Well, I’ve finally finished building my Cervélo R5 VWD with Dura Ace 9000 groupset, Dura Ace C24 wheelset and 3T finishing kit topped off with a Prologo Evo Nack saddle and Look Keo Carbon pedals.

I went for the 53/39 chainset and 11-28 cassette (thanks to all that helped advise!!) which gives a lowest gear equivalent to putting a compact on my current set up, but keeping the close ratios thanks to that extra sprocket, and the bigger gears of the full-size chainset.

Total weight is 15.5lb or 7kg which feels, quite frankly, ridiculous! Not ridden it yet due to slush and salt on all the roads, but can’t wait to see just how that low weight feels. Initial impressions from scooting round the house are that the frame is incomprehensibly rigid!

I’ve done my best to line valves/tyre/wheel logos, but feel free to pull it to bits. The only thing I’m missing is the cable end crimps – can’t decide whether to use black or red, what does the forum think?

I think you should clear the dead leaves off your bbq.

Yep, and those chairs could do with a bit of teak oil, but I’ll wait til spring 😉

Do you ride it or is it just for weighing, listing components and posting on weighteenies? 🙄

Needs some 50mm carbon wheels, but that looks very smart indeed.

Impressively organised work stand tool arrangement.

but the birds will go hungry, there’s no feed 🙁
Nice looking bike BTW

Do you ride it or is it just for weighing, listing components and posting on weighteenies?

I’ve just built it, still waiting for a few bits and a final tune-up but I have a winter bike for this time of year. It’ll get ridden to within an inch of its life, starting with a week in Mallorca in a few weeks.

If I was a weight weenie, I’d have used SRAM Red, shirley…

is that a Real Eames Chair?

if so you have far too much money!!!!

It’s got a super model size zero back end on it! Wow, that’s skinny.

Looks lovely and nice bar tape action!

Njee has a point though – it needs a deeper section set of wheels.

It’s got a super model size zero back end on it! Wow, that’s skinny.

That’s what I love about it – it’s got a proper traditional silhouette, no superfluous detail or styling. I nearly bought an SL4, great bike but I’m glad I went for this in the end 🙂

Winter bike? A winter bike is a summer bike with raceblades on.

Njee has a point though – it needs a deeper section set of wheels.

I um’d and ah’d for quite a while about the wheelset, I would have liked the Mavic R-SYS but they were too much money, and not practical for anything other than race day use – I ride in the Pennines so cross winds are a big fact of life!

I looked at the C35s, but I thought they were a bit of an in-betweener wheel, and not good value, so I went for the C24 which is great value, light and strong, and I can maybe get a pair of deep section wheels next year when my wallet has recovered!

LTD seatpost mismatched with Team bars/stem?

Get that abomination out of my sight.

Just kidding it’s lovely.

A winter bike is a summer bike with raceblades on.

Erm, maybe for you. For me, it’s a Dolan Prefissio with full length cromoplastics and mud flaps.

I had a pair of C24’s on the Storck and they were really nice. sold those and bought a set of FSA 50mm carbon rims which were ok but got a good deal on a set of Reynolds 46’s which (IMO) are amazing.

Anyway, its a lovely bike and the new DA stuff looks awesome

very nice, i debated buying an R5 but went for a Supersix Evo with SRAM Red – love it.

LTD seatpost mismatched with Team bars/stem?

The LTD seatpost comes with the frameset… I wasn’t prepared to spunk nearly 200 quid on a matching stem! And the LTD bars are only a few grams lighter than the Ergonova Team Carbons… I agree though, it’s a shame the graphics on the post don’t have that red stripe – I’m sure it would make it a bit faster…

Do you ride it or is it just for weighing, listing components and posting on weighteenies?

Winter bike? A winter bike is a summer bike with raceblades on

Got out of the wrong side of the bed today, or just envious? If the OP can afford a bike like that he can afford a winter bike to keep it in good nick, and why wouldnt he? My summer bike probably cost less than the OP’s frame and I still run a winter bike, its cost me less than it would to replace the winter-worn parts on my nice bike.

Cant see pics on my current ‘puter but cervelos are really classy frames.

Generally, that looks great 🙂 I hope you enjoy your ride when the weather and roads are more welcoming. I wouldn’t blame you for using another bike in the salty grime of a UK winter.

White bar tape ?, not so sure about that. As for cable ends. I’d use the red ones.

🙂

Why did you have to post this!!! I’ve had to make the hard decision that my 2012 S5 Team has got to go to finance a new garden workshop and a roof for my garage. I really do love Cervelo as a brand, expensive yes, but they are great bikes to ride, you’ll love the R5VWD enjoy it.

White bar tape ?, not so sure about that.

Well, I figured I should match it to the saddle… Isn’t that the rule? It’s that Fizik leatherette bar tape, so it actually wipes clean quite easily, as does the saddle… And 1 vote for red cable ends… I’m leaning that way too 😉

the bigger gears of the full-size chainset.

Because you know you really need that 53/11 top gear.

I hardly liked any of the bikes in the other thread, but that looks marvellous.

Because you know you really need that 53/11 top gear.

Didn’t we do this before? The bigger the gear, the faster you can pedal safely before you ‘tuck’. It’s roughly 4mph faster than 53/12 at the sort of cadences I’d be turning.
Plus, you get a wider, more useable range of gears on this setup.

Got out of the wrong side of the bed today, or just envious?

No, had a nice lie-in thanks. Certainly not envious either, have a nice unique bike so not coveting another.

He does get 10/10 for a proper length stem and not having a fistful of spacers though.

i’m also on the meh side of the fence when it comes to white bar tape and saddles on cervelos. I think thoses bikes always look best in full ninja black colour scheme

otherwise i’m a little bit envious tbh, nice work!

Plus, you get a wider, more useable range of gears on this setup.

Thats my thinking too. I’m now located in a region with a few more hills than where I use to live. So having the wider range will hopefully be useful.

Solder the cable ends and save another pound 😉

Nice bike and good taping skills

I’ve always ridden 53/39×11/25, and even 21 and 18 sprockets in my younger days, but I can’t stand compacts – you always seem to be flipping up and down the chainrings to use the most commonly used gears.

Nowadays I tend to ride the big ring for all flat and slight inclines, and then the inner chainring for climbing. I did find I was out of the saddle too much with 39/25 on my other bike, so this 28 tooth sprocket should address that and have me seated on all but the steepest climbs…

thoses bikes always look best in full ninja black colour scheme

I didn’t want to look like a Project California wannabe. And I thought the frame/group/wheels were subtle enough to warrant a bit of ostentatiousness on the saddle and bars!

Initial impressions from scooting round the house

How big is your house?! ) I had an image of the kid on his trike in The Shining..

Very nice indeed. Kind of the opposite to my heart’s wish-list Master X-lite with early Al Record, but totally appeals to my head’s wish-list spec.

Cable ends – black or silver. Don’t go that step too far )

I think thoses bikes always look best in full ninja black colour scheme

Applies to all bikes imo, but still, this one looks pretty good.

How big is your house?

Haha, there’s a reasonably straight run down the hall and through the kitchen, quick track-stand/rock walk and then down the step into the conservatory… Top speed about 3mph.

I hear what you say about the cable ends… That was my worry tbh…

Very nice bike indeed, nicest ever though I’m not sure about, Solarider’s Moots rsl, Baum or a British would be my choice if I had the money.

From the last thread I got a quote for a Baum frame. £5K youch

From the last thread I got a quote for a Baum frame. £5K youch

Crikey, makes my full build look like remarkable value for money!

a British would be my choice if I had the money.

An English?

Lovely frames but by the time it’s clad in Dura Ace and nice wheels that is serious wonga

£5k for a Baum? You can have an Eriksen for a fair bit less than that.

English make some beautiful bikes… I love their TT bikes…