Cervelo S5

We test the Cervelo S5

1) First Ride

Cervelo’s intention with the new S5 is to save watts. Carbon aero handlebars with integrated cabling, cleverly designed headtube and forks, HED Jet 6 Plus SCT wheels with a 60mm profile, plus a redesigned frame all contribute.

Our first ride was one of sheer speed.

We met the challenge of getting up to 22mph and staying there, revelling in the rapid progress this bike provides.

2)  Fast Ride

This is where the Cervelo excels. A redesigned head tube (35% more torsional stiffness), forks (17% more lateral stiffness) and bottom bracket (6% stiffer) all contribute to a swift pick up in speed.

Factor in the way in which the HED wheels slice through the air and you’ve got a bike that feels as fast as a TT rig. Our only grumble is the wheels aren’t the quickest to initially spin up and suffer from strong crosswinds.

3) Hilly Ride

The S5 performs very well on a rolling test route. Longer climbs were more comfortable than on other bikes that use an aeroshaped bar. Apart from being wobbled by winds on rapid descents, the overall sensation of utter stiffness assists in sweeping corners and tighter turns.

A mid-compact chainset gives small gearing to power up inclines, while Shimano’s Di2 electronic shifting is faultless.

4) Long Ride

This is a race bike so don’t expect all-day comfort. The Antares saddle gave us some discomfort after a few hours, but you can hold a sprint tri pace for hours, which added 1mph average to our speed.

Our test bike was fitted with 23c tyres, but it has clearance for up to 25c allowing a bigger contact patch and less of a knife-edge feel.

This machine will ace your bike leg without the need for tri bars, it’s that good.

Spec sheet:

Price: £7,299

Contact: cervelo.com

Weight: 7.24kg

Size tested: 54

Sizes available: 48-61

Frame: Cervelo carbon-fibre

Fork: Cervelo carbon-fibre

Seating: Fizik Antares saddle

Handlebar/stem: Cervelo carbon aero bars, FSA OS-00 VSI stem

Gears: Shimano Dura Ace Di2, 11-speed (11-25)

Brakes: Shimano Dura Ace 9000

Wheels: HED Jet 6 Plus SCT

Tyres: Continental Grand Prix (700 x 23)