Last year, Cervelo launched their latest R5 at the Giro by taking the wrap off the frames they had been racing since the classics. Since then, it has been raced to multiple victories around the world, and continues on as their top end all-around production bike. Some thought the production color, black on black with some yellow accents, was a little bland though. So, back by popular demand, the R5 Classics Edition.
Wrapping preproduction products is nothing new. You’ve probably seen the spy shots of preproduction cars wrapped with funky black and white patterns. Car companies use this to hide angles and contours of the cars from the prying eyes of the competition and journalists. With the R5, there aren’t many angles to hide, but the black and white digital print with green lettering does make for a striking bike.
The R5 is a race machine through and through. The Squoval design, which blends square and oval profile at various points in the frame, makes for a stiff and precise frame. Cervelo claims the new R5 is 21% stiffer at the head tube, and 13% stiffer at the bottom bracket than the previous version. Though it is not specifically an aero frame, that is left for the S series, the R5 uses the Squocal profiles to take advantage of the wind cheating design where it can.
Other key design points include the asymmetrical BBRight bottom bracket for stiffness and power transfer, spindly seat stays for comfort, clearance for 28mm tires, and an “evolved” steerer design that balances stiffness, precise handling, and comfort, based not he model.
The rim brake version is available in five variations currently, Sram Red eTap, Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 9150, Dura-Ace 9100, Ultegra 8000, and the Classics Edition frameset. A disc brake version is also available in eTap, Dura-Ace Di2 9170, and as a frameset.
If you fancy getting your hands on one of these limited edition framesets, contact your local Cervelo dealer as soon as possible, as they will only be available during the Giro d’Italia, which wraps up on May 28th.
Heckling Editor, Image Taker, Crash Test Dummy, and Beard Master at Bikeworldnews.com
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