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review

Decathlon B'Twin Triban 500 SE road bike

9
£330.00

VERDICT:

9
10
Impressive value and performance, with only minor reservations
Weight: 
9,960g

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The B'Twin Triban 500 SE is an entry-level road bike that looked full of eastern promise. And it delivers, with only minor reservations. Its ride feel is amazingly sprightly and its component parts are far better than average at this price. The doubt lies with longer term durability, but for so little money that's a minor minus.

I'm sure I'm not alone in this. I'm constantly being asked by acquaintances, or strangers at social gatherings who hear I know about bikes, how much they'll need to pay to get a half way decent road bike.

Find this bike online
Find a B'Twin dealer

I'll usually ask a few questions to get an idea of where to pitch in with examples. Some people asking are mountain bikers looking for a change. Some are friends of friends thinking about riding to work after barely touching a bike for years.

Some are neighbours who see me pedalling out early on Sunday morning then see me hours later sitting out front, still kitted up, with a stupid grin on my face, a big mug of coffee in one hand and an even bigger slice of cake in the other.

They think "I want some of that". And they don't just mean cake.

The problem is that, as well as hoping to get a slice of what seems to be good for me, they'll often also expect to score a great road bike for less than they can earn for a couple of days' work, and that's a big ask.

But here's a bike I'll be recommending to some of them.

B'Twin is the bicycle house brand of French sport superstore chain Decathlon. At the last count, Decathlon had 14 stores in the UK, over 500 in mainland Europe and about 50,000 workers. You can see that they might have some advantages in buying power.

My first feelings about the Triban 500SE revolved around the fact that it looks way too cheap to be without gremlins. 

There are two versions of the 500. This SE (Special Edition) UK-only version gets a 3 x 8 Microshift drivetrain compared to the £449.99 model, which gets a more upmarket 3 x 9 Shimano Sora drivetrain.

I've had some limited experience of Microshift gears on both mountain bikes and road bikes. They're pretty good in terms of both function and value for money but they're not quite as slick in operation as the Shimano alternative.

So my gut reaction would still be to talk people into spending an extra £70 to get the Shimano Sora bike. I doubt you'll find a cheaper Sora specced bike, and my experience of Microshift drivetrains is that they show signs of wear sooner than Shimano Sora.

But the Triban bicycle family — there are more if you look at the web site or visit a store — is about much more than just drivetrains.

The SE is also equipped with a carbon fork, a decent set of wheels and tyres and a collection of pretty good finishing kit. It weighs in at a surprisingly light 22.4lb/10.08kg, way below average for a bike at this price.

There are no unwelcome shortcuts in the finishing detail and even a first evening blast around a lumpy 15km loop suggested that it rides very much like a race-bred bike rather than like a bike aimed purely at beginners.

There are loads of other bikes in the B'Twin range designed for riders needing a more casual ride posture, but there's plenty of bar and stem position adjustment here, including a bolted spacer that sits directly above the headset and keeps the bearings adjusted correctly if you need to change the stem positioning.

You wouldn't really expect a £380 bike to be seriously competive or durable enough for racing, but the Triban 500 SE comes closer than most.

On long steady road rides it climbs, descends, handles and rolls along very much like many bikes costing several times as much money.

It's never the slightest bit vague in handling when sprinting or cornering hard and it's far more comfy over bumpy roads than I expected for a cheap aluminium frame and 23mm tyres.

The carbon fork, again a bonus on a bike at this price, seems to absorb road buzz more effectively than the aluminium forks that are common on sub £500 bikes.

The sloped top tube, with resultingly generous 27.2mm seat post extension, plus a well padded saddle and padded handlebar tape all help too.

The double auxilliary outward to inward shift levers of Microshift take a couple of rides to get used to, and shifts feel more spongy, less clicky, than Shimano or SRAM shifters, to a point where you're sometimes not sure whether you've shifted or not.

But the hoods are comfy for climbing or cruising and there are cable tension adjusters right by the levers: these proved useful for tweaking the front gear mech cable tension during rides as with triple rings it's close to impossible to get every single gear without ocassional front mech chain rub.

However, in every other way the triple (30/39/50) crankset and close ratio eight speed cassette are very welcome on a bike that's going to be bought by a lot of people who need help on the hills. Our very early sample had a Prowheel Ounce chainset, but Decathlon have now specced a Shimano Claris unit and the first 1,000 bikes will have a Sora chainset because of delays getting hold of the Claris chainsets.

The gear range is equally suitable for average sportif riders, lightweight tourists, commuters and weekend warriors.

From an everyday utility use viewpoint, there are threaded eyelets on the rear dropouts and the fork, plus rack eyelets on the seat stays and two sets of bottle cage bosses.

B'Twin's own brand brakes have metal shoes and seperate pads. They're far better than average on bikes at this price but the lever pull feel is quite heavy compared to higher spec Shimano brakes.

The wheels and tyres appear to be way better than average for bikes at this price.

The 32 spokes are rustless rather than stainless but the eyeletted rims with a wear line are strongly laced to B'Twin's house brand hubs and the tyres are Hutchinson's Equinox 23mm slicks, again a grippy fast rolling bonus on such a cheap bike.

After a few long rides the front hub bearings developed a tiny amount of play. Overtightening the quick release lever initially helped but the play returned, irritating with a rattle on bumpy roads.

The remainder of the components - a compact short drop handlebar, stem, seat post and saddle - are simple black coated affairs but again way better than average.

I haven''t come to expect a lot in terms of frame quality on bikes at this price, but again the B'Twin impresses.

Its 6061 T6 heat treated aluminium tubes are formed to achieve a satisfactory combination of lateral stiffness and vibration absorption and there's enough room for slightly bigger tyres and mudguards.

The straight-bladed carbon fork has an aluminium steerer and dropouts and the geometry is relatively sporty, 71.5 degrees at the head and 73.5 degrees at the seat. There are 48, 51, 54 and 60cm sizes available too and it's worth noting that some of Decathlon's small road bikes have a smaller, 650B wheel option. Check their web site for details.

The 57cm bike has a 57cm horizontal top tube reach and a 52cm seat tube, bottom bracket centre to the top.

Like many riders, I and most other road.cc testers are intuitively slightly wary of superstore bikes. But Decathlon manages to wins fans with more than just low prices.

B'Twin bikes seem to be thoughtfully designed, well specced and very easily mistaken for something that should cost an awful lot more money. The 500 SE is certainly the best bike I've ever ridden at anywhere near £380.

In fact I was doing similar average speeds for my regular road loops as on my own road bike, which is theoretically worth about ten times as much.

The only obvious short term downside is that the drivetrain and wheel parts are much more likely to wear fast than on a higher specification bike. But with a bike at this price that rides so well that's a downside that's well worth putting up with.

Conclusion

Decathlon's B'Twin Triban 500 delivers impressive value and performance, with only minor reservations. Its ride feel is amazingly sprightly and its component parts are far better than average at this price. The doubt lies with longer term durability, but for so little money that's a minor minus.

Verdict

Impressive value and performance, with only minor reservations.

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road.cc test report

Make and model: BTwin Triban 500 road bike

Size tested: 56

About the bike

State the frame and fork material and method of construction. List the components used to build up the bike.

 

Decathlon lists the spec and its plus points thus:

Frame
6061 T6 Triban aluminium sloping frame with integrated head tube. Short frame geometry, 1900g in size 57, robust lifetime warranty frame, available in 5 sizes (51,54,57,60,63). Rear pannier rack ready.

Fork
Carbon B'TWIN SPORT forks with aluminium pivot (550 g)

Drive train
8-speed MICROSHIFT shifters. Very precise, rapid and robust design. Very comfortable ergonomics, levers suit all hand sizes. Very precise front and rear MICROSHIFT derailleurs enabling amazingly-smooth chain crossovers. Cassette: 12 x 25

Brakes
B'TWIN double brake pivot with pads mounted on brake shoes to facilitate replacement when worn down without modifying the position of the brakes

Crankset / cassette
SHIMANO aluminium 50/39/30 triple chainset works perfectly on all types of flat and sloping terrain.
Two crank sizes: 170 mm and 175 mm depending on the size of the frame.

Handlebar / stem / steering
B'TWIN oversize compact handlebar stem, with part sizes that are proportional to the size of the frame (stem length: 80 mm to 130 mm on a size 63 bike). This gives you the perfect riding position.

Wheels
B'TWIN double-walled aluminium rims with reinforcement eyelets, 32 stainless spokes, front and rear quick release.
Two wheel sizes:
650 wheel size on 51 frame
700 wheel size on 54, 57, 60 and 63 frames

Tyres
Hutchinson Equinox (23 mm wide), excellent tyre for training rides at a fast pace. Weighing 290 grams, it is equipped with steel beads, bi-material rubber, and a tread that is harder than the sides, applied over a 66TPI body.
Two tyre sizes:
650 tyres on 51 frame
700 tyres on 54, 57, 60 and 63 frames

Saddle / seat post
B'twin aluminium seat post (29.8 mm diameter), adjusts with Allen key, ergonomic B'twin saddle that is comfortable even on long rides

Pedals
Flat pedals with toe-clips

Miscellaneous
Weighs 10.6 kg in size 57 including pedals

Tell us what the bike is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about the bike?

This 'Special Edition' model is a cheaper UK-specific alternative to the Shimano Sora equipped Triban 500. It's obviously aimed at riders looking for a low budget bike, but it's doesn't ride like a low budget bike. It's speed, ride feel and handling is excellent, leaving only doubts about the longer term durability of some of its component parts. The front hub bearings had already developed play by the end of the test period.

Frame and fork

Overall rating for frame and fork
 
8/10

Tell us about the build quality and finish of the frame and fork?

For the price, superb. In fact, if the whole bike was twice the price the frame and fork quality would still be acceptably good

Tell us about the materials used in the frame and fork?

6061 aluminium frame, carbon fork

Tell us about the geometry of the frame and fork?

No geometry spec' listed but measured at 71.5 degrees at the head, 73.5 at the seat. Our 57cm test bike had a 57cm top tube (horizontal).

How was the bike in terms of height and reach? How did it compare to other bikes of the same stated size?

Average. More sporty than most entry level bikes.

Riding the bike

Was the bike comfortable to ride? Tell us how you felt about the ride quality.

Surprisingly comfy for its price tag, but we'd fit 25mm tyres at add a little more give.

Did the bike feel stiff in the right places? Did any part of the bike feel too stiff or too flexible?

Yes. No unwelcome flex anywhere.

How did the bike transfer power? Did it feel efficient?

Amazingly good for a bike at this price. Only the wheels felt a little clunky at times on rough roads.

Was there any toe-clip overlap with the front wheel? If so, was it a problem?

No.

How would you describe the steering? Was it lively, neutral or unresponsive? Pleasingly neutral.

Tell us some more about the handling. How did the bike feel overall? Did it do particular things well or badly?

No complaints at all.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's comfort? would you recommend any changes?

Great compact handlebar shape. Saddle not great but better than some.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's stiffness? would you recommend any changes?

If there's an obvious potential weak point on the bike we'd say it's the wheels. The front hub developed a loose bearing by the end of the test and the wheels felt a little challenged in stiffness during hard sprints. But at this price that's really a very small downside.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's efficiency? would you recommend any changes?

Great handlebar shape. Loads of bar height adjustment. Far better tyres thgan usual at this price, and a far better frame and fork than we've come to expect on a sub £500 bike.

Rate the bike for efficiency of power transfer:
 
7/10

For the price, great.

Rate the bike for acceleration:
 
7/10
Rate the bike for sprinting:
 
6/10

Wheels not the best for flat out power.

Rate the bike for high speed stability:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for cruising speed stability:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for flat cornering:
 
8/10

Excellent handling through twists and turns.

Rate the bike for cornering on descents:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for climbing:
 
7/10

Sat down climbing fine. Powerful stood up climbing shows up some wheel flex.

The drivetrain

Rate the drivetrain for performance:
 
6/10

Average. Not as slick as Shimano.

Rate the drivetrain for durability:
 
5/10
Rate the drivetrain for weight:
 
6/10
Rate the drivetrain for value:
 
8/10

Tell us some more about the drivetrain. Anything you particularly did or didn't like? Any components which didn't work well together?

The shift lever action takes a while to get used to but mis-shifts are rare. With the triple up front it was hard to get the full spread of gears without some front mech chain rub in gears at the edges.

Wheels and tyres

Rate the wheels and tyres for performance:
 
4/10

Simply average, and the front hub developed bearing play.

Rate the wheels and tyres for durability:
 
5/10

Tyres good for a bike at this price.

Rate the wheels and tyres for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the wheels and tyres for comfort:
 
5/10

Average. 25mm tyres would add comfort.

Rate the wheels and tyres for value:
 
7/10

Tell us some more about the wheels and tyres.Did they work well in the conditions you encountered? Would you change the wheels or tyres? If so, what for?

It was only really the fact that the front hub bearings developed play that brought attention to the limited durability of the wheels. But bearings can be easily replaced, and you're never going to get a great set of wheels on a bike at this price.

Controls

Rate the controls for performance:
 
8/10

No problems at all.

Rate the controls for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the controls for weight:
 
8/10
Rate the controls for comfort:
 
9/10
Rate the controls for value:
 
10/10

Superb for a bike at this price.

Tell us some more about the controls. Any particularly good or bad components? How would the controls work for larger or smaller riders?

Decathlon vary handlebars, stem and crank length on bikes of different sizing. A few of their bikes offer a 650B wheels option on smaller sizes too.

Your summary

Did you enjoy riding the bike? Yes, very much.

Would you consider buying the bike? No.

Would you recommend the bike to a friend? Yes.

Rate the bike overall for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the bike overall for value:
 
10/10

Anything further to say about the bike in conclusion?

I'd be amazed if anyone could find a better bike at this price.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 58  Height: 181  Weight: 78kg

I usually ride: Merlin Ti  My best bike is: Ibis Silk SL

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, commuting, touring, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,

 

Add new comment

11 comments

Avatar
Jetmans Dad | 3 years ago
0 likes

I realise this is an old article, but just a couple of thoughts from a long term owner of one of these. 

I picked mine up in Summer 2014 (one of the first set of 500SEs with the Sora cranks rather than Ounce), and have so far done over 15,000 miles, including 7 centuries, and have zero complaints about the ride or durability. 

The only upgrade I have made was and early shift to Shimano R501 wheels and Gatorskins, everything else is still straight out of the box, and apart from having to replace the front derailleur a few months ago, the only work it has needed has been the usual periodic cassette/chain replacement. 

For a £350 bike, I think it was excellent value, and it is still serving me well having been retired to turbo trainer user in favour of the RC520 I now use as my outdoor workhorse. 

If you are in the market for a cheap, second hand road bike and one of these is on offer, you could definitely do a lot worse. 

Avatar
kil0ran | 6 years ago
0 likes

And now £249 - specced with an Octalink Claris Triple with Microshift levers and mechs. Possibly NOS but the one I saw in Decathlon Southampton this lunchtime looked different to the one in this review - different graphics and chainset.

It's a cracking deal for a bike with a carbon fork - There are rack mounts so you could even tour with it. Would be a good option as a donor for a parts bin special, you'd probably clear £100+ on the group and wheels. You might even squeeze 28mm tyres in there.

Avatar
mikebelluk | 8 years ago
1 like

Price down to £299 online at the moment.

Avatar
btwin | 9 years ago
1 like

Just to let you all know that the Triban 500 SE is now £330. This is the new permanent price in all our stores and online.

Avatar
asinglecrumpet | 9 years ago
1 like

I've currently done 400 miles on my 2014 Triban 500 and it's been great so far, it's my first road bike and have had no issues keeping up with friends and family on much more expensive bikes.

Definitely think it's worth splashing the extra £70 quid on the Shimano Sora drive-train upgrade over the Microshift gearing that comes on the SE.

A good friend just bought the microshift model so will be interesting to see if there is much difference in wear/reliabilty between the two bikes in the long run.

Avatar
antigee | 9 years ago
1 like
Quote:

The only obvious short term downside is that the drivetrain and wheel parts are much more likely to wear fast than on a higher specification bike

no fan of microshift but 8 speed sora is almost nuke proof and as said in another post very fed up with 10speed chain life

as to sealed wheel bearings my jury is out had some good experiences and some pretty poor though btwin stuff is generally surprisingly good

I suspect most punters will ditch the bike when they get told a triple is so not allowed  29

edit on a positive note have a few friends new to cycling and wanting to get out and do some challenge type rides and stuff like C2C and have bought this bike and really enjoyed it - not everyone is entering road cycling as a club rider and these bikes are great for getting out and enjoying riding

Avatar
Dnnnnnn replied to antigee | 9 years ago
1 like
Quote:

similar average speeds for my regular road loops as on my own road bike, which is theoretically worth about ten times as much

I think that theory has been disproved!

Avatar
MKultra | 9 years ago
1 like

I think what makes them a good buy is the fact that you can upgrade with new old stock parts or ebay stuff. 8 or 9 speed top end kit still works brilliantly so who cares if it's not the very latest 11 speed if the price is right?

Avatar
RobD | 9 years ago
1 like

I had a look at these in store with my other half as she's been looking for a bike to come along on rides, it's hard to describe but these just 'feel nicer' than most of the similar priced things we've looked at. Might be the matt finish paint combined with a decent weight, but they do feel really nice, and the size range is pretty good (when they have enough of them in stock)

Avatar
Bell | 9 years ago
1 like

Got the even cheaper Triban3 which doesn't have the carbon forks and I'd echo the comments of the reviewer. Tremendous value for money and always reliable - winter, summer, whenever. I do 300 to 400+ miles per month on mine in all weathers.

Even I can get up any hill (so far) with the triple chainset. Did 55 miles today and thoroughly enjoyed it. Doing the Pru RideLondon 100 in August and expect to be just as happy.

If you are getting into road cycling or returning after a long absence then I don't think you can go wrong with a Triban.

Bell

Avatar
Adey | 9 years ago
1 like

Got one of these as my winter bike
highly recommended  41

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