- Cervélo have just released the latest versions
of their all-conquering R series with the brand new
R5 and R3 models in both rim and disc brake versions.
And they've been very kind and actually invited us out
to hot, sunny, and very beautiful part of Italy
to take a good first look at the bikes.
(upbeat energetic music)
And when I say all-conquering, that's not
actually overstating the mark.
The R series was launched to a slightly
disbelieving public back in 2005.
And the reason being was that the seat stays seem so thin
that surely they couldn't be strong enough.
So Cervélo then went and gave one to Fabian Cancellara
who went and probably won Paris-Roubaix on it
at the first available opportunity.
His win was then immediately followed up
by Stuart O'Grady's, and then Carlos Sastre
used one to win the Tour de France.
So with a CV like that encompassing both
the extreme ends of the pro cycling calendar.
But yet now in an era where bikes are becoming
increasingly specific to function, what exactly do you do
if you want to create a new R series bike?
Well, you make it stiffer.
Cervélo's lead engineer on this project who is himself
a really keen bike racer told me with a massive grin
on his face, this is actually the stiffest bike
that Cervélo have ever made.
But just as important as that, they've also focused
on comfort, on fit, and handling.
(upbeat energetic music)
Let's talk about handling shall we?
It's one of the most important aspects of a bike but yet,
it's also incredibly difficult to measure.
But nevertheless, Cervélo set out to refine the geometry
of what they call their Grand Tour bike.
So it's not as aggressive as the aerodynamic S series,
nor is it as relaxed as the do it all C series.
In their words, they wanted to
reinvent the classic road bike
which is a pretty bold statement particularly here
in Italy's cycling heartland.
To do so, they have subtly tweaked
a few key aspects of the geometry.
So the bottom bracket has been
lowered by several millimetres.
So that tends to make a bike feel more stable
and turn it into a cornering machine.
Then it's complimented by the fact that the fork rake
has been moved out by a couple of millimetres
and the head angle has been relaxed by half a degree.
That keeps the handing nice and confident and composed
and also increases the length, so the wheelbase of the bike.
But you do have to then balance it out
with something at the back of the bike.
So they've lengthened the chainstays by five millimetres.
The overall impact being, Cervélo say that this a bike
that you feel in rather than on and that while it
doesn't demand your full attention to keep it upright,
it does reward you when it has it.
And then, if I can get slightly geeky here,
one of the cool things about the chainstays in particular,
is that they can then keep the geometry between
the rim and the disc brake versions absolutely identical
because normally you need slightly longer chainstays
for disc brakes in order to keep the chainline accurate.
So here they've actually managed to keep them the same.
(energetic techno music)
As well as geometry, another big part of a great
handling bike is the stiffness, in particular
the torsional stiffness across the whole wheelbase
because flexier bikes have a tendency to wander
or to understeer through corners particularly
where the road surface is broken up
and you'll actually find your front wheel flexing off line.
So this bike actually promises some
pretty impressive numbers.
The front end, the head tube is supposedly 21%
stiffer than the previous version.
The bottom bracket area 13%, and the disc version
boosts those numbers even more by harnessing
the effects of through-axles to bolt the wheels in.
In addition they've also introduced a higher percentage
of high modulus carbon fibre into this, the R5 model.
And then there's also the combination of
refining tube shapes and also carbon layup.
It's particularly easy to illustrate
on this enormous down tube here.
So Cervélo's famous squoval shape and it's as big
as they could make while sticking to the UCI regulations.
And while size is important though it's actually harnessing
the material properties of carbon
that allow it to be so stiff.
So what they've done is effectively put most of the material
on the sides of the tube where it's best placed to brace
against torsional flex and then keeping the bits in between
as thin and therefore as light as possible.
Apparantly just not 0.2 millimetres thick in some parts.
(energetic music)
Now in pursuit of a super stiff frame,
how do you also improve comfort?
Well again, those tube sections can be
slightly tweaked or optimised.
But fundamentally the most effective point
is always gonna be your tyres.
So with that in mind, Cervélo have
boosted the tyre clearance.
It's officially 28 millimetres.
So that means conforming to the international standards
whereby it has to have 4mm of clearance
on all sides of the tyre.
In the real world then, I'd probably be happy sticking
like a 30 maybe even a 32mm tyre on there.
Then interestingly, Cervélo also tell us that
there is a really noticeable difference
between the feel of the R5 and the R3.
With the R5 significantly stiffer as a result
of the higher proportion of high modulus fibres.
The R3 on the otherhand, gives a slightly more muted feel
apparently, that is a result of the slightly thicker tubes.
(energetic music)
Let's talk about fit shall we?
Bike manufacturers have a tough old time
keeping us so happy.
Some of us like long low stretched out positions.
Where as others, will like a shorter
and much higher position.
And there is no wrong or right answer.
It all comes down to personal preference.
So across the Cervélo range, you've the the S series
which is really aggressive, it gives a really racy fit.
And then the other end of the spectrum, we got the C series
which is much more relaxed.
And these, the R series bikes fit between the two
but they're actually different.
The R3 and the R5 have a different fit.
Of the two, this the R5 is racier.
So it's got a lower front end in order to keep
the pro rider's at Dimension Data happy.
So the stack has been dropped by eight millimetres.
That's the difference between the midpoint
of the bottom bracket here and the top of the head tube.
The fit on the R3 however, has actually remained the same
although it doesn't look like it and that's because
a lot of us, myself included,
can't actually run a super low stretched out position.
But yeah, we still want a bike that looks racy
and Cervélo know this and so they made a few subtle
changes to the bike like increasing the height
of the fork crown for example, that therefore
gives the illusion of a bike with
a much racier slammed position.
And the other good thing about changing that fork,
is it then actually it allows them
to create a much smoother junction
between fork crown and the steering tube,
meaning that the carbon fibres are much straighter,
mean that it's stronger and they can then be
a little bit more economically material
giving therefore a lighter fork.
(energetic music)
Now as we mentioned before, weight for the R3
has dropped significantly 10% for the rim brake version
and 16% for the disc version.
But interestingly, Cervélo have kept the weight
for the R5 broadly similar
and that's because firstly they were happy with where it was
but also because they felt that that dropping more weight
would compromise it's robustness.
So the focus therefore was on stiffness instead.
Now clearly we can't not talk about aerodynamics,
this is 2017 after all.
This bike is not designed to be aerodynamic specifically
but nevertheless, Cervélo have continued to put
thought and effort into it and therefore
it is now four watts more efficient than
the previous version when it tested at 30 miles per hour.
And then the R3 is also two watts more efficient
than its predecessor as well.
And a big part of that actually comes from
these rather sexy carbon handle bars and stem.
And on the R3, they're actually aluminum bars and stem
which excitingly enough is Cervélo's
first foray into that material.
(energetic music)
Well there is your first look, not review
I hasten to add, your first look
at the new Cervélo R series.
Prices start for the R3 at $3,700
or 3,500 Euros
and it goes right up to $9,500
or 9,000 Euros
for the disc equipped R5 with either the Di2
or SRAM RED eTap HRD.
Now do make sure before leaving this video,
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Just click on the glow
and if you want more content
I talk to everyone about Cervélo's partners
Team Dimension Data and you get to
have a snoop around their mechanics truck
just by clicking up there.
Or for a bit more information on bike geometry,
we try and explain the basics.
That one is just up there