The Cervélo R3 is the new standard by which all other ultralight bikes in the marketplace will be measured. It begins with the tubeset -- a complete overhaul of what you saw on the legendary R2.5. The tubes are built in a "Squoval" shape -- a multi-shaped designed part square, part oval, with the purpose of maximizing the stiffness-to-weight ratio of the bike. You'll note that the Squoval downtube of the R3 is bigger in diameter than the R2.5. The carbon itself in the R3 weighs less, thanks to the fact that Cervélo uses the latest in ultra-high modulus carbon materials. The R3 weighs sub-940g, that's 80g lighter than the R2.5. Thanks to the combination of the weight savings and the increased diameter of the tubing the R3 has a higher stiffness-to-weight ratio than any other bike Cervélo has ever designed or tested.

Not only will the R3 easily build up into a 13 or 14 pound wonderbike for the climbs, but when you accelerate the frame won't flex or flinch in the least. No better option exists for the hills -- after all, owning a featherlight bike does you no good on the climbs if it rides like a wet noodle under power. The name of the game is to transfer every watt you expend into forward motion, and the R3 offers drivetrain efficiency like none other.

In understanding the differences between the R2.5 and the R3, there's one other important distinction: The R3 has redesigned seatstays specifically engineered to increase its compliance. They're thin and very flat, and they're built in a radial design -- in other words they run in a curved line from the seat tube to the dropouts. Their shape and their flowing appearance remind us of leaf springs, and they bring a suspension-like feel you'll be delighted to have on long rides.

In a way, you can't compare the R3 to similar bikes in the marketplace because no similar bikes exist. Nothing else out there is sub-900g, race-proven in the most rigorous conditions of the UCI ProTour (both on the cobbles and on the giant Alpine cols), and comes with a lifetime warranty. Since nothing out there is similar, the best you can do is compare it to bikes that have a passing resemblance to the R3. What do you find? You get the limitations always associated with "climbing" bikes -- rider weight limitations, short warranties, and jaw dropping prices. Keep in mind that the R3 frameset has a retail price of $2,600 and that anyone with one iota of taste for pro-quality, modern-era race bikes gets bedroom eyes whenever they see the sexy carbon/Red look of a Team CSC Cervélo.