Cervelo R5Ca di2 UPDATED

964cup

Frame: Cervelo R5Ca
Forks: Cervelo R5Ca
Bars: Enve Compact Road
Stem: Enve Carbon, 120mm
Headset: Cane Creek AER
Bar Tape: 3T Team

Front Brake Lever: Dura Ace 9070 di2
Front Caliper: Dura Ace 9000
Rear Brake Lever: Dura Ace 9070 di2
Rear Caliper: Dura Ace 9000

Front Mech: Dura Ace 9070 di2
Rear Mech: Dura Ace 9070 di2

Seat: Selle Italia SLR Kit Carbonio Flow
Seat Post: Enve inline
Seat Post Clamp: Cervelo R5Ca

Cranks: Rotor Power LT, 175mm
Chainring(s): Praxis Works 50/34
Chain: SRAM Red 22
Cassette: SRAM XG1190 11-26
Pedals: Speedplay Titanium
Bottom Bracket: Cervelo R5Ca BB30

Front Wheel: Enve 1.45 tubular on Chris King
Tire: Vittoria Pave Pro Edition 25c

Back Wheel: Enve 1.45 tubular on Chris King
Tire: Vittoria Pave Pro Edition 25c

Accessories: SW-R600 climber switch, K-Edge Garmin mount, Token chain-catcher, Arundel Mandible cages

Other info: battery is an internal battery mounted externally in a custom carbon case fitted to a pump bracket, because there isn't enough room for the standard external cage-mounted battery.

I promise I will cut the steerer when I've finally decided whether to slam it completely or not.

Weight: 6.1kg as shown.

letap73

Serious Serious bike - must be £10000 +!

KoenM

Awesome bike! Wasn't it limited edition?

But question about the battery, doens't it fit in the seatpost?

964cup

KoenM wrote:

Awesome bike! Wasn't it limited edition?

But question about the battery, doens't it fit in the seatpost?

Not drilled for internal cabling - no route from the BB shell into the post without taking a Dremel to a £7.5k frame...

KoenM

964Cup wrote:

KoenM wrote:

Awesome bike! Wasn't it limited edition?

But question about the battery, doens't it fit in the seatpost?

Not drilled for internal cabling - no route from the BB shell into the post without taking a Dremel to a £7.5k frame...

Yeah that explains it!

rollemynot

Totally ruined by the Di2 wiring

£7.5k frame with 7.5p insulating tape

964cup

Rollemynot wrote:

Totally ruined by the Di2 wiring

£7.5k frame with 7.5p insulating tape

Name me a better way to do it. Unless you're proposing mechanical. There's a reason I only have that on my "vintage" bike. Or was I supposed to buy a more expensive brand of tape? Do AX Lightness make insulating tape, I wonder?

sloppyschleckonds

Stealth frame with tacky wheel and stem/ seatpost logos. Ridonculous.

964cup

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

Stealth frame with tacky wheel and stem/ seatpost logos. Ridonculous.

I thought about using black enve logos, then decided that was too murdered-out and some relief was nice. Hardly challenging to change if I decide to.

How interesting that everyone is commenting on the aesthetics. I bought it because of how it rides.

KoenM

964Cup wrote:

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

Stealth frame with tacky wheel and stem/ seatpost logos. Ridonculous.

I thought about using black enve logos, then decided that was too murdered-out and some relief was nice. Hardly challenging to change if I decide to.

How interesting that everyone is commenting on the aesthetics. I bought it because of how it rides.

Well we can't feel how it rides, we only see how it looks.

cswitch

Very nice but the cabling / battery fudge is criminal.

964cup

cswitch wrote:

Very nice but the cabling / battery fudge is criminal.

So what would you do? Drill the frame? Steal a SRAM wireless rig? (and yes, that's the planned fix once they get around to releasing it)? How do you think the pro teams fitted di2 to non-internal frames? Black nasty and zip ties is how. If there's a better answer, apart from going back to the stone-age, then please do tell.

ianbar

fabulous bike, would like a cervelo...a much cheaper one at some point. take no notice of the criticism

turbotommy

I've never seen this frame before but I like it very much. What size is it? 6.1kg is a pretty tasty weight!

I also like the look of the bottle cages. Have you used them for long / would you recommend them?

Two rocket ships you own! Grats

Neil Buckley

964Cup wrote:

Rollemynot wrote:

Totally ruined by the Di2 wiring

£7.5k frame with 7.5p insulating tape

Name me a better way to do it. Unless you're proposing mechanical. There's a reason I only have that on my "vintage" bike. Or was I supposed to buy a more expensive brand of tape? Do AX Lightness make insulating tape, I wonder?

Yep, use the standard battery mount that uses the downtube bottle bosses and put the wiring the other side so it's hidden by the chainset because that off centre battery looks rubbish and the wiring is real untidy, I had a BMC that had external wiring and it was much tidier than that, unfortunately whoever built your bike has made it looking like a right dogs dinner, irrespective if it cost £7.5k or not. Sorry, throwing cash at something isn't always the answer.

letap73

964 Cup - looks great to me - how does it compare to the standard R5 in terms of ride?

964cup

Neil Buckley wrote:

Yep, use the standard battery mount that uses the downtube bottle bosses and put the wiring the other side so it's hidden by the chainset because that off centre battery looks rubbish and the wiring is real untidy, I had a BMC that had external wiring and it was much tidier than that, unfortunately whoever built your bike has made it looking like a right dogs dinner, irrespective if it cost £7.5k or not. Sorry, throwing cash at something isn't always the answer.

Can't use the standard mount, unless I also use the hideous bottle cage adapter to raise the rear cage; there's not enough room below for the battery. I chose not to route the cabling behind the chainset to avoid the risk of a dropped chain cutting the cables; then I decided to fit a chain catcher. Perhaps I'll review that. The other problem is that nothing - especially not the proper Shimano cable covers - sticks to the matt finish on the frame. I've ordered some fancy tape to try, but the inevitable grease around the chainset doesn't make me hopeful.

964cup

TurboTommy wrote:

I've never seen this frame before but I like it very much. What size is it? 6.1kg is a pretty tasty weight!

I also like the look of the bottle cages. Have you used them for long / would you recommend them?

Two rocket ships you own! Grats

It's a 56, but the slack seattube angle means it has a 58 effective top-tube. It rides beautifully, with a great combination of compliance and stiffness. I'm still working out the right position for it; I think it really needs you to get long and low, so I expect the stem will come down some more and the seat will rise. The low weight obviously makes for a great climbing bike, and the aerodynamics aren't bad for what is by modern standards an old design. It certainly handles far better than the S5, but that's hardly a surprise, especially mine which has all that weight out front and the gyro- and aero-resistance of the 808s.

It's not markedly different from the R5 VWD I had before, although the seat tube means an inline post and the frame is about 100g lighter. I don't think paying list price for it would ever have made sense; I didn't.

The cages are Arundel Mandibles - basically the default choice for high-end builds. They work well and weigh little, but unless you really want the matt carbon look, you might as well by Elite Paron Carbon cages for half the money.

cswitch

Cervelo have drilled these for customers (drilled by the frame builder). There's some pics of one on the Cervelo forum.

964cup

cswitch wrote:

Cervelo have drilled these for customers (drilled by the frame builder). There's some pics of one on the Cervelo forum.

I didn't know Cervelo had done it themselves; I know Calfee and others were doing it at the time in the US, and that Cervelo published a guide to drilling the S3. My reluctance is that this is a limited edition frame; I'm trying to keep it unmolested. Somebody will doubtless point out that it's just a bike, and they're right of course. Perhaps I should be less precious (or stick it on the wall and but an RCa instead).

turbotommy

964Cup wrote:

The cages are Arundel Mandibles - basically the default choice for high-end builds. They work well and weigh little, but unless you really want the matt carbon look, you might as well by Elite Paron Carbon cages for half the money.

I do quite like the matte carbon look!

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40044&t=13026741

Hope you have lots of fun on the bike. I'll look out for you around RP

Neil Buckley

964Cup wrote:

Neil Buckley wrote:

Yep, use the standard battery mount that uses the downtube bottle bosses and put the wiring the other side so it's hidden by the chainset because that off centre battery looks rubbish and the wiring is real untidy, I had a BMC that had external wiring and it was much tidier than that, unfortunately whoever built your bike has made it looking like a right dogs dinner, irrespective if it cost £7.5k or not. Sorry, throwing cash at something isn't always the answer.

Can't use the standard mount, unless I also use the hideous bottle cage adapter to raise the rear cage; there's not enough room below for the battery. I chose not to route the cabling behind the chainset to avoid the risk of a dropped chain cutting the cables; then I decided to fit a chain catcher. Perhaps I'll review that. The other problem is that nothing - especially not the proper Shimano cable covers - sticks to the matt finish on the frame. I've ordered some fancy tape to try, but the inevitable grease around the chainset doesn't make me hopeful.

I used a chain catcher too, I use them on all my bikes, the bottle cage adaptor doesn't raise the cage a noticeable amount at all, I couldn't even notice it, it will save you using shed loads of tape too, you could really tidy that right up easily.

Philly8mt

Love it!

Love my Cervelo ... Not anywhere near being on the same page as that though

fleshtuxedo

Nice bike, what are you using it for?

I've heard good things about Praxis chainrings, but those remind me of this Miche Chainset I used to have on a winter bike. Some Rotor No Qs would look much nicer.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/miche-team-evom ... 60558662uk

964cup

FleshTuxedo wrote:

Nice bike, what are you using it for?

I've heard good things about Praxis chainrings, but those remind me of this Miche Chainset I used to have on a winter bike. Some Rotor No Qs would look much nicer.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/miche-team-evom ... 60558662uk

Thank you.

I use it for club rides - typically 80-100k on a Sunday morning in Herts - for sportives and races (doing the Gran Fondo in Cambridgeshire next month) and for the Alps.

Rotor no-Qs have a reputation for being a bit soft, and if aesthetics is your thing, they have grey detailing that wouldn't work with this bike. The Praxis rings are very stiff, and shift well, although not, I think, as well as Shimano's own. These are getting on a bit - hence the "gen 1" look. I'll either replace them with another set of Praxis (they've now ditched the polished bit, at least if the 52/36 set I have on another bike is anything to go by) or some KCNC cobwebs.

cswitch

964Cup wrote:

FleshTuxedo wrote:

Nice bike, what are you using it for?

I've heard good things about Praxis chainrings, but those remind me of this Miche Chainset I used to have on a winter bike. Some Rotor No Qs would look much nicer.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/miche-team-evom ... 60558662uk

Thank you.

I use it for club rides - typically 80-100k on a Sunday morning in Herts - for sportives and races (doing the Gran Fondo in Cambridgeshire next month) and for the Alps.

Rotor no-Qs have a reputation for being a bit soft, and if aesthetics is your thing, they have grey detailing that wouldn't work with this bike. The Praxis rings are very stiff, and shift well, although not, I think, as well as Shimano's own. These are getting on a bit - hence the "gen 1" look. I'll either replace them with another set of Praxis (they've now ditched the polished bit, at least if the 52/36 set I have on another bike is anything to go by) or some KCNC cobwebs.

NoQ look good on the Rotor cranks but the Praxis shift better than the noQs, Ive had both.
I have some Praxis 52/36 I was planning to put up for sale this week, virtually new (like 2 rides new, month old receipt). They're the all black version. Drop me a PM if interested.

maxlite

Amazing bike, hopefully there will be a way to work around battery at some point.

Best upgrade I've done on my R5 to improve performance is H plus Son wheels, rim width has transformed ride and handling.

964cup

maxlite wrote:

Amazing bike, hopefully there will be a way to work around battery at some point.

It's a process of continual improvement. If I make any progress, I'll post an update.

maxlite wrote:

Best upgrade I've done on my R5 to improve performance is H plus Son wheels, rim width has transformed ride and handling.

Less relevant for tubulars; I don't really ride clinchers any more, but the equivalent has been moving from 21-23c to 24-25c; the reduction in rolling resistance and improvement in ride is noticeable. Certainly the 24c tubs on my S5 make it significantly less unpleasant to ride than the 21c's I had on there before.

The R5 has always been a bit of a magic carpet in any case, but the other advantage of fatter tubs is better grip on wet/greasy roads.

My best riding bike, from a comfort point of view, is my Zullo steel on 25c Challenge Stradas. Running these at 90-100psi it's as if London's councils had actually done their jobs and surfaced the roads properly. It's amazing how much less fatiguing it is.

shaun668

Great looking bike...If only I could afford one.
Take no notice of the others who are criticising they're only jealous enjoy your ride

Markjaspi

Awesome bike, I personally like the Enve Decals and too much stealth gets a little boring IMO, it is a shame about the cabling, but hey ho, when the rest looks that good and it rides well, Who cares? And nobody can see it when you fly past them up a 20% section LOL ( he says with a 6kg bike too).

jrduquemin

Nice bike, pity about the external DI2 wiring, but then, it's cheaper than a new frame and you did a good job of routing it I love the Enve finishing kit too and would love a set of the bars, but really can't justify the cost.