Most of us just love to ride. Mile after mile, hour after hour, day after day. Or at least every chance we can get out. Sure, there might be a Gran Fondo or some local road race, but the joy of cycling is time spent a bike that offers excellent riding characteristics, perhaps light weight, but truly allows the cyclist to both feel connected to the road, and protected from it's effects. The Cervelo R3 has been one of the best examples of such a bike, and with a 2017 upgrade to the frameset, and the excellent Ultegra R8050 Di2 electronic shifting system, never before has so much capability, performance and joy been so accessible.

To distinguish the R3 from the R5, you need to consider three key points. One is that the the carbon fiber grades are different. Subtly so, but aimed at keeping the price lower. The second is that the R3 has a road race geometry, but not the more aggressive Pro geometry found on the 2017 release of the R5. Last, both frames feature the same Squoval.Max tubeset concept, but the R3 has a traditional seatpost, and seattube, not the D-back type of the full Squoval.Max design. At the same time, you get the same lateral/torsional improvements at 21% at the headtube and 13% at the bottom bracket. There is room to run 700x28 tires, even on 25mm wide rims. You get superior comfort and vibration damping, plus a little more give in the round carbon seatpost, as well as standard stem design. The R3 features the new lower bottom bracket of the R5, plus a lower standover height, which as a function of the new geometry lowers the center of gravity for improved handling. The tapered Cervelo carbon fork was built like the frame, with enhancements to the lateral base stiffness, tire clearance and aerodynamics. The final product is a R3 frameset with improved acceleration, better handling, less overall drag, more capability, and a sublime ride quality that can be enhanced by the flexibility you have with tire selection.

Cervelo's aero integrated Future Proof cable routing that accommodates mechanical and electronic drivetrains carries over, along with the Reduced Friction Bottom Bracket Guide. The derailleur cables or wires run down into downtube. One of the engineers' tasks with the R3 was to develop it, and the disc brake version, to be a close as possible in fit, function, feel, and frame performance. While the disc brake model features thru-axle drop outs, the standard R3 features traditional road 100mm and 130mm quick release versions. Some cyclists will always prefer the feel and response of dual caliper brakes, so we are happy to see that Cervelo will be offering standard rim brake frame designs.

Shimano's e-Tube based Di2 electronic shifting system is precise, consistent, incredibly stable, and offers opportunity for customization and adding secondary shift buttons. The power, speed, and efficiency of the system makes it hard to take for granted even when you are around it a lot. This rim brake 2018 R3 bicycle takes full advantage of the slimmer, more ergonomic Di2 Dual Control lever bodies and the increased leverage and efficiency of the brake lever pivot. Shimano also tweaked the already powerful and impressive Ultegra dual pivot brake calipers for a more linear feel which requires less lever pressure and adds increased modulation.As for the shifting, Di2 is simply amazing. The front derailleur effortlessly moves the chain up and down from any combination- self trimming along the way to eliminate cage rub. The rear standard cage (SS) derailleur was updated to fly through shifts- even with a 11-30 cassette option. You can always opt later on for a GS model which can run an 11-34 cassette if you want more range.

This 11-speed drivetrain is coming equipped with the R8000 52-36 crankset, with it's asymmetrical 4-arm crank spider that works with both compact and standard double chainrings. Now, no matter how your bike comes equipped, you can easily add more gearing range. Along with the top notch R8000 dual caliper brakeset, the drivetrain is essentially a full R80500/8000 group, with the 11-30 cassette, and CN-701 chain. The only variation is the BBB Bottomfit BBO-72 | PF24 Threaded adapter for the BBright shell, and even then Cervelo is using the current Ultegra bottom bracket cups.

As for the kit items, the wheels are supplied by Mavic, with the steel-spoked Aksium Elite, as are the tires; Yksion Elite Guard in a 700x25 size. The newer, wider Aksium Elite is a stable training or everyday wheel with excellent braking and a smooth ride. Cervelo supplies their round carbon SP19 seatpost in a 27.2mm x 350mm version, an FSA Energy Alloy handlebar, and Cervelo Ultra Light Alloy stem. Fizik's Antares R5 saddle and Cervelo's bar tape round out the build.