Cervélo Bikes - A Very Brief History
Cervélo got its start in 1995 in Montreal when an Italian pro cyclists approached two engineers, Phil White and Gérard Vroomen, asking them to design the fastest time trial bike in the world. Long story short: they did, it was super successful, people were very interested, and the two brainy engineers decided to take this momentum and turn it into a new company, Cervélo. In two short years, Cervélo bikes were winning triathlons and time trials around the world. Cervélo bikes were even raced in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Time Trials. Which makes us wonder, in our current times, what kind of radical cycling innovation would deliver such instant buy-in and trust from cyclists? Have there been any recent cycling brands that emerged with a story like this?
This guide is intended to help you decipher between Cervélo's current 2025 bike lineup, so we're keeping the history intentionally brief. However, if you're interested, our good friend Bruce dives deeper in his Cervelo Road Bike Buyer's Guide.
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Cervélo Bikes - Naming Guide
Cervélo's naming strategy has changed slightly over the years. In older generation models you may see number delineations for lower or higher performance carbon frames. An example of this would be P1, P3, or P5. The "P" indicates the model (P = Cervélo's Triathlon/Time Trial frame), the higher the number would indicate a higher-modulus carbon (higher modulus typically = lighter, stiffer, more responsive). In older generations you'll see this same pattern across the R (lightweight), S (aero), and C(endurance) model road bikes.
For current model year Cervélo's, the numbers have almost gone away, apart from "5" still identifying their top tier carbon frame.
Examples of this:
- Cervélo Caledonia (standard carbon frame)
- Cervélo Caledonia - 5 (high-mod carbon frame = lighter, stiffer, more responsive)
- Cervélo P-Series (standard carbon frame)
- Cervélo P5 (high-mod carbon frame)
As you can see, the base model naming may vary slightly, however you can be rest-assured that if the name ends in a 5, this is Cervélo's top tier frame. We'll dive more into each model below.
Cervélo Bikes - The Lineup
Breaking things down by category, in no particular order:
Cervélo - Road & Triathlon Bikes
S5, Soloist, Caledonia-5, Caledonia, R5, P5, P-Series
Cervélo S5:
Category: Road // Subcategory: Aero Road
The Cervélo S5 is Cervélo's top of the line aero road bike. Perfect for road riders looking for every advantage on flat or rolling terrain. While it still climbs well, the larger aero tube shapes add weight over the more well-rounded Cervelo R5.
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Often compared with: Trek Madone, Specialized Tarmac & older Venge, Canyon Aeroad, Giant Propel, Cannondale SystemSix, BMC Teammachine
Cervélo Soloist:
Category: Road // Subcategory: Aero Road
Originally released in 2002, the Cervélo Soloist immediately became a favorite among both professional riders and amateurs looking for uncompromised road bike performance. It eventually morphed into the Cervélo S Series of bikes (S2, S3, S5). Then, 20 years after the original release of the Soloist, the legendary name returned in 2022. The Soloist still finds its place in Cervélo's lineup as a high performance aerodynamic road racing machine, but at a more approachably priced frame option compared to Cervélo's top shelf race bike, the S5.
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Often compared with: Trek Madone, Specialized Tarmac & older Venge, Canyon Aeroad, Giant Propel, Cannondale SystemSix, BMC Teammachine
Cervélo Caledonia / Caledonia-5:
Category: Road // Subcategory: Endurance Road
The Cervélo Caledonia is one of TPC's best selling endurance road bikes. With a taller stack height, shorter reach, and wider tire clearance than standard road bikes the Caledonia provides many of the same performance features as the Cervélo S5, Soloist, or R5 road bikes, but with a more comfortable, upright riding position. This bike is perfect for riders who want performance on the road, but are okay sacrificing just a little bit of it for lots of added comfort.
The Caledonia comes in 2 frame options w/ the Caledonia-5 being the lighter-weight, stiffer, higher performance option (both frame options deliver incredible performance).
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Often compared with: Trek Domane, Specialized Roubaix, Giant Defy, Canyon Endurace, Cannondale Synapse, BMC RoadMachine, ENVE Fray
Cervélo R5:
Category: Road // Subcategory: Lightweight Road
The Cervélo R5 is the lightest option in Cervélo's road bike lineup, making it an exceptional climber. The more traditional tube shapes and performance geometry deliver a great all-around road bike ready for centuries, club rides, canyon climbs, or quick lunch rides.
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Often compared with: Trek Emonda (discontinued), Trek Madone (2025 and newer), Specialized Tarmac, ENVE Melee, Giant TCR, Cannondale SuperSix, Canyon Ultimate
Cervélo P-Series / P5:
Category: Triathlon / Time Trial
Cervélo has long been hailed as an industry leader in the triathlon and time trial space. For decades they've been redefining what's possible with cycling aerodynamics and always seem to be one step ahead.
Between the Cervelo P-Series and the Cervelo P5, the P5 is the higher spec carbon frame utilizing lighter, stiffer, more responsive carbon for one of the highest performing bikes triathlon and time trials.
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Often compared with: Specialized Shiv, Trek Speed Concept, BMC SpeedMachine, Canyon Speedmax, Cannondale Slice, Giant Trinity, Felt IA, Quintana Roo PRSix
Cervélo Gravel / Cyclocross Bikes
Aspero, Aspero-5, R5-CX
Cervélo Aspero / Aspero-5:
Category: Gravel
The Cervélo Aspero was a defining bike in the gravel world when it was first introduced. It rides very much like a road bike, but with clearance for up to 700 x 42mm tires. Continuing with their obsession with speed, it's immediately apparent that the Aspero is for racing. A great option for riders looking to their gravel bike to pull double duty as a roadie occasionally.
The Aspero is available in both a standard carbon frame as well as an upgraded higher performing Aspero-5 frame thats lighter, stiffer, and more responsive.
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Often compared with: Specialized Crux & Diverge, Trek Checkpoint & Checkmate, Canyon Grail, 3T Exploro RaceMax, Giant Revolt, BMC Kaius, Ventum GS-1, Pinarello Grevil, Santa Cruz Stigmata, Allied ABLE
Cervélo R5-CX:
Category: Cyclocross
The Cervélo R5-CX builds off the high-performance platform of Cervelo's infamous R5 road bike, the R5-CX is a high performance drop-bar bike optimized for the tight handling and punchy accelerations that cyclocross racing demands.
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Often compared with: Specialized Crux, Trek Boone & Crockett, Santa Cruz Stigmata, Kona Jake the Snake, Focus Mares CX, Ridley X-Ride, Canyon Inflite
Cervélo Mountain Bikes
ZHT-5, ZFS-5
*Stock suspension numbers are based on 2026 MY and may vary generation to generation
Cervélo ZHT-5:
Category: Mountain // Subcategory: Hardtail
Suspension F: 100mm R: N/A
Developed with collaboration and feedback from pro team Visma Lease-A-Bike, the Cervelo ZHT-5 is a hardtail cross country racer designed to lead from the front. 100mm of fork travel paired with a 69 degree heat tube angle, and a lightweight, responsive frame make the ZHT-5 a rocketship on less technical cross country trails.
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Often compared with: Santa Cruz Highball, Trek Procaliber, Specialized Epic HT & Chisel, Ibis DV9, Canyon Exceed
Cervélo ZFS-5:
Category: Mountain // Subcategory: Cross-Country/Down-Country
Suspension F: 100mm or 120mm R: 100mm or 115mm
When Cervélo entered the mountain bike world they introduced 2 models, a hardtail (previously mentioned) called the ZHT-5 as well as a multi-variation full-suspension option available in either a 100/100mm or 120/115mm travel option. Both bikes are fast and intended for blistering speeds in XC races. Which ZFS-5 suspension spec you choose depends entirely on how technical of trails you plan to ride. Mountain bike suspension and geometry innovations have come so far, the ZFS-5 is yet another example of the performance potential when you combine cross-country DNA with a little more travel. Speed plus confidence = a winning formula.
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Often compared with: Specialized Epic, Trek Top Fuel, Yeti SB115, YT Izzo, Santa Cruz Blur TR, Canyon Lux
Cervélo E-Bikes
Cervélo Rouvida:
Category: Electric Road Bike // Electric Gravel Bike
The latest addition to the Cervélo lineup: Rouvida. The Rouvida is the very first electric bike from Cervelo. Somewhat shocking, as the momentum of e-bikes over the last 15 years has been exponential year after year. However, Cervélo is a brand with high standards and an obsession with speed. It seemed they wanted to wait until e-bike technology reached a point that met their standards and we say, the wait was worth it.
The Rouvida isn't just a bike to keep up with trends, Cervélo put just as much passion and soul into this e-bike as they did with the rest of their world class lineup. Sleek aerodynamic tube shapes tastefully tuck away the Fazua Ride60 motor and 430wH battery that easily assist your ride to 28mph (class 3). Flip chips located at both wheel dropouts allow an adjustable geometry to quickly transform the Rouvida from a road to a gravel bike without compromise giving you the ultimate drop bar e-bike.
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Often compared with: Specialized Creo, Trek Domane+, Orbea Gain
