The Cervélo ZHT-5 is a carbon hardtail that’s been through a lot — two years of family riding, some races, and a drivetrain transplant. Steve and both his teenage kids have put time on it. It’s a keeper.
The Build
The Frame
The Cervélo ZHT-5 is a carbon hardtail — the only version Cervélo made. At the time of this video it’s no longer available new. Cervélo’s full suspension lineup, the ZFS, sold through the last units about a year prior and nothing has come in since. The ZHT-5 followed the same path. If you find one on closeout somewhere, it’s worth knowing it has a universal derailleur hanger — meaning SRAM Transmission compatibility is fully supported.
This is a medium. Steve is 5’10” with a long inseam and short torso — he could ride either the medium or large, but the medium keeps the reach manageable. Both of his kids, between 5’8.5″ and 5’9.5″, fit it well. It’s become the family bike more than anything.
Cockpit & Controls
The handlebar is a Race Face Carbon Next — lightweight and stiff, which suits the hardtail character of this bike. The stem is a Race Face Aeffect at 70mm — Steve notes he could probably run an 80 for a slightly better fit given his proportions. The grips are Ergon, which aren’t his personal preference. His go-to is Wolf Tooth or ESI silicone foam grips — simpler, lighter, easier to swap.
The dropper is a Fox Transfer Factory — matches the Fox Factory fork and keeps the component quality consistent throughout.
Suspension
The fork is a Fox Factory 32 Stepcast — an XC-oriented fork that came off one of the shop’s Air 9 builds. It has a remote lockout lever that nobody uses. Steve’s take on lockouts is straightforward: they don’t use them, never have, and the fork works perfectly fine without engaging that feature. If you’re the type who runs full lockout on climbs, the capability is there.
Drivetrain — SRAM XX Transmission
This is where the build gets interesting. The bike came in originally with a mechanical GX drivetrain. That got stripped off — likely transplanted onto another build or demo bike — and replaced with a full SRAM XX Transmission setup. XX cassette, XX derailleur, XX crank with a 36-tooth chainring, and the SRAM power meter spindle.
Steve’s a big fan of the SRAM power meter spindle — it’s simple and it works.
On the universal derailleur hanger: If you’re looking at a used ZHT-5 and wondering about drivetrain compatibility — the universal hanger means SRAM Transmission will bolt right up. Worth knowing if one comes up on closeout.
Brakes
The brakes are SRAM G2R four-piston. Steve’s preference would be the G2 Ultimate — he’s ridden those for a couple of years and loves the lever feel and modulation. The G2R is the next step down but still a four-piston setup, which is where he draws the line. Done with two-piston brakes — he runs four-piston on everything now. He likes a little more brake so he can come harder into corners, and he doesn’t care about the small weight penalty.
Wheels & Tires
The wheels are Reserve XC28 carbons with DT Swiss 350 hubs — originally on Steve’s ZFS demo bike and moved to this build. Two years in and they’ve been solid. The DT350 hub is a workhorse, the Reserve rims have held up well, and the combination has been used on several other custom builds and upgrades through the shop.
Current tires are Vittoria Barzo — the previous generation with TLR sidewalls. Steve’s candid about it: they’re not great tires, but there’s tread left and early spring riding doesn’t call for race rubber. When they wear out Kyle will likely move to Barzo Race front / Mezcal Race rear — a pairing he’s comfortable with for XC racing.
Pedals are Shimano XT SPD — the shop moved away from Crank Brothers and landed back on Shimano. They work.
Why They’re Keeping It
The ZHT-5 fits three people reasonably well. It’s been through races. It has a top-spec drivetrain on it. And hardtails are getting harder to find as full suspension bikes get better and more accessible. Steve’s position is clear — he’ll always have a hardtail in the stable. Not every trail demands full suspension, and there’s something about the simplicity of a hardtail that doesn’t get old. This one stays.
A family hardtail that earned its place
The Cervélo ZHT-5 is a carbon hardtail that’s no longer in production — which makes this build more interesting, not less. Two years of real use across three riders, a full XX Transmission drivetrain, Reserve carbon wheels, and Fox Factory suspension. It came in as a GX bike and left as something significantly better. The kind of build that happens when you know what parts work and have access to the right stuff.
Questions About Hardtail Builds?
Hardtails are becoming harder to find but we think about them a lot. Reach out if you want to talk through options.