Nicola Rutzou
US brand Cervélo continues to add to its racing lineup with the official launch of the Cervélo R5 lightweight road bike, designed with climbing and performance in mind.
BA Editor Nicola Rutzou was lucky enough to be invited to Morzine in the French Alps to attend the official launch. There, she learnt that the new R5 in size 56 builds up to just 5.97kg, 900 grams under the UCI’s minimum weight limit.
The US product development team took the group of journalists through the process of developing the bike, which focused on making it lighter than its predecessor while maintaining its performance and handling.
The frame weighs 651 grams (size 56), and the fork weighs 298 grams. In addition to the 100g reduction in frame/ fork weight, the Cervélo team examined every single component on the bike, resulting in a total weight reduction of 326g from all Cervélo components. They even saved on the paintwork by using a raw carbon finish with only the Cervélo logo added to the frame!
Cervélo says the new R5’s handling geometry is nearly the same (aside from a small change to the BB drop to account for 29mm tyres), and the fit geometry has been changed to match that of the S5.
The highlight of the launch weekend was attending the Tour de France Femmes to see French hero Pauline Ferrand-Prévot win the race on the new R5 that the media group rode just the day before.
One highlight of the new R5 is the one-piece bar and stem, which is responsible for a significant part of the bike’s weight reduction. Cervélo has made 15 different size combinations, and Cervélo retailers will provide the right size for each rider for no additional cost.
Designed specifically for R5, the all-new wheelset from sister company Reserve contributed to an additional 60 grams. The new Reserve 34 | 37 SL wheels deliver the same strength and stiffness as the old ones, but we refined the layup to save weight.
Nicola rode the bike at the launch and found it responsive and impressive on hills. BA will review the bike shortly and publish a full review in the coming months. Stay tuned. More info cervelo.com/en-AU
Nicola Rutzou – a long-time contributor and, most recently, the editor of Bicycling Australia. Nicola is a keen Sydney-based road cyclist who writes reviews, news, and destination pieces, as well as the weekly e-newsletter for BA online.
