Fast is never enough for a company like Cervelo, faster is always better. How do you make a fast gravel bike faster? You make it more aero, reduce some weight and maintain the stiffness. That was goal with Cervelo’s newest addition to the gravel race world with the Aspero-5.
New Fork
Cervelo introduced the Caledonia-5 road bike late last summer with a new fork using a c-shaped steer tube to allow for the brake hoses and Di2 wires to be kept completely hidden from the world.
The Aspero-5 uses similar technology for the same clean and aero look. The fork carried over Cervelo’s Trail Mixer flip chip that changes the offset between 46 and 51-millimeters. The Trail Mixer is intended to be swapped between 700c (51mm) and 650b (46mm) wheels. Cervelo uses their split headset spacers that don’t require removing the stem from the steer tube to adjust the stack height. A clever touch.
Lighter and More Aero Frame, Same Geometry
Keeping with the spirit of flat out riding and racing Cervelo shed some weight over the current Aspero by about 100-grams. A size 56cm frame has a claimed weight of 990-grams. Along with the reduced weight are more aero tube shapes that Cervelo claim save 32-grams of drag.
A lot of the aerodynamic focus was inspired by gravel events such as DK200, the Belgian Waffle Ride, and SBT GRVL where riders are exposed to headwinds without a peloton to hide in. The geometry stayed the same with the Aspero-5 keeping the blend of gravel and road performance with a slightly steeper than average 72-degree headtube angle and tucked 420-millimeter chainstays across all sizes. The fit and geometry leans towards the endurance side of comfort but not overly so.
An Aero Gravel Bar?
Maybe it’s not completely aero but Cervelo’s new AB09F carbon handlebar is being introduced on the A5 with a flat top and 16-degree flare. The handlebar is key to keeping the hoses and wires tucked away with grooves on the underside of the bar.
This handlebar is available in 38-44cm widths in carbon fiber and can be purchased aftermarket.
The Models
Notably, this does not replace the current Aspero in the Cervelo product line. Like the Caledonia and the Caledonia-5, the Aspero-5 will be positioned as the premium model. There are three complete builds of the Aspero-5 and a frameset offered. The frameset includes; frame, fork, headset, seat post with handlebars and stem.
Pricing on this kit is $4,300 with your pick of Lime Shimmer, Purple Sunset, or “Five Black” color options.
On the high end for complete builds are SRAM Red AXS 1x equipped with a power meter at $9,000 followed by the GRX Di2 equipped 2x build at $7,100 with a SRAM Force AXS 1x power meter spec at $6,900.
