Improved Ride Quality

This bike is less stiff than its predecessor. That's not something you hear every day, is it? Typically new bikes tout their gains in stiffness and performance, while Cervelo took feedback from their pros that improving the bike's compliance would enhance performance on rough roads, long rides, and during long grand tours. In addition to the added compliance in the R5's front end, the seat tube junction has been lowered by around 15mm, allowing for more seatpost exposure and resulting in more flex in the post, providing more rear-end comfort.

Weight Savings

A bike designed for the mountains should always prioritize weight savings, and the new R5 puts it at the front of the line. The previous generation of R5 needed to be fitted with ultralight wheels to hit the pro racing weight limit of 6.8kg / 14.99lbs (with bottle cages, computer mounts, and so on.). The new R5 saves 130g over the previous bike's frame. The new bar and stem each drop 12g, respectively, of the prior generation, while the seat post drops another 20g. That all adds up to a savings of 174g - Weight that can now be used in other areas like deeper wheels or larger volume tires.

Integrated Cockpit

While the new cockpit saves weight, its primary purpose is to tidy up the front of the bike. Unlike the integrated bar from years ago, Cervelo has developed a clean solution that still allows for adjustability. Cables from the hoods run in an open channel underneath the handlebar, not through it, allowing for easy maintenance and adjustments to be made. The cables then move through the stem and past the headset bearing into cable guides that are molded into the frame. This system easily allows you to raise or lower the stack without affecting the cables.

Aerodynamic Tuning

So this is a tough one to quantify, Cervelo has invested time and energy into massaging the new R5 to slip through the wind, but that isn't the bike's primary motivation, so Cervelo isn't quoting any aerodynamic data. With that said, the bike's aero package certainly improves based on the feature above, the clever integrated bar and stem that helps clean up the front of the bike and makes for a wonderful-looking package. Turn your eyes to the frame, and you'll notice even more shaping. All of the R5's tubes feature a blunt leading edge and a squared-off tail. This shaping helps smooth the air hitting the bike as you ride, while the squared-off shaping helps to release air from the tube as it exits.