Decathlon RACE 740 Off-road mountain forest bike Hardtail carbon fiber ultralight bike

At the beginning of 2022, Decathlon ROCKRIDER announced the formation of a factory team to compete in the Mountain World Cup, after nearly two years of the world's top field test, the original prototype tank one by one to achieve mass production, ROCKRIDER product line finally usher in an epic update - the new RACE series listed.

In the hardtail product line, in addition to the top tank RACE 900, the positioning XC training, competition level RACE 740 mountain bike is obviously more suitable for the majority of mountain bike players,  in the market has a very high cost performance. Here is a detailed explanation of the upcoming "explosive" RACE 740 in the end.

RACE 740 Vehicle configuration:

Frame: ROCKRIDER UD stacked lightweight racing grade carbon fiber frame

Front fork: ROCKSHOX JUDY SILVER 100mm BOOST 15x110

Drivetrain: SRAM SX EAGLE 12S

Brake: SRAM Level double piston hydraulic disc brake

Wheel set: Sunringle Duroc30 29 "BOOST cylinder shaft compatible with vacuum tires

Outer tyre: CST C1846 29X2.25 Yellow edge tyre quasi-vacuum

The new painting design of RACE 740 adopts pure and elegant blue as the color base, abandoning the transition color and double-side cut color painting of the previous series. The new design language of Decathlon XC competition family is more concise and vivid. The elegant blue painting of the whole frame not only brings visual refreshing, but also makes the car more elegant. It is in the color matching and logo and other details of the design have a higher level of style, ROCKRIDER in the past painting changes can be called earthshaking big changes, the sense of paint quality will have a more direct feeling after seeing and touching the real car, on the basis of consolidating the stable quality of products, Decathlon is more and more "on the way" in painting.

The font of the "ROCKRIDER" logo in the upper case of the lower tube on the drive side is also more slender and exquisite, and the letter spacing is larger, and the new generation of logos comply with this design and are separated in the lower tube of the frame. The other side is also "ROCKRIDER" but the font is smaller, and the overall move up highlights the concise design style.

The frame tube is marked with the vehicle model "ROCKRIDER RACE 740", and the square layout of the "RACE" logo has become a prominent symbol of the new ROCKRIDER competition level mountain bike, which is highly recognizable.

Another major update to the ROCKRIDER RACE series is the upgrade of the interior track throughout the series, and the RACE 740 is naturally no exception. The romantic French brand finally no longer sticks to the outside track, and is more concise and beautiful in appearance, while reducing the weight of the frame, which must be praised.

The full carbon fiber UD stacked frame (M) weighs only 1150 grams, and the RACE 900 top frame made of high-mold carbon fiber is only 20 grams difference, the frame is still very conscience. The weight of the vehicle is 12.5kg (M code), the main impact on the weight of the vehicle is some entry-level parts, the frame lightweight is still in place.

The frame tube shape is more rounded and slim, the narrowest part of the upper tube is easily grasped with one hand, and the flat treatment that was originally required to reserve the outer line of the lower tube is handled more naturally in the new model, and transparent protective stickers are attached.

The rear lower fork adopts an asymmetric design, with the word "29" on the inside, and transparent protective stickers are also placed on both sides of the rear lower fork to protect the frame from accidental damage such as gravel. It should be noted that the inner cable outlet is directly placed at the end of the tube under the frame, and the rear end brake and variable speed cables still need to be fixed through the outer end of the rear fork, which is "knife precision" compared to its big brother RACE 900.

The frame continues to use the PF92 push-in five-way, relying on the SRAM DUB axis system, and the disk crank set to strike a balance between light weight and rigidity.

The vehicle is equipped with an aluminum alloy seat tube, and the left side of the front end of the frame is reserved for the lifting seat tube hole, which can be compatible with the lifting seat tube of 31.6mm caliber, which is convenient for riders to upgrade themselves in the future. The design of the previous integrated seat clamp has also been adjusted to a more general and beautiful traditional ring seat clamp, and the transition of the frame at the tee is more natural.

“CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!” The slogan on the inside of the back fork is still retained, and the flatter back fork is more recognizable, and this line of "little eggs" is also easier to be seen by drivers following behind, "Catch me if you can!" Provocative or provocative? All in all, fun.

Decathlon, which has a deep relationship with SRAM, also uses the SRAM single-disc 12-speed transmission system in this update, and the RACE 740 uses a combination of SX EAGle12-speed hybrid X1 Eagle cranks. The 34T+11-50T tooth ratio is more practical and balanced in daily training and competitions, whether it is high-speed cruising or attacking steep hills.

The braking system is SRAM Level double piston hydraulic disc brake, with 180mm/160mm G2 disc, braking force is strong. The tail hook also uses the latest UDH specifications, and it is also very convenient to upgrade to the new SRAM wireless electronic transmission.

UD stacked carbon fiber frame brings excellent frame rigidity and excellent trampling efficiency, and the frame response of several offensive pulls back and forth is surprising, and the kinetic energy transfer is very direct. Carbon fiber frame itself vibration filtration greatly improves the frequent vibration in high-speed cross-country, in the relatively flat forest path, with wide tire low pressure and carbon fiber frame itself vibration filtration can get a very comfortable riding experience, the vehicle in the forest road high-speed travel has a very good stability.

The excellent geometry of the longer wheelbase and shorter back fork makes climbing and tight turns a fun challenge, the more upright seat Angle of 74° faces steep inclines, and the smooth treadle output and front control are well balanced.

The short handlebars have a faster response in the pull operation of the strong crank, the force is direct and rapid, and the speed is faster in a short time. 69° head tube Angle in -17° 70mm aluminum alloy stand under the combination makes the vehicle very suitable for climbing, vigorously rocker uphill can also have good support, there will be no first class phenomenon, a pure XC mountain bike should have it.

SRAM brings accurate and stable transmission performance and efficient and fast transmission efficiency, the finger and dial transmission feel feedback is clear and hard, 11-50T flywheel is enough to deal with many uphill and downhill road conditions, the transmission system is stable and durable enough, even novice Xiaobai do not need to worry about riding in the transmission system will have any problems. If you can slightly upgrade the rear pull to GX Eagle, improve the rear pull tension, reduce the chain hit the rear fork, the confidence of the intense off-road will be more sufficient. In addition, the transparent protective paste of the back fork becomes "soil gray" under the intrusion of sand and dust, which slightly affects the beauty of the whole body, and it will be better if there is a thicker and more reliable protective paste.

Taking into account the price of the vehicle, although there is a certain gap between the Judy front fork and the flagship XC front fork such as Reba and SID, it has the same design concept as the high-end front fork, and the basic rebound adjustment, wire lock and other functions are available, which is worth the price and enough for daily training and play. If it comes to the final flat road sprint decisive moment in the game, the pre-lock fork can definitely get more direct kinetic energy transfer than the opponent, bringing faster speed.

In fact, it should pay more attention to the upgradable space and transformation potential of this Race 740. Because both in terms of geometry and specifications, the RACE 740 uses the mainstream standards of the current XC field, such as the standard 29-wheel diameter wheel set, front and rear Boost cylinder shaft specifications, UDH tail hook, DUB shaft, compatible vacuum tires, reserved lift seat pipe holes, etc., enjoy the joy of mountain biking in the slow upgrade. These specifications will not be outdated in the coming years.

And very important point is that Decathlon has an extremely strong after-sales policy (carbon fiber frame 5-year warranty, the rest of the spare parts 2-year warranty) and physical stores all over the country, marketing the world's big factory quality let the car friends although rest assured to boldly play wild, with a very sincere price to give the car friends a best vehicle choice. Definitely the first choice to start a competitive carbon fiber XC mountain bike.