# Cervelo RS build with Ultegra Di2



## Cut.Aussie

My new pride and joy.

Finally the rain in Sydney let up long enough to get out today and put in 80km on my new ride, all up pretty happy with how it's all gone together, especially the Ultegra Di2 install where I managed to get just about a full internal wiring install with just the external junction block under the bottom bracket.

Need to fit a slightly longer stem and have a Dura Ace 7950 compact crank on order from Ribble in the UK will hopefully arrive this week.


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## simonaway427

why iPhone?


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## Cut.Aussie

Do you mean why do I use an iPhone rather than some other brand of mobile phone or why do I carry a phone on my bike?


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## simonaway427

Cut.Aussie said:


> Do you mean why do I use an iPhone rather than some other brand of mobile phone or why do I carry a phone on my bike?


Apologies if my question wasn't clear.

What do you carry the iPhone on the bike when you have a Garmin right next to it? Seems redundant and unnecessary, not to mention, in my opinion, unsightly.


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## RJP Diver

simonaway427 said:


> Apologies if my question wasn't clear.
> 
> What do you carry the iPhone on the bike when you have a Garmin right next to it? Seems redundant and unnecessary, not to mention, in my opinion, unsightly.


Probably hard to receive phone calls on the Garmin...

:thumbsup:


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## config

RJP Diver said:


> Probably hard to receive phone calls on the Garmin...
> 
> :thumbsup:



:thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## kbwh

Nice bike and a clan job on the Di2 wiring!
May I ask why you want a longer stem? There is ample room for dropping those bars a wee bit.


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## Cut.Aussie

kbwh said:


> Nice bike and a clan job on the Di2 wiring!
> May I ask why you want a longer stem? There is ample room for dropping those bars a wee bit.


Cause at 57 the back is not as flexible as I wish it was, the current stem is 90mm and I have ordered a Ritchey 100mm


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## Cut.Aussie

simonaway427 said:


> Apologies if my question wasn't clear.
> 
> What do you carry the iPhone on the bike when you have a Garmin right next to it? Seems redundant and unnecessary, not to mention, in my opinion, unsightly.


The iPhone is mounted there because I hate wearing bluetooth headset and I'm on call 24/7 supporting patients on life support. With the iPhone mounted on the stem I can easily take calls with the iPhone using hands-free while continuing to ride with the bunch, also easy to read SMS messages with it there. Also handy for using Google maps when exploring near places.


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## RJP Diver

Cut.Aussie said:


> Cause at 57 the back is not as flexible as I wish it was, the current stem is 90mm and I have ordered a Ritchey 100mm


If you're "not as flexible" why do you want a l-o-n-g-e-r stem?


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## Cut.Aussie

RJP Diver said:


> If you're "not as flexible" why do you want a l-o-n-g-e-r stem?


I don't think an additional 10mm (90 > 100) in length will make much difference to my back angle but will push my arms out and upwards slightly that helps open up the chest a little more for better breathing.


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## caak

G'day, can you tell me where you got the Garmin mount bracket from?

Thanks..


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## Cut.Aussie

caak said:


> G'day, can you tell me where you got the Garmin mount bracket from?
> 
> Thanks..


It's a Pro Carbon accessory mount from Aspire Velotech in the USA

Pro Carbon Computer, GPS, and Accessory Mount Kit<br>Fits Standard & Oversize Bars-Garmin Compatible: • Aspire VeloTech - Chris King World's Largest Dealer

Mounts both my Garmin and my Headlight in Winter.


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## Cut.Aussie

Well things haven't worked out so well with my new Cervelo RS, last weekend a creaking noise developed from the Bottom Bracket area and I found a radial crack above the BB insert on the drive side, done less than 400km.

Took some photo's and my LBS forwarded them onto the local Australian distributer who has replaced the frame under warranty which is good but it still leaves me with a feeling this BB cracking is a widespread issue and that the new frame may well fail as well.

I guess only time will tell, transferring all the bits over from old frame to new frame tonight and hope to have it ready for a ride tomorrow.


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## tdietz87

Oh wow, sorry to hear of your misfortune! I hope the new frame works out better.


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## config

Ouch! I'm glad to hear Cervelo is completely honoring their warranty. I sure hope the new one resolves this issue.


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## vismitananda

Using a mobile phone while riding is a bad idea. 

Anyway, I hope you'll post some pics on the new build. ^_^ :thumbsup:


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## tocoldmn

*cervelo bb*

Lucky you. I have the same crack on my bb, cervelo and the lbs could care less.


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## tdietz87

tocoldmn said:


> Lucky you. I have the same crack on my bb, cervelo and the lbs could care less.


Wow! What bike do you have (year and model)? Did you buy it new from an authorized dealer? Do you have any pictures? I have not heard any bad news about cervelo's warranty before. I'm sorry to hear of your misfortune!


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## Cut.Aussie

Weather in Sydney was appalling on Sat but finally got to put 60km on the replacement RS frame on Sunday morning and all seems good so far.

Shock Horror, new frame is 10grams heavier at 1040, how an I every going to live with that extra 10gm 

I'm very much a Clydesdale of a rider so I did a few steep climbs up to 10% just putting my considerable weight into the BB too stress it as much as possible but no noises or signs of cracking yet though stories of others suffering the shame BB cracks is a serious worry.

Second build went very fast now I know how to thread the various DI2 wires through the frame.

Not impressed with the 3T seat post which uses 2 screw for/aft to adjust seat angle but even with grease one bolt binds badly while the other remains loose. Given it away and gone for back to my Ritchey 1 bolt which is dead easy to adjust and lighter as well.

Due to the very small clearance between folk and tyre I have removed the 25mm and replaced it with a 23 but will retain the 25 on the rear. Totally loving the Dura-Ace wheels, great value for what I paid and lighter than Fulcrum Zero.

I have also received and installed a DA 7950 Compact crank to replace the Ultegra part.

If weather holds hope to ride Tuesday night after work.


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## Cut.Aussie

tocoldmn said:


> Lucky you. I have the same crack on my bb, cervelo and the lbs could care less.


Sorry to hear your having the same issue.

But why won't Cervelo and your LBS address the issue, assuming your the first owner Cervelo offers a lifetime warranty on frames unless its user damage and these cracks around the BB seem to be related to a production problem.

Can you tell us more?


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## kbwh

(Congrats to Gerrans and GreenEdge on their MSR win. You need a Scott next. )


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## Cut.Aussie

kbwh said:


> (Congrats to Gerrans and GreenEdge on their MSR win. You need a Scott next. )


Actually my first two bikes when I came back to cycling were both Scotts but that's not to say I wouldn't buy another but I'm not convinced any Scott offers good value at the moment and I'm kind of liking my Cervelo RS and I still have my Look 566 and Cell V2.0 converted to flat bar so at this point in time it's hard to justify owning yet another bike but I'm well aware of the formulae that applies to how many bikes we want n+1


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## Karbon Kev

Unfortunately you're not the first with a cracked Cervelo frame, and you probably won't be the last. It's the one thing that puts me off buying a S5 for RS have to say.


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## Cut.Aussie

My understanding is that the problem is basically confined to the RS / R3 frames with the conventional english BB and that Cervelo have sorted the issue with the later generation frames with the BBright bracket.

So I hope (& pray) that Cervelo will honour the lifetime warranty and if my current frame fails again they will upgrade too (presumably) a R3 with BBright and the adapters to use my Shimano DA crankset.


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## Cut.Aussie

*Second frame has now failed*

As posted earlier my first Cervelo RS frame failed at the bottom bracket after only a few week old.

Now Im afraid to say that the replacement frame has failed in an identical fashion, ok this one has lasted around 6 months but I can't quite express how disappointing this is. I really love riding this bike and now have it setup just perfect for me.

I have no idea what to do now, do I buy a R3 frame but it's not exactly the same dimensions as the RS appearing to be somewhat shorter in the head tube or do I give Cervelo away and buy something else that rides similar, maybe the new Look comfort frame,

Any other suggestions fro similar lightweight but comfortable frames?


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## Donn12

From what I understand the main difference is the seat stays and the better ride quality because of them. My RS has developed a creak so this post got my attention


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## Rashadabd

The new BMC Gran Fondo GF01 and Trek Domane might be worth taking a look at. They both have piqued my interest and seem to be in line with what you are looking for. That being said, I really love my R3 and it is a great bike to ride. It sounds like it might be time to test some bikes. Here's a few links:

http://www.bmc-racing.com/us-en/bikes/new-granfondo-gf01-2013.html

http://road.cc/content/news/56410-first-ride-bmc-gran-fondo-gf01

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/road/race_performance/domane_6_series/

http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/07/03/review-2013-trek-domane-endurance-road-bike/


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## ralph1

Bad luck with the bikes, I luv both of mine, but makes you wonder.....


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## Cut.Aussie

I've been speaking with my local bike shop where I purchased the frameset from while there are no more RS frames in Australia they think the new importer for Cervelo that took over following the Cervelo sale will probably honour the life time warranty as he's had another one replaced only a few weeks ago and a frame was airfreighted out from Canada in a week for that customer.

The basic problem I have is that would then be frame number 3 in less than 9 months of ownership, what's to say the next frame wont fail again in the same place. Obviously Cervelo has a major issue with BB cracking in frames made in 2010 with both RS & R3 models and possible others as well.

While I get a degree of enjoyment from building up a new bike its wearing thin if I have to keep doing this every 6 months or so, especially as I have Di2 and threading the wiring through the frame is very time consuming but provided a much better look than the simple external kit.

What I can't be sure of is are the 2011 on frames with the BBRight bottom bracket also cracking? If not then maybe I attempt to come to some financial arrangement where I offer some dollars towards an upgrade to later R3 with BBright?

Anyone reading this and has one of the frames with the conventional shimano type BB should pay attention to any creaking noises when climbing out of the seat etc. If heard you need to drop the chain and remove the crankset, clean the BB area and inspect for radial cracking of the paint just around the aluminium BB shell, both mine have failed almost exactly the same way.


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## jta

Thanks for the info Cut.Aussie. I own a 2011 RS and starting to hear a 'crick' every time my left crankarm passes the 12 o'clock position into the downstroke. Tried tightening up the crankarms, seatpost, saddle, and back skewers, but can't seem to isolate. Wondering if it's the bottom bracket, but I don't see any cracks. 

Love the RS, but concerned about the cracking issues. I met another RS rider here in New York that had his replaced with an R3 about a month ago. 

Anyway, curious to know how things work out for you. Please update if you have a chance, thanks.


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## Cut.Aussie

I have removed the crankset, taken some photos of the cracking, frame serial number label, frame size label etc and forwarded those to my LBS who have already spoken with the importers. Have confirmed there are no more RS frame in my size available.

So, waiting on decision and will continue to ride the bike as at this point I think its a long way from a total failure yet, just got to ignore the creaking noises.

Hope to hear within the week but can confirm the are also no R3 frames in stock in Aus either so they will have to source from Canada if thats what they offer me.

Meanwhile I have gone out and bought a new 2012 Subaru Impreza hatch (too make me feel better) and looking for the best deal on roof top bike racks instead of the tow bar type I have been using to date.


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## Pug

Cut.Aussie said:


> Hope to hear within the week but can confirm the are also no R3 frames in stock in Aus either so they will have to source from Canada if thats what they offer me.


Thanks again for your reply to my thread. Reading through this I feel your pain. I've heard that going forward the R3 frame will be the replacement for RS warranty issues. I'm assuming this includes a fork. At least I hope it does. Hopefully Cervelo/Pon can get some supply to Australia soon as I'm guessing your prime riding weather is not that far away.

I've heard on other forums about people paying a price differential and upgrading straight to an R5 and some even going with an S2. Like you, I'm a middle aged clyde so I think I'll try to stick with the R series.


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## tangerineowl

That's a real shame about the RS. 
They seem like such a nice bike, apart from this recurring BB issue I've been reading.

I really hope Cervelo get this sorted.

Cut. Aussie, I'm in Brisbane, and it seems pretty hard to find a new RS in the Oz shops.


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## Cut.Aussie

Well the good news is that Cervelo have honoured the warranty and replaced the RS frameset for a 2nd time.

As there are no more 51cm RS frames left anywhere they have replaced my White/Red RS with a White/Blue R3 frameset (now I have to buy new colour matched accessories and clothing though now my Garmin 500 matches 

The build date from the serial number is 2010 and it has the BBright bottom bracket this time and the have supplied the appropriate ROTOR BB bearings to fit my Shimano DA crankset.

I'd cut the carbon steer tube and glued in the aluminium insert yesterday and build up the new frame this morning, basically moving bits from the RS straight onto the R3 frame. Only minor changes in how I run the Di2 wiring due to slight differences between the frames.

The R3 has a somewhat shorter head tube than the RS but otherwise fit is very similar, I did a short 30km test ride this afternoon just to checks things out and all basically seems good, a little chain noise down the back, have to check hanger alignment as many have commented R3's often have issues there. Frame is lighter at 955 grams, I think the RS was about 1050 if memory holds true.

Maybe my imagination but the R3 doesn't seem to filter out bad road vibrations as well as the RS frame did which is a shame as that was the primary reason for buying the RS in the first place, we have lots of badly surfaced roads in Australia.

Here is a quick photo taken with my iPhone, excuse the red bar tape, I have not had a chance to buy a new colour yet, also still waiting on the Di2 remote shift buttons to arrive from Chain Reaction in UK.

I also need to say a big thank you to Brian Sprouster at Bike Barn in Parramatta who took care of the warranty negotiations with the Cervelo importers for Australia. Thanks Mate!

More detailed photo's to come later when the bar tape has changed colour


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## ralph1

Good to see you have had a resolution to your problem, as for your comment about the ride between the two, you probably know that the RS is a more relaxed geo to make it a more compliant ride. The R3 is a great frame, enjoy.

I am currently living in Newcastle and moving to Brisvegas next year, I hope there is some good group rides up there.


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## HarryV

im very surprised gemini and then trek bikes honored the warraty given the holes drilled in the frame.... as i am about to do this myself, can i ask a coupla questions....
1) how did u determine the positions to drill the holes?
2) was anything said during the warranty process about the modifications?

PS: i have an 08 RS which began to fail at the bottom bracket 15,000 kms ago... i doubt it will progress much in terms of becoming unstable, but will warranty it if it begins to creak


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## Cut.Aussie

HarryV said:


> im very surprised gemini and then trek bikes honored the warraty given the holes drilled in the frame.... as i am about to do this myself, can i ask a couple questions....
> 1) how did u determine the positions to drill the holes?.
> 
> 2) was anything said during the warranty process about the modifications?
> 
> PS: I have an 08 RS which began to fail at the bottom bracket 15,000 kms ago... i doubt it will progress much in terms of becoming unstable, but will warranty it if it begins to creak


I used existing holes wherever possible, enlarging if needed. My only real difference from most other installs as the front cable going to the handlebars, most installers seem to drill either the top or down tubes in much the same fashion as if they were installed mechanical control cables. After some thought I wanted the cable to exit the front surface of the head tube and that had two merits, first the cable exits the frame where its wanted and second a hole here is in probably the least stressed area possible.

Internally you need to glue or affix the Di2 cable so it doesn't rub on the front fork steerer tube. For that I used white coloured silicon caulking compound ( the type used to seal bathroom showers joins etc.) to hold the wire around the inside perimeter of the head tube and form a in place grommet as the wire exits the carbon fibre. The advantage of this Silicon is that it can be removed later if you decide to remove the DI2 gears later.

I also use a small pad of the Silicon under the Di2 battery holder to hold it to the frame instead of the Shimano supplied cable tie which causes paint scratches once dirt and grit get under the tie.

On the RS frame I run the RD cable internal and exited an existing hole in the aluminium dropout but the R3 frame is all carbon and a different shape and I'm not sure if I'd drill the chainstay as it's part of the frames rear suspension so I have used the Shimano white self adhesive cable channel stuff to run the cable along the underside of the drive side chainstay.

No, nothing was said about the Di2 install and I would not expect it to be, this is supposed to be a high end race frame and Di2 has been around for 3 years now on race bikes but your milage may vary, thats two frames I have had replaced under warranty and both had Di2 installs and I also have a Look with similar install though its never cracked like the Cervelo's have.

I also painted the Shimano mat black shimano battery bracket white to help it blend in with my White/ Blue frame.


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## Yamilo

god, that saddle is just plain fuggly... reminds me of kendrick perkins from the OKC thunder for some reason. Anyways, sweet looking bike and I'm sorry you had to go through that with your RS.


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