Latest Review — First Look at the New Cervelo Áspero-5
This section covers the newest generation 2026 and later Áspero-5 . Previous gen review remains below.
Jump to Section
- Video Review
- Frame Overview
- Cockpit & Details
- Drivetrain & Gearing
- Wheels & Tires
- First Impressions
- Contact Maklin Bike Shop
- Previous Generation 2025 and Prior Áspero-5 Review
Video Review
Frame Overview
We’ve got the new Cervelo Áspero-5 in the shop, and I had a Cervelo S5 parked behind it while walking through the details. The amount of shared DNA is pretty impressive.
The Áspero-5 picks up several aero cues:
- Deeper, aero-influenced head tube
- Aero down tube with S5-like shaping
- Rear wheel tucked in closely (with slightly longer gravel-appropriate wheelbase)
- Borrowed structural themes from both S5 and Soloist
This frame very clearly leans into Cervelo’s expertise in fast bikes.
Cockpit & Details
- Aero handlebar (not full S5 “V” bar but similar intent)
- Integrated top tube storage + supplied top tube bag
- Carbon bottle cages included
- Tire clearance rated for 45 mm (shown here with 42 mm and room to spare)
- DT Swiss 240 hubs on Reserve wheels
The bike looks fast and clean. Sitting next to the S5, it looks like the aero gravel sibling in the family.
Drivetrain & Gearing
This model is built with a SRAM RED / XX Transmission mix:
- 48T SRAM RED crank with power meter
- XX Transmission derailleur
- 10–52T cassette
- Karoo head unit included
For how we ride locally, I would personally prefer the 13-speed SRAM RED XPLR for tighter gear spacing. Our climbs aren’t long enough to fully justify the 52T range, and I prefer smaller jumps between gears.
That said, many riders love the huge range, and we’ve already had customers convert from XPLR to Transmission and end up liking it better once they get used to it.
If a customer wants an XPLR conversion, we’re happy to build it that way.
Wheels & Tires
- Reserve 44 rear / shallower Reserve front
- DT Swiss 240 hubs
- Vittoria Corsa Pro Control 42 mm tires
These Corsa Pro Control 42s are extremely interesting — but unfortunately it sounds like wide availability may not happen until Q1 2026. Painful, because this is absolutely a tire we’d stock heavily for gravel builds.
My go-to gravel tire the last few years has been the Challenge Strada Bianca, so a 42 mm Corsa Pro Control paired with Vittoria Sealant is a combo I’d love to test.
First Impressions
This new Áspero-5 has been a shop favorite the moment it arrived. Parked next to the S5, it shows off how much aero-road DNA made its way into this generation.
I haven’t been able to get real miles on this specific bike yet — supply is tight, and our priority is getting customer bikes out the door. When I do get time on one, we’ll add a proper long-term ride impression above the older review.
Even without ride time, the direction Cervelo took with this platform is obvious: it’s still an unapologetically fast gravel race bike, now with cleaner aero shaping and a more modern cockpit.
Have Questions About the New Áspero-5?
Previous Gen 2025 & Before Aspero-5 Review
This is Steve with another Bikes We Ride from Maklin Bike Shop. Today I’m sharing my Cervelo Áspero-5 with the Campagnolo Ekar 13-speed mechanical groupset. If you’ve seen some of the other videos, you’ve probably heard me talk about Ekar already—but here’s the full rundown of how this bike is set up and what it’s like to ride.
Video review
History & setups we’ve tested
Races ridden on this bike:
- Badlands Gravel Battle
Wheelsets used:
- Stock Fulcrum wheelset
Tires we’ve ridden:
- Challenge Strada Bianca 36mm
- Vittoria Terreno Dry
- Challenge Strada Bianca 40mm
Drivetrain configurations:
- Campagnolo Ekar 13-speed mechanical drivetrain
- 9–42T cassette
- 38T stock chainring
- Tested 40T chainring previously
Longest ride / biggest day:
- 100 ish miles
Photo gallery (optional):
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Drivetrain
The Áspero-5 I’m riding uses the Campy Ekar 13-speed mechanical group. It’s almost completely stock except for the tires. Ekar has a lot of range—9 to 42 on the cassette—and the 38T chainring that comes stock is surprisingly versatile. Around here you could easily run a 40T, 42T, or even a 44T depending on your terrain.
I’ve had this setup well past 30 mph and also climbed everything around here without issue. The gear spacing is excellent: the first 5–6 gears are single-tooth jumps, then the larger steps are deeper in the cassette where you’re usually moving slower.
The carbon crank works well, but if you want power, you’re basically limited to pedal-based meters. For me, that works fine since I rotate demo bikes constantly and can move pedals from bike to bike.
Cockpit and fit
The Ekar ergos feel different from Shimano or SRAM. Upshifts feel fantastic. Downshifts take a few rides to adjust to because the lever throw is different, but once you know the feel, it becomes second nature. Some reviewers out there had shifting complaints, but in my opinion those bikes weren’t set up correctly—proper setup and barrel adjuster dialing make a huge difference.
Braking performance
I love the feel of Campy brakes, especially in the drops. I’ve been over 40 mph on gravel descents and they feel predictable and secure. The only downside is that wet gravel seems to stick in these calipers more than others I’ve ridden. But in normal conditions, they’re excellent.
Wheels and tires
The bike still has the stock Fulcrum wheels. They’re solid—not lightest, not slow, just dependable. Hubs are quiet and they roll well. For tires, I’m currently running 36mm Challenge Strada Biancas. They’re fast on pavement and handle any local gravel just fine, which makes this a great mixed-surface option if I’m not sure where a ride might take me.
Additional notes
The Áspero-5 is unapologetically a race bike. Cervelo built this to be fast, and it feels fast. Of all the gravel bikes I’ve ridden, this one feels closest to a sporty road bike. Tire clearance is 42mm, which is plenty for how the bike is intended to be used.
It has a third bottle-cage mount under the downtube. I’ve run four bottles on long rides using that + a top-tube bag. A quick tip: the included Cervelo top-tube bag has a plastic interior plate, so it can rattle—drop a piece of cardboard or foam in the bottom and it fixes it instantly.
If I head out for a ride that might be all pavement, or all gravel, or a mix of both, the Áspero-5 is the bike I reach for. It’s fast, simple, comfortable in the drops, and just a fun bike to ride.
Final thoughts
This Cervelo Áspero-5 with Ekar has been a super fun gravel bike. It rides fast, handles predictably, climbs well, and invites you to push the pace. If you want a gravel bike that leans more toward the “race” side of the category—this is exactly that kind of bike.