BTwin Triban 540

When BTwin released its new range of Triban bikes last year, Dave Arthur commented that the 540 'looks like a great bike on paper'. I'm happy to report that it lives up to expectations – it's a real joy to ride, with an incredible spec at a low price point that had me double-checking BTwin had got it right.

The triple-butted aluminium frame feels fast, comfortable and responsive, without much of the buzzy feeling you sometimes get from aluminium. The carbon fork also effectively absorbs bumps in the road. There's little to complain about, comfort-wise. It has front and rear rack and mudguard mounts, so you can load it up for weekend tours or all-year-round commuting. 

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The Triban 540 is a pleasure to pilot, whether you're on smooth new tarmac, decaying and rough road surfaces or, to my surprise, over some particularly toothy London cobbles. But this makes sense when you check the seat tube – proudly proclaiming that the bike was designed in Lille and tested on the (relatively close) roads and cobbles of Flanders. It shows.

BTwin hasn't gone down the route of oversizing the bottom bracket junction, keeping with a standard sized press-fit unit, but the frame doesn't seem to lack anything because of it. This equates to a tiny bit of flex in the bottom bracket at full acceleration, but not something you'd notice unless you were trying hard to.

BTwin has oversized the front end, though, using a tapered head tube – 1 1/8in at the top flaring to 1 1/4in at the bottom. It's all about adding stiffness by increasing the cross sectional area; firstly it gives you a larger weld area so you can increase the diameter of the down tube, plus the alloy steerer of the fork is bigger, with all of these tweaks allowing for better steering accuracy and resistance to braking loads.

Thanks to these design features, the bike is stiff enough to react well to bursts of power, while out of the saddle it's easy to get into a rhythm to climb, or accelerate out of a corner. It's so comfortable, and fun, rides felt shorter than they actually were.

> Check out our guide to the best bikes for £500-£750

The slim seatstays offer some flex, and while steering feels easy and relaxed when you're cruising, it's responsive when you need it to be.

Speccing order

Decathlon's own-brand dual-pivot rim brakes performed well, including for sudden stops – no complaints there. Although the 540 is marketed as '105' (as in the Shimano groupset), BTwin has reduced costs by putting a Tiagra 12-28 cassette and Prowheel Ounce 721 compact 50/34 chainset on the frame; gear changing was easy, if not totally effortless.

The ergo handlebar is essentially a shallow drop bar, the width being specific to each of the five frame sizes within the range. I tested the 52cm, and getting into and holding a variety of riding positions was easy. Importantly, for a person with small hands, the brake levers were easy to reach. The 52cm size is the smallest in the range, which sadly rules it out as an option for smaller riders.

The alloy handlebar, stem and seatpost are all solid choices for the price. The bike is unisex, but Decathlon provided a women-specific saddle for testing – a choice it offers to all customers. It proved comfortable even on long rides, though of course saddle choice is very much a matter of personal preference.

Wheel deal

The 24mm-deep Mavic Aksium One wheels, with 20 front and 20 rear spokes, never felt like they were compromising the ride. The 25mm Hutchinson Equinox tyres roll well and offer decent amounts of grip, and are good enough to use until they wear out, as opposed to replacing early. When they do wear out, the frame has enough clearance for 32mm tyres (without mudguards) – which would increase comfort further.

Looks-wise, the 540's muted black and gunmetal greys are offset by BTwin's half-and-half coloured bar tape, in this case, half black, half lumo orange. The matching highlights on the frame are a nice touch. The welds aren't the smoothest, but that's hardly cause for complaint at this price.

Overall, this bike is a great buy for those new to road bikes and those looking to their next cycling challenge. And Decathlon offers a lifetime warranty on the frame, fork, stem and handlebar.

Verdict

A pleasure to ride whatever the road surface, with an excellent spec for the money