[Aditya94]

Background:
After more than a decade of hiatus from anything related to two wheels, in 2021 I decided that I should get back to biking. I immediately started to research bicycles within the range of 20k. I wanted it to be a simple Hybrid bicycle. As a kid, I thought that MTBs were cool (which they really are even now), but not practical for a city dweller whose nearest mountain is at least a hundred kilometers away. Even those mountains have well paved motorable roads and MTB trails are something unheard of in our country, at least down south.

So I did not want the weight nor complexity of a full-suspension bicycle nor did I want a suspension fork in the front. Naturally, my selection pool was limited to Hybrid bikes and the obvious brand which stood out was our very own homegrown Montra. The two models they offered were Downtown and Trance Pro. Downtown was the only bike which was offered in size L and hence I went ahead to purchase it.

2k kms and a year later, there were some prominent issues which I had.
* Squeaky brakes
* Horrendous gear shifting
* Back ache, elbow ache and wrist pain

I found the reason for them too.
Initially the bicycle technician attributed the sound to debris in the disc rotor/pads and advised me to use soap water to clean it. Multiple attempts to clean them turned futile. Then I purchased a can of disc cleaner and that too was of no use. Finally I realized that the brakes were misaligned. Took them to the service guy and got them aligned. After 20kms, they squeaked again. I got them aligned 3 times and they'd eventually squeak by the time I got back home. Frustrated with this exercise, I gave up and learned to live with the sound.

The Downtown came with Shimano Tourney shifters. The lowest in the rung and they are namesake. The rear derailleur would always skip gears and the front derailleur requires the strength of Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime coupled with the luck of MSD winning trophies to operate. I was so annoyed that I always used to keep the front gear in 3 and just played with the rear derailleur. Often shifting between 4 to 7 in the rear. Was interested in upgrading them to Altus, but was advised against as it wasn't worth the money.

The backache and wrist pain were real issues. Although the seat was set to my height, inevitably I develop a mild back ache if the ride is more than 40kms. The wrist and elbow pain was caused due to the steel fork and bad roads in my city and I couldn't have done anything for that but maybe to wear a pair of gloves with cushioning to reduce the vibrations, but not eliminate it. The vibrations would eventually seep in even with gloves (that’s what I heard from fellow Downtown riders)

These issues started to slowly take the joy of cycling from me and that's when I decided that I very badly need an upgrade as I regularly use one.

The Hunt begins:
My requirements for my next cycle was:
->Comfort
->Speed
->Good driveability
->No noises
->Versatile
->Good Service Network

So naturally when the next round of cycling hunting started, I had the following choices
->A premium Hybrid bike (the likes of Trek / Cannondale)
->A cheap road bike
->A gravel bike (if it fits my budget)

Very soon the Hybrids and RBs were rejected as they did not fit my requirements. I started researching more on Gravel bikes and zeroed on the following

*Polygon Bend R2
*Marin Four Corners
*Marin Gestalt
*Marin Nicasio
*Triban RC500 (with wider tyres)

The Triban RC500 was bang for buck, value for money product. Comes with an aluminum frame, carbon fork, a full Shimano sora 2x9 groupset and mechanical disc brakes. The only drawback was it comes with a 28c tyre, which is much narrower than the 35c which I am used to in my Hybrid bike. However, the frame could accept tyre clearance upto 36c (officially as per Decathlon website) and people have gone upto 40c (with no mud guards). The best part, it cost only 70k. Sora was unheard at this price range. The frame too is no slouch. It was the same frame which is used in the much expensive RC520 (Rs.1L).

I had decided to go for the RC500 after much deliberations and it seemed the most reasonable choice for the following reasons.
* Value for money
* Service of Decathlon
* Versatile bike

I then went to Decathlon, Anna Salai, Chennai to lay my hands on one. However, as my luck may have it, they did not have a Size L and all they had were two M sized in their stock. This 182cm frame will not fit a M, at least not without body aches and injuries and I'm not being tempted by that Sora groupset. The next stock was due to arrive in early 2023 and they couldn't give me a definite timeline.

However, I did not lose hope. The folks in Decathlon Anna Salai, Chennai were very very helpful. Cheers to Mr. Mukesh and Mr. Lokajith. They could have simply told that they did not have stock and leave it at that. They told me that there were 2Ls available in Kolkata and one in Secunderabad. They also suggested that I could order one from Kolkata, pay for the courier charge and get it assembled in Chennai. I then asked what about Secunderabad. They said that there are possibilities that a single piece stock could be a display piece and they wouldn't suggest I go for it.

I made a call to Newtown Decathlon, Kolkata. Spoke to a person who then told that he would speak to his Duty Manager and revert immediately. I waited 45 mins and there was no call. The folks in Chennai Decathlon suggested that it could be risky buying it like this because there could be possibilities that the cycle may be damaged in transit as it would have to be sent through regular courier, unlike when you purchase from Decathlon website wherein the products will be dispatched directly through their own means directly from Decathlon warehouse. Plus in case of any issues, fixing of responsibility would be difficult since the courier is not through official Decathlon.

I was contemplating on dropping the plan and maybe look at the other options which costed a bit more, were specced less and might not have a good service experience like Decathlon.
Then I was looking at their bikes and I saw the Triban RC120 Gravel. I asked the people there if they had a L sized test bike and if they had stocks for the L Frame. They said that only a M sized frame was available for a test ride however they had L frame in stock. I immediately requested a test ride.

Initial impressions:
The bike was really light
Gear shifting was considerably smooth as it was a 1x drivetrain
The front crank was 38T and it was inadequate for good speeds - I would have to upgrade it to a 42T if I want to ride fast
I felt that the brake lever had a lot of travel, which I felt might be an issue.
The bike was really nimble especially when riding in the hoods as the front was much lighter than my existing one.
The Handlebar with 16° Flair was comfortable
The bar tape did not look like it'll last long
The bell it came with was namesake. You could hear a mosquito coming half a mile away, but cannot hear this bell a couple of meters away!



I then had a detailed discussion with Mr.Lokajith, who owns a RC100. Phase 2 of Metro Rail construction is underway in my city and I am bang in the center of the city and all my places of interests have bad roads as a reason of Metro/ Electricity/ Stormwater drain works. It is expected to remain bad at least for the next 4 years.

The first thing I realized was 28c tires are prone to pinch punctures as they are road specific tyres. The rims on 28c tyres are 17c, which might affect the chances of much wider tyres. I was convinced that the RC120 Gravel was a much more practical choice as I don't need to do any upgrades to it, except maybe go for a 42T crank down the lane if I felt the bike was slow.

I went ahead and purchased the bike. Got a couple of bottle holders, a stand and bicycle insurance. Rode it back home for 8kms wearing denims and I couldn't really comment on how the bike was unless I was in much more comfortable clothing. However, the one observation which I could make in that short ride back home was that the carbon fork means business. The ride was much more comfortable because of it.


The first thing I did after I came back home was to tape the frame where the chain usually hits the frame. As suspected, I did have a couple of minor chips there. Not big damage. I taped it with regular cellophane tape as an interim solution until I purchased a quality chain guard for the frame.

The very next day was a Sunday and I wanted to go for my usual Sunday ride which would be around 70~ kms. The first thing I wanted to do was to take my bike to my nearby Ganesh temple to get a small pooja done. We need the grace and blessings of the gods to be safe on Indian roads and bicycles being the lowest in the food chain on Indian roads require special protection from lord Ganesha

I started out riding by 8 am with my friend(who by the way rides a MTB because he wants to burn calories). Thankfully the weather was pleasant. Hit Marina- Adyar - Thiruvanmayur - Sholinganallur - Navalur - Spicot and took a Halt in Geetham restaurant (erstwhile Sangeetha) in Navalur. On the return back we took a right turn in Sholinganallur signal, hit the ECR and took a brunch halt in Mylapore, before we returned home. All in all, it was around 70 kilometers.

This is the usual route we take when we ride long and hence I was well aware of my performance in this route. This specific day, there was a considerable amount of cross-wind on my onward journey and a lot of headwind as I returned. I personally felt that I was slower on my gravel bike when compared to my Hybrid bike. I had the habit of tracking my sessions on strava.

Man-oh-Man! I was surprised seeing the stats. I was a whole 2.5kmph faster on the same route in spite of heavy winds and my 2 month long break from cycling long distances. I understood that it was because of how comfortable the bike was, I was unable to feel the speeds I was effortlessly doing. The Tyres, fork and frame do a wonderful job to flat out all the undulations on the road.


Observations after riding 500+ kms:
* Brakes are really good
* Much more nimble than my hybrid bike
* Overall comfortable bike
* Tyres have grip on loose surfaces and are confidence inspiring
* 38T Crank is insufficient for flat / downhill riding
* Gear shifting is a bit slow when upshifting in the 9th gear. Downshifting are quick, whereas upshifts take a solid second when it is from the 9th to 10th gear. - All other upshifts are as quick as the downshifts.
* The tyres are presta valves and took me some time to figure out how to fill air.
* There are vibrations when the tyre is inflated at 65psi when riding over the rough stuff and a good pair of cycling gloves solved the issue (Van Rysel RoadR 900)

What I like about the Bike
* Tubeless ready rims and tyres
* Carbon Fork
* Reasonably good brakes
* 38c Hutchinson Tyres
* Reliable 1x drivetrain
* Upgradable
* Light



A warm gesture from Decathlon as they delivered the cycle with a ribbon




The Cycle after a rainy drive




Note the wide gearing ratio and the clutch in the derailleur




The shifter on the top is for upshifts and the bottom is for the downshifts




The fork is made of carbon and comes with mounting points on either side. The Hutchinson Overide comes with tan walls. A good contrast colour with the black tyres.


38C tyres with a slick centre for faster straights and mildly knobbed sides for cornering grip


The front disc along with a mounting point on the fork


The front and rear comes with 160mm mechanical discs. Plenty enough for regular rides


Am I fully satisfied?
It would be an understatement to say that I am merely satisfied. It is a gem of a machine especially at this price point. It has its own drawbacks, but they are overshadowed by the fun factor it offers. I effortlessly covered 500+ kms in a period of 3 weeks and that too with my travel obligations due to work. It munches miles for breakfast, lunch and dinner. All I need is a pair of gloves, bibs and hydration to keep me happy on the saddle. I would recommend it 11/10 for those who have outgrown a hybrid bike and are considering a dropbar. A gravel bike is a more sane alternative compared to an outright road bike considering the road conditions our cities have to offer and not having the predicament of damaging the rims.

[Freespirit27]

I faced both the problems in the Montra Trance pro.
Back ache I resolved with a set of risers from Amazon and the brakes (even on the Rim brakes) need a periodic pad and rim wipe, the evening before every morning ride:-)
But I do, at times, feel a need for change as my speeds have stagnated and I always feel upping to larger tire size (which my current frame can't take) might help. Then again considering that calories burnt are more�� I continue with squeaks(on the days I don't cleanup) and the feeling passes till such time another cyclist zips past or posts better timings!

[amol4184]

Triban is king of value bikes. Didn’t know they made gravel variant of RC120. Excellent bike, I am sure you’ll have lot of happy miles on it. What groupset is that thoug, I don’t recognize the branding.

[filcord]

I have a Montra hybrid as well which I bought used in 2021 January. No issues with brakes. I used 1.5 inch panaracer tyres which gave me good speeds but started getting punctures on our Goan village roads. Switched to Ralsons 1.95 inch tyres which amazingly haven't had a puncture for a whole year. But my speeds dropped.
I have started getting back aches for the last six months though, and have been advised to do planks and other exercises to strengthen the core.
The problem I have had with the montra is chain getting worn and requiring changing every 600 km or so. I have now changed the chain, chainring and crank, and freewheel all at once, Shimano tourney. Let's see

[CaptBrat1845]

Great write up.
Am also from Chennai, and looking to upgrade, significantly
from my present bike, A Schwinn Searcher of circa 2009 vintage.
A pure Original, made in US of A after which, almost all are made in China now.

Also do regular 30-40 km trips on cycle and around 50-70kms on weekends.
Whenever im at home that is. The routes are similar to yours. Although since I live in Sholinganallur, my ride starts there and heads out to either Marine (north) or Mahabs via ECR (south).

What is the difference between a Road Bike and a Gravel bike ?
Is there a difference in the comfort factor between the two ?
Would Hybrids would be more comfortable than Gravel bikes over longer distances ?
Why should one 'upgrade' from a Hybrid to a Road/Gravel bike ?

[amol4184]

Originally Posted by CaptBrat1845

What is the difference between a Road Bike and a Gravel bike ?
Is there a difference in the comfort factor between the two ?
Would Hybrids would be more comfortable than Gravel bikes over longer distances ?
Why should one 'upgrade' from a Hybrid to a Road/Gravel bike ?

Gravel bikes have clearance for fatter tires than road bike in similar geometry (road-endurance) frame. Most road bike cap tires at 30c while gravel can go as wide as 52c. Gravel bikes also have multiple mounting points on fork, frame mid section and rear triangle if you decide to go bike packing over long distance.

The gravel bikes have inherent advantage in comfort aspect mostly because of the thicker tires. Geometry may also be more comfortable over a racy road bike too (like Aero, Climber or TT bikes which are very aggressive) though endurance frame road bikes are quite comfortable. With that said, no one is stopping you from putting thinner road spec tires on gravel bike and convert into an endurance road bike - the vice versa isn't possible.

The comfort factor of flat bar (hybrid) vs drop bar (road/gravel) is a topic of deep discussion. I graduated from hybrid to road and after initial resistance from body found out that the drop bars are quite comfortable over long distance. I still have a flat bar bike but If I am doing a century ride, I will do it on drop bar bike. Absolutely no hesitation about that in my mind. I like to do lazy putter around my community rides on flat bar bike and occasional off road trails but nothing much.

One distinct advantage that drop bar has over flat bar is multitude of sitting positions. You can grip it in the middle, you can grip it by the hoods or you grip them in the drops. Except for last position, the other two are great for long distance ride. On the other hand you only have one sitting position with hybrid bikes.

[silverado]

Excellent review. Thanks for sharing. I am from Pune and here the requirements for a bike are surely different than places like Mumbai/ Chennai/ Delhi. We have a lot of elevation all around and hence i would think hard before buying a bike with single gear at front.

The issue with decathlon is that they are not too keen on modifications hence the crankset change would need to be done outside. I would recommend something like 48/30T if that suits you. Of course this comes with shifter change as well but that would make it feel complete and versatile.

Apart from that i feel RC120 ticks most of the boxes for me as well. However just like you my heart is set on RC500 ( of course like you with 32c/35c tyres )

[Nifty.Nishy]

Thank you so much for an excellent review. This bike does not have a lot of reviews on youtube or other forums. Just wondering from you earlier shortlists, did you get a chance to try out the Marin range of cycles, like Nicasio or Four Corner? How was your experience of the same, and how did triban 120 gravel compare with the others?

Thanks,
Nishy

[CaptBrat1845]

After a lot of deliberation and choice opinions, test rides etc, Finally picked up a Trek Domane AL 2 from Probikers on OMR.
I felt that since there would be more of On Road riding, it would be better to go for a road bike. Hence the decision.
I replaced the stock Shimano Claris groupset with a Tiagra which also upgraded the brakes. and also, went for a different set of wheels (Novatec) instead of stock. The tires remaining the same ( Bontrager).
Have completed 200+ kms since the bike was bought in Mid March.
Happy to say, am totally satisfied with the purchase. Really impressed with the upgrades.
Also, the chassis is really awesome, and absorbs most of the small bumps on the road, just as well.
Since am coming out of my Covid fitness loss, have started from 20kms and am now upto 38kms rides.
Hopefully, tomorrow being 14th April, Tamil New Year (Ugadi/Baisakhi etc), the roads will be empty for a little longer in the morning, and my attempt at 50km ride in the morning will be nice, clean and void of any hampering traffic.

[Aditya94]

Originally Posted by amol4184

Triban is king of value bikes. Didn’t know they made gravel variant of RC120. Excellent bike, I am sure you’ll have lot of happy miles on it. What groupset is that thoug, I don’t recognize the branding.

Apologies for the very late reply. I had completely missed replying to this thread. This is a Microshift XLE 1 x 10 drivetrain. Microshift is a more affordable alternative to the Shimano. The difference is negligible for a non-professional rider, but it offers absolute bang for the Buck. The rear cassette 11-40 and the crank originally came with 38T. I have however upgraded the crank with a 44T (From Triban RC 120 Road) and it is FAST!

Originally Posted by Nifty.Nishy

Thank you so much for an excellent review. This bike does not have a lot of reviews on Youtube or other forums. Just wondering from you earlier shortlists, did you get a chance to try out the Marin range of cycles, like Nicasio or Four Corner? How was your experience of the same, and how did triban 120 gravel compare with the others?

Thanks,
Nishy

Apologies for the delayed reply. I did not personally have an opportunity to test out the Marin range as they were not readily available for testing/purchase. I did not want to invest on something which I did not personally try out. The one major issue which I see with any Non-Decathlon bicycles upward of 50k is servicing. The servicing is not consistent across bike shops and there is a tendency for good service men to switch to better opportunities. From what I have heard from Marin owners who have also tried Triban bikes is that the bikes feel very much similar as both are positioned towards VFM. The main difference between Marin and Triban is the usage of Shimano in the former and Microshift in the latter. (The RC500 and 520 comes with Shimano groupsets though). However, I have never found the Microshift XLE to be lacking in any manner. They work as they were intended to.

Originally Posted by CaptBrat1845

After a lot of deliberation and choice opinions, test rides etc, Finally picked up a Trek Domane AL 2 from Probikers on OMR.
I felt that since there would be more of On Road riding, it would be better to go for a road bike. Hence the decision.
I replaced the stock Shimano Claris groupset with a Tiagra which also upgraded the brakes. and also, went for a different set of wheels (Novatec) instead of stock. The tires remaining the same ( Bontrager).
Have completed 200+ kms since the bike was bought in Mid March.
Happy to say, am totally satisfied with the purchase. Really impressed with the upgrades.
Also, the chassis is really awesome, and absorbs most of the small bumps on the road, just as well.
Since am coming out of my Covid fitness loss, have started from 20kms and am now upto 38kms rides.
Hopefully, tomorrow being 14th April, Tamil New Year (Ugadi/Baisakhi etc), the roads will be empty for a little longer in the morning, and my attempt at 50km ride in the morning will be nice, clean and void of any hampering traffic.

The Trek Domane is a wonderful bike. I had the opportunity to interact with a gentleman who owns a Domane. As stated earlier, one of the main reasons for me to go for a gravel bike is the condition of the road. Now that metro work has started in OMR too, it is just a matter of time before the smooth tarmac becomes a bumpy one (Thankfully there is ECR!). I have absolutely bombed this bike over potholes, speedbumps, stones and it has taken every beating. Although I have had punctures, they were because of nails and not because of undulations on the road.

Originally Posted by silverado

Excellent review. Thanks for sharing. I am from Pune and here the requirements for a bike are surely different than places like Mumbai/ Chennai/ Delhi. We have a lot of elevation all around and hence i would think hard before buying a bike with single gear at front.

The issue with decathlon is that they are not too keen on modifications hence the crankset change would need to be done outside. I would recommend something like 48/30T if that suits you. Of course this comes with shifter change as well but that would make it feel complete and versatile.

Apart from that i feel RC120 ticks most of the boxes for me as well. However just like you my heart is set on RC500 ( of course like you with 32c/35c tyres )

The Gravel 120 climbs like a mountain goat on the 36T and 40T (with 38T on the crank). And as you have rightly pointed out, Chennai being a relatively having less elevation, the requirements are different. I have however upgraded the crank to a 44T from the RC120 Road Bike and not it is really FAST! However, I have lost out on the lower gearing (which I hardly use). However, I feel the 32/36/40 with 44T is still a good lower gearing, although not as good as the 38T crank. But we need to hit a middle spot when it comes to 1x Drivetrains.

Over the time I have owned this bike, I have learned to appreciate how good the 1x drivetrains are. Apart from the fact that they have a lower choice of gear ratios, they are very simple to work with and have never failed. There is a ZERO chance of cross-chaining and they just work.