A guide to the 2012 Cervelo Range

By Mark Akers, Road Shop Manager

S-Series

Cervelo continues making the benchmark Aero road range for 2012 with 2 proven choices (the S1 and S2) and the all new class leader in the S5. Cervelo have always been passionate about aero road bikes and have proven that Aero makes way more of a difference than weight and stiffness to outright speed. Obviously the S-series is plenty light and stiff enough but why not have the Aero advantage too?

S1 - For 2012 we are still able to offer very limited numbers of the legendary S1 frameset. The S1 proves that you don’t need to buy a carbon frame to build a killer bike. Taking in most of the aero advantage of the rest of the S-range and adding durability and great value the S1 is a perfect entry into Cervelo ownership. Why buy a basic carbon frame when you can have a true ‘pro level’ Cervelo for the same money? Build it up with a high end groupset and some race wheels and it’ll knock the socks off of bikes twice the price!

S2 - Evolved from the multiple race winning ‘Soloist Carbon’ the S2 is still one of the fasted bikes out there and has a new lower RRP for 2012! Cervelo set the trend for aero road bikes and their 15 years of aero road bike development really shows through in the S2. The S2 is a great blend of Aerodynamics, weight, comfort and looks. Although it's super-fast, it’s also proven to be compliant enough to ride on cobbles. The S2 features Cervelo’s improved ICS3 internal cable routing giving a super clean look along with a worthwhile aero advantage. Take the brilliant S1, make it lighter, more aero and more compliant and you get the S2. Be it blasting your local training route or bridging a gap the S2 is King.

S5 Range

New for 2012 the S5 range is the latest development in Cervelo's aero road range. The S5 sets a new benchmark for aero road bikes and not only blows away all other aero roads frames; it also out-drags nearly all TT frames out there too! The 2 position seat post allows for easy TT/Multi use set-up and with aero bars in place, the S5 is as fast as last year’s top of the range P4 Time Trail bike! The S5 also features the new Bright bottom bracket platform and smooth riding rear stays so it's not only fast, but stiff and comfy too! There is simply nothing on the road race scene as fast as the S5 range!

S5 - The standard S5 is the entry point for the S5 range and offers the same Aerodynamics as the range topping S5 VWD for a fraction of the price. If you're not into gram counting (the S5 is still pretty light) then this is as good as it gets and has all of the class-leading features along with an ultra-aggressive price.

S5 Team - The S5 team takes the class leading Aerodynamics of the S5 and makes them lighter. It's the obvious choice for those wanting speed, lighter weight and the 'Pro Team' look without the price tag of the S5 VWD.

S5 VWD - The range-topping S5 VWD is the ultimate blend of Aerodynamics and light weight. More Aero than most TT bikes and as light as lots of peoples 'light' frames the VWD is the ultimate. It is simply as good as current road bike design gets!

R-Series

The R-series comes into 2012 with yet another win at Paris-Roubaix and continues to meet the demand for those looking for the perfect blend of light weight, super stiffness and a smooth ride. Improving on the pretty perfect R-series platform was always going to be difficult but Cervelo have pushed the boat out and the result is amazing. By introducing a new Bottom Bracket standard known as BBright Cervelo have drastically increased the already industry leading Bottom Bracket stiffness. They have also added a tapered 1-1 3/8 head tube which makes the bike track and steer on another level. This bike really has to be ridden to be believed! The R-series is perfect for UK roads, cobble stones or even High Mountain passes.

R3 - The classic ‘wish list’ bike had a major re-design for 2011 and for 2012 has a new lower RRP and eye catching new paint scheme. It’s still the benchmark that the other brands try to follow.

R3 Team - The R3 team is a new model for 2012 and as with the S5 Team, takes the base model and makes it lighter. You get all of the stiffness and ride quality of the R3 but with a very decent weight saving for your pound. Its Team paint scheme also gives that pro look for those wanting to build up a 'Race Replica'.

R5 VWD - The R5 has evolved into the R5 VWD for 2012 saving more weight and increasing stiffness. Being one of the world’s lightest frames it makes the perfect basis for a ‘superbike’ build. Even though it’s amazingly light it’s still one of the world’s stiffest frames and plenty durable enough for hard riding on rough roads. We will also be offering the super limited R5ca in very small numbers. This frame is sure to be a collector’s item with each one being hand-laid in California by Cervelo’s own engineers. The R5ca is currently the world lightest frameset and a true engineering masterpiece!