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TECH NEWS

Cervelo releases updated Caledonia-5 all-road endurance bike for "your big, stupid rides"

Refreshed all-roader gets downtube storage, 36mm clearance and frame changes geared towards more compliance and comfort

Cervélo has introduced the latest version of its all-road endurance bike, the Caledonia-5, with the main focus being comfort. It has actually been quite a while since we last wrote about the Caledonia-5 – a bike that was introduced in 2020 as Cervelo's "modern road" bike. In the years following that initial launch, the brand says the Caledonia-5 has become synonymous with "Big, Stupid Rides" – those kinds of extreme, long-distance efforts that can push both riders and their equipment to the limits. According to the Canadian-Dutch brand, the updated bike builds on the strengths of its predecessor, promising enhanced comfort, 36mm tyre clearance and a little bit of storage.

> What is an all-road bike? Is this new bike breed really an N+1 killer?

Cervelo caledonia-5 man riding

What's new? 

Admittedly, the changes to the Caledonia-5 are small. The first – and most significant – is the addition of in-frame storage, a concept borrowed from Cervelo's TT-oriented P-Series. Cervelo says this storage compartment "isn’t designed to fit a burrito—there’s room for a small multi-tool, tube, and a CO2 canister. Out of sight, out of mind, until your tyre makes the bad noise." Oh well, a burrito would be a bit messy anyway,  though maybe you could stick the ride essentials in a jersey pocket and squeeze a small (probably very small) sarnie in there.

Cervelo caledonia-5 downtube storage 2

 

> Why wider tyres on road bikes are here to stay… and why they may get wider still

The frame has been revised elsewhere too, though visually you'd be hard-pressed to spot the changes. The dropped seat stays, inspired by Cervelo's Aspero model, are still there to make the rear triangle more flexible, but at the same time, the bike's down tube has now been stiffened to "maintain responsive handling" – which interestingly isn't the same as improving responsive handling. The frame can accommodate tyres up to 36mm wide, meaning rougher roads should not be an issue, and also takes mudguards for foul weather rides. All in, it does sound like a bike that should be capable of handling British roads and weather.

> The best of both worlds - Why the Cervelo Soloist might be a better choice than its Tour de France winning siblings

 

The Caledonia-5 is the more integrated of the two Caledonia line-ups, and continues to feature completely internal cable routing and aero-tube shapes, so nothing new on this front for the refreshed Caledonia-5. The geometry, detailed below, also remains unchanged. 

Cervelo caledonia-5 geometry

Caledonia-5 - Build options

As you might expect, the newest Caledonia-5 comes with the newest components and groupsets available, and all of the bikes feature electronic 12-speed groupsets and come with power meters as standard. 

Sizing remains the same, spanning six sizes from 48 to 61, and there are two colours available: Carmine (red) and Five Black. 

The key parts continue to be the same as well: BBright bottom bracket, FSA IS2 1-1/4 x 1-1/2 headset, full Cervelo finishing kit and Reserve wheels across most of the models, with 49TA at the rear and 42TA at the front - and the most entry-level Rival AXS build rolls on Rear: Vision Team i23 Disc wheels, instead. 

The pricing is as follows: 

  • Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 - £10,500
  • SRAM Red AXS - £11,00
  • Shimano Ultegra Di2 - £7,400
  • SRAM Force AXS - £7,400
  • SRAM Rival AXS - £5,500
  • Frameset - £4,400

For full spec details and more, head over to Cervelo's website.

Suvi joined F-At in 2022, first writing for off-road.cc and then road.cc and ebiketips too until August 2024. She contributed to all of the sites covering tech news, features, reviews and women's cycling content. A lover of long-distance cycling, Suvi is easily convinced to join any rides and events that cover over 100km, and ideally, plenty of cake and coffee stops. 

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10 comments

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Aluminium can | 2 months ago
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the "-5" in Cervelo's range is their notation for the spendy framesets. Unsurprisingly, this is a spendy frameset.   Their non "-5" bikes are cheaper.  

Avatar
KDee | 3 months ago
1 like

At rrp, that frameset is only 350 quid less than an S-Works Tarmac SL8 frameset. That's a very spendy endurance bike!

Avatar
Smoggysteve replied to KDee | 3 months ago
2 likes

I reckon Cervelo are due to shift their range about in the future like Trek have just done. Get rid of the R5 and just have an Aero bike and an endurance bike. This makes this price a bit more easy to understand when (right now) you have 3 other bikes in their line up technically higher in the pecking order. 
 

For the RRP of the range they are not very competitive. £5500 for one with Sram Rival! I'd rather have a Solist with Ultegra at that price 

Avatar
KDee replied to Smoggysteve | 3 months ago
0 likes

I would also take the Soloist over this. But then, there's a lot of bikes I'd take before a Cervelo...they're pretty terrible VfM.

Avatar
Rendel Harris replied to KDee | 3 months ago
2 likes

KDee wrote:

I would also take the Soloist over this. But then, there's a lot of bikes I'd take before a Cervelo...they're pretty terrible VfM.

Oh I don't know, eleven hundred sovs for SRAM Red AXS is quite the bargain...

Avatar
KDee replied to Rendel Harris | 3 months ago
1 like

Where do you think the missing 0 goes? Between or after the 1's?

Avatar
snooks replied to KDee | 3 months ago
2 likes

KDee wrote:

At rrp, that frameset is only 350 quid less than an S-Works Tarmac SL8 frameset. That's a very spendy endurance bike!

Those prices are why I happily buy Canyon. Also no 105 Di2 and only 36c tires fit?  That's low these days. 

Avatar
KDee replied to snooks | 3 months ago
0 likes

Only 36C? It's not gravel-adjacent you know 

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quiff replied to KDee | 3 months ago
0 likes

Surely the better comparison would be with Specialized's own endurance bike, which is... the same price as the Tarmac.

Avatar
KDee replied to quiff | 2 months ago
0 likes

Crikey, that's a good point! I didn't relaise the S-Works Roubaix was so expensive as well.

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