New Cervélo hits the road in Beijing
Cervélo says that over forty athletes are aboard its bikes at this year’s Olympics but a handful of lucky road racers, including men’s road race bronze medalist Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland), used a brand-new model that will be introduced later this year, the S3. The S3 resembles the current SLC-SL and Soloist Carbon with its slippery deep-section tubing but new chain stays and seat stays are said to offer a more comfortable ride than current versions while being more aerodynamic as well.
The S3 will also boast the currently en vogue style of internal cable routing where the lines enter the frame behind the stem. However, instead of running full housing through the frame, Cervélo equips the S3 with internal housing stops that are said to both save weight and reduce friction for smoother shifts. Small removable ‘ports’ on the down tube will ease cable installation.
According to Cervélo, the S3 will supplement its current carbon models though it seems likely to us that it might ultimately replace the existing SLC-SL as it’s apparently even speedier, more comfortable and only 80g heavier. The S3 will also be comparably priced to the SLC-SL at US$4,500 (including a 3T Funda Pro fork, FSA integrated headset and aero carbon post).