Cervelo

Caledonia 5 Ultegra Road Bike

Cervelo pays homage to its performance history with the Caledonia 5, a bike that’s the ideal mix of race and endurance. It’s racier than a large majority of endurance road bikes, but in terms of fit and function, it is more versatile than dedicated performance machines. The geometry of this bike is all about providing stable and smooth handling, and it was inspired with the pros in mind. Its spacious tire clearance allows for at least 34mm rubber so you won’t have to worry cutting across sketchy terrain to get where you need to go.

The Caledonia 5 has the same geometry figures as the Caledonia, and it is claimed to offer identical stiffness and tire clearance. But, the Caledonia 5 beats out its contemporary with a weight difference of about 95g in favor of this new model, which claims a weight of 939g. It’s still not the lightest frame, but the adage only helps with durability and aids in dampening vibrations. The Caledonia 5 is also the ideal option for a rider looking for a fast, versatile bike that’s also great value.

Cervelo’s commitment to aerodynamics is side-by-side with their complete focus on racing, and you can see that the brand looked to the bike designed for Paris Roubaix, the team-issue R3 Mud, as inspiration for the Caledonia 5. Of all the races on the calendar, Roubaix is hardest on bikes, but the Caledonia 5’s superior handling is built to handle “the hell of the north.” The Caledonia 5 is built for racing, so Cervelo increased the rear center and lowered the BB to achieve superior handling and additional stability.

The Caledonia 5 features integrated cable routing for brakes and derailleurs for easy cable management. The aero setup is designed to hide brake and shift control lines from the elements for improved dynamics. The integrated stem and two bearing cap options allow for stacks ranging between an aggressive 7mm and an easy 22mm without spacers. With a wider fit coordinate range, the Caledonia 5 can be as tall as Cervelo’s tallest C3, or lower than their most depressed R3.

The Caledonia 5 is a stable, racing machine that appeals to a wide range of riders thanks to its durability and superior handling. It has the same stiffness character as last year’s Aspero - a gravel racer - through the bottom bracket and head tube, and the seatstays and seat tube has been built with more compliance to make for a smoother ride. Cervelo sought to find the ideal balance between durability, lightweight and aerodynamics in decision making on tube profiles for the Caledonia 5, and the result is a bike that merges the elements of the S and R Series. Paired with the reliable mechanical Ultegra groupset, the Caledonia 5 is the answer to calls for a versatile endurance road bike that can handle it all.