Zwift’s latest update includes three new bike frames from Van Rysel. We’ve already covered the RCR-F and RCR Pro road frames, so let’s wrap it up with a look at Van Rysel’s TT rig, the RCR-X:
On Zwift, you’ll need to be updated to game version 1.113+ to see this bike in the Drop Shop. You’ll also need to be at level 40+ with 1,200,000 Drops to buy it. Here’s how it’s described in the Drop Shop:
“Built for sustained speed. Developed with SwissSide, the RCR-X is shaped to minimize drag and maximize efficiency over long efforts. It holds momentum at race pace and stays composed when the pressure’s on — a bike designed to stay fast, all the way to the line.”
See our master list of all frames in Zwift >
It’s rated 4 stars for aero and 1 star for weight, like all of the TT bikes on Zwift. But how does it actually perform? Since Zwift’s 4-star system clearly isn’t the most granular of performance measurements (it rates all of the TT frames equally, after all), we ran this frame through our precise tests to measure performance at nerd-level detail. Let’s dive in!
Note: test results below are from a 75kg, 183cm rider holding 300W steady using Zwift’s stock 32mm Carbon wheelset on the un-upgraded version of the frame, unless otherwise noted.
Aero (Flat/Rolling) Performance
The RCR-X turns in a strong aero performance, coming in just behind the two long-time kings of Fuego Flats: the Cadex Tri and Canyon Speedmax CF SLX Disc.
The frame’s time puts it 39.6 seconds ahead of our baseline TT frame across an hour of riding, which means it’s ~6 seconds behind the fast TT frame in game, the Cadex Tri.
Climb Performance
The RCR-X is a bit heavy, though, and turns in mid-pack climbing performance compared to other TT frames in game.
The frame’s climb test time puts it 18.5 seconds ahead of the baseline TT frame after an hour, which is ~12 seconds slower than the best climbers in game (the Scott Plasma RC Ultimate and
Felt IA 2.0).
Upgrading Your Van Ryself RCR-X
Like all frames in Zwift, the RCR-X can be upgraded in five stages. It uses the Duration, High-End upgrading scheme, giving it the following characteristics:
Performance At Each Upgrade Stage
This chart shows how many seconds this frame will save across 1 hour of riding compared to our stage 0 baseline frames (Zwift Carbon or TT). This is based on a 75kg rider, 183cm tall, at 300 watts, riding on tarmac.
Upgrade Stages (Duration, High-End)
- 6 hrs: Aero Upgrade for 100k Drops
- 7 hrs: Weight Upgrade for 200k Drops
- 8 hrs: Drivetrain Upgrade for 350k Drops
- 9 hrs: Weight Upgrade for 500k Drops
- 10 hrs: Aero Upgrade for 750k Drops
Conclusions
The Van Rysel RCR-X earns a 93.4/100 aero rating in our ZIMetrics, so it’s fast, but not quite as fast as the best TT frames on flat roads. And it earns a 78.2/100 climb rating, which means there are plenty of TT frames that climb faster.
With its high level lock (40+) and price (1.2M Drops), I don’t see a lot of riders buying this frame, since the Cadex Tri is just slightly more expensive, better on the flats and the climbs, and available at the same level. And that’s OK – not every bike added to Zwift can be the new fastest bike, right?
We’ll be adding this bike to the following posts soon:
- Zwift Shopping Guide: What To Buy from the Drop Shop at Each Level (added)
- Zwift Speed Tests: TT Frame Ranking Charts
- A Complete List of Zwift Bike Frames (added)
Questions or comments?
What do you think of Van Rysel’s new RCR-X TT frame? Share below…
Important note: this post contains speed test results for Zwift frames or wheels. These results may change over time, and a bike's performance relative to others may also change. We don't always revise posts when performance rankings change, but we do keep current, master versions of our speed test results which are always available. See the frame charts, wheel charts, and Tron vs Top Performers for current performance data.
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