Cervelo R3 Review
From CRCycling
Beep, Beep, Beep! That was the sound of the truck backing up to the bike shop to dump all the cash that was necessary to pay for my 2008 Cervelo R3. I've had the bike for a few weeks now, so I'm past the initial crush phase, and have a more realistic take on the merits of this machine.
The stock bike comes equipped with Easton Circuit clincher wheels, Dura-Ace components, an FSA SL-K crank, and FSA carbon seat post, a Selle Italia SLR saddle, and a 3T stem and carbon bars. I replaced the FSA SL-K crank and BB with a Dura-Ace setup, and replaced the torture device, err... saddle with a Fizik but left the rest of the components as-is. I've been riding the SL-K compact cranks on another bike for a couple of years, and found they aren't very good for my big gear mashing style. Plus they seem too flexible and the FSA bearings don't seem as smooth as the Dura-Ace bearings.
The most striking features of the R3 frame are its massive downtube and box-like bottom bracket. The two features combine to form a torsionally rigid bottom bracket. It just doesn't move under load. I've been riding a Titanium Litespeed Siena and a carbon Giant TCR frame for the past few seasons, and in terms of bottom bracket stiffness, there is no comparison between the R3 and those frames. The Giant frame is whippy and I can feel the bottom bracket sway under heavy load. The Lightspeed frame is not as soft as the Giant, but the chain rubs against the front derailleur under heavy load.
The stiffness of the R3 frame has tangible benefits. First the stiffness translates to great handling characteristics. When descending at high speeds, the bike is rock solid. It's similarly solid when braking hard or cornering hard. The Litespeed Siena compact frame and the 58 cm R3 frame have similar geometry, but the R3 feels more stable at 40 mph heading down a 10% hill. Second, power seems to be transferred to the wheel more efficiently. My sprint speed increased 2 miles per hour--it could be a placebo effect, but it's hard to argue with a speedometer.
Rating
I have no complaints about the performance of the frame, fork, or other components. The saddle that comes with the bike did not work for me at all. A minor gripe is that the Cervelo bar plugs don't work very well. But once the bike was dialed in with my saddle and the Dura-Ace crank it's by far the best bike I've ridden. It's a little too expensive in my opinion, but so is every other road bike. The Cervelo R3 earns a whopping 485 on the Gong Show scale of 0-500.
