Van Rysel Unveils First MTB with 32-Inch Wheels Following Two Years of XC Racing Analysis

Decathlon’s high-performance cycling division, Van Rysel, has quietly been assembling a specialized mountain bike team and research department in the French Alps over recent months. Now, with the reveal of its inaugural mountain bike, the company is making it clear it has no intention of tiptoeing into the off-road segment.

The newly announced RCR-XC represents Van Rysel’s first foray into mountain biking, and it will be campaigned by the Decathlon Ford racing squad starting in 2027. Instead of playing it safe with a conventional 29-inch cross-country race platform, the brand has leapt directly into one of the most debated subjects in the sport right now: 32-inch wheels.

This decision alone makes the RCR-XC a compelling proposition, but Van Rysel is also attaching some ambitious performance figures to its debut MTB. Additionally, the bike appears to be equipped with unreleased Zipp wheels and a production RockShox fork designed for 32-inch wheels, hinting that a wave of larger-wheel mountain bikes and compatible components is on the horizon.

**The Rationale Behind 32-Inch Wheels**

According to Van Rysel, the project kicked off with an extensive review of racing data gathered since the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Engineers concentrated their analysis on three key metrics: velocity, wattage, and elapsed time. This investigative process ultimately steered the brand toward adopting 32-inch wheels.

Van Rysel contends that the increased wheel diameter delivers tangible performance benefits in real racing conditions, and the RCR-XC was engineered from the ground up around this concept rather than being a modified version of an existing 29-inch design.

While significant information remains undisclosed—including geometry specifications, suspension travel figures, and complete bike weights—Van Rysel has already shared several attention-grabbing numbers. The company states that the RCR-XC’s carbon frame weighs 230 grams less in a medium size compared to the 29-inch Rockrider that the Decathlon Ford team currently races. Frame rigidity has likewise been fine-tuned through extensive testing alongside the team’s athletes. Van Rysel notes that Zipp, RockShox, and Vittoria all contributed to the development process.

Furthermore, the wheels visible in the promotional images do not appear on SRAM’s official website, which strongly suggests that a range of new original equipment and aftermarket components optimized for 32-inch bikes will become available in the near future. Likewise, the RockShox fork mounted on the RCR-XC is presumably a new SID model built for 32-inch wheels that has not yet been released to the public.

**Aerodynamic Advantages for Cross-Country**

Van Rysel has also infused some of its road racing expertise into its mountain bike design philosophy. The RCR-XC underwent wind tunnel evaluation, and the brand asserts that it conserves 15.5 watts at a speed of 35km/h when compared to the team’s 2026 mountain bike.

Beginning in 2027, the RCR-XC will be raced by the Decathlon Ford team, whose roster includes riders such as Luca Martin, Samara Maxwell, and Savilia Blunk. For the time being, however, this remains a preview rather than a complete product launch. Van Rysel indicates that the team will keep refining the bike throughout the 2027 World Cup season before it becomes available for purchase. Pricing details and an official release date have not been revealed yet.

Van Rysel’s debut mountain bike apparel collection is also scheduled to launch in Europe in 2027, with additional markets expected to follow afterward.