# Cervelo R5 -what others to consider?



## Donn12 (Apr 10, 2012)

I will most likely get a 2013 Sram Red R5. I am going to try out a Sworks tarmac and maybe ride a Super Six Evo (although I am not crazy about the riding position). Any others to consider? italians? The R5 seems to be the best mix of speed, light weight, price and comfortable riding position available. I have also heard of some closeout pricing on R5 CA frames so I may look into that if the price for a complete bike wouldn't be a whole lot more spec'd out like the R5 red (5900). I have dura ace C24s on my RS that I will put on the new one.


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## martinrm (Jul 30, 2012)

Im a big fan of the Pinarellos so i would say the Dogma Think 2. Though the dogma is not the most aero dynamic bike the like R5 may be, the power transfer and stability of the bike is far superior. When it comes down to racing, power transfer and cornering is what you care about. However, stiffness does not mean its a harsh ride. My experience with the onda fork and rear triangle has been great, road quality is much better than that of other high end carbon road bikes. Another advantage that makes the Dogma a serious contender is the carbon weave that it uses. Unlike other bikes with a standard 3k weave the dogma uses special torayca carbon fiber with "resin capsules" that explose when a crack start which essentially stops it from growing en effect repairing the frame, very cool. Not saying the r5, tarmac, or evo's are bad bikes i just think the design that went into the dogma makes it a serious bike to consider. If you do not want to spend that much for the new modle the 2012 dogma 60.1 sells for $4-6k depending on the sellers which still has the asymmetric frame to help with power transfer. There is also the FP Quatro and Paris that employs the same asymmetric frame design as the dogma but with a lower grade carbon that making the price less, however the end result of the bike is excellent.

I would highly recommend testing out a pinarello if you have never ridden one before, they are quite amazing machines. Warning, you may fall in love.


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## bryan.gurc (Jul 6, 2012)

You've just listed a bike in the "Endurance Geometry" Category then listed two bikes (the tarmac and super six) with more aggresive race geometry. I guess it depends on which style of riding suits you (thats not to say you can't race on the R5). I own a Specialized Roubaix and can haul ass just as well as anyone else out on the routes that I ride on. 

Most companies sell both geometry styles and at a given price range bikes are pretty much the same. Test ride and pick one that speaks to you


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## stanseven (Nov 9, 2011)

Picking up on the last post, the R5 is now an endurance bike, which unfortunately departs fro what made it nice IMO. It's got relaxed geometry and a tall head tube. The other bikes mentioned use more aggressive geometry.

I like Cervelo, have an older SLC-SL, and wanted something new but didn't like the new geometry of the R5 and S5. I think both the Tarmac and Super Six are nice as is the Pinerallo. I would also consider the Wilier 0.7.


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## MercRidnMike (Dec 19, 2006)

If you're after endurance, the Roubaix or Synapse would be more comparable than the Tarmac and SuperSix....if you want speed, also look at the Cervelo S5.

I recently completed my search for a new ride but my budget was about half of yours, Don. I tried a bunch of the endurance models (Giant Defy Comp1, C'dale Synapse Carbon 4, Spesh Roubaix) and was looking for an RS or R3...but the local shop was out. I found the S2 and, now that Cervelo has brought the R and S series geometries closer together, it did just fine and is a dang quick bike (far better than the engine, at this point). I would suspect the S5 would provide a similar experience.


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## nordy643 (Aug 3, 2012)

If you're willing to spend more than list 6k on the R5, I have heard that the S-Works SL4 Roubaix is pretty sick.


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## exracer (Jun 6, 2005)

If you willing to try something other than what everybody else rides then
Sarto
Merckx EMX-5
Scapin Fazer or Hysak
Willier Cento Uno
BH G6, G5
Orbea Orca
To name a few


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## SPD877 (Sep 27, 2012)

See new post did not realize i posted twice


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## SPD877 (Sep 27, 2012)

The R5 is far from an "endurance" road bike. Tell that to Ryder Hesjedal who piloted the R5 to his Giro D'Italia victory. Cervelo is known for race pedigree bikes. They don't do mountain bikes, commuters, kids bikes or beach cruisers. I work for a Cervelo retailer and spent over 300km on a demo R5. This bike does everything well, especially at high speeds. It appeals to "Endurance" riders because of its taller head tube. But let me tell you, I slammed that thing with a 130mm stem -17 deg rise and it's as good a race bike as any. However I do believe that they are over-priced and under spec'd. Like cmon you get a set of boat anchors for wheels in the Fulcrum racing T's. If you buy this bike tell the retailer to keep the fulcrums and upgrade right away.

Steve


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## Donn12 (Apr 10, 2012)

I will keep my Cervelo RS so that will be fine for the comfy /endurance bike (no roubaix this time). I had not actually thought of the R5 as a endurance bike...its PLENTY racy for me and if I can ride it in Centuries ( be real comfortable) thats a big plus.


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## bayAreaDude (Apr 13, 2012)

SPD877 said:


> The R5 is far from an "endurance" road bike. Tell that to Ryder Hesjedal who piloted the R5 to his Giro D'Italia victory. Cervelo is known for race pedigree bikes. They don't do mountain bikes, commuters, kids bikes or beach cruisers. I work for a Cervelo retailer and spent over 300km on a demo R5. This bike does everything well, especially at high speeds. It appeals to "Endurance" riders because of its taller head tube. But let me tell you, I slammed that thing with a 130mm stem -17 deg rise and it's as good a race bike as any. However I do believe that they are over-priced and under spec'd. Like cmon you get a set of boat anchors for wheels in the Fulcrum racing T's. If you buy this bike tell the retailer to keep the fulcrums and upgrade right away.
> 
> Steve


Totally agree with this. So what if it has a taller head tube, just slam the stem. I mean, this is frame is raced by pros in the most important races in the world. To me that fact alone makes it a race bike regardless of how anyone interprets the geometry. I actually agree with their choice to sell it with garbage wheels on it. Maybe I'm crazy, but I just assume anyone buying a Cervelo either already has good wheels from another bike or would prefer freedom to choose their own high end wheels. Makes the bike cheaper.


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## uncrx2003 (Jul 17, 2010)

What about the Ridley Noah? Competitive cyclist has some great deals on them right now.


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## JoelS (Aug 25, 2008)

For that kind of cash, you would do far better to get a custom made CF frameset, using tube-to-tube construction, and made just for you. Sized right, geometry set for your riding style and preferences, and right in that same budget. Stiffness, handling, agility, road feel, it can all be customized to suit.

Look at Guru, Cyfac, Calfee, Sarto, and the list goes on.

You'll be a lot happier with exactly the right bike, which will be far better made than the vast majority of off-the-shelf offerings.


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## champamoore (Jul 30, 2012)

+1 for custom, if spending more than $5k. Why not have a ride built just for you and your needs/wants, that is completely unique, rather than one more high end status symbol on the road? 

I don't mean to slam highend off the shelf superbikes in any way, especially the Cervelo R5. I just know that I won't be buying one when I have that kind of money to drop on a bicycle. Whenever that is!


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## Dajianshan (Jul 15, 2007)

Personally, I think the R3 is a more complete bike.


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## Dajianshan (Jul 15, 2007)

I would also say, for that much you could go custom and get all the things you think want in an R5, get rid of the things you don't want.... in a frame that will always be current.


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## stanseven (Nov 9, 2011)

SPD877 said:


> The R5 is far from an "endurance" road bike. Tell that to Ryder Hesjedal who piloted the R5 to his Giro D'Italia victory. Cervelo is known for race pedigree bikes. They don't do mountain bikes, commuters, kids bikes or beach cruisers. I work for a Cervelo retailer and spent over 300km on a demo R5. This bike does everything well, especially at high speeds. It appeals to "Endurance" riders because of its taller head tube. But let me tell you, I slammed that thing with a 130mm stem -17 deg rise and it's as good a race bike as any. However I do believe that they are over-priced and under spec'd. Like cmon you get a set of boat anchors for wheels in the Fulcrum racing T's. If you buy this bike tell the retailer to keep the fulcrums and upgrade right away.
> 
> Steve


Steve,

I can't agree more with what you said. A -17 stem with the proper length gets the rider right back to a good racing position and negates the taller head tube and longer top tube Cervelo went to. 

My issue is Cervelo made their name and reputation with high end racing bikes. Then Gérard Vroomen decided that more riders (potential buyers of their bikes were older males with money who lacked flexibility) might benefit from more "relaxed" geometry. So they still use their bikes in the race world using an absurd -17 stem that only two stem manufacturers produce. 

As I mentioned earlier in this thread I have an older Cervelo (SLC-SL) that I love and wanted something newer. Both the S5 and R5 are designed to fit the flexibility of someone that can't ride an aggressive position. It's a shame Cervelo got away from what made them successful.


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## Donn12 (Apr 10, 2012)

Dajianshan said:


> Personally, I think the R3 is a more complete bike.


I think its the same bike but just lighter? I am not aware of any differences...also RED does not appear to be a build option for nor so it would be r3 frame plus all components vs r5 red 5900 list so probably not a huge difference in price.

I am not really open to a custom bike this time, I wouldn't know where to start vs I can ride a few nice bikes and pick one out


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## Dajianshan (Jul 15, 2007)

I believe the R3 is not as stiff. A bit different construction. Try them both.


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## Blue CheeseHead (Jul 14, 2008)

I love my Time. As you can see from the replies, there are any number of quality frames out there and none is "best". Unfortunately most people do no live in an area where they can ride multiple high end frames to test them out. Ride what you can, make a decision and don't look back. Speaking of Look...


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## Donn12 (Apr 10, 2012)

update - when it warms up in DC I am going to test the R5, S5, S-works Roubaix and maybe a Wilier and a Pinarello. I would be pretty surprised to not end up with a Red equipped R5 when its all over. A blacked out S5 with some big aero wheels might temp me though


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## cantride55 (Sep 19, 2008)

Do yourself a favour and look into warranty / customer service records of the companies,before you buy. There are some great frames out there with terrible customer service i.e. they do not respond to e-mails/ replacement frames take 10-12 weeks to get to you etc. There also are companies that will have you back riding a replacement frame within a week.
I never read a bike warranty until recently. Now I read them before I even test ride a new bike. It can be disheartening to discover what the fine print says afterwards.


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## Donn12 (Apr 10, 2012)

I have never read anything except praise for Cervelo's warranty. If you bought new and your frame cracks you get a new one. I also will be on bike 3 or 4 from the same LBS so that probably helps. What company does not have a good warranty?


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## Full_Spectrum (Oct 30, 2012)

Donn12 said:


> update - when it warms up in DC I am going to test the R5, S5, S-works Roubaix and maybe a Wilier and a Pinarello. I would be pretty surprised to not end up with a Red equipped R5 when its all over. A blacked out S5 with some big aero wheels might temp me though


Hey Donn- what shop do you deal with?


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

Donn12 said:


> I have never read anything except praise for Cervelo's warranty. If you bought new and your frame cracks you get a new one. I also will be on bike 3 or 4 from the same LBS so that probably helps. What company does not have a good warranty?


the Cervelo warranty system works very well. the dealer starts the claim online, adds photos, and usually the same day a warranty rep responds. if it's something like the BB problems they had, a new frame (if in stock) is sent right away. since there were so many frames involved w/ the BB problem, we warrantied about 16-18 over 2 years, and only had to wait longer than a week for maybe one of them, which wasn't in stock. they ended up upgrading the frame in that case.


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## carlislegeorge (Mar 28, 2004)

Full_Spectrum said:


> Hey Donn- what shop do you deal with?


Based on his list, I'd guess Fresh Bikes in Ballston. Not my preference, but then maybe some folks like to pay full MSRP all the time...hopefully that's not the case as a repeat higher end customer...


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## Donn12 (Apr 10, 2012)

Fresh bikes but normally Bethesda. They are usually willing to throw some stuff in, upgrade saddle etc. plus their service is great and they have the best fitter around. My CX bike did not come from them ( because they don't carry Felt) and they were okay but nothing special. I'm okay paying a little more for great service.


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## Full_Spectrum (Oct 30, 2012)

carlislegeorge said:


> Based on his list, I'd guess Fresh Bikes in Ballston. Not my preference, but then maybe some folks like to pay full MSRP all the time...hopefully that's not the case as a repeat higher end customer...


Wow- are you paying full MSRP as a regular customer at Freshbikes? I shop there are they take decent care of me with pricing, even though I dont spend a lot of money. YMMV



Donn12 said:


> Fresh bikes but normally Bethesda. They are usually willing to throw some stuff in, upgrade saddle etc. plus their service is great and they have the best fitter around. My CX bike did not come from them ( because they don't carry Felt) and they were okay but nothing special. I'm okay paying a little more for great service.


Cool. Assuming that Clovis did your fit? I go to the Arlington store since I live right down the street. Always been treated really well by these guys.


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## cantride55 (Sep 19, 2008)

Donn12 said:


> I have never read anything except praise for Cervelo's warranty. If you bought new and your frame cracks you get a new one. I also will be on bike 3 or 4 from the same LBS so that probably helps. What company does not have a good warranty?


A large part of the reason I switched to Cervelo was the reports of them standing behind their warranty. I know that if my b.b. began to spin and my LBS had a replacement in stock, I would be back riding in a couple hours. It would not need to be shipped to a distributor for inspection. I would not need to wait for 3 months before getting it replaced. I would not get whatever colour the distributor had on hand. I can't say that about a few "overseas" companies. I was trying to invite the OP to investigate the companies customer service performance record before making a purchase. There are some great riding frames that once there is a warranty issue become a measure of frustration and delay's. I know Cervelo is not on that list.


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## stanseven (Nov 9, 2011)

Fortunately FreshBikes sells all the brands you are looking at. They, at least the Arlington store, is one of the best shops in the country with extremely knowledgeable and experienced sales people. They also are completely objective and can help you make the decision that's right for you.


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## carlislegeorge (Mar 28, 2004)

^^^^

YMMV in this store. Mine did, although this is indeed one of the better LBS in the area. I frequent a different non fresh bikes LBS in northern Virginia, but don't want to hijack the thread any further.


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## dcorn (Sep 1, 2011)

I know the new Freshbikes in the Mosaic District had the R5ca on sale for like $6800 or something, if you wanted to make the bike super light and have a rare frame. I think that price is outrageous, but I know how people on here like to spend money  especially at Freshbikes. 

Weird that you are considering a few bikes with relaxed geometry and others with race-specific geometry. I guess it all just depends on how you feel on the bike. I'm riding an S-works SL4 Tarmac and it's surprisingly compliant on rough roads.


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## Donn12 (Apr 10, 2012)

I stopped by today to look at some bikes. When it warms up I will try the R5, Sworks Venge, Pinarello Think 65.1 and S5. They said the S5 was more hardcore than the Venge but I had read the opposite.


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## config (Aug 16, 2002)

Wow, what a selection of bikes to choose from. I don't think you can go wrong with whatever you choose.


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## Bklyn718 (Dec 9, 2012)

Donn...I just bought the Specialized Tarmac Pro SL4 on close out from Freshbikes, Bethesda and they were very helpful. They changed out some stock items for no charge, which is always helpful. They also had a few Cervelo's on close out, maybe just the R3.....but I assume you saw them if you were there recently. Just figured I let you know in case you missed them? Good luck!


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## Donn12 (Apr 10, 2012)

The R5 looked pretty homely sitting next to the Dogma. The bars and stem have red accents that clash with the accents on the frame and inside of the fork. The Venge looked great but I think if I want an aero bike I will end up with the R5 or Dogma now and add a S5 later.


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## Gervase (Aug 22, 2009)

Donn12 said:


> The R5 looked pretty homely sitting next to the Dogma. The bars and stem have red accents that clash with the accents on the frame and inside of the fork. The Venge looked great but I think if I want an aero bike I will end up with the R5 or Dogma now and add a S5 later.


I do not understand the fascination with Pinarello Dogma's..I think one of the only bikes that do NOT need weight added to them to meet UCI weight classification standards...?
I recently purchased a cervelo R3 frame and built it with just second hand parts and it came in with pedals at 6.7kg.
I love it and run Q rings on it, it's a huge jump up in speed from my Cervelo RS, which is a huge jump up from my old Marin Highway 1 hybrid...
I would love one of the R5 or S5. I think the only other bike to consider would be the Super Six Evo, deservedly the Best bike in the world title given all reviews.


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## ejabbale (May 28, 2011)

First I will say that I don't think you can go wrong with either of the bikes you are testing and I would purchase the one that fits you best, I think after riding them one wil really "speak" to you over the others. I previously had a 2011 Cervelo R3 and I do not have a bad thing to say about it, it was a great bike. I did recently buy the Dogma Think 2 and built it up with the "new" SRAM Red. For me, the Dogma is a more exciting ride and to be honest I just like the look of it more than the Cervelo. My Dogma build came in at 15.4lbs. Not the lightest but certainly not heavy. Both are tremendous rides and I wish you luck with your decision!


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## Donn12 (Apr 10, 2012)

I got the Dogma 65.1 it is incredible. The ride and handling are way better than anything I have ridden. And the looks....gorgeous. I have wanted an R5 since I first started riding. next to the Dogma it looked pretty plain. I got this one from the Freshbikes in Arlington. Great group of people and great service.


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## stanseven (Nov 9, 2011)

Congratulations. I also go to Freshbikes and brought my Cervelo there plus lots of other stuff. Its a great store and one of the best I've ever seen anywhere.


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