Cervelo C3/C5

Hi. Could any one out there tell me about C3 sizing?  I’m 5ft 10. Thanks

I have a C3 105 and very, very happy with it. Slight limitation is cross-chaining seems to be more limited on this bike compared to others I have ridden. Others don't rate the wheels highly but they're just fine for me on the shite roads in my area. The C3 is comfortable and plenty light and fast for me, especially with dodgy local roads and wanting to commute and do long rides and go off to the Alps or whatever.

I was very close to buying a BMC RoadMachine but I was happier to buy from SigmaSports instead of Evans.

I know what you mean, I also like the idea of the same frame for summer and winter.

If you find your Domane quick enough I think you'll be fine on the Cervelo. What makes the Cervelo a bit different (though more are doing it now) is the bottom bracket drop, head tube angle and fork offset. They aren't identical but in the same area of design (deep bottom bracket and slack head angle).

I have never ridden a Domane and can only guess they are unbeatable for comfort on potholes etc. However, I don't ride cobbles and try to avoid potholes so what I look for is general "constant" comfort that takes the buzz away from our typically broken but not too deeply broken roads. I find the C3 good for this.

Finally, have a look at the 2018 models. I don't like the paint schemes as much, except for the red. Prices have come down but so have specs.

Cash perkitting, maybe a C5 for best and 105 C3 for winter. With rime move the rs685 shifters to the winter bike and upgrade the summer to electronic hydraulic. The new Ultegra 8070 hydro electronic shifters are much smaller and comparable to mechanical in size and weight.

Final point is to check mudguard clearance. There is plenty of tyre clearance but I only run 25mm tyres which measure 28mm on the HED rims . I use SKS P35 guards. If I wanted to use wider tyres I may need wider guards and think the next size guards would need a bit of chopping to fit in between the chainstays.

Thanks velochris for the reply. Enjoy your Defy - very nice bike.

It's funny but i actually want the same for summer/winter hence why i have 2 Domanes now so i can get the fit exact on both. This is probably down to my very odd body proportions though and after my bike fit last year I made sure both bikes fitted the same. I could go C3 winter and C5 summer !

There are just too many nice bikes which make it difficuly to choose.

Velochris - what is your best bike you are comparing the C3 with ? For reasons of my body proportions I only ride endurance bikes for the taller head tube. I currently have a Domane 5.2 and DOmane 2.3 but want a new best summer bike for 2018. The C3/C5 are on my list but interested in other high end endurance bikes. I have ruled out another Domane just on the grounds of wanting someting else ! I have the Emonda also on my list as although not strictly endurance geometry it is suitable size wise for me.

I purchased one of the Ultegra C3s from Wheelbase in October.

I bought my first disc bike (Cube Attain carbon a year ago). It was very cheap and I wanted a carbon disc bike with mudguards.

Short summary is it felt a bit dull and lifeless so I sold it pretty quickly and went back to my Genesis Equilibrium titanium rim bike.

Anyway, I saw the Cervleo C3 when I went into Wheelbase. The colour scheme was a big pull, the photos do not do it justice.

It is on a different level to the Cube and to me feels not far from my best bike. I only ride endurance bikes now so that is all I compare it to but it is stiff enough for me and comfortable.

Downside is I needed to buy a Wheels MFG bottom bracket (excellent products ) to run my Shimano chainset as the C3 uses a bbright bottom bracket. The mudguard threads are not the best either. Something like m4 bolts (2.5mm allen key) so not substantial. However, a couple of pounds on Ebay and you can get longer ones with washers etc.

Finally, if you push to an Ultegra one it is worth the extra (300 in my case). The shifters look way better than r505 (105). I had the 5o5 on the Cube. They function fine but you will never get used to their bulky looks. Similarly the HED Ardennes wheels are worth the extra alone. Not sure what discs you get with 105 but rhe Ultegra came with top end ice tec discs which I have found excellent as well.

So yes, I really like it. It will feel different than your R5. The decision depends on the type of riding you do. I like 100 mile rides at 16-17mph or so. I'm not racing but still want some pace as well as comfort. If you want Strava records you can still be up there on it but it will not feel as sharp as the R5.

For those interested, weight of a 54cm as supplied (no pedals or cages) was 8.2kg.

Enjoy the dilemma.