Cervelo Aspero Review - The Speed Merchant Gravel Bike

"Welcome to the Era of Speed in Gravel" - Cervelo.com
Cervelo has long been a bike brand associated with speedy bikes, whether they be for road, triathlon or an all-out time trial. Circa 2019 and Cervelo may late to the gravel bike party, but they've jumped with both feet into the segment with the Aspero, a gravel bike that is unapologetic about speed and high-performance, designed to haul arse and not cargo.
Tipping the scales at approximately 18.6lbs / 8.4kg (size Small) for the flagship SRAM Force eTap 1x 12-speed bike with DT Swiss Carbon Wheels and Donnelly MSO tyres, everything from the frame to component selection is designed for speed.
What are the key features, how does the Aspero ride? What about that 1x drivetrain with the relatively tight cassette? All of these questions and more are answered in this video review. JOM of the Gravel Cyclist crew has put this bike through the wringer, including plodding along muddy roads in the western side of Georgia, US of A.
Links of interest:
Tyre Pressure Recommendation for Gravel Bikes - wp.me/p4V4se-6m3
Easton EC70 AX Handlebar Review - wp.me/p4V4se-5Lh
Berd Spokes - berdspokes.com
Amazon Affiliation Link:
No cost to you, but every purchase made helps keep Gravel Cyclist up and running! - www.amazon.com/?&_encoding=UT...
Web: GravelCyclist.com
Facebook: / gravelcyclist
Instagram - Instagram/GravelCyclist
Twitter - / gravelcyclist
Vimeo - vimeo.com/GravelCyclist

[@christwardzik]

You’re rad. Exactly the review I was looking for. Cheers!

[@mauricemcadory1244]

Great review, been waiting on it for a while now. Looking forward to your review of Pivot Vault.

[@GravelCyclist]

The Vault will be a little while, I've got three bikes ahead of it. However, the unboxing / features of the Vault should be online soon!

[@nickg2323]

great review as always. You're honest and clearly say what this bike is best for. No fender mounts GASP!! Great i say. and if i want to take it bike packing, i will cos ive taken my Trek Boone CX B/packing, gravel racing, and dozens of cx races. So many reviews dis a particular bike for petty things not to mention public comments . looking fwrd to the next one on this bike as im seriously concidering purchusing the lower model with apex drive train. keep up the great work GC

[@kimrice394]

Nice! Looks like a 1-Quiver bike for an adventurous roady. Not my bag but I love the diversity of modern bike companies. Something for everyone! This is sure to be leading a local gravel ride/race.

[@jbratt]

Coming from a road background and not a mountain bike origin, I love this bike. I pretty much ride 90% of my miles now on my gravel bikes...yeah I have two now. I also have aSalsa Warbird. Before the virus 🦠 race cancellations, I did a race on the Salsa and then the Cervelo. The Cervelo out of the saddle on climbs feels like my road bike and I much prefer that feeling. The Warbird feels like a mountain bike out of the saddle. When racing resumes the Warbird racing wise will be reserved for training and nasty race conditions. The dry fast races are the territory for the Cervelo.

[@peteransel2715]

Great review as always! If you could only have one gravel race bike, would you choose this new Aspero over the Lynskey Pro GR Titanium? Or perhaps the Allied Able?

[@markhladun3896]

Are you going to give us a little more of your polished lynskey? Love your channel, the reviews and ride footage are great

[@GravelCyclist]

I need to actually build the bike first. A review groupset was supposed to arrive for it, but that fell through... so, will likely take another approach.

[@TheSuperGnus]

dig this guy good stuff !!!

[@weaselfever]

this guy rules

[@DumpStars]

Awesome video! I see you mention you're riding a size 51. How tall are you? I am 5' 8.5" (174cm) and I am trying to decide between 54 and 51. Just curious if you could shed some light. It seems like this bike specs pretty long compared to other brands.

[@jasboehlke]

Great review, just picked up a 2 x GRX600

[@garyives1218]

THANK YOU! I commend you for not getting 1x.........I know I'm being overly judgmental, maybe because I live by steep hills and mountains, but 1x on road and gravel bikes makes my head want to explode :) Enjoy!

[@joniepancho946]

what size did u get?

[@jasboehlke]

@@joniepancho946 56

[@mostlyboring]

@@jasboehlke How tall are you? And what would you say your general 2 year review would be?

[@jasboehlke]

@@mostlyboring Brazeons would be nice but love it, light, fast, upgraded wheels to Easton carbon. 5' 10"

[@billarmstrong5568]

As a relatively casual rider who does about 80% road 20% gravel, would this bike be a good choice for me? Thx👍

[@finncox23]

JOM, I think I've heard you mention in some of your videos that you are around 5'11". I know this is highly individual, but I'm curious as to what saddle height and setback you typically run, and how much handlebar drop you end up riding on gravel setups? I'm of similar height, and the size 51 seems pretty small and aggressive to me, based upon the Aspero's geometry chart. In fact, I was thinking that even the 54 seemed a bit aggressive, but it seemed to work for you. Thanks, Finn

[@h18p]

Great review! I’ve been waiting for this one since you posted your unboxing. I currently have a Cervelo R5 road bike and a Salsa Warbird gravel bike and have been toying around with replacing both of them with this bike and a second set of wheels. I got the impression from your review that doing just that would be a viable possibility. Did you ever try a set a road wheels on it? Thanks!

[@GravelCyclist]

No roadie wheels in the review, but as I'm going to shoot a separate video about the Force eTap, I now have a pair of SRAM XDR wheels that I can run with some roadie tyres. Likely Panaracer GK SK's in 700c x 32mm... they are super fast tyres! You could definitely use the Cervelo as one bike to do it all.

[@Shonesby]

DaNiel Wood I have just done exactly that! Got the bike, wheels currently being built (with 28 tyres) and aero bars 😊

[@MozOnBikes]

Sram really could use an 10-36/38 cassette for gravel, something like 10,11,12,13,14,15,17,19,22,26,31,38 so its tight down the low end but has like 3 low range bail out gears.

[@GravelCyclist]

For the 1x with this particular setup, I'd prefer to see an 11-36 or perhaps a 38, assuming the derailleur could handle it and assuming it is technically possible to ditch the 10T cog (the lockring is part of it). But, I quite like 2x, so I'd prefer that with an 11-36 12-speed option... with a 46T big ring, the 10T cog doesn't see a ton of use.

[@brandenr]

Thanks for the review! Any thoughts on how the ride compares to the 3T Exploro?

[@GravelCyclist]

I generally don't do comparisons and I don't want to spoil my Exploro review... but I'll say this, if you like the Exploro, good chance you'll like the Cervelo Aspero :)

[@waterkoud1]

A real ballbuster.

[@ppsnake]

I am an MTB rider looking at doing some road riding with a bit of light gravel (Regional Aus NSW) Tossing up between this and a Trek Checkpoint (thats pretty much my options locally), I dont really know how "soft" i want the ride to be because I have never been on the road before. As a new rider would this Cervelo be a good choice or would I be better off going for the 'safe' option in the Trek?

[@GravelCyclist]

Hi there... the Cervelo is a harsh riding, fast bike, that I would recommend to roadie types crossing over to gravel. I like it a lot, but I could only tolerate about 100 miles / 160k's on it before I felt a little beat up. Not ridden a Checkpoint yet, but that may change soon... best info I can offer you, good luck!

[@cisko213]

What bike for more comfy riding

[@bikebro3127]

Nice review. May I know how tall are you and your inseam length? I'm 180 with 85cm. Wondering if I should ride a 51 or 54. Been using 56 for the roadbike.

[@Lenny-pq5kc]

54 for sure

[@jacklauren9359]

Out of 10, how would you recommend this bike? Is it pretty versatile or all rounder bike? Pretty comfy on long rides and doesnt feel beaten up? I’m tossing between this bike and chebacco. Many thanks!

[@GravelCyclist]

Jack, I don't do ratings (nothing personal) but I have reviewed the Chebacco on the channel... with that said, the Chebacco was my first ever video review, not my finest work. Another all-rounder to consider would be the Otso Waheela C or the Niner RLT 9 RDO Carbon... I've reviewed both on the channel.

[@ghostandtapeDoesVideo]

Curious to know which carbon gravel frame you’d recommend which is still fast but slightly more “compliant”/comfy, than the Aspero???

[@GravelCyclist]

Hi, I generally avoid making recommendations as I hope my reviews will help you make a choice. Thanks for your understanding!

[@cbrider1385]

I noticed you are using a Garmin. Are you running any sensors (cadence and/or speed) along with it?

[@GravelCyclist]

Hello there, no sensors.

[@verdelljackson8557]

What did mean by extra speed cost by using the Enve wheels with Berd spokes?

[@GravelCyclist]

Exactly what it means, performance costs money.

[@chriss1353]

You mentioned that tire pressure matched to weight is important - do you have a recommendation for a 220 lb rider? Is there a standard industry practice for weight and tire pressure?

[@GravelCyclist]

Chris, check out this chart - gravelcyclist.com/bicycle-tech/gravel-bike-tyre-tire-pressure-guidelines-by-enve-composites/ ENVE reference their rims, but the tyre widths and pressures will provide a good starting point for you.

[@chriss1353]

@@GravelCyclist Thanks

[@jansenteo656]

What about the 3T exploro review? How does this compare?

[@GravelCyclist]

Patience grasshopper. I generally don't do comparisons, that's up to the viewers to figure out.

[@silves1171]

Since you've ridden in VA... What do you think of this bike to ride in Loudon County VA, or a race like Unbound?

[@GravelCyclist]

Ride in Loudoun County, VA, yes. Unbound, yes, but only for the 100 miler. 200 miles on this bike, very stiff, not a bike I'd choose and tyre clearance isn't so hot.

[@RbrtMc1]

been wanting to get an aspero framset, what size should i get? My height is 5’8” and inseam is 30.5” should i get a 51 or a 54? Anyone please help 🙏

[@GravelCyclist]

You really should consult a local bike shop, or a fitter. I concern myself with the top tube length and head tube length, you can easily raise or lower a seatpost for proper height, add a setback seatpost / different length stem, and so on. It's easy to make a smaller bike bigger, but less so in the other direction. Good luck!

[@wheresedwin]

Can I turn this bike into a road bike By just adding road tires And also how well do you think it will perform on the road ?

[@GravelCyclist]

You could easily ride this on the road with road tyres. It is borderline a road bike already with bigger tyre clearance.

[@g.peturnielsen1787]

Can you put wider tires than 700x42 on this bike with a 2x setup? I was hoping for 44 🙂

[@GravelCyclist]

I no longer have this bike to answer your question accurately, sorry.

[@michaelscholl4541]

can u fit a framebag on the cheap model? because of the cable entry

[@GravelCyclist]

Never had an opportunity to try, sorry.

[@izzypop4005]

Dear, what to choose: cannondale topstone, aspero or specialized Diverge?? Ive broken my head...

[@GravelCyclist]

That's your decision, not mine. Sorry and good luck!

[@discoverVNmusic]

I’m in the same situation like you😂.

[@jacklauren9359]

You might also want to add parlee chebacco on your list... im in the same boat 🤣🤣🤣

[@yellowfinendurance]

what size stem do they come with, the top tubes are very long

[@GravelCyclist]

The size small came with a 90mm. I substituted it for a 110mm, then it was perfect. Additionally, I obtained a setback seatpost from Easton.

[@chefnigeltv8580]

May I ask how tall you are relation to the size of the bike? Thanks

[@diggable]

friend is selling me a 54 but i'm 5'6 and theres no 51 availavble until 4 months

[@chefnigeltv8580]

@@diggable Hey I’m 5’8 and I ride a size 51. I could go for a 54 but thats the highest limit. Size 54 is too big for you. My only issue with 51 is the toe overlap. I wonder if I have gotten the 54 would the overlap even occur. Anyway, at least you’re making a great decision. The Aspero rides like butter. The ergonomics of the sram handle bars are very comfortable. Cervelo was right about the handling. If you’re riding mainly road and moderate gravel and in search for speed, this is your bike.

[@bagushibrida9274]

is this bike is the best gravel bike ?

[@GravelCyclist]

Some people think so. I don't make statements like that, I review each bike individually.

[@mahinhinrider]

What's your height? Contemplating bet a size 48 and size 51. I'm 5'7"

[@GravelCyclist]

Look at the top tube length, leg inseam length is irrelevant as you can raise / lower a seatpost. Compare your current bike and use the stem length / seatpost setback positioning if needed to get your position close. Good luck!

[@schuey999]

How much does it weigh with SRAM AXS 1X?

[@GravelCyclist]

You will need to watch the video, the weight should be mentioned, I do not recall.

[@joniepancho946]

im a 177cm with an inseam of 77cm. what size should i get?

[@David-vb8tg]

lol

[@shibaburn7725]

It's a beautiful-looking frame, but proprietary bottom brackets suck. BB386EVO is better than Cervelo's BBright in every way. Also Cervelo frames have a history of bottom bracket issues because of poor manufacturing tolerances.

[@daledubose3032]

How tall are you? Thank you.

[@GravelCyclist]

Dale, my height doesn't have a ton of bearing on the bike size, if that's what you're asking for? I generally ignore the recommendations made by manufacturers relating to size. I care about top tube and head tube length. Seat tube, you change that by raising or lowering the seatpost. Fitting is very personal!

[@daledubose3032]

@@GravelCyclist I completely agree. I am 6 feet tall and typically ride a 56cm bike. You mentioned that this bike was a 51 and you wished that you could have tried a medium, 54 I assume. It made me curious about your height and inseam. Thanks for the review.

[@GravelCyclist]

5'11, 32" inseam, I ran a setback post and a 110mm stem. It was tight, but I made it work. As you probably know, it is easy to make a smaller bike bigger, but not so easy the other way around.

[@thelmaviaduct]

@@GravelCyclist So at 5'9" 30" inseam, would a 54 be too big for me. Currently on a 535mm TT 110mm stem GT Grade. I'm thinking a 90mm stem on 54 Aspero would give similar reach. Would you recommend it as an all day road bike on 32mm GKs??

[@drumking08]

How tall are you?

[@jacklauren9359]

Paul B how tall are you? 😂 he’s riding a 51cm and my bike fitter recommended 54 and im only around 5’5 or 165 thereabouts.

[@dougnevitt2257]

Awsome bike. What is the weight of your 51cm?

[@GravelCyclist]

18.6lbs as you see it minus pedals... I forgot to mention that in the review, but I added weight to the description. That weight also includes 2 x King Ti bottle cages.

[@dougnevitt2257]

Wow. Thanks

[@foretexas]

Cool bike, although not for me.

[@douglaslim2444]

It’s a carbon frame so u can’t thread the bb

[@GravelCyclist]

Literally, you are correct, but there have been a countless number of carbon frames with threaded bottom brackets (an insert is bonded into the frame)... some examples, Colnago C40, C50, Giant TCR, Trek OCLV...

[@smartbig1]

I just can't trust Cervelo as a brand to make a reliable gravel bike. They have no history of mtb or cx bikes and I just cannot trust them to build a solid bike for this purpose. This is coming from a guy that has owned and owns 2 cervelo road bikes and a track bike.

[@GravelCyclist]

I understand your point, but you have to ask yourself this. At some point, most brands had a first gravel bike, MTB, CX bike and so on. Do you not trust every manufacturer until they're onto generation two or three of their bike?

[@smartbig1]

@@GravelCyclist Yes exactly. Unless a manufacturer understands the demands of mtb, cyclocross and gravel cycling on a carbon bike then I cannot trust their manufacturing process to be reliable. . Cervelo cannot even get their road bikes right with cracks at the bottom bracket and broken steerer tube on the road bikes I have owned. Believe me I am not the only person with these complaints. Just check the forums. I also own a giant tcx advanced pro, giant tcr, and specialised stumpjumper and have had zero issues. Cervelo are just being opportunistic in a market they have had very little experience.

[@lanceoa]

Gravel Cyclist “Yoo-tyube” channel

[@GravelCyclist]

Australians enunciate U's a bit differently. Hope you garnered more than just my pronunciation from this review.

[@lanceoa]

@@GravelCyclist love your vids!!!