Weight Weenies

AS reported by CyclingTips.com : https://cyclingtips.com/2022/02/2022-cervelo-soloist/

Cervelo has confirmed with CT, that the bike spotted ridden by Johannes Staune-Mittet Cervelo Development Team rider is called in its prototyped form as "FM151, the Soloist"

So, what can we expect from Cervelo in 22/23? Probably another bike lol.. How does it fit in their lineup of S5, R5, Caledonia?

Who knows.. but Im sure we will be hearing more by the TdF.

Like the look of that.

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gSporco wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 01, 2022 7:33 pm

So, what can we expect from Cervelo in 22/23? Probably another bike lol.. How does it fit in their lineup of S5, R5, Caledonia?

I believe the idea is it will be the one mid tier race oriented bike, alongside the standard Caledonia in the range. Hopefully this means it'll share the R5 geometry, or something close to it instead of the softened off R3/S3/Caledonia geo.

I'm gonna guess that it fits in the space formerly occupied by the S3. (Which is kinda weird b/c the Caledonia is supposed to be the "modern S3" (I thought)...but, also kinda cool...b/c I liked the S3 pricepoint and would buy a new one).

Not Sure what to expect, bit I do not think it will be mid-tier.. which will muddy the waters as I interpret their lineup as:

S5 = Aero Race
R5 = Climbing Race lite
Calendonia = Endurance Race Cobbles
Aspero = Gravel Race

I say muddy because it looks like it would fit between the S5 and R5... More aero than R5 and lighter than S5.. If its as lite as the R5 then I see the R5 being phased out.. But Im just a dude on the internet who knows little

gSporco wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 01, 2022 10:30 pm

Not Sure what to expect, bit I do not think it will be mid-tier..

It will be. Look, the new R5 only started shipping a couple of months ago and the new S5 is being raced in its prelaunch phase now. Of course it's not replacing either of those, they're both here for another 4 years.

In the mean time, you may have noticed that both the mid tier S-Series and R-Series (previously called S3/R3) have almost entirely disappeared from sale...

Not only are the S and R series have almost entirely disappeared neither of them are even listed on their website. It's clearly going to be a replacement for those. And tbh it looks quite interesting.

If they give it one of the nice chameleon paint jobs, I might seriously consider getting one. I had a serious hard on over the original SLC and then the SLC-SL. Brings back memories of good times

So perhaps this fits in the middle between the R5 and the S5, combines the R3 and S3 into a lighter weight aero bike?

Karvalo wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 01, 2022 11:16 pm

gSporco wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 01, 2022 10:30 pm

Not Sure what to expect, bit I do not think it will be mid-tier..

It will be. Look, the new R5 only started shipping a couple of months ago and the new S5 is being raced in its prelaunch phase now. Of course it's not replacing either of those, they're both here for another 4 years.

In the mean time, you may have noticed that both the mid tier S-Series and R-Series (previously called S3/R3) have almost entirely disappeared from sale...

I didn't say replace anything in the current line up.. I was saying where it would fit capability wise in the line up.. As in its Aero and probably lite, so naturally it sits between the S5 and R5.. but its kind of confusing as it blurs the lines of both those bikes..

Id ot truly is a mid tier replacement for the S3 and R3 I would be surprised.. The Soloist was a pivotal bike for Cervelo and is one of the bikes that spawned the Aero renaissance of Bike sign that we now see by every manufacture.

To make it mid tier would not donits legacy justice unless they made a Soloist 5 and a Soloist with the latter being mid tier and the former top level..

Again, to me its just weird.. I dont know the industry like some of you.. but to me a logical approach would have been to phase out the R5 in 2-3 years and replace it with the Soloist.

If the Solosist sells as a top tier amd is as lite as an R5 but more Aero, why would the consumer ever buy an R5? Just ranting out loud

gSporco wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 02, 2022 4:01 am

If the Solosist sells as a top tier amd is as lite as an R5 but more Aero, why would the consumer ever buy an R5? Just ranting out loud

It won't be as light even if we do get a Soloist-5 level bike. The tube shapes do not allow for it. At best it will be in the vein of the new Orbea Orca.

gSporco wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 02, 2022 4:01 am

I didn't say replace anything in the current line up.. I was saying where it would fit capability wise in the line up.. As in its Aero and probably lite, so naturally it sits between the S5 and R5.. but its kind of confusing as it blurs the lines of both those bikes..

You said it would phase out the R5.

And yes, it would be really confusing if Cervelo ended up with 4 top tier road bikes (R5/S5/Cal5/Soloist) and only one mid tier road bike (Caledonia). So it's not going to happen. They're going to keep their existing 3 top tier bikes and have 2 mid tier bikes, one for racing and one for endurance. That's not confusing. Cervelo might have made some bad business decisions in the past but this one's a no brainer.

Also, consider that the one solid consistent factor in Cervelo's naming structure for the past 10 years is that the top tier bikes have the -5 suffix. When they told CT what the new bike was called they didn't say it was the Soloist-5, it's just the Soloist.

The Tarmac SL7 changed the landscape for all manufacturers. I think the so called "Soloist" will be Cervelos attempt to make a lightweight aero allrounder.

It is a CALEDONIA with narrow tire clearance, wide seattube and seatpost.

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It wouldn't surprise me as a mid-tier bike. The original aluminum Soloist (ridden by Tyler Hamilton, among others) was not a very expensive bike, and one of its big selling points was its pro racing success with a frame and fork that could be bought for around a grand, with a little shopping around. The later carbon Soloist and it variants were expensive, but the original was not.