Long-term review: Cervélo ZFS-5 120 XO AXS

ZFS-5 is Cervélo’s first full suspension bike, and only its second proper mountain bike (this prototype doesn’t count), but it doesn’t look like it. The sleek lines and clean design

The ZFS-5 is not earth shatteringly original, clearly building off of what is a very common flex-stay design in cross country racing these days, and it is not perfect. But, after months of ripping around trails on the 120mm version of  featherweight racer, it’s clear Cervélo succeeded in creating a bike that really wants to go fast. It sticks close to the brands roots, as in it is still very much a race bike, but, with some added suspension travel, carries that fun beyond the race course.

Cervélo makes mountain bikes?

When Cervélo announced it was moving into mountain biking, the ZHT-5 was first out of the gates. It was about what was expected. The race hardtail was very well done and fast, but safe for the historically road brand. That changes with the ZFS-5. While it keeps the frankly lackluster naming convention, it is a much more interesting bike. Many expected to be a rebranded Santa Cruz, as the two brands are part of the same larger ownership group. And, well, the silhouette is very similar. But there are a few unexpected differences between the two. Which is good, as Cervélo needs some way to justify the hefty price on the ZFS models.

Those differences, detailed at length when the bike arrived over the summer, are refinements, sure. But when so many brands are using the same basic flex-stay design for their XC full suspension bikes, details and refinements can be what sets one bike apart from the herd.

Cervélo ZFS-5 120: Ride review

Two versions of this full suspension cross country bike arrived at the same time. The ZFS-5 100 is the more XCO race focused of the two. We opted to test the ZFS-5 120. With slightly more travel, 120mm front and rear vs. 100mm, it is still race ready for marathons or stage races. But it mixes efficiency with enough forgiveness, it is fast withough being harsh, to be fun on a wider range of trails and for everyday riding where I was testing it on Vancouver Island.

Personally, I really like this range of travel for an XC bike and the ZFS-5 120 really shows off why. It is still so quick on the pedals that you want to stand out of every corner and attack every steep pitch. It does that with just slightly more movement in the suspension than a shorter travel XC bike, but it is minimal. But it is gives you more free speed in technical trails and descending.

And, for an XC bike, the ZFS-5 really excels on fast, flowing descents. It’s extra length adds confidence and control at speed, happily hitting XC-sized jumps and flying through fast corners. But it doesn’t lose the nimble feel of an XC bike when you get into slower, more technical traverses or climbs. The ZFS-5 is also impressively quiet on the trail. A quiet bike isn’t just nice, it makes you feel like you’re riding smoother when you don’t hear the bike rattling off every root and rock.

The ZFS-5 120 is also quite smooth. It’s hard to pin that performance to Cervélo’s floating break, espeically without a direct comparisson, but the ZFS is smooth through its travel. As a result, it holds consistent traction through corners and over roots where other bikes might start to skip or bounch.

Long-legged cross country race bike or mini trail bike?

Some longer-travel XC, XC-trail or “downcountry” bikes aim to split the difference between a race bike and a trail bike. Cervélo definitely keeps the ZFS-5 120, the longer-travel version of the ZFS-5, focused on speed. Whether you use that to race or just rip around local trails is up to you, of course. But the aim is a more capable cross country bike, not a short-travel trail bike. The parts are light, the angles are still relatively steep and, while the 120mm fork and rear travel add some comfort, it’s still an efficiency-focused build.

Cross country bikes are designed the way they are for a reason. You can’t make changes to that design that without, well, making changes. On the ZFS-5 120, the change add more travel results in a slightly decrease in efficiency when the shock is open. Thius is kind of unavoidable when using the same frame design with more travel. But, for that slight loss in efficiency, you do get better traction climbing technical singletrack as well as the benefits on descents.

The longer reach on the ZFS-5, which, for reference, is longer than a comparable Santa Cruz Blur, can also make the front wheel feel a little far away. That can let the front tire push on uphill corners when you’re not pinning it. I had my seat quite far forward on the rails to stay over the front wheel enough to retain that XC bike feel while seated and climbing. I did have room to lower the front end, which may have helped slightly. The trade off there, though, is a more stable and fun bike when descending with any speed or over at all technical terrain.

Cervélo ZFS-5 120 XO AXS: perforance versus value

While the ZFS-5 120 nails the performance side it does come at a premium price. It does cost money to shave weight and tune performance of a well-travelled basic design like flex-stays. But that performance still has to balance out with price at some point.

The all-black build on the XO AXS model creates a nice, murdered-out look. Always a classic for a race bike. But it is not, to be blunt, particularly great value for its $11,500 price tag. The frame is definitely nicer than some compeitors. That clear-coat-over-raw carbon fibre look is light and shows off Cervélo’s work nicely. But for that price, I would expect more than Performance Elite suspension from Fox (a 34 SC fork and Float shock) and SRAM’s XO Transmission wireless electronic shifting. Both are nice and function well, as they do on bikes with substantially easier price tags to swallow. Though it should be noted that Cervélo’s choice to pair older AXS rocker sifters with new SRAM Stealth Silver brakes won’t work for anyone with larger hands. Weirder, for a bike this price, is hiding DT Swiss 350 hubs between the very nice Reserve 28 XC carbon fiber rims. The 350’s slow engagement were not in keeping with the quickness every other part of this bike exudes. Sure, you can upgrade them to have faster engagment. But, after paying five figures for the bike, you really shouldn’t have to.

Mountain bike pricing seems to be going through a much-overdue correction going into 2024. Cervélo’s marquee brand will always come with some level of premium price. But, hopefully, this shifts slightly to come into line with other high-end brands.

Long-term review: Cervélo ZFS-5 120

Overall, Cervélo delivers an exciting race bike in the ZFS-5 120. It feels like a fully realized, high-end mountain bike not the first effort of a traditionally road-focused brand. It is fast, efficient, quiet on the trails. The black satin look over raw carbon fibre is stunning up close.

The design is a thoroughly modern cross country bike, rewarding a little more aggressive riding technique with confidence and speed. But it is still safely distanced from the extremes of the “downcountry” trend. It is very much a racers bike, comfortable for long hours and attacking lenghty climbs or punching through quick hills and rolling trails. The added travel dampens the harshness some XCO race bikes brand as efficiency. The 120 helps reduce fatigue and deal with the unexpected. Crucially, it does this without losing the iniative that makes cross country bikes so fun to ride.

The ZFS-5 120 isn’t just an appealing bike because it is not what was expected from Cervélo. It’s an appealing bike because it is a very well executed take on a cross country race bike. It has drawbacks, there will always be a trade-off to adding more travel and descending capabilities. It is also undeniably expensive for its spec. But is it ever trhilling to ride.