The Cervélo R2.5 was in existence for 3 years at the advent of the carbon bike boom of the early 00's, and in that period it became the defining carbon fiber frameset in the market. It offered a combination of lightness, durability, price, and a pro pedigree that couldn't be matched, even though Cervélo's competition had three years to get it done. Despite the elevated status of their signature bike, though, Cervélo chose not to rest. Over the span of those 3 years they tirelessly worked to refine the design, constantly tweaking things to improve its weight, strength, and ride quality. It was never a matter of creating lines of distinction between model years of the R2.5, rather Cervélo constantly experimented and tested and when new designs worked they built them into the next available production run of frames. The question then becomes this: How long can you push the envelope of technical evolution in one model before it's no longer that model anymore? If you pack enough progress into tomorrow's iteration of a given frameset, when is it no longer an extension of the original design, but something new altogether? One great example of this is with the Colnago C40. After 7 years of annual refinements of their top-of-the-line model, Colnago realized that the bike had gone through such a thoroughgoing cosmetic and structural facelift over time that it didn't make sense to continue calling it by the same name anymore. After all, it was now a completely different thing. Cervélo has gone through the same experience with the R2.5. By the time 2006 rolled around, the R2.5 design was going through such fundamental change that it made no sense to carry on the name. It became a different beast altogether -- lighter, stiffer, stronger, and more beautiful. They named it the R3, and it's the new standard by which all other ultralight bikes in the marketplace will be measured. The tubeset of the R3 is a complete overhaul of what you saw on the 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. Not unlike the R2.5, Cervélo's goal wasn't as simple as building something sub-900g. Rather, it was building something that light that can withstand any condition or circumstance. Do you remember the 2005 Paris-Roubaix where Team CSC's Lars Michaelsen fought his way into the final break of Tom Boonen, George Hincapie, Magnus Backstedt, and Juan Antonio Flecha? He had a dark horse hope for victory until a puncture in the savage cobbled section of Le Carrefour de l'Arbre with less than 20km to go took him out of the running. After a wheel change he time-trialed into Roubaix for a brave 5th place finish. He rode a prototype R3 in the race, and except for one very untimely flat tire the bike performed flawlessly and was still good as new at the end of the day. In the 2006 edition of Paris-Roubaix the R3 lived up to its full potential under the awesome power of CSC's Fabian Cancellara. He was literally the biggest rider in the race (we've heard that his race weight is 185lbs), and he was on the lightest bike in the race. It was an R3 and he rode it to a solo victory in a race that will always be remembered for George Hincapie's equipment failure, and the fateful meeting between a commuter train and Peter van Petegem and Leif Hoste on the outskirts of Roubaix. Cancellara rode sans flat and sans mechanical on Mother Earth's most savage parcours. Most people recognize Cervélo as the world's leader in building lightweight bikes. The real story is this: They're also the world's leader at building bikes that are tough as nails. Cancellara's Team CSC teammate Stuart O'Grady matched the feat in 2007: His 20km solo break on his R3 brought him solo into the Roubaix velodrome for the biggest victory of his career. O'Grady's one-minute time gap over the chasers -- an all-star group of wily veterans and super-hungry neophytes -- was definitive proof that he was the strongman of the day. 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 in their shape and flowing appearance remind us of leaf springs. 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 well below $3,000 and that anyone with one iota of taste for pro-quality, modern-era race bikes gets bedroom eyes whenever they see the sexy paint on Team CSC's Cervélos. The R3 comes standard with an Easton EC90 Superlight full carbon fiber fork, an FSA integrated headset, and an FSA SL-K 32.4mm carbon fiber seatpost. It's available in 6 sizes between 48cm-61cm. It comes in White w/Black highlights, and we also have a limited few of the Nude/Red of Team CSC remaining in stock. It requires the use of a braze-on front derailleur and an English bottom bracket.
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configure/buy R3
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