I now use my Aspero 5 as my road and gravel bike by swapping wheelsets. I like the geometry as it's closer to my road bikes but feels more comfortable. Made more room in my garage by getting rid of 2 road bikes and 1 gravel bike for an Aspero.
@@chagichagi9910 For my gravel set I have a pair of FSA SL-K i25 Carbon with Panaracer Gravel King SK+ 700x43. My road wheels I had from one of my other road bikes and they are DT Swiss ARC1400 DiCut with Challenge Strada Bianca 700x30 tires. Still gives me some cushion but roll faster on the road. Just did a road ride on it yesterday and I can go just as fast as with my dedicated road bikes, even though I'm not that fast anyway, but it gets up to speed for minimal work despite being about 3 pounds more. I have mine set up 2x.
@@philip274I have a double so the ratio is tighter. I have SRAM Force AXS. On the road set I have a 10-32 and gravel I have a 10-34. You can’t go too drastic unless you want to swap chains too. Plus, the gravel I ride is not very hilly and pretty smooth.
I think this bike is more for someone who wants to keep up on fast group rides on the road and also wants to do some exploring on gravel roads and trails. Most good gravel bikes can keep up with road bikes if they have the right wheel set. But the aspero looks to still be relevant as an all road option. It certainly is a beautiful bike. However, if I had the money I would get the specialized crux because I think it is the lightest and prettiest bike out there. My next choice would be a titanium bike from either llinksey or moots. And my third choice would be the trek checkpoint. I currently own a 2016 open up, which I still love
Because 650B has much less adoption, you can generally pick up a new nice wheelset at significant discounts when compared to the more adopted wheel size. An advantage to consider with the flip chip.
This is such a major problem, I ended up buying 2 Hakka Mx's for my wife and I because of this. It is one of the only bikes that you can select a 650b carbon wheelset on and at a 25% discount, I couldnt say no. I had to have 650b I had to have Carbon wheels, very few brands will give that to you all in one go.
I bought a Revolt Adv Pro 0 last year as a winter bike giving a bit more confidence in the Scottish weather / roads and something I could go off the beaten track a bit more this summer (that’s how I justified it to the wife)😂 It’s been a joy to ride and maybe just about 1-2 mph slower than my Defy.
I can see there Being a divide between race gravel bikes and general all round gravel bikes,with prices being similar for both types,also would love to see a review of pinarello grevil f,as I’ve just bought one from ride 24/7 and it’s amazing to ride with ekar and currently 650b wheels…plan on changing wheels too 700c soon 👍🙏great review btw and the squirrel was lucky 😅
First of all I really love the video and thank you for the good review. But I honestly don't understand why every gravel bike has to be capable of handling heavier trails. Not everyone wants to do trails on their gravel. Some people want to have a fast bike for smooth gravel and road and I think that is exactly what the aspero is about. As so. that likes mountainbiking as well as road and gravel riding I'll use my mtb with xc tires for tame trails anyway. I really don't want to have to own a gravel AND an road bike additionally to my mtb. So for me a fast gravel with 2 wheelsets + an versatile mtb with 2 wheelset is perfect. 2 bikes to do it all from road to bikepark. Of course I'd love to have 10+ bikes but that's not an option at this point in my life. I also prefer having a really good allrounder that I love over several mediocre specialists. I just want to give an insight why exactly this kind of "boring" bike can be very awsome for so. like me. :)
Us short folk, The option of 650b (either aftermarket or from new) is a godsend. Toe overlap on small frames with 700x35+ tyres is a real issue that taller folk never seem to understand, why would they, it does not affect them, I can see that. I get toe catch on 700x38 tyres but 650x50 works no problems as the overall circumfrance is less . Yeah it might not be as quick on the smooth stuff but it's the only option we have to run any moderately wide tyre. My 650x50 setup is great.
Chapeau for this detailed review! Thank you, David! I like the semi-integrated cabling and (slightly) wider tyre clearance (but why not 45 as you have mentioned it). The BB change is a big win over the last Aspero gen. Sadly, the new geometry is - just on paper - different to what I love the old Aspero for. Definitely have to test it myself. If I am not wrong, it‘s lighter (100g-150g) than the former gen with similar spec‘s. Nice!
Thank you for sharing! Pretty, pretty please try to fit 45mm tires on this frame. I'd love to get an Aspero, but the narrower tire clearance is a big turnoff.
650B rules. If you are not a tall rider… and especially if you are short… you get it. 650B feels SO much different on the trails. Makes bikes feel alive. Very noticeable if you can switch back and forth… 700c always wins speed, rollover, efficiency, etc.
Yep, I don’t understand why it’s so hard for everyone to understand this. “Oh this fits huge 700c tires, so why even consider 650b?” -Nope. Signed everyone under 5’8
Yes, on the road the steering does feel “lazy”, especially with 32’s on it. But that steering turns in to just right on trails. I’ve ridden mine with 700’s on both trails and road and it’s pretty good. I don’t care if 650 is popular or not but I do think that they would make this bike really good on rocky trails. I’ve been really impressed by how much this bike can do. Not a razor sharp road racing bike and not a cross country mtn bike, but it is a great all purpose bike. Heck, maybe I could pare down to just… uhhh… three bikes 😮
Cervelo is a great bike company, but this does feel like a modest improvement over past model. Also, after seeing the new Enve Fray, it just makes this model look dated and not nearly as slick. Yes, the Fray is not a true gravel bike, but I'm personally in love with both the new Grail and the new Fray bikes. Only wish Canyon would sell the aero clip on bars in the USA for the Grail. Would love to see you review the Lauf Siegla someday.
@@3TZZZ That is certainly a subjective opinion, as was mine on the Fray aesthetics; no insult intended against Aspero lovers. I find the ENVE bikes at the top of aesthics, works of art on wheels. As for the price, it's unclear to me from their website if Cervelo is going to offer a Cervelo/Cervelo 5 offering again like last year's models, but the Cervelo 5 would be the one to fairly compare costs and that was only a $500 savings. Cervelo offering two tiers of carbon quality builds only benefits buyers and I wish Enve made more affordable lower grade carbon version of their MOG/Melee/Fray. Hopefully Cervelo will reveal two quality builds again this year and maybe some Force/Red build-ups.
@@3TZZZ Ha, I will agree that ENVEs are overpriced, so are Pinarellos and SWorks; none of these bikes rank high in "value" IMO. This is the main reason that I don't own an ENVE frame yet, but if I did splurge on one dream bike, it would probably be the Fray. if ENVE made a $2500 version of it, I'd already have one on order.
The new Aspero has 4mm more tyre clearance than the original that had room for 43mm tyres (with 5mm clearance). I don't know why Cervelo has changed the way they advertise the clearance, but they seem to fool many people, and will likely lose sales because of it. The point is that you can't compare the old and the new advertised tyre clearance.
Nice vid but what about comparing it to the specialized diverge or the crux?? I thought your crux was the best bike for gravel? So far I’m enjoying my 2014 diverge,very smooth riding
Great review as always David, did you happen to try fitting any wider tire options to this bike? 45mm? [Edit] the 2024 Aspero will fit 45mm 700c (as measured) with 6mm of clearance, as per the service manual.
650b was a thing, when the bikes were designed for 700x30, so we could use 650bx47mm tires ... (same diameter) I now run 700x48mm, so I have to agree with you, with larger clearance on bikes and more BB drop, 650b for gravel is not as relevant as it once was, unless we move to monster gravel 2.25" 3T ultra or something like that.
Disagree. It’s about the size of the rider. Tall people don’t understand this for some reason. The handling is so much different, and things like toe overlap, etc… lots to consider. When I run 700c and then switch to 650b, it’s an entirely different bike and I LOVE that.
@@VendetaBrown you made me rethink it, and have to agree with you. I prefered my bike with 650b wheels ( I am 175cm ) on MTB I also use 650b. I got a nice set of carbon 700c wheels, so I use them with the same width 47mm as I did for 650b, but I think 650b “felt” better. Lower to the ground, better reaction, no toe overlap… But nice 700c carbon vs crappy and beat up 650b alloy also feel nicer… More tire options for 700c as well :/
First one I saw I watched until he said it was too stiff, then wonder what David would say. Seems it's fine if you're only after 1-2 hour abilities on mostly smooth services for fast riding.
Does anyone want to recommend or hate on the handlebars it comes with? I felt these in the shop on this bike and actually really liked them, been searching for carbon handlebars for my new Hakka Mx for a month now and havent made up my mind yet.
Would this be a good bike for someone who plans to do about 90% road and 10% gravel with two wheelsets? I think most of the criticism (storage for bike packing, ride quality on rough stuff) are not things I care much about, being mainly road focused. The other options I'm looking at would be more endurance bikes with wide tire clearance that could double as gravel bike (e.g. defy, rouxbaix)
This bike would be much more appealing as a "fast gravel bike" if it had some of the frame storage and bespoke bag design choices like a Canyon Grail has.
It's a Cervelo. If you want to be comfortable and go camping with your bike and wear a flannel shirt, it's not the brand for you. I am honestly stunned that they didn't do frame storage, though.
It's a shame that Cervelo's updates to the Aspero are already dated. I really see the industry moving towards geometry seen on the Ari Shafer and Santa Cruz Stigmata with tire clearance up to 2 25". I've owned an Aspero and now I'm on a Shafer. The Shafer is just as fast on the road and is way more capable on gravel and single track. I was really hoping to see more from Cervelo.
Why the angled chainstays? Why would you want your BB that close to the ground. Makes no sense to me but I’m not an engineer. Seems silly. Otherwise a cool bike and vid.
Cervelo has clearly failed to move the needle. They've updated a boring bike with a boring bike. If you do get one of these, their 650b option is 100% the answer to the brutal beating you would get riding this otherwise. Plush out the ride with some fat meats and spin, I suppose. The original 3T Explore RaceMax, with it's super low bottom bracket and really short chain stays still does it for me.
I now use my Aspero 5 as my road and gravel bike by swapping wheelsets. I like the geometry as it's closer to my road bikes but feels more comfortable. Made more room in my garage by getting rid of 2 road bikes and 1 gravel bike for an Aspero.
Can you provide tires you swap for road and gravel, like models
@@chagichagi9910 For my gravel set I have a pair of FSA SL-K i25 Carbon with Panaracer Gravel King SK+ 700x43. My road wheels I had from one of my other road bikes and they are DT Swiss ARC1400 DiCut with Challenge Strada Bianca 700x30 tires. Still gives me some cushion but roll faster on the road. Just did a road ride on it yesterday and I can go just as fast as with my dedicated road bikes, even though I'm not that fast anyway, but it gets up to speed for minimal work despite being about 3 pounds more. I have mine set up 2x.
Hey, that’s exactly what I’m looking to do. What groupset are you using? Do you use same gear ratio on both cassettes?
@@philip274I have a double so the ratio is tighter. I have SRAM Force AXS. On the road set I have a 10-32 and gravel I have a 10-34. You can’t go too drastic unless you want to swap chains too. Plus, the gravel I ride is not very hilly and pretty smooth.
My daughter has had the original Aspero for 3 years and raced road and cx at national level. It’s the perfect do it all bike if you like going fast
Your mean it's a racing bike rather than "the perfect do it all bike"?
I think this bike is more for someone who wants to keep up on fast group rides on the road and also wants to do some exploring on gravel roads and trails. Most good gravel bikes can keep up with road bikes if they have the right wheel set. But the aspero looks to still be relevant as an all road option. It certainly is a beautiful bike. However, if I had the money I would get the specialized crux because I think it is the lightest and prettiest bike out there. My next choice would be a titanium bike from either llinksey or moots. And my third choice would be the trek checkpoint. I currently own a 2016 open up, which I still love
I reckon there was about 0.693 kg of mud on the tyres! :-)
honest review thank you👍
My pleasure 😊
Because 650B has much less adoption, you can generally pick up a new nice wheelset at significant discounts when compared to the more adopted wheel size.
An advantage to consider with the flip chip.
This is such a major problem, I ended up buying 2 Hakka Mx's for my wife and I because of this. It is one of the only bikes that you can select a 650b carbon wheelset on and at a 25% discount, I couldnt say no. I had to have 650b I had to have Carbon wheels, very few brands will give that to you all in one go.
Such a great channel - in world reviews for real world people
I bought a Revolt Adv Pro 0 last year as a winter bike giving a bit more confidence in the Scottish weather / roads and something I could go off the beaten track a bit more this summer (that’s how I justified it to the wife)😂 It’s been a joy to ride and maybe just about 1-2 mph slower than my Defy.
I can see there Being a divide between race gravel bikes and general all round gravel bikes,with prices being similar for both types,also would love to see a review of pinarello grevil f,as I’ve just bought one from ride 24/7 and it’s amazing to ride with ekar and currently 650b wheels…plan on changing wheels too 700c soon 👍🙏great review btw and the squirrel was lucky 😅
Just got a 2021 model basically new and its an amazing bike. Look forward to getting into gravel riding. Love the channel new sub from AUS
First of all I really love the video and thank you for the good review. But I honestly don't understand why every gravel bike has to be capable of handling heavier trails. Not everyone wants to do trails on their gravel. Some people want to have a fast bike for smooth gravel and road and I think that is exactly what the aspero is about. As so. that likes mountainbiking as well as road and gravel riding I'll use my mtb with xc tires for tame trails anyway. I really don't want to have to own a gravel AND an road bike additionally to my mtb. So for me a fast gravel with 2 wheelsets + an versatile mtb with 2 wheelset is perfect. 2 bikes to do it all from road to bikepark. Of course I'd love to have 10+ bikes but that's not an option at this point in my life. I also prefer having a really good allrounder that I love over several mediocre specialists.
I just want to give an insight why exactly this kind of "boring" bike can be very awsome for so. like me. :)
Us short folk, The option of 650b (either aftermarket or from new) is a godsend. Toe overlap on small frames with 700x35+ tyres is a real issue that taller folk never seem to understand, why would they, it does not affect them, I can see that.
I get toe catch on 700x38 tyres but 650x50 works no problems as the overall circumfrance is less . Yeah it might not be as quick on the smooth stuff but it's the only option we have to run any moderately wide tyre.
My 650x50 setup is great.
How tall are you. This has always been my problem.
@@MrBey14 5ft 5in on a good day. 🙂
@MrBey14 My size 49 Carbonda CFR 696 with 650x50mm is perfect, no overlap. 170mm cranks (that ideally should be 165mm.)
I might be one of the outliers interested in the 650B tires on this bike (I am short of stature, and had to go this route with my salsa vaya).
Chapeau for this detailed review! Thank you, David!
I like the semi-integrated cabling and (slightly) wider tyre clearance (but why not 45 as you have mentioned it). The BB change is a big win over the last Aspero gen. Sadly, the new geometry is - just on paper - different to what I love the old Aspero for. Definitely have to test it myself.
If I am not wrong, it‘s lighter (100g-150g) than the former gen with similar spec‘s. Nice!
Thank you for sharing! Pretty, pretty please try to fit 45mm tires on this frame. I'd love to get an Aspero, but the narrower tire clearance is a big turnoff.
I really hope it fits 47s at least. This frame is attractive. I like my Crux a lot for double duty w\ two wheel sets.
650B rules. If you are not a tall rider… and especially if you are short… you get it.
650B feels SO much different on the trails. Makes bikes feel alive.
Very noticeable if you can switch back and forth…
700c always wins speed, rollover, efficiency, etc.
Agree, not every rider is 6' or taller.
Yep, I don’t understand why it’s so hard for everyone to understand this. “Oh this fits huge 700c tires, so why even consider 650b?”
-Nope. Signed everyone under 5’8
Hey David - the channel is global, you need to share the rrp in euros and usd… love the channel, keep it up!
Noted 👍
Yes, on the road the steering does feel “lazy”, especially with 32’s on it. But that steering turns in to just right on trails. I’ve ridden mine with 700’s on both trails and road and it’s pretty good. I don’t care if 650 is popular or not but I do think that they would make this bike really good on rocky trails. I’ve been really impressed by how much this bike can do. Not a razor sharp road racing bike and not a cross country mtn bike, but it is a great all purpose bike. Heck, maybe I could pare down to just… uhhh… three bikes 😮
As a long-time Cervelo road bike user, I chose the R5cx over the Aspero. It's faster in all regards and just a better bike, IMO.
100%! It offers a way more aggressive and fast ride. One of the best gravel bikes for roadies.
Cervelo is a great bike company, but this does feel like a modest improvement over past model. Also, after seeing the new Enve Fray, it just makes this model look dated and not nearly as slick. Yes, the Fray is not a true gravel bike, but I'm personally in love with both the new Grail and the new Fray bikes. Only wish Canyon would sell the aero clip on bars in the USA for the Grail. Would love to see you review the Lauf Siegla someday.
@@3TZZZ That is certainly a subjective opinion, as was mine on the Fray aesthetics; no insult intended against Aspero lovers. I find the ENVE bikes at the top of aesthics, works of art on wheels. As for the price, it's unclear to me from their website if Cervelo is going to offer a Cervelo/Cervelo 5 offering again like last year's models, but the Cervelo 5 would be the one to fairly compare costs and that was only a $500 savings. Cervelo offering two tiers of carbon quality builds only benefits buyers and I wish Enve made more affordable lower grade carbon version of their MOG/Melee/Fray. Hopefully Cervelo will reveal two quality builds again this year and maybe some Force/Red build-ups.
@@3TZZZ Ha, I will agree that ENVEs are overpriced, so are Pinarellos and SWorks; none of these bikes rank high in "value" IMO. This is the main reason that I don't own an ENVE frame yet, but if I did splurge on one dream bike, it would probably be the Fray. if ENVE made a $2500 version of it, I'd already have one on order.
They should’ve definitely increased the tire clearance to at least 50mm….
no
I’d agree, more than 42, I’m running 45 on my Supersix SE , would be hard pressed to go down a size unless very smooth gravel.
Better price I agree. I’d put road Tyers on it and all good.
It's a Cervelo, they only make performance/ racing bikes. If you want an Adventure/ Bikepacking bike, then this isn't the bike for you.
The new Aspero has 4mm more tyre clearance than the original that had room for 43mm tyres (with 5mm clearance). I don't know why Cervelo has changed the way they advertise the clearance, but they seem to fool many people, and will likely lose sales because of it. The point is that you can't compare the old and the new advertised tyre clearance.
Nice vid but what about comparing it to the specialized diverge or the crux?? I thought your crux was the best bike for gravel? So far I’m enjoying my 2014 diverge,very smooth riding
Great review as always David, did you happen to try fitting any wider tire options to this bike? 45mm? [Edit] the 2024 Aspero will fit 45mm 700c (as measured) with 6mm of clearance, as per the service manual.
Sadly I didn't get round to that with the time I had the bike. And thanks :)
Geez that looks good.
650b was a thing, when the bikes were designed for 700x30, so we could use 650bx47mm tires ... (same diameter)
I now run 700x48mm, so I have to agree with you, with larger clearance on bikes and more BB drop, 650b for gravel is not as relevant as it once was, unless we move to monster gravel 2.25" 3T ultra or something like that.
I still love my 650B setup for rougher routes. It is way more forgiving just by its wider tyres.
Disagree. It’s about the size of the rider. Tall people don’t understand this for some reason. The handling is so much different, and things like toe overlap, etc… lots to consider. When I run 700c and then switch to 650b, it’s an entirely different bike and I LOVE that.
@@VendetaBrown you made me rethink it, and have to agree with you. I prefered my bike with 650b wheels ( I am 175cm ) on MTB I also use 650b.
I got a nice set of carbon 700c wheels, so I use them with the same width 47mm as I did for 650b, but I think 650b “felt” better.
Lower to the ground, better reaction, no toe overlap…
But nice 700c carbon vs crappy and beat up 650b alloy also feel nicer…
More tire options for 700c as well :/
It’s same as last year. But new for people with disposable income.
Third review of this bike I’ve seen today. Should also check out the Guy Kesteven review as he really does put that bike through its paces.
Guy Kes is extremely thorough in his reviews.....I bought a full suss MTB during lockdown because of one of his reviews.....Still got the bike.
First one I saw I watched until he said it was too stiff, then wonder what David would say.
Seems it's fine if you're only after 1-2 hour abilities on mostly smooth services for fast riding.
Does anyone want to recommend or hate on the handlebars it comes with? I felt these in the shop on this bike and actually really liked them, been searching for carbon handlebars for my new Hakka Mx for a month now and havent made up my mind yet.
I imagine the bike would be even lighter than 8.5kgs if it didn't have a ton of mud hanging off its wheels 8:37 😂
This or 2024 giant revolt advanced 0 with grx820 + carbon wheels?
Would this be a good bike for someone who plans to do about 90% road and 10% gravel with two wheelsets? I think most of the criticism (storage for bike packing, ride quality on rough stuff) are not things I care much about, being mainly road focused. The other options I'm looking at would be more endurance bikes with wide tire clearance that could double as gravel bike (e.g. defy, rouxbaix)
In the same boat as you. Considering Crux also, very similar geometry as tcr.
Depending on your gravel, I’d probably be looking at an endurance road bike with 40mm tyre clearance
I'm thinking of getting the new Roubaix. With 38mm tires, it'd still be fast on the road and could handle light trails.
My only issue is no internal frame storage
4:35 are these close-ups done with green screen?
'need to buy compatible Cervelo T47 threaded BB'. . . great, back here again are we! ugh
David, how does the Aspero compare to Canyon Grail and Ventum GS1?
Hi, did you ever find this out as am thinking with going with the Canyon Grail?
has anyone tried a O CHAIN crankset setup
tried if plusher ride
Helped avoid the "squirrel test" so it's a GREAT Bike...LOL...
Qual melhor a áspero ou a Checkpoint SLR ???
Áspero tem a geometria mais agressiva. Mais “racy” .
I have the aspeo 5 and def not enough change to make the change
the black rectangle above the chainring what is it for?
That’s so you can fit a front mech if you want to go 2x
So there is no difference to the aspero 5?
He said it has extra mud clearance 🤣 road bikes are really pulling it off with the upgrades this year
This bike would be much more appealing as a "fast gravel bike" if it had some of the frame storage and bespoke bag design choices like a Canyon Grail has.
It's a Cervelo. If you want to be comfortable and go camping with your bike and wear a flannel shirt, it's not the brand for you. I am honestly stunned that they didn't do frame storage, though.
How's the sizing? How tall are you?
Fits me perfectly, I'm 181cm tall
The paint on the older model is fantastic, this one is plain.
Yeah that purple was gorgeous
The white looks good up close as it has a glitter sparkle added to it.
Great!
It's one of the better looking gravel bikes, though.
It's a shame that Cervelo's updates to the Aspero are already dated. I really see the industry moving towards geometry seen on the Ari Shafer and Santa Cruz Stigmata with tire clearance up to 2 25". I've owned an Aspero and now I'm on a Shafer. The Shafer is just as fast on the road and is way more capable on gravel and single track. I was really hoping to see more from Cervelo.
A very conservative approach to the updates, why mess with success.
Why the angled chainstays? Why would you want your BB that close to the ground. Makes no sense to me but I’m not an engineer. Seems silly. Otherwise a cool bike and vid.
@@bertr5650 I guess. But all that is futile if your pedals hit the ground. But if the tires are 29” I suppose you could angle them a bit. 🙂
👌
Main selling point is lost : all new paint jobs are boring 😢
I genuinely like the woodsmoke color. Saw and rode in person and it's gorgeous.
42 mm tire clearance. Maybe 45 -you lost me there.......
not enough tyre clearance....just see what everybody commented in your other video.....wider tyres!
But that BB though. Using PF is a missed opportunity.
wow the tire clearance is kinda garbage...
Everything looks like an sl7. Not that that’s a negative, but…give me a dogma that looks like gaudi would ride it or something
Whyyyy don't I care about gravel / dirt bikes. The same reason don't care about mountain bikes.😅😅😅😅
Might be a great video, but your kit is soo....uhh...colorful (multiple yellows, Easter stripe socks) it's all I can pay attn to when watching!
😃
Cervelo has clearly failed to move the needle. They've updated a boring bike with a boring bike. If you do get one of these, their 650b option is 100% the answer to the brutal beating you would get riding this otherwise. Plush out the ride with some fat meats and spin, I suppose. The original 3T Explore RaceMax, with it's super low bottom bracket and really short chain stays still does it for me.