I am training for tris but will spend about 50% of my time on the road bike give or take. That time on the road bike will probably be split evely between fast group rides and some time in the mountains (North Georgia) riding solo.
Anyone have any advice on what would be best for that type of riding? I am torn between the positives that both bikes bring to the table.
The only reason to get an s5 over an r5 is if you plan to race. Other than aerodynamics, the r5 is the superior bike in every other quantifiable terms
I was looking at the same two models last week. The S5 has internal cable routing. S5 would be more of a frame for electronic shifting the shop said.
That said, I walked over to the Specialized Venge S-Works…(jaw drop now)…then no longer really wanted either the S5 or R5. Of course, the Venge
was about 2x the cost of the S5 I was looking at. 10K just seems like it would be better spent on a new car given the current state of my old falling-apart car.
Besides it is needed to get to work.
Hi - interested in your analysis. I believe the R5 is lighter and stiffer. Anything else I am missing? Is the general consensus that the R5 is “better”?
I have both. The R5 is the better all-around bike, with better tire clearance and better handling and descending. On any kind of flat or rolling course, though, the S5 is faster. If you’re really looking for a road bike to train, rather than race on, get the R5. But if you’re going to race it, then the question becomes more difficult, and is dependent on the type of rider you are and the type of races you intend to use the bike for.
After owning both this year, S5 hands down.
I dealt with the same quandary earlier this year - R5 or S5. I decided on the R5 and haven’t looked back once. Such an awesome bike, especially riding up and down the mountains around Las Vegas
I just got my S5 VWD in September and have been so happy with my choice. I also live in pancake-flat St. Pete Florida. So aerodynamics were a bit more of a concern than weight. An 80 mile training ride will net me 100 feet of climbing, so I wanted to have something stiff and fast as hell. Aero and stiff is good for “florida hills” aka “wind”. I am also considering some ITU stuff, so that made things a no-brainer.
I know that the R5 is going to be lighter (probably not that much in the big scheme of things to me), so other than weight going uphill what about the ride quality?
R5 if you will be riding with groups and hill … S5 for the flats/aero / solo
I have had both bikes and would pick the S5 (plus they are on sale right now). The R5 is crazy light which is nice, but it was the smoother ride that made it so much better than the S series. Then the S5 came along and you get the smoothness with the aeroness, its a win - win.
-Adam
I have had both bikes and would pick the S5 (plus they are on sale right now). The R5 is crazy light which is nice, but it was the smoother ride that made it so much better than the S series. Then the S5 came along and you get the smoothness with the aeroness, its a win - win.
-Adam
I agree with this. I went through the same decision: R5 or S5 and ended with the S5 just because I wanted what was fastest. It is a phenomenal bicycle.
Two blogs of mine that may help or further confuse! 
This first one goes over the plus/minuses of Cervelo’s R series vs S series bikes. This was from a few years ago and talks about the R3 and the S2 of the time, but the general principals are the same as now if comparing R5 and S5.
http://stevefleck.blogspot.ca/2010/06/cervelo-s2-or-r3-aero-or-not-for-road.html
This second blog may come across as a bit harebrained and blasphemous - forget the tri bike completely and just race triathlons on an S5, set up as a road bike!
http://stevefleck.blogspot.ca/2011/11/triathlon-on-road-bike.html
Crazy stuff!
I know that the R5 is going to be lighter (probably not that much in the big scheme of things to me), so other than weight going uphill what about the ride quality?
Good question. I am not saying that the R5 is a superior climbing bike solely because it it lighter. Truth be told, you are only talking a few hundred grams and any analytical cyclist knows that will have a negligible affect on climbing. But what goes up must come down, and IMHO the R5 is the best handling descender I have ever ridden.
If today’s election follows the mantra of “It’s the economy, stupid,” then I would sum up the handling difference between the R5 and the S5 as “It’s the headtube, stupid.” The R5 makes no concessions to aerodynamics and so it has a massive, stiff headtube. This makes the front end of the bike remarkably stable. By contrast, the S5 has a narrow headtube, that despite the aerodynamic “gusset” behind it stiffening the junction with the top tube and down tube, just isn’t as stiff and responsive as the R5.
Now whether you will notice a difference is another story. It’s a little like saying that a Lotus Elise handles better than a Porsche 911. OK, that may be true, but is it the 911 that is holding you back from setting a good lap time or is it your skill as a driver? For most people, the 911 handles just fine, and I would say the same for the S5.
If you live in FL and don’t do any demanding descents, then I have a hard time imagining you will ever notice any difference. S5 hands down. If you are a “better safe than sorry” descender and don’t really push the limits of your bike, same deal. But if you really push your bike in fast descents, you may appreciate the additional stability of the R5 over the S5.
Oh and on the R5, you can run 25mm tires with no problem (which is what I use on mine when rolling with the training wheels). On the S5, 23mm is the limit.
Not sure on R5 but I have the R3 and S5 Team. The ride quality is better on the R3 in terms of smoothness - it begs to go hard on crappy roads - the faster you go the better it feels on broken chipseal etc but it almost feels harsh noodling around. The S5 is certainly well dampened but there is a more direct connection vertically from the rear tire to the saddle - you feel the hits more sharply. But on smooth roads it begs to go fast - and it is faster. Fast tempo rides can be done at almost TT speed. ( OK, not quite )
I find both go up and downhill really well. Either will cut a perfect line on a twisty descent. I dont buy into BB stiffness as a purchase criteria. You will not lose a sprint on either due to a flexy BB. They both feel like they have good jump though.
Issues - R3 - ( 5? ) none - S5 rear tire clearance can be a pain - 23s only.
Weight - my S5 with a mix of SRAM Red, Force and Rival with a Quark PM and Hed Stinger 6s is just over 16 flat. Light enough.
Ask
Other - have an older R3 with 27 mm tires for a training bike on crap roads and a S5 Team with Force/Rival mix for a race bike
Win/win
So having ridden the R3 and the S5, if you had to choose one for non tri what would you choose?
All good stuff. That being said, I might be more confused now than I was before…
S5 as my only bike but I am racing TT type break away style roadie. Climbing in the mountains its a toss up - both are really really good but if you want/ need 25/27 mm tires the S5 is a non-starter. I hate the sound of tiny rocks zipping between the tire and the frame cutout. Interesting my Hed Ardennes seem worst there than the S6s or Mavic Elites with similar sized tires.
So having ridden the R3 and the S5, if you had to choose one for non tri what would you choose?
R3
Better overall ride quality. I do hard group rides, the occasional road race and solo rides where time does not really matter. When I do really race, my nose is rarely in the wind - which is when the S5 would really shine. So if you plan on being the maniac break-away guy, then perhaps the S5 is the better choice.
This is not to knock the S5 - great rig. But this is a full bore aero road racing frame. If absolute road race performance is your thing, and if you plan on doing a lot of attacking off the front, then the S5 makes for the better choice.
Another factor for me is our pavement quality locally is aweful plus I have a wonky back = R3 better for me. If I was riding on a smooth roads all the time, then I might consider an S5, but that is not my reality.
Agree - but for me the S5 is a better choice - even though I have crappy roads here but it suits my racing/riding style better as an only bike.