What you need to set up the Van Rysel RCR
To ride the Van Rysel RCR you need the following parts. No separate cassette is needed. The thru-axle adapters are included in the box.
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Your parts checklist
Cassette
Not needed — this trainer uses your existing wheel and cassette (or virtual shifting).
Freehub body
Other freehub bodies you can fit (sold separately) if your bike uses a different drivetrain:
- Shimano/SRAM HG (HyperGlide)
- SRAM XDR Driver Body
Thru-axle adapter
Included in the box — no separate purchase.
Freehub body compatibility — Van Rysel RCR
Every freehub standard, including the ones this trainer has no body for. The cassette mounts on the body, so the body decides which cassettes fit — not the trainer.
| Freehub standard | On this trainer | Cassette speeds |
|---|---|---|
| Shimano/SRAM HG (HyperGlide) | Sold separately | 8/9/10/11/12-speed · smallest cog 11t |
| Shimano HG 11-speed road | No body for this trainer | 8/9/10/11/12-speed · smallest cog 11t |
| SRAM XD Driver Body | No body for this trainer | 11/12-speed · smallest cog 10t |
| SRAM XDR Driver Body | Sold separately | 11/12/13-speed · smallest cog 10t |
| Shimano Micro Spline | No body for this trainer | 12-speed · smallest cog 10t |
| Campagnolo | No body for this trainer | 9/10/11/12-speed · smallest cog 11t |
| Campagnolo N3W | No body for this trainer | 12/13-speed · smallest cog 9t |
| Zwift Cog (virtual shifting) | Included | 8/9/10/11/12-speed · smallest cog 14t |
No body for this trainer means exactly that: no part exists to mount that cassette here. Use the compatibility checker to find trainers that take yours. Smart-trainer compatibility checker
Mounting your bike
What the Van Rysel RCR actually asks of you, in order — resolved from its own spec, not a generic manual.
- Take the rear wheel off the bike. A direct-drive trainer replaces it entirely.
- Fit the end caps or thru-axle adapter for your frame. This trainer covers 130 mm quick-release, 135 mm quick-release, 12 × 142 mm thru-axle and 12 × 148 mm Boost thru-axle and ships the adapters in the box, so nothing extra to buy.
- Lower the bike on and engage the axle. The Van Rysel RCR drives a single sprocket, not a cassette — your chain sits on that one cog and stays there.
- Because there is one sprocket, your bike’s shifters do nothing here: gear changes happen virtually, through the trainer. That surprises most first-time users more than the mounting does.
- Spin the cranks by hand before you clip in: the chain should run quiet and straight. Noise here almost always means chainline or cassette spacing, not a faulty trainer.