B’twin Triban 520 £479

Miles ridden: 248 | Size tested: M | Weight: 9.9kg

B’twin is Decathlon’s inhouse brand. The company handles its own distribution and retail in a direct-sales business model that passes savings on to the customer.

Frame

The 520’s aluminium frame comes with clearance for tyres of up to 32mm, making it ideal for commuting and towpath riding while also improving comfort.

If you choose the correct size, the Triban 520 geometry is intended to be ridden with quite a bit of the seatpost exposed, providing extra vertical flex at the rear.

Other neat features include eyelets for mudguards and panniers — useful for touring or commuting.

It is also worth noting that there is a women-specific version available.

Specification

The groupset (gears) is Shimano Sora with a triple chainset. This gives a wide range of gears perfect for beginners or those riding up steep hills. Another nice detail is the long-cage rear derailleur which gives you the option to fit a wider ratio 11-32t cassette.

We commuted on this bike with heavy bags and ploughed into multiple potholes. The wheels stood up well and haven’t required truing or other maintenance. The downside is the weight, but at this price sturdy is preferable to light and weak.

Tyres are 25mm Hutchinson Equinox. There is certainly no need to change these until they wear out.

For 2017 the Triban 520 has a slightly different colourway and B’twin has upgraded the wheels slightly too.

Our only real criticism is the brakes, which are OK but could be a lot better. The 520 comes with moulded brake blocks and we would recommend upgrading them to cartridge pads.

Ride

The Triban 520 delivers a riding experience that is, quite simply, fun. This is an inexpensive bike that will put a smile on your face.

The Shimano Sora groupset performs very well, offering good quality, reliable shifting.

When riding hard out of the saddle I did detect some slight flex in the frame, which resulted in the front derailleur rubbing a little. The frame may not be as stiff as a carbon frame, but neither will it hold you back.

Value

The key difference between B’twin and some more established brands — Trek and Specialized, for example — is that for a similar price, you get much better components on the B’twin thanks to that direct-sales model and the savings it yields. Thus, Sora is one model up the Shimano hierarchy from Claris.

Verdict

For a first road bike the B’twin Triban 520 is fantastic value for money. The brakes aren’t perfect and the wheels are a tad heavy, but for the price it is hard to criticise. This bike does it all and is highly recommended.

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Frame 6061 T6 aluminium Fork Carbon blades/alu steerer Size range XS, S,M, L XL Weight 9.9kg Groupset Shimano Sora triple Gear ratios 50/39/30, 12-25t Wheels B’twin Sport Brakes Shimano long reach Tyres Hutchinson Equinox 2 Bar B’twin Sport Stem B’twin Sport Seatpost B’twin Sport, 27.2mm Saddle B’twin Sport Ergo Fi www.decathlon.com