Decathlon's in-house bicycle brand B'Twin have released an updated version of their cyclocross bike, the B'Twin Cyclo-X. The French firm have also announced a new lifetime warranty on all their own-brand steel and aluminium frames purchased from now on.
The new B’Twin 'cross bike has a new aluminium frame and composite fork and is set to launch this autumn before the upcoming cyclocross season. Priced at £799.99, it looks like a well-specced choice for budget-conscious cyclocross racers and a workhorse worthy of consideration by anyone who commutes along gravel tracks and towpaths.
Those new to cyclocross will find a few handy features to help them get in to the sport. With friendly 46/36 rings on the CX-specific chainset, matched to an 11-28 Shimano cassette, there’s a decent spread of gear ratios on offer. B’Twin have also included so-called 'suicide levers', mounted on the tops of the bars. They give additional braking options for riders, as the in-line brake lever interrupts the brake cable from the standard brake levers. On a bike of this price it’s nice to see Shimano 105 gears, with the derailleurs and shifters coming from the Japanese manufacturer's mid-range groupset.
The downtube widens at the bottom bracket
The non-compact designed frame has been built from heat treated aluminium and features an ovalised down tube. With a vertical ovalisation at the head tube, twisting to a horizontally ovalised one at the bottom bracket, the increased weld area should increase stiffness and strength. As on many cyclocross bikes, cables run along the top of the top tube, to keep them out of the way when shouldering the bike. The frame and forks aren’t disc compatible on this model.
Mavic have provided the Aksium Race wheelset, which comes with straightpull bladed spokes, cartridge bearings and a 24mm deep rim. Finishing kit comes from the B’Twin stable, with a long 130mm stem and shallow drop bars. An aluminium seatpost is topped with a B’Twin saddle.
From the autumn, the bike will be available in five sizes (51, 53, 55, 57, 59cm) for £799.99 through Decathlon's stores and website.
Lifetime frame warranty
A new lifetime warranty on all B’Twin alloy frames has been announced, starting with sales from this week. It covers ‘normal use’ on all aluminium and steel B-Twin frames, rigid forks, bars and stems – carbon components and suspension forks are not included.
B’Twin's International Director, Olivier Robinet, invited BikeRadar for a behind-the-scenes look at the design and assembly plat in Lille, northern France. He explained how the lifetime warranty was a natural extension of their existing five year cover on metal frames and complements the ongoing two year policy on carbon frames. The fact that B’Twin bikes are designed, built, and sold by the same company makes this an easier and more reliable promise to make and policy to police – and reflects their confidence in their product.
“Thirty-five years ago we decided to dream up and design a range of bikes with the best possible quality/price combination as the principle objective. Our obsession for quality and how we manage it have since become the B’Twin brand’s priority commitment,” says Robinet. “If your bike has a problem, simply return it to the store. Each broken part is repaired or replaced free of charge. If the bike is a write-off, it is replaced with a similar model.”
The Lifetime Warranty sticker is proudly applied after approval at the Quality Control step on the B’Twin assembly line