A close look at Cervelo’s new world-record-setting P5

There’s a reason you don’t see revamps to the Cervelo triathlon bikes every year. The company prides itself on its aero innovation, so when it does release a new frame, it’s about as aero as it gets. The latest iteration of the company’s flagship time trial bike, the P5, is a perfect example of that. Five years after the previous version was released, the latest P5 is faster by about five watts. Most of that improvement comes from the wheels (the frame accounts for a one-watt improvement in aero performance) – the new frame allows for 34 mm tires, which is enough space for the new Reserve 77/88 wheelset and the Vittoria 29 mm tires, which accounts for the rest of the aero improvement. 

While the average age group athlete might wonder whether five watts makes that much of a difference, for the best of the best in the sport, it can be a game changer. Armed with her new P5, Germany’s Anne Haug set a new world-best time at Challenge Roth in July, coming perilously close to breaking the eight-hour barrier. Haug rode a blistering 4:27:56 in Roth and, while the aero improvements to the P5 no doubt helped, some of the other features in the latest model likely made even more of a difference when it came to setting the record.

Anne Haug shatters world best time and almost breaks 8 hours at Challenge Roth

Comfort leads to speed

With Cervelo’s rich history as a triathlon brand, it comes as no surprise that the engineers have managed to create a comfortable cockpit that welcomes you to the aero position. You’ll notice that immediately once you get out on a ride on the P5. The new armrests and pads are wider, taller and thicker than previous versions. So, while you can still set things up so you’re in a nice, narrow position, you’ll find the pads are a lot more comfortable, and you have a bit more control, making it easier to stay in the aero position for longer. That’s huge when it comes to triathlon racing – every time you move from that aero tuck, you’re giving away valuable seconds. 

Those pads are all part of a new one-piece front end that provides lots of adjustability (critical for a comfortable fit). Since I love to ride in an aggressive position, I really appreciated the 10 mm drop in the basebar height. There’s a new riser, too, that allows for tilt adjustability from 0 to 30 degrees in five-degree increments. 

Lateral vs vertical stiffness

One of my go-to tests when it comes to reviewing a bike is to take it up Sydenham Road in Dundas, Ont., which is close to my home. It’s one of the steeper and longer climbs we have in the area, so it’s a perfect way to get a feel for the climbing ability and lateral stiffness of a bike. (I reviewed the last P5 over in France, so my tests there included a number of Tour de France climbs – the team at Cervelo thought I had lost my mind.)

What has always impressed me about the P5 is the impressive lateral stiffness – when you’re climbing or really pounding hard on the pedals the bike doesn’t move from side to side, which means all your energy is going into moving you forward. The new P5 continues that tradition, but adds a really impressive twist to the equation. There’s a new fastback seat stay design that reduces vertical stiffness (according to Cervelo by 22 per cent). You can definitely feel that while riding the P5 – it’s a really comfortable ride – but you get all that without sacrificing any of the lateral stiffness that is so critical to riding really fast.

That comfortable ride is only enhanced by the wider tires. For us old timers it still takes a bit of getting used to, but the days of super-thin tires pumped up to 140 or more pounds are long gone. The numbers prove that wider tires with less pressure don’t only go faster, they’re a lot more comfortable, and you’ll definitely feel all that riding the P5.

Components and accessories

Most triathletes are going to customize their P5 hydration, more than likely adding a between the arms (BTA) water bottle to the mix. The bike comes with the 500 ml aero water bottle and a rear hydration mount, along with the Smartpak 400 that mounts on the top bar and is a perfect spot to store gels and bars for those long efforts. 

Cervelo offers the P5 in a number of configurations, including the Shimano Dura Ace Di2 version we reviewed. For the same price there’s a SRAM Red AXS version, while the Shimano Ultegra Di2 and SRAM Force AXS models will save you a bit of cash, going for C$14,000/ US$10,000. (The Force and Ultegra versions come with the Reserve 52/63 wheels.) 

This was our first chance to try the Reserve wheels that come stocked on the P5. Reserve was founded in 2014 by Santa Cruz Bicycles, which is owned by the same company that bought Cervelo in 2012, Pon. The deep 77 front/ 88 rear combination tubeless wheels on our review P5 featured Corsa Pro tires and certainly provided lots of speed and comfort. Like the frame, the wheelset seems to provide lots of lateral stiffness to ensure you’ll get the most out of each push on the pedals, but are also extremely aerodynamic. Lighter riders might find the wheels a bit too deep in Kona-like crosswinds, but we certainly had no issues at all with our review rides here in Canada.

Another breakthrough bike

The aero improvements found in this latest P5 might not seem like a lot, but as they have done so often, Cervelo has upped the ante on the tri bike front with the latest edition of the P5. There’s a lot more to improving your time than just a faster bike. Sure, that helps, and the new P5 is faster. But the biggest gains you’ll get from this new P5 is a more comfortable ride and an ability to stay in an aero position for even longer. The end result is you’ll be faster, and you’ll also have a bike that’ll be the envy of all your triathlon friends.