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Preview of the Cervélo C5, the company’s new endurance bike

First impressions of the Cervélo C5, an endurance bike with a racing influence.

Cervélo C5

In early December, Cervélo previewed its new endurance bike, the C5. Here are images from that preview and my first ride on the new machine. When Cervélo first announced it would be putting an endurance bike in its lineup of race machines, I thought it would be a slackened and stretched out version of the already dialed R series bikes. The C5, however, was something altogether different. It was in fact stretched out and the geometry was slackened, but in true Cervélo fashion, the bike still felt light, stiff and surprisingly compliant. Cervélo has done a great job taking all the company has learned from racing and including it in this bike that may never see a start line, but will always finish strong.

Photo credit: Jered Gruber
Photo credit: Jered Gruber

The new endurance bike, the Cervélo C5 Dura-Ace Di2. The company, best known for its light and aero bikes, brings some familiar technology to the new machine, such as the squoval tube shapes.[space height=”20″]

Photo credit: Jered Gruber
Photo credit: Jered Gruber

The low seatstay attachment points and longer chainstays help keep the bike riding smooth and tracking straight. The axle slips into carbon dropouts.[space height=”20″]

Photo credit: Jered Gruber
Photo credit: Jered Gruber

The seatstays and chainstays provide ample clearance for 28c tires and even fenders.[space height=”20″]

Photo credit: Jered Gruber
Photo credit: Jered Gruber

Cervélo says the frame is future-proof when it comes to managing cable. Here, both hydraulic disc-brake lines are routed through a single point in the down tube.[space height=”20″]

Photo credit: Jered Gruber
Photo credit: Jered Gruber

The front fork comes out of Project California composite R&D facility. At the bottom of the down tube, the company added armor so the frame can take whatever the road throws at it.[space height=”20″]

Photo credit: Jered Gruber
Photo credit: Jered Gruber

Right behind the Rotor PF-30 crank and BBright bottom bracket, chainstay armor has been added to the drive side.[space height=”20″]

Photo credit: Jered Gruber
Photo credit: Jered Gruber

Whether rolling on smooth tarmac, over loose gravel or through some choppy pavement, the C5 remains stable and gives you confidence on any surface, in part thanks to the Project California fork with thru axle.[space height=”20″]

Photo credit: Matt Stetson
Photo credit: Matt Stetson

Being the lightest endurance road machine on the market with a frame weight of 850 g and having Cervelo’s BBright to transfer power to the rear wheel, the C5 goes uphill almost as fast as its race-bred siblings.[space height=”20″]

Photo credit: Matt Stetson
Photo credit: Matt Stetson

Cervelo is sticking with what works with its squoval shaped down tube.[space height=”20″]

Photo credit: Matt Stetson
Photo credit: Matt Stetson

The frame comes with fender mounts, a perfect addition of enduring rides in the rain.