How covering all sports under the sun helps one brand to make cycling cheaper

Does covering multiple sports make Decathlon a master of none? The French brand doesn’t think so

Decathlon HQ visit May 2024
(Image credit: Future)

Decathlon has a reputation for good value sporting goods across its full range of activities. Head to the sport superstore’s website, and you could kit yourself out for everything from kayaking to horse riding, to rollerblading, camping (is that a sport?), and cycling. The French brand recently upped its game in the latter, however, signing a sponsorship deal to kit out the Decathlon-AG2R pro team, and simultaneously dropping the price of WorldTour worthy bike ownership by around by several thousand pounds. 

The Van Rysel RCR Pro bike - designed and manufactured by Decathlon - costs £9,000, around £2,000 to £3,000 cheaper than pro level bikes available from other brands. It’s often said that it’s the ‘scale’ of Decathlon that makes this possible. But what exactly does that mean? 

Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1