Cervelo P5 Triathlon Frameset

P5 is a contre la montre catalyst.
It’s made for one thing—helping you go as fast as possible between Point A and Point B. Cervelo started with 30 years of aerodynamic expertise, littered with feedback from elite triathletes and Tour de France champions, added more than a few runs in the CFD metaverse, sprinkled in some 3D printed frames to verify what we were seeing in the computer, and out came a faster, more adjustable, and more—gasp—comfortable race machine than ever before.

As built, the new P5 is about 5 watts faster than the old one. A lot of that is in the wheels—there’s not a lot of additional optimization within the bounds of the UCI’s design boxes. But Cervelo opened up space in the fork and between the stays to make room for a new generation of wider, faster wheels, exemplified by the Reserve 77/88. Paired with a 29mm tire, these are not only aerodynamically faster, but the larger-volume tire means less rolling resistance as well.

SIMPLICITY & ADJUSTABILITY
The new one-piece front end (first pioneered on the S5) is simpler to
assemble and adjust, and stack is now adjustable up to 40mm, while the basebar height drops by 10mm to minimize frontal area. The new riser increases tilt adjustability, 0 to 30 degrees, in 5-degree increments.

SPEED
The new P5 frame is about a watt faster aerodynamically than the previous
model, and has clearance for 34mm tires. That clearance means plenty of room for Reserve’s new 77/88 wheelset, and Vittoria’s 29mm tire. which saves about 4 watts over the previous Reserve/Vittoria pair for a total system savings of about 5 watts.

COMFORT & CONTROL
The new armrests and pads on the P5 are wider, taller, and thicker than before. It’s definitely more comfortable, but it’s also more confidence-inspiring. More surface area here leads to better control, which means more time in the most aerodynamic position possible.

COMPLIANCE
The new fastback seat stay design reduces vertical stiffness by about 22% (while maintaining the lateral stiffness needed for power transfer). The TT position is unforgiving (to say the least), but the new P5 will help you roll into T2 a lot fresher.