Cervélo R5 Disc Force eTap AXS road bike review

Jumbo-Visma's climbing bike blends all the best ingredients - and tweaks the recipe - to create a mouthwatering ride

Cervelo R5
(Image credit: Daniel Gould/Cycling Weekly)
Cycling Weekly Verdict

The full five stars for the new R5. This is a remarkable race bike with supremely balanced handling that excels in every area - going up, coming down and even on the flat despite it not being a dedicated aero bike. Perfect for winning Grand Tours or just enjoying the best-quality ride imaginable.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Perfectly balanced handling

  • +

    Lightweight

  • +

    Rear end comfort

  • +

    Huge pedalling stiffness

  • +

    Traditional, clean looks

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    High price

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

I have renamed the Cervélo R5 the Ahh... 5. Every time I get on it I’m like a Bisto kid whenever the delicious aroma of, erm, instant gravy wafts under his nose. Except the ride quality is far smoother (I hope my mum isn’t reading this) and no matter how dark, thick and meaty Bisto gravy looks, it’s actually made from potato starch, maltodextrin and palm fat and is suitable for vegetarians. Whereas the R5 is all lean meat.

As for the other part of its name, the 5 - well, obviously that stands for the perfect score I’m giving it.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Cervélo R5Header Cell - Column 1
FrameCervélo R5 carbon
ForkCervélo R5 tapered carbon fork
GroupsetSRAM Force eTap AXS 12 speed
ChainsetSRAM Force 48/35 with power meter
CassetteSRAM Force 12speed 10-33
BrakesSRAM Force HRD/160mm SRAM Paceline rotors
WheelsReserve 34/37 tubeless ready/DT370 XDR hubs
BarCervélo HB13 carbon
StemCervélo ST31 carbon
SeatpostCervélo SP20 carbon aero post
SaddlePrologo Scratch M5 PAS TiRox
Weight7.4kg
Contactwww.cervelo.com

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