# 2015 R2 who else has one?



## mflahe

Bought this R2 last fall, was looking at left over R3 models that were priced low but saw the R2 was coming out. I liked the idea of going ahead and moving to 11 speed and internal cable routing. I figured I get the same higher end frame as the R3 and respectable components for a decent price. I figured I can upgrade some things easily over time. So far I've read the new 105 stuff is really pretty good, which I believe seems to be true, I came off a 2003 Klein road bike with full Ultegra and this new 105 stuff works as well or better. So I upgraded the brakes to the new 105, it does stop a little better. I got a cant pass it up deal on a Rotor 3DF crankset take off from another new Cervelo that went right on easily. It is definitely lighter than the FSA it came with, it also seems to perform better. I think this is a nice bike at an appealing price worth upgrades maybe next I'll look to a little lighter rims. Who else has this ride what do you think? What have you put on it?


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## RCMTB

I went from a 2013 R3 to a 2015 R2. Upgraded cranks, wheels, seatpost and saddle. Plan to go tubeless with the Enve's soon. The bike rocks! 11spd 105 shifting feels so much better than Ultegra 6700. Great frame for the price point, plus the white is refreshing after all the blacked-out colorways these days.

FSA SL-K cranks
S-Works Toupe Saddle
S-Works one-bolt seatpost +20 offset
Enve 3.4's, S-Works Turbo tires
Arundel Mandible cage









Performance is about the same as the R3. I can't really tell a difference other than this bike feels a little more stable overall. Could be from sizing up from a 48 to 51 which is one of the reasons I bought the R2.


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## almalave

R2 with Cosmic Elite S wheelset. Only other add on is a K-Edge chain catcher and Elite bottle cages. Very nice upgrade from my last bike, a 2011 Specialized Allez comp 105. Difference is night and day. 3 pounds lighter.


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## dirtiClydesdale

Does anyone know the actual difference between an R2 and an R3. I currently have a 2012 R3 but I want to buy a frame with internal routing so I can put all the "parts" onto the new frame and also purchase 6870 groupset. Its my bday/xmas present for myself.

I just hate the way the R3 2015 is painted... and the R2 looks really nice! Or is it worth it to just purchase the R3 frame and suffer through the paint job?


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## RCMTB

The fork is only difference, but frames are the same. Fork is the R3 Mud fork. More clearance for bigger tires.


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## RCMTB

Yeah, the white R2 is real nice! They released a grey and Orange R2 recently. I still think the white is nicer than the grey.


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## almalave




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## pitbullandroadbike

Very nice. Almost walked out with one but didn't have my size so I grabbed an R3. Love the R series Cervelos!!


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## dcb

I've got a gray R2 that's been very fun to ride. I'll post pictures soon.


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## Oldbikah

Found a left over 2015 R2 at one of my local shops. It's a 51cm frame, stock, no upgrades. They weighed it for me and it pulled 18 lbs which kinda surprised me. I know that an Ultegra set up might drop the weight by 1/2 to 1 pound and another pound would drop with a fair set of wheels. I was expecting 16 lbs for this bike. That R2 fork must have some significant heft to it!

My training bike is an '05 aluminum Specialized Allez Comp with 105's in a 54cm frame that weighs 21-22 lbs depending which wheels I have on it. Not sure if that's enough to make me switch, although, the aero advantage of the R2 would be nice. The old Allez is a parachute in a head wind but otherwise, it's a really lively ride that's fun on the rollers. Big hills are definitely tough work on that bike.

Might have to see if they'll set that R2 up for me, and give it a serious spin. Will report if I actually try it out.


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## Oldbikah

Wow. Old thread... and I guess an update is in order. Local LBS let me have the left over 51cm R2 for a couple of days a year ago last August (2016) to give it a good try out. They had a 51 and a 56. Took a bit to dial it in, so the couple of days was a good thing. 

Found the Cervelo very solid, but not harsh. The 105 Shimano group set extremely smooth and accurate with great feel and decent non 105 (FSA) rim brakes along with an FSA Gossamer crank. 

This bike came with an "upgraded" Bontrager seat, that I found pretty uncomfortable. Easy to fix, and was, after I decided to buy the R2. The bomb proof and heavy, heavy Shimano RS wheels that came with the bike are beasts. If you want a good workout, go ahead and use those things, but be prepared to suffer up a long hill climb, unless you slow it way down. The RS wheels are fine, but don't do justice to the R2 frame. 

According to Strava, this bike is only 28 miles short of 2,000 mile mark today. So it's definitely one of my favorite bikes. I put about 800+ miles on it before the weather got crappy, wet and cold by late October of last year and then started riding it again once the roads were somewhat cycle friendly by about the end of May this year. Just completed a nice easy Century on 9 September along the southern Maine Coast. It was a fairly flat ride with some typical short Maine rollers, and the R2 was comfortable as it was efficient. My average individual rides are mostly in the 30 to 60 mile range at the rate of 3-4 rides a week. 

I still use my old aluminum Speciallized Allez to deal with the upset and broken roads in early Spring after the snow melts around here. In early June of this year I added an endurance carbon framed bike to the group to help smooth out the rough road season and disc brakes to shorten wet weather stopping distances. And it *did* do those things, but that's a whole other story. Already have 1,262 miles of less than ideal weather rides on that bike this year. 

Anyway, the R2 is just what a good climbing bike should be, delivering forward motion without flex, even when standing on the pedals, plus it's aero enough to make distance riding less of a chore when the wind is on the nose. I honestly didn't expect that much from the Squoval shapes. In a downhill tuck, pegged side by side with a smaller cyclist (he presents less frontal area and has similar weight) on a year old Emonda, the R2 has been faster every time into a head wind. I didn't expect that either.

I did buy a "cheap" set of 38mm deep carbon wheels to try out on the Cervelo shortly after I brought the bike home. I have never had a set of carbon wheels, so I decided to give those a try since they weren't something I had to take a mortgage out on. I have to admit that those wheels turned out to be stellar performers on the R2. It's not hard to see why the carbon hoops feel so good on the bike at only 1346 grams compared to 2007 grams of the original RS wheels. I had to weigh them at the bike shop. No brainer on long uphills, especially. For that matter, the short and medium uphills, too. And on the flat portions and the downhills. Awesome wheels for the money combined with the Cervelo. Fun riding combo. 

I'm a fan of the R series. The new R range is probably better, but I don't think I could justify it. The new one would be a better bike for a Pro or a dedicated racer as it is even stiffer than the edition I ride. For the type of riding I do, the R2 I have is fine. I ride mostly for fitness and with friends, 3-4 rides a week, distances from 30 to around 60 miles each outing and averaging only 15 to 18 mph when I solo, or how I call it; so slow. 

Now I'm thinking about upgrading the group set with the new Ultegra 8000. That would save a little more weight and allow an 11-30 cassette with the standard short cage rear derailleur. Would make really steep hills a tad easier. Also notice that the new R series are offered with Shimano and SRAM cranks attached to the BBright as shown on Cervelo's updated website, so it's not only FSA and Rotor now?


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## Rashadabd

I had a 2011/2012 R3, which I enjoyed for a while. The new R2 looks really good for the price. Like all of you have indicated, it has great reviews as well. I love the 2018 paint scheme, the expanded tire clearance, the longer chain stays and the dropped bb. I may have to check one out.

https://www.cervelo.com/en/road/r-series/r2

https://www.bikeexchange.com/blog/cervelo-2018-r5-r3-ten-things-to-know


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