“Haul ass, not cargo”. That is what Cervelo mentioned when it first launched the Aspero again in 2019. Again then, it was in a class of its personal within the burgeoning gravel scene, being the one aero race bike whereas the remainder had taken the ‘one-bike-for-everything’ strategy. It had no baggage mounts, sharp geometry and aero tube profiles and utilized all the Canadian manufacturers’ know-how on the way to make a motorcycle as quick as potential.
(Picture credit score: Future / Kate Hunneysett)
With the ever-changing market seemingly providing extra excessive and quick machines, is there nonetheless a spot for the Aspero, and the way does it examine to the very best gravel race bikes?
I spent the previous few months on my rocky, quick and typically technical Peak District trails, in addition to taking a crack on the Gralloch and Graean Cymru to see if it nonetheless ‘hauled ass’.
Design particulars
The Aspero’s silhouette is similar to the unique, with delicate tweaks and lay-up variations relatively than important adjustments. I assume if it is not broke, do not repair it. In contrast to the most recent Aspero-5, it has an ordinary bar and stem, inner body cable routing and extra clearance, taking as much as a 47mm tyre.
My take a look at bike got here in at 8.8kg, with the body alone weighing a claimed 1,100 grams (measurement 56), which is lots mild for an off-road mannequin. Fashion-wise, it seems similar to different fashions within the Cervelo vary, with aero tube profiles and properly rounded edges that give it a cultured, delicate look.
(Picture credit score: Future / Kate Hunneysett)
The fork has an adjustable dropout, which I really feel is a bit of redundant now. It was initially designed to allow you to swap between 650b and 700c wheels and keep the path and, due to this fact, the dealing with traits once you swapped sizes. It is a intelligent thought, however seeing as few folks use 650b anymore, it is not one thing I see getting a lot use. The fork offset switches between 46mm and 51mm on sizes 54 and up; on the 51, it’s between 49 and 54mm; on the 48, it’s between 52 and 57mm, to make sure there is not any toe-overlap and dealing with is constant throughout sizes.
(Picture credit score: Future / Kate Hunneysett)
The downtube is stout however not overtly outsized and has a neat rubber protector simply above the underside bracket to present you some safety from entrance wheel rock strikes. In contrast to the unique, it not has BBright press-fit bearings; as an alternative, it goes for the extra dependable and easier-to-live-with T47; it is nonetheless offset like the unique to permit for higher chainset alignment and stiffer chainstays.
(Picture credit score: Future / Kate Hunneysett)
The chainstays even have neat rubber protectors, and move easily into the seatstays. It has a UDH derailleur hanger, which isn’t solely stiffer and far simpler to interchange in case you harm one, it additionally opens up the opportunity of upgrading to MTB-style mechs do you have to need a a lot wider vary of gears.
The seat stays are good and low so as to add some flex and luxury on the again finish by exposing extra of the higher part of the seat tube, which follows the curve of the rear wheel, as on different Cervelo aero bikes. It wraps round, masking the width of the tyre, however nonetheless has an inexpensive quantity of clearance.
Specs
I had the ‘entry stage’ SRAM Rival AXS construct to check, which is available in at £4,400, although for an additional £600 you get the Reserve 40/44TA GR carbon wheels, which I believe, given its speedy intentions, is a worthwhile improve for anybody trying to pin a quantity on.
With a 40t chairing paired to an 11-44 12-speed cassette, it has loads of vary for racing, although you would possibly wish to measurement down the entrance in case you are inclined to experience a number of steep off-road climbs or fancy some bikepacking. Sadly, it makes use of the cheaper SRAM APEX D1 cassette with a Shimano HG spline, which, although helpful if you have already got wheels, means it is a heavy cassette and misses out on the 10-tooth sprocket possibility discovered on XDR freehub builds, which might give a wider vary.
(Picture credit score: Future / Kate Hunneysett)
It comes with an ordinary bar and stem, with cables routed beneath the bar, clipping in underneath the stem and taking place into the body on the headset. It is a neat setup and makes altering stem lengths to dial in your match simpler than a completely built-in model. The bars are the superb carbon AB09 bar with a cushty flat high part and a 16-degree aptitude, although I might want one thing narrower than the 40cm specced (measured from lever hoods).
(Picture credit score: Future / Kate Hunneysett)
Wheels are from Reserve, and are the 30GR AL. With 30mm-deep rims and a 27mm inner width, they’re billed as a no-fuss, bombproof wheelset. They weigh 1,645g, which is okay relatively than distinctive, however they do include Reserves’ lifetime guarantee for some peace of thoughts.
Tyre measurement has elevated from earlier variations, with a 45mm-wide WTB Vulpine TCS fitted entrance and rear. A particular point out must be made for the tubeless valves, too. While not usually essentially the most thrilling of elements, the Filimore variations specced right here enable a a lot larger quantity of air to cross by means of throughout inflation, making tough tubeless set-ups a breeze. It is a design Ive used many occasions on MTB, so I used to be happy to see them used right here.
The seatpost is a carbon inline affair, topped by the Prologo Nago R4 PAS with metal rails. It was a comfortable set-up for me, with the shorter-nosed saddle becoming a lot better than the older, extra angular variations, although after all, saddle choice is private.
(Picture credit score: Future / Kate Hunneysett)
In line with its racy intentions, the Aspero’s geometry is nearer to that of a highway bike, with numbers just like the model’s Caledonia mannequin however with an extended high tube designed to pair with a shorter stem, a standard setup inherited from the MTB world. It provides you extra room to maneuver round, shifting your weight as wanted when out and in of the saddle. Within the 56cm model I had on take a look at, its stack was 580mm and the attain 397mm, which is 7mm decrease however 13mm longer than the Pinarello Dogma GR I rode in a 54.5cm, and 2mm decrease and 9mm shorter than the equal Darkish Matter from Argon 18.
The seat angle of 73 levels and a comparatively steep head angle of 72 levels are additionally just like what you’d discover on an all-road or endurance highway bike. Its wheel base is a contact shorter than you’d usually anticipate on extra relaxed gravel bike at 1,027mm, too. All put collectively, it is clear this can be a gravel bike designed to really feel fast and acquainted to seasoned highway riders.
Efficiency
In comparison with different aero gravel bikes, the Aspero seems a lot much less aggressive; in truth, it appears rather more like its endurance highway sibling, the Caledonia. I am an enormous fan of its clear traces and unfussy graphics, although, and I cherished the Marigold yellow color.
Arrange was good and straightforward, because of the common bar, stem and seatpost. Dialling in my place was easy, too. The unique model was pitched as like being an R3 for off-road, and because the R3 disc was certainly one of my favorite bikes of all time, it was no shock to me that I obtained on with it straightaway. One potential concern for the extra versatile of you out there may be that the tall 30mm headset cap limits how low you may get the bars. This wasn’t a problem for me, however one to keep in mind for racing snakes who want or want a decrease place.
(Picture credit score: Future / Kate Hunneysett)
For individuals who have ridden Cervelo highway bikes, the experience expertise right here will really feel very acquainted; it feels rather more like a highway bike than different, extra adventure-based bikes. Whether or not that is a superb factor largely is determined by which finish of the gravel spectrum you experience, however for quick, smoother gravel, it is a fast, surprisingly snug machine with sharp dealing with.
By sharp dealing with, I do not imply it is twitchy, extra that it reacts very nicely to quick inputs and adjustments of path. I used it to race the Gralloch and Graen Cymru in north Wales, and regardless of not having the legs or lungs to bother the entrance of the sphere I by no means felt the bike was holding me again in anyway. In reality I believe its ‘highway like’ dealing with was a bonus when driving in shut quarters with others, enabling me to make fast line adjustments to keep away from the various rocks and holes alongside the route higher than a slower slacker angled bike would have.
(Picture credit score: Future / Kate Hunneysett)
It is steady at pace on smoother terrain, although it could actually get a bit unfastened and wild on rockier trails, however not more than different racy gravel bikes I’ve ridden. The tyres spec’d are completely good for all kinds of terrain, although I might want one thing with a squarer edge on the entrance for off-camber sections and flat, muddy corners. After all, tyres are very area- and weather-dependent, so it is not likely truthful to criticise an excessive amount of right here.
The factor that stunned me most was how snug it was contemplating its speedy intentions. It is not a ‘floaty magic carpet experience’ as you’d get from a high-end titanium or metal body, however it’s not practically as harsh or spiky as you would possibly anticipate. A part of that is attributable to an improve from 40mm to 45mm tyres, in addition to the carbon bars that can scale back some path buzz in your fingers, and its up to date lay-up tech, too. All this mixed provides it a really composed and easy experience.
Having mentioned that, switching to a carbon wheel on the Aspero makes an enormous distinction. The 30 GR AL are a superb, stable wheelset, and in case you’re the form of rider who breaks wheels repeatedly, the lifetime guarantee might be music to your ears. However they’re a bit of weighty and do not showcase the bike’s true potential. If the funds permits, then I might recommend going for the mannequin above at £5,000 to get the complete high-speed expertise.
Worth
At £4,400, I believe it is good worth for a gravel race bike. Although after all not low-cost, it does examine nicely to its rivals. Most aero gravel bikes sit on the premium finish of the market, and sometimes include extra compromises than I might like for driving off highway, like slim tyre clearances and awkward proprietary cockpits. This bike is not encumbered in that these methods in any respect.
By way of opponents, it sits in an space of the market with few true rivals, as most aero race bikes are on the larger finish of the fee spectrum, however there are a number of notable bikes in the identical house. The primary that involves thoughts is the 3T Primo 2 WPNT, which has related aero design options and retails at £4,173 in a SRAM Rival construct with alloy wheels. Nevertheless, it trumps the Cervelo regardless of being slightly below £300 cheaper and nonetheless coming constructed with the most recent SRAM XPLR 13 pace model, which has a wider gear vary and the most recent T-type rear mech becoming system, a discernible profit over the usual 12 pace model.
One other gravel bike with aerodynamic options is the Wilier Rave, and there’s a GRX 1X model that retails at £3,799. Although considerably cheaper and doubtlessly extra succesful off-road, because it has house for as much as 52mm-wide rubber, it foregoes the digital shifting of the SRAM Rival groupset discovered on the Cervelo and has a barely lower-spec alloy wheelset.
Total, the Aspero sits in a novel spot when it comes to worth and design, providing a quick experience at a decrease price than many race bikes launched this 12 months, however it’s nonetheless versatile sufficient for a broad scope of gravel driving. It is a bike I might fortunately suggest to anybody on the lookout for a speedy off-road possibility that will really feel acquainted to highway riders.
Verdict
When it arrived, I used to be curious to see how the Aspero had modified for the reason that first model was launched, as gravel riders’ calls for and expectations have moved on quite a bit since then. I needn’t have fearful. Its delicate adjustments and tweaks imply it is nonetheless a related, quick and surprisingly easy bike. There are higher choices for chunkier terrain and bikepacking, but when going quick is what you are after, this bike ought to be in your listing of decisions.