Perhaps Cervelo is trying to do an Apple strategic change and try to normalise higher pricing and go from a competition bike brand to a luxury bike brand?

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That is an interesting idea. When it came to purchasing a new bike I went "traditional" with an Argon 18 E-119.

I'd agree. All signs point to a new P5x at Kona.


Utilising the P3x frame improvements of stiffer & lighter.
Perhaps keep the split basebars but lighten.
Include the bag.
Better wheels.
Better groupset (etap/duraace di2)

Poss slight tweak to storage/aero frame form.

I've been desperately hoping for an Argon with disk brakes. Just looks like they've left it a season too late to get something to market for me.

Anyone else wondering if the saddle rail/BTS configuration looks like it limits the setback quite a bit?

I do feel sorry for Cervelo. 3 months ago, they were being told by the ST Posters (totally unbiased representative cross section of the population) that they needed to bring out something cheaper than the P5x. Ideally something that looked more like a normal bike. And something that was lighter.

So they brought out the P5d. And people said , "fine, but where do I keep my sarnies, and my iphone when I'm out and need to take a selfie? "

So they deliver the p3x, alongside the P5d, and people say, OK, so now we've got light bikes, aero, and cheaper. Can we have a more expensive one please, it's madness that I can't pay more now they've taken the P5x away that I didn't want as it was too expensive.

Someone above joked that the p5x would add an FM radio to the P3x, but honestly thinking of functionality it's pretty hard to see what 'more' you could want from a frame*.

*I do see that for some then a version with powermeter, disc wheel, and AXS/DA would be the spec they would go for and that's not in the p3x lineup at launch.

Not what I was expecting honestly. Was expecting a P3 Disc non beam bike.

$10k or $8k. Doesn't really seem to be targeting the existing P3 owner crowd.

Exactly. The difference is "at the time". The prices are increasing at an alarming rate. Since the top tier price seams to increase with every iteration, the second tier price follows suit and it is expected that the consumers should take the bait.

I identify myself as a second tier consumer (perhaps the wrong expression, but I think you understand what I mean). I will never buy the top end; I value quality and expect to pay for it, but not at any cost - typically second tier products like Cervelo P3, S3, R3, Ultegra etc instead of P5, Dura Ace.

But now the whole price landscape has changed.

my guess is that the P5X is going away. i may be wrong. maybe they'll reintroduce it based on the P3X frame and add some doodads to make it worth whatever the extra is. maybe bring back the 2pc pursuit bar and/or the travel case. maybe add an AM/FM radio. but the P3X is going to be the best frame in the PX platform, that's my guess. anything new will be a riff off this frame.

the old P5 mold and the U.S-built P5X mold will be retired is my guess.

which leaves us with the P2 and P3. i think QR has a strategic advantage over everyone else right now with the PR4 disc. If you want a really nice, well made, disc brake tri bike and you want to spend in the range of $3000, this is your bike. plus, because they have both paint and assembly at their chattanooga hdqt, they have some logistical mobility. this brand is ahead of everyone in this regard: canyon, cervelo, felt, specialized, trek. nobody can match this. are they making money? how well are they executing? i have no idea.

all of this could change tomorrow. but strategically that's how i see it. while cervelo did an outstanding, really outstanding, job with its aerobars, QR is relying on profile design, and PD is killing it with its aerobars. QR is saying, we'll stick to frames, we'll trust QR to make the bars. this has been a good wager for QR. the one area where cervelo has an advantage in front ends is with the speed riser. only tririg has realized the strategic advantage of this and has picked up on it.

so, pardon the digression, but cervelo is the other disc brake tri bike maker, besides QR, that is hitting on all cylinders right now, and yes, i think you're right to assume that the next time you hear from cervelo about new tri bikes it'll be with a focus on the P2 and P3. i don't know this. but it would be the logical choice. what i can say is that i don't think anybody should wait to buy their sub-$4000 cervelo tri bikes. i have no tri bikes for the next several months on my "launch" calendar, tho i do have a tickler to check in with specialized on when the new shiv disc is shipping.

Manufacturers make a super expensive product to make their other ones seem more valuable as well. Humans are excellent at one thing - comparing.

Somehow I doubt that Cervelo had the P5X out there for three years to set up the P3X via halo effect.

More likely they figured out the P5X was just too expensive, so they cut costs in manufacturing.