The BTWIN Triban 5 White. REVIEW

It’s finally ready, The BTWIN Triban 5 White.   

I’m a 173cm tall guy, very heavy build (87kgs at the time of writing, 94 when I purchased it.), inflexible back and a large tummy (Proof in the pics attached to the post). This is my review on the Triban 5 white 54cm frame.


The bike is the heaviest of all the three Road bikes I have and it has always been a pin in the back of my head that I will be slow on a heavier bike but I was wrong.  Over time I have concluded all this is the fastest bike I have for a rolling terrain but without the ability to go for an out right sprint.


I admit the frame's rather aggressive compact geometry gave me a tough time at first, especially on the drops while descending and sprinting (Probably cause I ride a 56 cm frame on my daily commuter.) but it more than makes up for it in the flats, gentle long climbs and sweet-short-sharp inclines.
It came as a surprise to me when I experienced first hand how this bike handles the vibrations to the saddle. Sure almost half the bikes with a 50K + price tag come with a carbon fork but this model of the Triban 5 comes with a carbon seat stay that proved its worth on the roads of Hyderabad from Hi-tech city to Decathlon Uppal (Not exactly cobblestones but a few sections come close.) And on the ORR service road on the way to Decathlon Shamshabad (So many speed breakers.) The comfort it offers the rider on any kind of bumpy terrain is simply amazing.
The best part of this bike, in my opinion, has to be the triple front (30-39-50) with a 9 at the back (25-12) combination of gears. This particular collection of gear combination paired with the compact geometry and responsiveness of the frame and wheels make this bike capable of handling the toughest of climbs even with a bulky rider like me, both in and out of the saddle.
Saddle could use an upgrade though; fortunately BTWIN (In house brand of Decathlon) has a decent collection to choose from. I chose the ART: 1624459 MTB/ROAD Saddle. This was due to the fact that it’s a saddle wide enough to accommodate my sit bones and the padding on the saddle felt extremely comfortable.
The shifters and the drive train are from Shimano; I suspect the chain and the power link are not. The components this time round is from the Sora family. The shifters, crank, Bottom Bracket (BB), derailleurs etc. All from Shimano Sora 3500 group.  The crank is a hollow shaft type; the shifters look like a nice jet-black variant of the Shimano Tiagra shifters of last year. Ergonomics wise I found the shifters to be a lot more accommodating and comfortable when compared to the 2300 shifters used in this model last year.
The breaking performance is among some of the best I’ve seen at this price. Tires are quite a surprise they are quite grippy and inspire confidence when taking corners and attacking descents at an " OK " pace. Performance in the wet is also quite good and at this price point you wont hear me complaining.   
All said and done this is one of the best bikes I’ve ridden till date. With a price tag that’s not too heavy on the pocket for such a feature rich bike, there nothing more to ask for but “Where can I buy one of these?”; The answer “At any DECATHLON Store.” ; Best part the latest model has a darker much sexier paint job.  Be sure to go out there and check it out.

Comments

  1. UnknownOctober 16, 2020 at 2:52 AM

    Hai, is it good of taking this model used bike at 30k?

    ReplyDelete

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