For years now, Decathlon has been offering all kinds of sports equipment to the masses, notably with aggressive prices, but also with excellent technical features. Two arguments that the Rockrider E-Activ 100, a versatile e-bike sold for under €1,000, intends to take up.
Test carried out by Emmanuel Armanet
The Decathlon Rockrider E-Activ100 is an electrically assisted bike with attractive lines that aims to meet most cyclists' needs, whether for Sunday rides or daily commuting to work, even if you will then have to go through the accessories box, but we will come back to that. As almost always with the famous French brand, the quality/price ratio seems, at first glance anyway, astonishing.
Availability
The bike is offered at the price of €999.99, just under the symbolic threshold of a thousand euros. The Rockrider E-Activ100 also benefits from a rental program which, admittedly, becomes more expensive after several years than an outright purchase, like all rentals, but which does not require a large sum to be paid out in one go. It's up to you, depending on your options.
With a minimum three-month commitment, the rent is €60 per month and it drops to €45 if you commit to a year. This solution includes bike maintenance, as well as breakage and theft insurance with a mechanical lock.
The Rockrider E-Activ100 is available in two types of frames:
- the classic closed frame in dark gray;
- an open frame also known as a low-step-through frame (pearl gray). This second option has long been allocated to women, but this is frankly reductive, because this architecture is very practical in the city, since it allows you to get on and off the bike very easily, to stop at a red light, for example.
Two sizes are available: S/M and L/XL. The brand indicates that the first corresponds to people whose height is between 1.50 and 1.72 m compared to 1.72 to 1.95 m for the second. However, beyond the manufacturer's recommendations, don't hesitate to visit the store to test it for yourself.
A classic design
Before riding, a quick tour of the owner is essential. The frame is made of hydroformed aluminum – a classic process today – and it displays regular weld seams. The paint is perfectly applied and seems thick enough to withstand the small hazards of everyday life. The geometry of our copy, in the smallest size, is based on a slooping top tube. It is clearly leaned towards the rear to allow easy "turning" around the bike. This optimizes its overall rigidity while improving its handling.
The Rockrider E-Activ 100 adopts a telescopic fork. This is a basic model whose brand does not appear. The 60 mm travel is more than sufficient for this bike's program. The fork relies on a spring system and does not require adjustments. You will therefore have to make do with the original ones which are the logical result of compromise. This concerns, for example, the preload which allows the fork to be adapted to the rider's weight. If you weigh 60 or 90 kg, it does not react in the same way, especially on small impacts.
For the rest, comfort will be based on 47mm tires, a decent width, mounted on large 700mm wheels. Let's not forget the saddle developed by the brand's engineers. It has a raised profile towards the rear that allows you to wedge your buttocks to improve pedaling efficiency on climbs. So-called ergonomic handles are also present, but let's admit it, we're generally not fans.
The aluminum handlebars and stem have a classic profile for a slightly raised position to relieve the lower back and offer the cyclist good peripheral vision. Note the presence on the stem of an SP Connect mount. This standard, which competes with the famous Quadlock, allows you to attach a smartphone, knowing that, for this, it will need to be equipped with a specific case.
Braking is entrusted to the Taiwanese specialist Tektro. These are 160mm mechanical discs. A proven solution that is easier to maintain than a hydraulic solution. The transmission, meanwhile, is limited to 6 speeds. The cassette, which ranges from 14 to 28 teeth, is driven by a Decathlon derailleur. It should be noted that the gear ratio is not very significant. This inevitably limits the bike's range of action when it comes to tackling steep climbs. At the front, it's a large 44-tooth chainring that officiates.
The bike is well equipped with mudguards and front and rear LED lighting. However, it does without a luggage rack and kickstand. Both accessories are available as options at €34.99 and €15.99 respectively. The mounts are of course included for quick and easy installation. It is of course possible to opt for accessories other than those indicated by Decathlon because the Rockrider E-Activ100 is compatible with most standards.
A powerful motor…
As is often the case with affordable e-bikes, a hub motor has been chosen. This solution is more economical, since, unlike a central motor, it does not require the development of a specific frame. In addition, each central motor has different mounting centers... The motor chosen by Decathlon is therefore placed in the center of the rear wheel of the bike. Its power is 250 W, in order to comply with the legislation, and its maximum torque is 45 Nm, a high figure that should allow you to quickly start at a red light and climb slopes quite easily.
While some brands refer to the assistance capacity of their motor in percentages, Decathlon has chosen to speak in terms of electric power. The Rockrider E-Activ 100 thus offers three assistance modes in addition to the off position, of course. The first delivers a power of 70 W. This is the Eco mode. The second, which is called Moderate Assistance, delivers 125 W while the 250 W of the motor will arrive with the last mode, the Boost mode. The motorization is managed by a control block whose buttons are backlit and which withstands the heaviest rain thanks to the support of the IP55 standard. It is possible to change the assistance level, but also to turn on the machine or to display the battery charge level in the form of an LED. To go further, an application is available and connects the smartphone via Bluetooth. The screen will then turn into a counter with some additional statistics as well as the possibility of making some adjustments.
…and a hidden battery
The battery is definitely worth a look. It's integrated into the frame. It slides into the down tube, behind a plastic cover in the same color as the frame. This protects it from the elements, at least in part, and from theft thanks to its sturdy-looking lock. This choice, which isn't all that common in this price range, is obviously also a plus for the bike's overall design, which thus becomes more fluid. It also makes it easier to route the cables internally.
The Rockrider E-Activ 100 offers a battery with a capacity of 356 Wh and a weight of 2.3 kg. It's rather limited at first glance, but it's still pretty decent in the city. The brand claims it uses cells capable of not losing capacity after 500 charge cycles. It's difficult for us to verify this over a few weeks of testing, of course. One small drawback, however, is that you have to remove the battery from its housing to recharge it. Decathlon has omitted an external socket, which is practical if your bike is parked in the immediate vicinity of a power outlet.
Decathlon's new electric bike weighs 23 kg. This may seem a bit heavy for a hub motor model with a "small" battery and little equipment. As a reminder, it does not offer a kickstand, a luggage rack, or a large control console with a screen.
A pleasant bike
Now we are ready to hit the road. For this test, we explored the streets of large cities, but also small rural roads. The Rockrider E-Activ 100 offers, once the basic adjustments have been made, a balanced position, not too raised like Dutch bikes, but not with your head in the handlebars either. This position, in our opinion, perfectly matches the model's quest for versatility.
We feel good on this bike, including on the saddle, whose relatively narrow profile suits us well. It has a flared central area that limits pressure on the perineal area rather effectively. However, the overall comfort is not perfect. First of all, the fork does not display the smoothness and progressiveness of higher-end models with a hydraulic or air system. In our case, it lacks sensitivity on small impacts, such as bumping a sidewalk. Then, the tires ultimately do not absorb the irregularities of the terrain due to rather rigid sidewalls. This is often the case with tires from China, which use very hard rubber. A good point, however, is the very effective mudguards. The lighting is sufficient in built-up areas, where it is mainly used to be seen rather than to really illuminate the road. As you will have understood, you will need to upgrade to something more "tough" if you plan to ride at night on dimly lit roads, or even not at all. A high-visibility vest will also be necessary.
The assistance is effective, without any potentially destabilizing brutality in Eco and Normal modes. The motor is particularly quiet and pedaling feels natural, even when you exceed the 25 km/h barrier, which means the assistance cuts out. We don't find the wall effect of some e-bikes. The pedal sensor therefore adjusts the responsiveness of the hub motor quite well while ensuring good dynamism, including on the beautiful climbs we encountered. But by opting for Boost mode, the Rockrider E-Activ 100 changes its appearance. It becomes more brutal with an almost instantaneous arrival of power. So be careful on slippery roads.
You might also quickly feel cramped with the bike's 6 small gears, but don't forget its bargain price. Gear changes are made via a twist grip, an economical solution, but it lacks a bit of precision with some accidental triggering. In addition, we experienced a few unexpected creaks: you should therefore avoid changing gears while forcing the pedals. Anticipating is therefore strongly recommended. The braking also leaves us wanting. It lacks a bit of power when it comes to stopping the 23 kg of the bike and our 75 kg launched at high speed. The positive side is the progressiveness of the mechanical discs which helps prevent wheel locks, which are often synonymous with falls.
Sufficient autonomy
4 hours and 30 minutes are needed to fully recharge the battery of the Decathlon Rockrider E-Activ100, an average charging time, but the important thing is that one night is more than enough to complete the operation. The autonomy is in the same vein. It seemed correct to us without being exceptional. It obviously varies greatly depending on the route, the temperature, etc. For our part, it fluctuated between 40 and 55 km in Normal mode. Eco mode allows you to add a good ten kilometers while Boost mode is significantly more energy-intensive, but a priori it is not designed to be used on long stretches. In any case, these figures are sufficient given the average mileage achieved by urban cyclists. For long-distance adventures, this will certainly seem a little limited.
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