Shimano Ultegra hydraulic model the only one available at launch
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The all-new Cervélo R3 disc will retail for £3,799 for a Shimano Ultegra build with HED Ardennes wheels, SL-K cranks, post and Energy bars(Image credit: Immediate Media)
The R3 disc uses an FSA SL-K BB386 crank with a special offset to allow for the disc-brake spacing while keeping the chainstays at 405mm(Image credit: Immediate Media)
The R3 uses 12mm thru-axles front and rear(Image credit: Immediate Media)
The flat-mount can be flipped for use with 140mm or 160mm rotors(Image credit: Immediate Media)
The R3 uses 12mm thru-axles front and rear(Image credit: Immediate Media)
The addition of discs means plenty of clearance(Image credit: Immediate Media)
The front disc's hydraulic hose routes through the crown and into the fork leg(Image credit: Immediate Media)
Cervélo has finally joined the ranks of road disc bike brands with a modified version of the R3, which will see service in this year's UCI-approved test events under pro team MTN-Qhubeka.
To accommodate disc brakes, Cervélo redesigned the rear end of the R3. The slender seatstays now flow all the way into the seat tube, giving a wider and stiffer platform than the existing R3's monostay design.
Both the seat- and chainstays are asymmetric, with the disc side's seatstay connected at the back of the dropout, whereas on the derailleur side it meets on the top of the forward face.
To keep the R3's racy handling, Cérvelo's engineers managed to maintain the same short chainstay length of 405mm, rather than having to shift to the longer 415mm recommended by disc brake manufacturers. Cervélo achieved this by using a custom FSA SL-K crank with a 5mm offset to ensure the correct chainline.
A custom-offset crank keeps the chainline right with 405mm chainstays and the 135mm rear hub
Specialized also kept the 405mm chainstay length on its Tarmac Disc, but did so with a custom-offset Roval wheelset and special derailleur hanger. Cervélo's solution, unlike Specialized's, allows the use of any 135mm road disc wheel.
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Flat-mount standard calipers are fitted to the R3. The rear chainstay flat mount looks particularly minimal and neatly realized. Both front and rear mounts can be flipped for the use of 140 or 160mm rotors without an adaptor.
Every other aspect of the disc model's geometry stays in line with the current R3 model.
The R3 Disc in its Ultegra and hydraulic-equipped form is the only model available at launch and will retail for £3,799. US and Australian pricing has not yet been announced.
Cervélo's famously slender seatstays look even more striking without a brake bridge
