Decathlon Joins The Lightweight Road E-Bike Game With New Van Rysel E-Bike

The Van Rysel E-EDR AF Apex is powered by the punchy yet compact Mahle X35 motor.

We’ve been seeing a lot of new performance-oriented electric bikes at low prices from manufacturers looking to make e-biking more accessible to a wide range of cyclists. We previously talked about the ultra affordable Ride1Up CF Racer, which offers a full-carbon fiber road/gravel bike at an irresistible price. This time around, Decathlon, through its Van Rysel brand, has released a new electric road bike that also stands to impress with its attractive price tag.

It’s called the Van Rysel E-EDR AF Apex, and though its name is quite a mouthful, it’s meant to be as light as possible without compromising on performance. The bike is Decathlon’s first foray into the ultra-lightweight electric road bike segment, and on paper, it’s thoroughly impressive. For starters, it’s rocking an aluminum frame that helps it achieve an impressive weight of just 14 kilograms (31 pounds). It gets impressive components too, such as a Sram APEX 12-speed drivetrain with matching Sram APEX hydraulic disc brakes. To make it even more accessible to riders, Van Rysel offers its new electric road bike in both men’s and women’s variants.

On the performance side of the equation, the Van Rysel E-EDR AF Apex is packing some pretty impressive technology. It’s propelled by the Mahle X35 rear hub motor complete with three assistance settings. It keeps riders informed of all ride stats by way of the BC900 GPS computer.

In terms of range, Decathlon claims a rather impressive 100 miles on a single charge via a 250-watt-hour battery and range extender. That said, don’t expect to achieve this range if you rely a lot on electric assist. According to Decathlon, the new e-bike has undergone comprehensive real-world testing under various conditions for six months. Thanks to its lightweight aluminum frame and carbon fork, it provides riders with an agile and nimble ride.

When it comes to pricing, like all of Decathlon’s e-bikes, the Van Rysel E-EDR AF Apex is priced lower than its competition at 2,800 euros, or about $3,080 USD. With the new model, Decathlon hopes to attract performance-oriented riders looking to get in on the e-bike fun.