Why does Van Rysel have such cheap premium bikes?

The Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale has become the team of the moment due to their good performance at the beginning of the season, which has caused many to start paying attention to the Van Rysel RCR Pro that the French brand has created for them. A bike that you can buy with an assembly identical to that used by the professionals at an unbeatable price.

Van Rysel RCR Pro SEE PRICES AND FULL RANGE

Van Rysel product manager boasts about the RCR Pro from Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale

In an interview with the well-known digital media Cycling Weekly during the opening of the first Van Rysel store in London, the brand's product manager, Yann Le Fraillec, shared interesting reflections about the bike that has attracted the most attention in recent months.

And it's no wonder, as the brand recently released a replica edition of the Van Rysel RCR Pro with an assembly identical to that of the Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale. A bike that stays below €10,000 with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 with a power meter and spectacular SwissSide wheels, prices that only Canyon can match with its Aeroad CFR thanks to its direct online sales policy. Meanwhile, most top brands are around €14,000 for similar setups.

“This is the right price for this bike. I can't say more, this is the correct price. We don't deceive the customer. It's the same bike as the professionals' Le Fraillec stated, a bombshell for more renowned brands that sell their bikes much more expensively with similar setups.

Van Rysel RCR Pro SEE PRICES AND FULL RANGE

This aggressive pricing policy is often attributed to Decathlon's business volume, which allows them to obtain materials from suppliers, especially from Shimano, on very advantageous terms. However, Yann Le Fraillec denies that the price of the Van Rysel RCR Pro is due to this, especially considering that this top-of-the-range bike profile is not what is usually sold in Decathlon stores.

“It's just a matter of business model. We are a global brand, we don't depend on a single product category. We can balance it better, which is a plus for the customer” reasons the Van Rysel product manager, who does not hide that with the launch of the RCR Pro, the brand aims to position itself among the top 5 bike brands in the world. Undoubtedly, a strong commitment.

Le Fraillec doesn't hesitate to boast, “We work with one of the best teams in the world. It's an incredible opportunity. We have the fastest aerolight bike and we control the entire manufacturing process, the carbon lamination, where it's made, what type of fiber is used and where, without delegating these tasks to the factory like some brands do”.

For now, the French brand's bet is paying off and Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale already has 11 victories, which has drawn attention to the Van Rysel RCR Pro. “Sales have exceeded our expectations. But, making a bike is a manual process that takes time. You can't just multiply production by 10 or you'll end up with quality problems. We don't want that. That's why we won't have large quantities of bikes available until the end of the year”.

Finally, Le Fraillec points out, regarding the supermarket bike image that Decathlon models have always had, that “When we start selling more high-end bikes than leisure bikes, we will reach new types of customers and maybe our business model will depend less on basic-level bikes. The RCR Pro has precisely changed the rules of the game”.