All the geeky tech that makes Cervelo's new R-Series cool

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Cervélo's R3 now has a few geometry differences from the R5 (Image credit: Warren Rossiter/Immediate Media)

This article originally appeared on BikeRadar

Product director Phil Steadman describes the reworking: "We've approached this one a little differently. In the past we've had numbers and parameters we want to achieve, it's been about light, stiff ... light, stiff and aero, all the engineering by the numbers. But for this we started to think about how a bike makes you feel. That started with the C-Series, where we started talking about the journey, about what we wanted a bike to do, we thought more about handling, ride qualities, how it ignites emotions."

"The problem is that in [bike] engineering terms there's no definition of the word comfort. So how do you make something comfortable for all riders in all conditions? Once you get to understand that then the bike becomes this weird mediator between the rider and the ground – that's where tyres can have the best effect – but when you move up it becomes the touch points, and the physical becomes the psychological comfort, like 'does my back hurt because my fit's bad?', 'does my butt hurt? do my hands hurt?', all these things come into play, all have to be considered so that they can enjoy the ride. You also have to allow for changes that riders will want to make, be that tyre size, wheels, or whatever they want to change for themselves."

From working with the pro team Cervélo has revised the standard geometry as it was finding that the pros wanted to get a lower, more forward position and were effectively sizing down, which could have a negative effect on stability and handling. Cervélo started the transition to a new geometry standard with the revised S5 from 2015, where the stack was reduced across the sizes to allow for a lower position. So now Cervélo will give you a pro fit (long, low) on the S5 and R5, though the S5 is more aggressive.

Chief engineer Graham Strive explains that stiffness and weight are always the big concerns with any new R-Series, its hallmark. For the development, the engineering team did a "topological optimisation study", analysing the areas of the frame that experience the highest and lowest loads. With this they were able to investigate where the amount of material used could be reduced and where it needed to be increased.

Squoval tubing has been a key part of the R-Series story, but for the new R5 and R3, Cervélo has developed that original idea (the unique shape that blends a square tube profile with ovalized corners and curved sides, top and bottom – square and oval — squoval). Strive explains that "on this version we've gone after every single tube section, profile, and junction, maximizing the qualities of the structure in terms of weight, stiffness, and even aero."

It's interesting to see that weight hasn't become the major factor when it comes to the R5. Cervélo could have chased the super-light weight it pioneered in the ultra-limited 2016 RCA, with its still astonishing 667g frame weight. Strive tells us: "We could have chosen to chase weight losses, but after discussions and research, and that this is a 5 series product (that pros will ride), we think increasing torsional stiffness to improve the handling at speed and BB stiffness improving the response when climbing are key; weight is secondary."

The R3 has seen a much more aggressive weight loss campaign, with the 2016 R3 having a 1,018g frame matched to a 343g fork. On the new model the frame loses over 100g down to 916g (-10 percent). Conversely, however, the new fork gains 19g up to 362g from 343g. Cervélo tells us that's down to the gains it's made on the way the bike handles. On the disc model it's a similar story, with the frame now down to 890g (from 1,059g) and the fork rising to 388g from 349g.