Ordered the R5 after pouring over both last weekend, then see this video.....but your summary makes it sound like I chose correctly for my intended use!
People generally say it doesn't matter what brand of bike that you get, that they're all the same and just buy whatever you like. I have found that is so far from the case. Each brand has they're own flare in different categories. Thank you for doing a detailed review of the the two!
Great video Cam, very air and informative. Ive had an R5 since 2016 and absolutely love it, just cannot fault it for the type of riding I do (UK up and down all day, savage gradients etc).
Great review. Finally some useful information that actually talks about the characteristics of the bikes as they are to ride vs what the reviewer just likes about one or the other. Great work! In a subjective %... how much sensation of speed do you reckon the Cervélo gives up to the Specialized? I.e., x% less speed? Terrible comparison I know but interested if you think the Cervélo feels like a slouch? Also, have you ridden Cervélo's S3? Aero, with the ass of an R series.
Thanks for the feedback Simon. If I had to give it a percentage I'd say the Specialized felt about 15% faster although 1/2 of that is in the frame and the other 1/2 is the wheels. The Roval 50s on the Specialized were awesome. Put those or a similar profile wheel on the Cervelo and it's about 7.5% 'feel' faster bike. I wouldn't call the Cervelo a slouch but its definitely no aggressive race machine. I haven't tried the S3 but I'm speaking with Cervelo about that! Stay tuned. Cameron
Thanks for the review. The continual presence of the R5 behind you is a convincing argument against dedicated stems. It looks like you have 25mm of spacers under the stem when flipping the stem from -6 degrees to +6 degrees would raise the bars about 20mm, significantly reducing spacers. But you can't do that...
Great review I bought the R5 SRAM Etap about 4 weeks ago the changes I have made to the bike so far are the Fizik Arione R1 saddle, 28mm Conti GP4000 tyres, bar Blips and my trusted Rotor dual sided power meter (swapped from my old S5).This bike doesn't feel that light for a climbing bike but I must say that the bottom bracket area feels so stiff it feels strange to climb on, in that the power transfer while climbing is exceptional.. you can really feel the bike holding onto those lost watts that would normally be lost in the flex of the frame. The heavier weight is more than compensated for in the bottom bracket stiffness. I was also looking at the S-Works Tarmac disk but I would of had to part with two kidneys instead of just the one with the Cervelo.My only issue with Cervelo is that they have got their pricing wrong for the R5 (too low) and as a result they have major supply problems, they may have quietly halted supply across Europe until next year at least. Exceptional bike if you can find a company that has actually got any available stock..
James, I’m currently riding the 2016 S5 with sram red eTap. Frame cracked and I need to decide what frame is next. I have enve wheels and I’m setup for rim brakes. I found your comment interesting and I have a few questions. Can you feel the difference from the S5 to the R5 in sprints or climbing? Cornering feel? Aero? Speed
@@DR007codm hello Enrque, its hard to compare as my S5 is relogated to a turbo trainer bike. For me the R5 feels stiffer but I suppose "stiffness" also includes the wheels. My R5 has Enve 5.6 wheels and that combination just feels stiffer than my S5 that has Mavic wheels. The R5 is heavier, not much but I prefer to climb on it. I can't say which one is better cornering they both feel great. The S5 is probably marginally faster but I prefer the extra comfort of the R5 on the long rides. The current R5 frame is a great frame but I do have my doubts as to how much difference there actually is between the top frames, every manufacturer claims their frame is stiffer, lighter and more aero without producing any meaningful numbers..
I don't race, but coming from an Allez I don't want a slouch. It will mainly be for fast group rides and the occasional short bike packing weekend. I'm leaning towards the Cervelo for that slightly longer wheelbase and slight edge in comfort, maybe drop down to an R3 for the more relaxed geometry, but I'll try both if I can and see how I feel.
Nice, another good combo to consider would be the R5 with some deeper dish wheels. Get the retailer to swap them over for some 50-60mm profile wheels. While the frame is definately more aero of the Tarmac the wheels also made a big differnce. Unless you're in a super windy area or going to be climbing hills non stop, then a deeper profile wheel for fast bunch rides is WAY better suited,
Anonymous laugh all you want all I can say is I have the NSW 303 and I had the firecrest and these 302 are more stiffer and smoother then the 303 firecrest and I'm completely blown away for a $1,500 pair of wheels. They are a badass pair of carbon wheels and I highly recommend them.
I'd like to see the Izalco Max 9 series compared to the Tarmac and the S5. The newest Izalco Max seems like a better overall design than both of these two featured bikes.
Honestly am not a Specialized geometry guy but the Cervelo R5 is not as easy as say an R3 to dial it in. Own an R5 Dura Ace mech. rim brakes size 54mm recommended after an extra expensive pre-purchase bike fit session. It’s an awesome racing machine yet even Pros swap bars, stems and seat posts due to way lengthy measurements but for the average Joe it’s an expensive proposition. To make it a simpler and less expensive transition; maybe pick one size smaller frame (talk to Your trusted bike fitter first) and upgrade either shorter stem which is proprietary to Cervelo or switch or a cero set back seat post as opposed to 20mm set back. Handlebars are semi aero yet a royal pain to Clíp on any extra extra stuff on. I switched to Enve road bars and convinced dealer to swap for 90mm stem. ($200 USD price tag) Well dialed in is one of the best pro bikes out there just takes time, patience and extra money on top of expensive bike. Take care guys!
I'll be mostly doing road races and climbing for my next build. I currently own a S-Works Venge Vias Rim edition. Might even consider selling that and swapping it to the Bianchi XR4 as my aero machine.
Nice. The Tarmac 2018 frame is more aero than their first Venges, (according to Specialised) and I can actually vouch for that. So if you had a Tarmac you may not really need another aero bike. But if you had the Cervelo for road racing and climbing and the Bianchi XR4 for your aero machine would be a lethal combo!!!! Cameron
@@bikechaser7724 I keep coming back to your site and this video. Still trying to make a decision between the Tarmac sl6 disc and the R5. I settled for the Pinarello f10 (over Bianchi Oltre Xr4) with the same dealer I'm in the talks with the R5 . Anyways, the bro/pro deal I have on the R5 is still there. Same deal also exists for the 2019 S5 Disc. What are your thoughts, Cam? The difference in price is huge thanks to connections. Should I go the Cervelo route being the Spesh fanboy that we are? What would you do? If you would like to share your email, I'd be glad to tell you all about it .
Quality wheel and felt a lot stiffer than the older Zipp 302 wheels I have ridden in the past. But you don't get the same aero feeling as you do with say a Roval 50. Depends on what type of riding your doing though. The Zipp's would be a great climbing companion and fairly versatile. Cameron
For this review to be even a remotely legit comparison, it would have to have been rim vs rim or disc vs disc. Of course the disc is heaver and fells less racy but brakes better downhill, that's how diac brakes are different.
Depends what you're after, frame, disc model etc. You prices in the infographic and also at the bottom of this page: www.bikechaser.com.au/news/cervelo-r5-review
Ianis, I know I know! The problem I had was that it was a brand new bike provided by one of our clients/bike shops that wanted everything to remain stuck on! That bike has never been ridden and I only had it for the afternoon. But you make a good point.
BIKE CHASER bikeshops wantig to sell bikes out of the box with no love for details? I think this is why most people buy canyon/yt/rose at the moment. Sadly many shops show bikes with the spokeguard behind the cassette and bad adjusted gearing. On the other side I love your point with the allez sprint where you say that a perfectly set up 105 from the bikeshop realtionship is worth more than an ultegra but no place to go when you'll have issues.
Disk brakes DO NOT HAVE MORE BRAKING POWER. Braking power on a road bike is determined by TIRE TRACTION and road bikes dont have much tire traction. Quit saying something that is untrue.
Hi Sills, my commentary was "more braking power in the wet". This is based on my personal experiences riding a disc brake Roubaix the length of New Zealand during a wet winter. Cameron
Ordered the R5 after pouring over both last weekend, then see this video.....but your summary makes it sound like I chose correctly for my intended use!
Great to hear Keith. Enjoy your beautiful new machine! Cameron
People generally say it doesn't matter what brand of bike that you get, that they're all the same and just buy whatever you like. I have found that is so far from the case. Each brand has they're own flare in different categories. Thank you for doing a detailed review of the the two!
I rode a R2 last year and it was so nice however took a S3 out the other day and it blew my mind at how that accelerated for effort put in
Nice one Dustin, thanks for sharing. Cameron
Had a S3, fantastic bike, wow did i love it.
@@marknichols1 Hey Mark and how about the comfort of the bike and the stiffness? Thanks
Very good review!! Greetings from Bauru-São Paulo-Brazil
Thanks for your review. That was exactly what i needed.
Great video Cam, very air and informative.
Ive had an R5 since 2016 and absolutely love it, just cannot fault it for the type of riding I do (UK up and down all day, savage gradients etc).
I am having a Tarmac UltraLight built right now....can’t wait!!
What wheels are you getting with it Baxter?
I have the Enve 4.5 being put on it.
Very Nice!!!!!
Good points on the differences. I am looking for downhill precision and I'll prefer comfort over light weight.
Thorough and well presented. Thanks!
I enjoy your thorough reviews. Keep them coming.
Thanks Vignesh. Appreciate the feedback. Cameron
Great review. Finally some useful information that actually talks about the characteristics of the bikes as they are to ride vs what the reviewer just likes about one or the other. Great work!
In a subjective %... how much sensation of speed do you reckon the Cervélo gives up to the Specialized? I.e., x% less speed? Terrible comparison I know but interested if you think the Cervélo feels like a slouch?
Also, have you ridden Cervélo's S3? Aero, with the ass of an R series.
Thanks for the feedback Simon. If I had to give it a percentage I'd say the Specialized felt about 15% faster although 1/2 of that is in the frame and the other 1/2 is the wheels. The Roval 50s on the Specialized were awesome. Put those or a similar profile wheel on the Cervelo and it's about 7.5% 'feel' faster bike. I wouldn't call the Cervelo a slouch but its definitely no aggressive race machine. I haven't tried the S3 but I'm speaking with Cervelo about that! Stay tuned. Cameron
Thanks for the review. The continual presence of the R5 behind you is a convincing argument against dedicated stems. It looks like you have 25mm of spacers under the stem when flipping the stem from -6 degrees to +6 degrees would raise the bars about 20mm, significantly reducing spacers. But you can't do that...
Yes, there have been many people discuss these integrated stems. They look good but not overly practical. Cameron
Great review Cam👍🏾
thanks mate
Great review I bought the R5 SRAM Etap about 4 weeks ago the changes I have made to the bike so far are the Fizik Arione R1 saddle, 28mm Conti GP4000 tyres, bar Blips and my trusted Rotor dual sided power meter (swapped from my old S5).This bike doesn't feel that light for a climbing bike but I must say that the bottom bracket area feels so stiff it feels strange to climb on, in that the power transfer while climbing is exceptional.. you can really feel the bike holding onto those lost watts that would normally be lost in the flex of the frame. The heavier weight is more than compensated for in the bottom bracket stiffness. I was also looking at the S-Works Tarmac disk but I would of had to part with two kidneys instead of just the one with the Cervelo.My only issue with Cervelo is that they have got their pricing wrong for the R5 (too low) and as a result they have major supply problems, they may have quietly halted supply across Europe until next year at least. Exceptional bike if you can find a company that has actually got any available stock..
Thanks for the comment James. I hope you enjoy the ride and keeping one kidney LOL. Cameron
James, I’m currently riding the 2016 S5 with sram red eTap. Frame cracked and I need to decide what frame is next. I have enve wheels and I’m setup for rim brakes. I found your comment interesting and I have a few questions.
Can you feel the difference from the S5 to the R5 in sprints or climbing?
Cornering feel?
Aero? Speed
@@DR007codm hello Enrque, its hard to compare as my S5 is relogated to a turbo trainer bike. For me the R5 feels stiffer but I suppose "stiffness" also includes the wheels. My R5 has Enve 5.6 wheels and that combination just feels stiffer than my S5 that has Mavic wheels. The R5 is heavier, not much but I prefer to climb on it. I can't say which one is better cornering they both feel great. The S5 is probably marginally faster but I prefer the extra comfort of the R5 on the long rides. The current R5 frame is a great frame but I do have my doubts as to how much difference there actually is between the top frames, every manufacturer claims their frame is stiffer, lighter and more aero without producing any meaningful numbers..
great review! very insightful and well organized, keep it up!
Thanks Ruben, appreciate the feedback. The next big project is "Build a Race Performance Machine [in under $5,000]" so stay tuned! Cameron
Disk brakes absolutely weigh more than rim brakes, they add about 1.25lb to the bike. NOT 300 grams
Very interesting
Your review makes me closer for my final decision 👍
Which one did you go with?
Great comparison review!
Teams sponsored by Cervélo usually use the R3 mud for Paris Roubaix.
Yes more comfort
Thanks for this, actualy trying to decide between these two.
So what's the verdict? What sort of riding will you be doing? Cameron
I don't race, but coming from an Allez I don't want a slouch. It will mainly be for fast group rides and the occasional short bike packing weekend. I'm leaning towards the Cervelo for that slightly longer wheelbase and slight edge in comfort, maybe drop down to an R3 for the more relaxed geometry, but I'll try both if I can and see how I feel.
Nice, another good combo to consider would be the R5 with some deeper dish wheels. Get the retailer to swap them over for some 50-60mm profile wheels. While the frame is definately more aero of the Tarmac the wheels also made a big differnce. Unless you're in a super windy area or going to be climbing hills non stop, then a deeper profile wheel for fast bunch rides is WAY better suited,
That sounds like a plan, now I just have to decide between disc or rim and maybe look into Di2.
Which bike is best for my riding style,..... I can barely keep up with everyone.
Great review, thanks.
Ok thanks a lot, I just order them.
Nice, have fun!
Anonymous laugh all you want all I can say is I have the NSW 303 and I had the firecrest and these 302 are more stiffer and smoother then the 303 firecrest and I'm completely blown away for a $1,500 pair of wheels. They are a badass pair of carbon wheels and I highly recommend them.
Anonymous I actually own 2 carbon killers, 2 custom built Allez Sprint bikes. Lol
I'd like to see the Izalco Max 9 series compared to the Tarmac and the S5. The newest Izalco Max seems like a better overall design than both of these two featured bikes.
Hey cam can you do a review of the new cervelo s3 disc 2019
The pros have used the tarmac sl6/sl6 disc and venge vias so far on the cobbels, and not the roubaix.
Was confused when he said that
Honestly am not a Specialized geometry guy but the Cervelo R5 is not as easy as say an R3 to dial it in.
Own an R5 Dura Ace mech. rim brakes size 54mm recommended after an extra expensive pre-purchase bike fit session.
It’s an awesome racing machine yet even Pros swap bars, stems and seat posts due to way lengthy measurements but for the average Joe it’s an expensive proposition.
To make it a simpler and less expensive transition; maybe pick one size smaller frame (talk to Your trusted bike fitter first) and upgrade either shorter stem which is proprietary to Cervelo or switch or a cero set back seat post as opposed to 20mm set back.
Handlebars are semi aero yet a royal pain to Clíp on any extra extra stuff on. I switched to Enve road bars and convinced dealer to swap for 90mm stem. ($200 USD price tag)
Well dialed in is one of the best pro bikes out there just takes time, patience and extra money on top of expensive bike.
Take care guys!
I like the look of the sworks, but the Cervelo is "cheaper" from my dealer hmm ..
Tell me what type of riding you'll be doing on it? Cameron
I'll be mostly doing road races and climbing for my next build. I currently own a S-Works Venge Vias Rim edition. Might even consider selling that and swapping it to the Bianchi XR4 as my aero machine.
Nice. The Tarmac 2018 frame is more aero than their first Venges, (according to Specialised) and I can actually vouch for that. So if you had a Tarmac you may not really need another aero bike. But if you had the Cervelo for road racing and climbing and the Bianchi XR4 for your aero machine would be a lethal combo!!!! Cameron
@@bikechaser7724 I keep coming back to your site and this video. Still trying to make a decision between the Tarmac sl6 disc and the R5.
I settled for the Pinarello f10 (over Bianchi Oltre Xr4) with the same dealer I'm in the talks with the R5 .
Anyways, the bro/pro deal I have on the R5 is still there. Same deal also exists for the 2019 S5 Disc. What are your thoughts, Cam? The difference in price is huge thanks to connections. Should I go the Cervelo route being the Spesh fanboy that we are? What would you do? If you would like to share your email, I'd be glad to tell you all about it .
Which climbs better?
the Cervelo climbs incredible.
How was the feel of the Zipp 302's?
Quality wheel and felt a lot stiffer than the older Zipp 302 wheels I have ridden in the past. But you don't get the same aero feeling as you do with say a Roval 50. Depends on what type of riding your doing though. The Zipp's would be a great climbing companion and fairly versatile. Cameron
For this review to be even a remotely legit comparison, it would have to have been rim vs rim or disc vs disc. Of course the disc is heaver and fells less racy but brakes better downhill, that's how diac brakes are different.
S'alright ..... I'm rim brakes then ..... I don't brake on downhills; slows me down.
Disc brakes are for noobs who need better brakes
prices?
Depends what you're after, frame, disc model etc. You prices in the infographic and also at the bottom of this page: www.bikechaser.com.au/news/cervelo-r5-review
pls take the orange sticker from the disc and the black sticker from the di2 cable behind the stem!!!
Some love for the details please
Ianis, I know I know! The problem I had was that it was a brand new bike provided by one of our clients/bike shops that wanted everything to remain stuck on! That bike has never been ridden and I only had it for the afternoon. But you make a good point.
BIKE CHASER bikeshops wantig to sell bikes out of the box with no love for details? I think this is why most people buy canyon/yt/rose at the moment. Sadly many shops show bikes with the spokeguard behind the cassette and bad adjusted gearing.
On the other side I love your point with the allez sprint where you say that a perfectly set up 105 from the bikeshop realtionship is worth more than an ultegra but no place to go when you'll have issues.
Love the bikes but can’t get past the description of a bike is “fast”. It’s the rider of course but this marketing bullshit kills me.
that stem is miles high
At the end of the day both bikes are bloody good
dude, it is Cher-velo not Cervelo!!!!
...aussie brad wiggins?
Yes Nigel, I get that a bit. Although he's slightly faster than me on the bike. Cameron
Specialized for sure.
Disc brakes WEIGHT more than rim ones
Personally ill take the r5
Good choice, it;s a great bike. Cam
specialized tarmac much better than r3
Do You mean R5 pro pelotón bike!
Disk brakes DO NOT HAVE MORE BRAKING POWER. Braking power on a road bike is determined by TIRE TRACTION and road bikes dont have much tire traction. Quit saying something that is untrue.
Hi Sills, my commentary was "more braking power in the wet". This is based on my personal experiences riding a disc brake Roubaix the length of New Zealand during a wet winter. Cameron
Disk brakes do have more power.