The R5 sits below the RCA in Cervelo’s R-Series triathlon‘s bikes, but the 2014 model is actually last year’s RCA frame, its Squoval 3 tubing bringing a claimed 7.4 watt aero advantage, 9.5 percent stiffer bottom bracket and 15 percent greater torsional head tube stiffness than the previous R5. It also weighs just 6kg with a cage and Garmin mount. Add Garmin Vector pedals and pods (351g), another bottle cage (28g), chain catcher and a solid outer chainring and it’s still short of the 6.8kg the UCI requires, even with an all-metal cockpit and Di2.
