Just in at the office is Cervelo’s brand new carbon gravel bike, the Aspero, a performance focussed off-road bike aimed at speed seekers and KOM hunters. If you are after a committed gravel racer or a speedy mile muncher, this bike is worth a look.
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The Cervelo looks pretty special with it’s flip-chip in the fork, adjusting geometry to allow for different tyre and wheel sizes while retaining similar ride characteristics. The brand has dropped any rack mounts in favour of slimmed-down aero tubing, all in their pursuit of speed, hence the brand’s tag line “Haul Ass Not Cargo”, this bike is built as a lightweight racer, not as a bag laden adventurer.
The Trail Mixer is what Cervelo are calling their flip-chip which is found in the all-carbon fork. This chip offers the rider the choice of using a more racey 700×42 wheel and tyre combination or a gravel orientated 650×49 set while keeping the same handling characteristics of the frame. This is done by moving the axle 5mm forwards or back to keep the trail measurement the same with both wheel sizes fitted.
The model of the Aspero that we have comes with SRAM’s Force eTAP 12-speed groupset with wireless shifting from the Force eTAP derailleur. We’re looking forward to finding out how well SRAM’s wireless offering holds up.
The stopping power is also supplied by SRAM with their Force HRD callipers mounted with CenterLine XR rotors in 160mm flavour. Found within the all Easton cockpit is also a nifty computer mount from the same brand.
The wheels are provided by DT Swiss from the 240 hubs to the carbon GRC 1400 Spline rims wrapped in super fashionable tan walled Donnelley X’Plor MSO 700×40 Tubeless tyres.
The frame is fully internally cable routed and available in 6 sizes (48, 51, 54, 56, 58 and 61m]cm). These frames come in two different colours, we have the mid olive/dune but they also come in burgandy/dark orange.
Prices start at £2,699 for a SRAM Apex equipped bike, heading up to £5,399 for Force eTap AXS Disc model. Its the latter we have in for test, we’ll be back soon with a review on road.cc.
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