BIKE LAUNCH
Cervélo S5
From £9,199 | This simpler yet speedier version of the top-notch aero machine makes it easier to personalise the fit and enjoy the ride
Cervélo S5 Force eTap AXS (pictured, £9,599) Weight 8.2kg (size 56) Frameset Cervélo S5 Drivetrain SRAM Force eTap AXS with power meter Wheelset Reserve 52/63, with Zipp ZR1 SS hubs Bar Cervélo HB14 carbon Finishing kit Vittoria Corsa TLR G2.0, 28-622 tyres, Cervélo SP20 carbon seatpost, Selle Italia Novus Boost Evo SuperFlow Ti saddle
This latest iteration of the S5 has already triumphed at the Tour de France, with both overall winner Jonas Vingegaard and greenjersey winner Wout van Aert riding it at times. It is, according to Cervélo, “simpler, faster and easier to live with” than the previous version.
01 Aero gains
The new bike shaves off around 8.45 watts at 48kmh/30mph, largely thanks to the new 52/63 wheelset (see below), which saves around five watts over its predecessor, the 50/65. New UCI technical regs have also allowed a “deeper head-tube and bottom-bracket area and more aggressive shaping on the trailing edges of the tubes” and the area above the front wheel on the S5 has a more pointed, extended leading edge to create a bigger aerofoil.
02 Ease of use
Because there’s no traditional steerer tube, stack height can be adjusted up and down by 30mm with the use of spacers, without needing to cut anything down to size. Cervélo has also ditched stack-specific bolt sizes, meaning it should also be easier to swap in a different stem. Cables on the handlebar are routed externally, through a small channel on the underside of the bar, hidden by the handlebar tape. In total, these changes are also claimed to save 53g of weight.
“This latest iteration of the S5 has already triumphed at the Tour de France, with overall winner Jonas Vingegaard riding it at times”
03 More clearance
Frame and fork clearance has been increased to fit tyres up to 34mm wide (measured width). The front derailleur mount is also removable to allow you to fit a cleaner and more aero 1x drivetrain set-up if you wish.
04 New wheelset
The Reserve 52/63 combines two differing rim profiles, optimised for their location on the bike. Up front, there’s a shallower, wider rim for improved stability in windy conditions, while out back there’s a deeper, slightly narrower rim for improved aerodynamic performance.
05 Straighter seatpost
The new S5 will ship with a 15mm offset seatpost, rather than the 25mm offset version of the previous model, which brings the rider position forward and opens your hip angle for more aggressive pedalling.