Van Rysel RCR Rival AXS Power Sensor

The Van Rysel RCR Rival AXS Power Sensor is very well specced for the money and has all of the characteristics needed for a quality race bike. It balances comfort, stiffness and fun handling to create a package that makes for a very capable all-rounder too.

Check out our guide to the best road bikes for more options, from aero to endurance, from £250 to over £10,000…

Van Rysel RCR Rival AXS Power Sensor: Ride

In a nutshell the RCR is a responsive, fast all-round road bike that balances reasonably aggressive geometry with good frame stiffness and plenty of comfort. I wouldn't say it exactly it blew me away in any specific area, but for the amateur racer or fast club rider it delivers everything you need from a ride perspective.

I have a short 10-mile loop for my first ride on all new review bikes, so I can make sure everything is dialled-in position-wise. It's a mixture of busy A-road, a bit of urban traffic and back lanes, and even has a reasonably steep power climb and a technical descent for good measure.

It's a quick ride to get some initial impressions, highlighting what the bike does well and those it doesn't, giving me things to focus my attention on for longer rides. I normally come back with a mental list of things ready to put down on paper as early notes. For the RCR, though, nothing really sprung to mind. It didn't do anything exceptional to stand out, and it didn't put a foot wrong, so while riding along my mind wandered on to other things. That's not a criticism, but I think it's definitely a bike I'd buy with my head rather than with my heart.

Scraping in under 8kg the RCR isn't exactly a lightweight machine, but it is still light enough that it feels efficient on the flat and the climbs. Even with the deep-section wheels and an aero-optimised frame shape it's a lot of fun to ascend on thanks to good bottom bracket stiffness and a tightness to the whole frame and fork in general when climbing out of the saddle.

With a sub-metre wheelbase length (medium size and below) the RCR also feels nimble, offering quick direction changes, and it feels unflustered when descending at high speed. It feels really planted, too, which gives confidence on poor road surfaces.

The short head tube length allows a low-slung position, and thanks to the steepish head angle the RCR feels every much the race bike as you fly through the bends and accelerate out of the corners.

It's fun to ride, purposeful if you like. The only thing it's missing really, for me personally, is a little bit of rider involvement. It feels efficient, but a bit clinical if you know what I mean. For some of you that might be ideal, engineering perfection maybe, but I like my bikes to have a bit of character.

One thing I can't complain about is the finishing kit (full details in a bit) as this RCR is kitted out very well indeed and is probably what makes the Van Rysel such a good all-rounder. The spec list contains quality tyres mated to lowish weight but aero wheels and a very comfortable saddle, all of which helps give the RCR a relaxing and pleasant ride feel.

Van Rysel RCR Rival AXS Power Sensor: Frame & fork

The RCR is available in two frame options, this standard high-modulus carbon model or the Pro that uses a higher grade of carbon fibre. The Pro's frame focuses on stiffness and low weight, while the standard RCR is more of a compromise to include durability. A painted size medium RCR frame is claimed to be 830g, whereas the same size Pro is 790g. The RCR fork is 380g painted.

Van Rysel says the RCR has been designed and tested by aerodynamicists and it shares many frame tweaks that match others in the market, like the dropped seatstays and the cutout for the rear tyre on the seat tube.

All of the tubes flow into each other smoothly, and with internal cable/hose routing and seatpost clamp it's a very clean looking frameset. I think it's a good-looking bike, and the overall quality looks to be finished to a high standard. You also get a five-year warranty on the frame and fork.

As it's a race bike you won't be finding any mounting points other than those for a couple of bottle cages in the standard positions. Tyre clearance is good for a race bike, too, at 33mm wide.

The RCR is available in six sizes, from XXS to XL, with top tube lengths ranging from 516mm to 591mm.

The medium I've been riding has a top tube length of 556mm, with stack and reach figures of 546mm and 388mm respectively. The head tube length is 147mm, and sits at a 73-degree angle, while the seat tube is slightly steeper at 73.5 degrees. The wheelbase is 986mm, with 410mm chainstays.

Van Rysel RCR Rival AXS Power Sensor: Groupset

There are a few models in the RCR line-up, but ours, as the name suggests, has a full SRAM Rival wireless electronic groupset and Quarq power meter.

We gave the Rival groupset a full review when it was launched back in 2021 and overall were very impressed. It's a 12-speed system, and while not quite as refined as the recently updated Force and Red groupsets, it does offer precise and quick shifting, along with powerful braking from its hydraulic setup.

Ratio-wise SRAM does things a bit different to the other big groupset makers, offering a smaller large chainring (if that makes sense!) and going for a 10-tooth sprocket on the cassette so you don't lose that high-end gearing.

The chainset fitted here is a 48/35T, with a 10-46T cassette, and it's a setup that works well for me. Running a 48/35T as opposed to Shimano's smallest 105 chainset of 50/34T means I can stay in the larger chainring for longer and keep my pedalling cadence feeling more efficient.

Both the front and rear mechs are wireless for a completely clean setup, each with its own battery so you can switch them if one runs low. It does make the mechs a little larger than Shimano's Di2 units, but it's a setup I prefer.

The 160mm rotors front and rear give ample stopping power, and I have found that SRAM's hydraulic systems have got better in terms of modulation over the years.

The Quarq power meter is a welcome addition to the build, especially if you take your riding or race performance seriously. It's a single-sided system with measurement being taken from the left-hand crank, so not ideal if your output isn't anywhere near 50-50 for your left and right legs.

SRAM says that the battery will last for 400 hours and as it's a lithium AAA it's easy for you to change yourself.

Van Rysel RCR Rival AXS Power Sensor: Finishing kit

For the cockpit Van Rysel has specced some quality Deda components. The Superbox EVO stem is designed to ferry the brake hoses into the frame via the top of the head tube and down through the frame and fork. It's a reasonably clean look, although not as neat as some.

The handlebar is the Superzero RS which is full carbon fibre with a wing-shaped top section for aerodynamics. It offers plenty of comfortable hand positions and is stiff enough for hard out-of-the-saddle efforts.

The seatpost is Van Rysel's own aero carbon design to match the frame, and on top is a Fizik Antares saddle, one of my favourite long-nosed shapes.

Van Rysel RCR Rival AXS Power Sensor: Wheels & tyres

The Zipp 303s wheels have a 45mm-deep rim and a decent weight. When we reviewed a set back in 2020 they tipped our scales at 1,550g.

Matt's thoughts on them were that they offer great lateral stiffness and are unaffected by crosswinds, and I'd agree with him. This means they suit the RCR's all-rounder attitude, as even though the rims are relatively deep you don't need to reserve them for calm, dry days.

They're designed to take on lightweight off-road duties too, so there shouldn't be any issues with durability either.

Van Rysel has specced Michelin's Power Cup tyres in a 28mm width. I'm a fan of Michelin's latest road tyres, finding them to offer good grip, plenty of road feel and decent longevity.

The tyres and wheels can be run tubeless, too, so you can go down that route should you wish.

Van Rysel RCR Rival AXS Power Sensor: Value

When we originally received the RCR it had an RRP of £4,500, although that has been changed to £4,200, which nudges it ahead of most of the competition on value.

Canyon's Ultimate CF SL 7 Di2 Aero, for example, comes with a Shimano 105 Di2 groupset (on a par with Rival), power meter and deep-section DT Swiss ARC 1600 wheels, for £4,399. (I recently tested the range-topping CFR mode.) 

Earlier this year I described the Scott Addict RC 30 as having a brilliant frameset in terms of stiffness and ride quality, but screaming out for some better wheels. It also has a Rival AXS groupset and a carbon fibre cockpit, but a set of aluminium rimmed Syncros wheels for its £4,399 price tag.

Looking at Giant's latest line-up, the TCR Advanced 0 AXS comes with the same groupset as the RCR, but without the power meter and also has 33mm tyre clearance. It also has 36mm-deep carbon wheels, and is priced at £3,799. I reviewed the lower-spec rim-braked version of the TCR Advanced 2 last year and was very impressed with the way it rode.

I think the TCR and the Scott have slightly better ride qualities overall than the RCR, so if it was my money that would probably be the route I'd be going down. If you wanted to add a power meter to the Giant, the power crank arm and replacement spider will set you back an extra £230, which makes the TCR look a bargain. I can't really comment on the Canyon as the only model I've ridden recently is that top-end CFR, which isn't a fair comparison.

Van Rysel also offers the RCR in a SRAM Force build for £5,000, and the Pro version with the higher spec carbon fibre with Shimano Ultegra Di2 and a power meter for £5,500 (currently reduced to £4,999).

Van Rysel RCR Rival AXS Power Sensor: Conclusion

On the whole, the RCR is a good choice, ticking all of the boxes required for a race bike. The frameset is well made and the ride quality is impressive for such a stiff bike, plus it is competitively priced.

Verdict

Textbook race bike with a great build for the money