One advantage of being the younger sibling in the Cervelo family is that all of the knowledge, engineering and design experience gets passed down. The classic road Cervelo R2 for 2019 has the same Squoval Max tubeset variation as the best-selling R3. A combination of material, shape, and lay up are used to engineer the desired stiffness of different parts of the frame. For the 2019 R2 Cervelo has optimized the stiffness of the head tube, for stable and predictable handling, and the stiffness of the bottom bracket, so that more of your power goes into turning the rear wheel. As a this complete R2 105 R7000 Bicycle, the balance of price point, performance and specification make for an ideal intermediate cycling experience.

The upgrade to the Squoval.Max tubeset delivers the type of key performance indicators any manager will love versus the previous generation of the R2: 12% stiffer at the head tube, 10% increase in fork lateral stiffness, 5% stiffer at the bottom bracket. The overall improvement in performance is clear, with greater frameset torsional stiffness resulting better power transfer and efficiency, but the biggest riding improvement is clearly in handling and stability under load, whether powering up a climb, leaning into a hard corner or carving a challenging descent.

The 2019 R2 has the same, BBright asymmetric oversized bottom bracket shell and chainstays, the forgiving rear stays and 27.2mm round seatpost, tapered fork steerer and headtube design and geometry as the R3. The carbon fiber used is a slight step down, which keeps the price manageable without appreciably changing the ride quality, but a minor weight penalty. The R2 is only available in the rim brake set-up at this time. The overall build kit for this complete bike suits the value-added aspect, with the key being the 11-speed R7000 105 components from Shimano. Cervelo specs the 11-speed RS510 50-34 crankset and their BBright 24x90mm bottom bracket, but the rest of the spec is pure R7000- shift brake levers, front and rear derailleurs, chain, 11-30 cassette, and brake calipers. R7000 approaches Ultegra R8000 performance with many of the same design features and engineering. Again, materials and weight are the distinctions.

The rest of the build kit carries the same affordable performance and quality. Cervelo provides their Performance Alloy series: Compact 31.8 road handlebar and stem, 27.2 seatpost, and Comfort Race saddle. Shimano's RS100 Wheelset carries 700x25 Continental Grand Sport Race SL clincher tires. Return to Top