Van Rysel RCR-G Rival AXS Bike

The Van Rysel RCR-G Rival AXS Bike is Van Rysel's race-focused gravel bike at a more accessible price point, built on the same RCR-G High Modulus Carbon frame the brand developed alongside its RCR-R Pro road frame for the Decathlon CMA CGM WorldTour team. Van Rysel built the RCR-G specifically for gravel racing, running it through CFD and wind tunnel testing rather than treating it as an adventure bike with wider tires bolted on. At $4,199.00, the Rival AXS build brings that frame and race geometry in at a lower cost by pairing it with SRAM's Rival-tier groupset and Van Rysel's aluminum wheels and cockpit instead of the carbon components found on pricier builds.

The geometry leans toward a road bike's manners more than a typical gravel bike's. Stack stays low and reach runs long across the size range, paired with short 426mm chainstays for quick direction changes on technical sections. A steepening seat tube angle and a relaxed head tube angle split the difference between an aggressive road position and the stability needed once the surface gets loose. The frame also builds in armor on the down tube near the bottom bracket and on the drive-side chainstay to protect against rock strikes in the spots that take the most abuse, and carries bottle mounts on the underside of the down tube as well as on top of the top tube for a third bottle or a bag on longer days.

Shifting comes from SRAM's wireless Rival XPLR AXS E1 groupset, built around a single 40-tooth chainring with an integrated power meter. The SRAM XG-1351 cassette spans a wide 13-speed, 10-46 range, which is what lets a single-ring setup cover both flat-out racing and steep gravel climbing without a front derailleur to manage. Rival AXS E1 hydraulic disc brakes on 160mm rotors handle stopping, and the wireless layout keeps the front end clean with no shift housing to route.

Van Rysel VR 30 aluminum wheels come wrapped in Continental Terra Speed tires at 700x45, with the frame clearing up to 50mm if a rider wants to run something wider for rougher terrain. The cockpit is built from Van Rysel's own aluminum handlebar and stem rather than the carbon versions found on higher builds, with a VR carbon 27.2mm seatpost and integrated headset keeping the front end clean. A Van Rysel house-brand saddle finishes the build. The RCR-G Rival AXS ships in Black across sizes XS through XL.

This is a bike for the rider stepping into gravel racing or fast group rides who wants the RCR-G's road-bike handling and race geometry without paying for the carbon wheels and cockpit found on the Force AXS build above it. The aluminum wheels and cockpit add some weight over the carbon versions, but the frame, geometry, and drivetrain range that make the RCR-G fast on race day carry over unchanged.