Cervelo

R5 Disc Force eTap AXS Road Bike

The Cervelo R5 Disc Force eTap AXS is a premium race bike and one of the main steeds of Team Sunweb for those big, arduous climbing stages. Cervelo maintains an aerodynamic profile in the design of the R5, and the full carbon frame is an uber-lightweight 850g, making this racing machine more than your typical climbing bike. The R5 has precision handling while preserving comfort for those extended endurance rides. Its aggressive geometry and pairing with eTap makes it clear why it’s one of the top racing bikes out there.

As one of the most aggressive road bikes on the pro tour, the R5 can benefit any rider and increase their performance even on their best day. This bike is one of few that can do everything from sprinting to climbing without having to compromise, and its lightweight carbon frame will keep you speeding up mountains and sprinting the flats. This built-up frame uses special carbon layups, which reduces the frame weight while also making it stiffer. Cervelo uses advanced engineering software like Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to utilize this technology, which helps us understand exactly how each layer of carbon fiber is working.

Cervelo claims the R5 disc model is the stiffest road frame to date, and they’re right compared to past versions. This frame is estimated to be 21 percent stiffer at the head tube and 13 percent stiffer at the bottom bracket, which immensely increases speed. And, the Cervelo Squoval Max tube design makes this a more aero option with an improved performance against wind resistance while maintaining a lightweight makeup.

The R5 frame is designed with the pros in mind, and that’s clear from the fact that it has the lowest possible frame stack to promote an aerodynamic riding position. Lowering the frame stack benefits the rider, who causes the most drag, so you can expect the speed you’re looking forward to seeing in an elite road bike. Not only that, but the R5 also contains a lower bottom bracket and longer wheelbase for optimal pedaling performance. The R5 features mid-depth aero wheels with Vittoria’s top-end Rubino pro tires that maintain the rigidity and limit rolling resistance.

It makes sense that a frame of this quality is paired with SRAM’s eTap Force AXS group. The 12-speed group eliminates drag and reduces jumping between cogs for smoother shifting with each lever push. Cerfelo also features its BBright bottom bracket, a standard developed to increase stiffness by taking advantage of the space at the bottom bracket shell, seat tube, down tube, and chainstay. Squoval Max tubing allows improvements that minimize weight and maximize rigidity, and internal cable routing adds to the aero qualities of the bike so you can hop to the front of the pace line.