IT'S A MIRACLE THAT THE CERVÉLO R5-CX EXISTS AS an all-new model in 2023. Viewed from outside the cyclocross bubble, this is a niche bike. Bikes like the R5-CX often fail to make it into most brands' product lines, as the market is small. Production bikes are generally not made for a focus group of two riders. But when your name is Wout van Aert or Marianne Vos, those norms go out the window.
The R5-CX is Cervélo's love letter to cyclocross. It's a purpose-built bike designed for the exacting demands of top riders. It thoroughly excels at that task; the bike's results speak for themselves.
Digging into the development process and riding the bike, I discovered the R5-CX is much more than just another elite race bike. This bike is about dedicated people working against the clock to deliver a world-class product. And it's a tale about why some bikes get overlooked because of their name or marketing label.
RACING IS A NEAR-UNIVERSAL ELEMENT MANY RIDERS embrace at some point in their cycling lives. Thus race bikes carry an almost magical aura for many.
Trying to best a sibling around the block on a hot summer's day, going for the town-line sprint on a Sunday morning group ride, climbing the Stelvio's fabled 48 switchbacks in the Giro d'Italia-bikes are formally and informally raced in endless ways. Even if it doesn't require paying an entry fee or affixing a number plate to a bike or jersey, almost all of us "race" a bicycle at some point.
As purpose-built machines, race bikes have a seemingly simple-sounding mission, but one that is sometimes impossible to achieve: carry a rider over a certain distance faster than any other competitors. Since bike-racing disciplines are so varied, having nuanced and specific needs required for success, dozens of variants of race bikes exist to eke out hundredths of seconds in competition.
Bu hikaye Bicycling US dergisinin Spring 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye Bicycling US dergisinin Spring 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
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