the first ride without an add-on unit. The drivetrain runs 48/35 chainrings against a SRAM XG-1270 10-33 cassette — a compact double that handles both climbs and flat road stages. Braking comes from SRAM Force AXS E1 hydraulic disc calipers with 160mm front and 140mm rear SRAM rotors. The front-to-rear rotor size split biases stopping power toward the front axle where it's more effective.

Zipp 303 SW Wheelset

The stock wheelset is a Zipp 303 SW with sensor on both front and rear. The 303 SW is a 45mm-deep carbon wheel using Zipp's hookless MOTO rim design — tubeless-only, built for tubeless road tire setups. Factory tires are Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR in 700x30, a fast tubeless-ready road tire that pairs well with the 303 SW's rim profile. The wheel sensors in the spec work with compatible head units for speed and cadence data independent of the power meter. The combination is race-ready out of the box.

Cockpit and Components

The stem is the Deda Van Rysel Superbox EVO — a co-developed unit between Deda and Van Rysel. The handlebar is the Deda Superzero RS. The saddle is the Fizik Antares in 140mm width, a flat-profile road saddle suited to aggressive riding positions. The headset is integrated into the RCR Pro's frame. Pedals are not included.

Available in XS through XL, the RCR Pro Force AXS brings a WorldTour-derived carbon frame, wireless electronic shifting, a factory power meter, and Zipp carbon wheels together at $6,999. For a rider building a serious road race setup, the major component decisions are already made.