Beautiful night last week at the top of Pilot Mountain State Park

My Cervelo Backstory

This is not the first Cervelo that I have owned. (Check out the "About Me" section and you can see the first one that I owned in the gallery) My first one goes back to the glory days of carbon fiber bikes when they were something new and fancy. I had a Cervelo R2.5 which at the time was one of the best bikes out and ridden by Carlos Sastre for team CSC. It was lugged construction and a beautiful bike to behold, especially in 2007. Nowadays hardly anyone would take a second look.

Brake transition:

Let's fast forward to the late 2019 when the industry was well under way with the transition away from rim brakes. I specifically remember telling someone on one of our falls rides that disc would be nice, but for around here rim brakes are fine. All my equipment was based on rim brakes and I had a good setup between 2 bikes.....1 climbing bike (Litespeed T1SL) and 1 aero bike (Argon 18 Nitrogen Pro with 65mm Carbon Clinchers)

Accidentally purchased a “new to me” Cervelo R5 disc:

One day I was perusing the web and ran across a used Cervelo R5 disc with full mechanical Dura Ace and Mavic Ksyrium Carbon's in the Classic's Edition paint scheme from Bicycle Blue Book. Temptation...... why did I even look? I watched it for a long time. I would come back some time later and it's still there. Still there.....still there...I put in an offer to Bicycle Blue Book that was not insulting, but lower than I thought I would get it for because I expected them to counter. Well.....they didn't. Before long I had a new, used R5 disc headed my way. It arrived in perfect shape and visually looked to have very few miles on it and the paint scheme (or wrap) was stunning. Just a few minutes of assembly at I was good to go.

Bike setup:

Over the winter I changed the group from Dura Ace mechanical to SRAM. The mechanical shifting was good and all, but I just don't prefer it. Between having it torn down to the frame and the constant cold weather over the winter, the Cervelo was neglected. The Litespeed was the go-to bike in late fall and over the winter. Here is the current setup of the Cervelo.

Size - 51 (frame weight of 983 with BB installed and rear derailleur hanger)

Group - AXS Red

Chainring - 48/35

Cassette - 10/33

Handlebars - Argon 18 AHB5000 (integrated stem / bar) Yes, that really is the name which I assume is "Aero Handlebar"

Wheels - Princeton Carbonworks 6560 - raw weight of 1500 grams on the nose (setup with tubes right now)

Tires - Continental 4000

Pedals - Shimano Ultegra

Robert Axle Project thru axles - These save a decent amount of weight over the stock quick release skewers

Weight all in with pedals / 2 cages / wahoo mount - 16.69lbs

Ride Time:

I got so used to the longer wheelbase and more relaxed geometry of the Litespeed that when I transitioned back to the Cervelo over the past couple of weeks it took some serious getting used to. The bike is not what I would recommend to someone who is new to cycling. It is quick steering and likes to travel fast.

As an aside to the quick steering......the stock headset bearing that came with the frame were absolute junk. I take apart my bikes, clean them, and lube what needs to be lubed regularly. I noticed the bearings were starting feel rough and the steering eventually started feeling sticky. I took the fork out to look and the bearing assembly had completely come apart. In all my years of cycling I have seen a headset do that. Considering the MSRP of the frame is approx. $3500-$4000, that's quite a disappointment. I replaced it with a Cane Creek Hellbender and it has been flawless and I think that has really "loosened" up the steering as well. I just was not used to that much freedom because I had gotten used to the bearings not doing their job like they should.

In a fast group ride setting this bike is exceptional. When it's up to speed it is stable, but at the same time you can quickly adjust to standard group ride dynamics. (i.e. people standing when you don't expect them to, random braking in the group, you know the deal). If you get dropped on your local group ride it is most definitely not the bike's fault. If you are having a good day, it will respond to pace changes instantly with no feeling of power loss due to flex.

Headed to the mountains for some climbing and descending? Don't leave this one behind. The bike is stiff laterally and you can feel it when you pedal. I really like the advantages of disc brakes, but my favorite by product of the disc brake frame design is the thru axles. Compared to a quick release bike the thru axles really give a solid feel to the bike that is hard to explain until you regularly ride one. Stand up and put the power down going up a steep hill and you don't get the flex from the rear end like on some QR bikes. I don't notice it so much now because I am used to it, but the difference IS noticeable. On the downhills all you need to do is hit the corners with speed and lean into them. Don't steer into it or you will be going into the ditch on the other side of the road.

Would I buy this bike in 2021?

It is a great bike and continues to be, but probably not. I would not say there is anything that makes this bike stand apart from any other high-end bikes. All high-end bikes nowadays are incredible and ridiculously expensive. Your choice most likely depends on your brand loyalty.

I can set my Litespeed Ultimate Gravel in road form and it can handle the climbing and long-distance duties almost as well as the Cervelo. The Litespeed in full road setup is probably 1 pound heavier than the Cervelo and that by no means is a make or break.

Reason?

I would probably go for all out aero frame disc bike. The weight on aero style frames have come down to a reasonable level and I already have one in mind. I prefer to think of it like this. 5-15 watts of claimed savings by purchasing an aero frame may not seem like much, but I am a smaller rider and do not put out enormous power. 5-15 watts for me is a larger percentage than someone who is 170lbs and generates much higher wattage. It's simple math. At my age I need all the advantages that I can BUY because I'm not sure if you are aware or not, but as you age you typically don't start putting out more power. Unless of course you retire early and train all week. I can't do that, and I don't have any desire to ride 25 hours a week.

Side Note:

I still stand by my statement that disc brakes are not necessary, but they sure are nice. It's progression. I don't need a car that starts with the push of button while my key is in my pocket either, but it sure is nice.

Until next time.......at some point I will discuss the cost of brand-new bikes. A little out of control to say the least.