RockRider 340 Review (Decathlon, B’twin MTB bicycle)

Here is my full RockRider 340 Review, after using the bicycle for about 2-3 years.

This bicycle is one of the cheapest models that have front suspensions, and can be an efficient entry-level MTB bicycle, from Decathlon (B’twin).

I say entry-level because the RockRider 340 is using basic v-brake brakes and has single simple wall rims.

To escalade obstacles and for downhill, you will want to have double enforced rims and disk brakes, in order to not risk your life.

As I said, the brakes are basic, they have some sort of variation, meaning that if you lightly press them (front – back), they will brake slowly. For dangerous situations, if you press the levers stronger, the bicycle will brake much faster.

The good thing about the brakes is that the levers can be pulled with two fingers, they move very smooth and feel very comfortable.
They are made of alloy and their frame from plastic.

The suspension

The front-suspension is just a standard Sun Tour fork with 80mm travel. It looks and feels very durable. Since I just ride inside a city, I set the suspension to the hardest level, I don’t really need suspension.
However, there is a big difference riding this bike and one that doesn’t have a front suspension. This one is much more comfortable since the front suspension will attenuate the shocks.
Even a small travel will make a difference.

The frame

The Rockrider 340 frame is made of aluminum, fells very strong. It has a square shape, very different than the usual frames. Some people that don’t know much about bicycles will think that you ride a top bike made of carbon because the black material looks like carbon.

It also helps that the paint is matte, giving a very aggressive look.
Beware of scratching the frame. Don’t use frame bags with zippers as they will easily scratch the frame.

Talking about aggression, the top bar of the frame has an interesting position, it is lifted from the handlebars to the saddle part of the frame, giving the impression that while riding, you are always climbing a hill. Very interesting feeling. It might sound funny but I think just because of this detail about the frame, the bicycle is just encouraging the rider and tells him that he’s doing a good job.

The shifters/gear system are Shimano SIS on the rear and something generic on the front, nothing bad to say about them. To change a gear, stop pedaling and use the shifter, then start pedaling slowly. The gears are getting changed smoothly, nothing really to complain.
If the last gear, 7th has issues, there is a small plastic knob that can be rotated (near the derailleur). Rotate it slowly and try to change the gear. If you really don’t know what you’re doing, avoid this and go to a bike mechanic or a bike shop and ask for help.

Also a good thing about this bicycle is that it makes almost no sound while running. Is one of the things I like on a bicycle, to be silent.

The bad parts about the RockRider 340

The pedals are made of plastic and they look and feel very cheap. You definitely want to change them with some better pedals, wider, made of aluminum.

The saddle is also really bad. It is very uncomfortable. You can just replace it. There are cheap models that will do the job just fine, but not the standard one that comes equipped.

What you see in the pictures are replaced pedals and saddle from the stock ones.
The pedals here are made of aluminum (they were like 10 euro and the saddle is from Lidl (supermarket in Europe), called Wittkop, around 6-7 euro).
Also, the bottle and the bottle cage are not included.

These parts need to be replaced. Other than that, the rest of the parts will work great when you buy it new, the tires, shifters, brakes etc.
After a year or two, you will need to replace the rear tire as you will get a lot of punctures. The stock one is really thin and it will wear out fast.

Besides getting new pedals and saddle, you also really need a kickstand because this bicycle doesn’t come equipped with one. When you buy the bicycle, you can also get a basic kickstand also from Decathlon. Almost any middle frame kickstands will work. You will need two pieces of basic rubber when installing the kickstand. Just place the two pieces of rubber between the kickstand metal parts to protect the frame.

Speed and gears

You can get a decent speed with this bicycle. On straight road, the highest speed I got was 30 km/h.
For a cheap 26 inches bicycle, 30km/h is not that bad.

For cruising, you can use the biggest front gear and the last back gear (7). For riding it in the city, you usually want to use the 6th back gear and second front gear (middle). For climbing, you can switch to the 5th rear gear. You don’t really need the smallest cog.

It depends how fit and trained you are but this bicycle can be used without much effort.

Overall, I love this bike, it is just great for its price. It is a great choice if you don’t need double wall enforced rims and disk brakes. If you just need a comfortable bicycle for city or urban jungle (if the roads are not very smooth in your country, like in mine, which is Romania).

RockRider 340 review, after 2 years of using it

After 2 years of using it, around 3-4k km, the bicycle still works with no issues. I’ve changed the rear tire and the front brake pads. The gear and the chain are still in good condition. The frame and other metal parts are still in perfect condition.

You can ask me anything about the bicycle in the comments.

I hope that this RockRider 340 review was useful enough to make a good opinion about buying this bicycle.

In 2021, Decathlon is not selling Rockrider 340 but instead they sell Rockrider ST 100, which is the replacement bike.
That bicycle has 27.5 wheels and it’s a bit better equipped.
However, if you find a used Rockrider 340 and it is in good condition, it could be worth to buy it.