Cervelo's R2 has been around for a while now - it's a chassis that's won races at the highest level and been ridden by some of the world's greatest riders. The Canadian firm hasn't rested on its laurels though, and, in common with the pricier R3 (which it shares a frame with, beneath the paint) the R2 has been made over for 2015.
- Highs: Sublime frame, stellar handling
- Lows: Poor wet weather grip
- Buy if: You want a bike that's good out of the box - and would be great with a wheel upgrade
The frame, complete with paint and all hardware (cable stops, frame inserts and so on) weighs under 1kg for a 56cm model. The tubing has been reshaped to use the latest Squoval profile as seen on the rarefied RCA, which has improved aerodynamics and increased frame stiffness by a claimed 24 percent.
Up front Cervelo has used a fork derived from the limited-run R3 Mud (designed for the rigours of the classics) giving the bike plenty of clearance for wider rubber. The complete bike weight - 7.96kg - is respectable rather than remarkable, though those numbers on a scale are certainly not reflected in the way the R2 rides.
We loved the way in which the R2 handles the simple pleasures of getting you down the road at a serious pace. On the rolling hills of our test loop it was simply stunning, enabling us to hold a pace only bettered by the very best aero bikes. On the climbs, it's easy to dance out-of-saddle on the pedals and truly attack even the steepest of slopes, aided by the 50/34 compact and wide 11-28 cassette, driven by the snappy, slick latest-gen 11-speed 105 and FSA Gossamer BBright (Cervelo's own system, designed with Rotor) chainset. Braking is handled by FSA's Gossamer brakes - the long cable stop arm design looks dated next to the latest low profile Shimano and SRAM units, but the extended leverage means this is a brake with plenty of throw at the lever, oodles of power and bags of feel.
ADVERTISEMENT
The rolling stock - basic Shimano RS10s - are undoubtedly budget choice, but experience has showed us that they're a tough, hardwearing wheelset that'll last and last. Eventually we'd want to upgrade the wheels on the R2 for something lighter - which the bike is infinitely worthy of - yet we'd keep the RS10s for winter training duties without a doubt.
This article was originally published in Cycling Plus magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.
You can read more at BikeRadar.com
via BikeRadar All the latest from BikeRadar.com http://ift.tt/1Ca8dSb
No comments:
Post a Comment