The BEST Of Both Worlds - Why The Cervelo Soloist Is BETTER Than Its Tour de France Siblings

What happens when you combine a Cervelo S5 aero bike and R5 lightweight climbing bike in a road bike specifically designed for the competitive amateur racer? We reckon it looks a lot like the Cervelo Soloist! A road bike designed to be both aero and lightweight without sacrificing durability, serviceability or looks, is this the best road bike you can buy in 2023?
Fresh off the back of winning the 2023 Tour de France, we've had a chance to ride Cervelo's answer to a one-bike garage, the Soloist takes all of Cervelo's World Tour pedigree and claims to be the perfect answer for "week-in, week-out riders and racers who can only justify one high-performance bike."
Read our full independent review here: road.cc/content/review/cervel...
Find out more about the Cervelo Soloist at: www.cervelo.com/en-GB/bikes/s...
This video contains paid promotion on behalf of Cervelo
⚫️ Other videos that might interest you
Best road bikes of 2022
🎦 • Best road bikes 2022 |...
⚫️ In this video
0:00 Introduction
(Video chapters)
⚫️ Check out our other channels
On the Web
▶️ road.cc
Instagram
▶️ / road.cc
Twitter
▶️ / roadcc
Facebook
▶️ / ​​
Podcast
▶️ road.cc/tags/podcast

[@jms493]

I find it best to build it yourself. Get some lightweight wheels, tubes, tires and Carbon bar and stem. It should be around 17 lbs but you could get it down to 16 lbs but then you gotta pay.

[@HoldenDoesBikeStuff]

amazing bike! Love mine

[@DaM.1]

Wow, you really didn't try to hide that this video was an ad

[@ynie1]

What cycling media isn't an ad these days?

[@michaelacedeno]

It’s low hanging fruit

[@rcg9573]

LOL, how true indeed.

[@rcg9573]

@@ynie1 Hambini's channel.

[@MarkArthur]

I have one and it's amazing!

[@rcg9573]

LOL

[@user-cx2bk6pm2f]

Space for 34mm tires. Excellent. I think less then 5 or 10 % would run such tires but nice to have the option.

[@ynie1]

Theoretically speaking, you could fit 32mm tires and also have decent room for mud clearance.

[@rd_rae]

Still love my S3, frameset cost 2.6k back then

[@ilanpi]

The phone booth lives!

[@markrskinner]

Threaded BB 😀

[@carlfrancis8565]

You sold it to me at 'threaded BB'👍

[@Mububban23]

$7k, $9.7k and $10k models in Australia. I don't doubt it's a wonderful bike and a great all-rounder, but I'm sadly not in the income bracket to afford one 😞

[@jarrodfife242]

2.4k got a new frame is really good though

[@stevekelly6544]

You can get the 105 complete build for $3400-

[@jarrodfife242]

@@stevekelly6544 that’s good

[@jasperyildirim5108]

People see a $ sign and automatically think USD

[@SimonGoesSideways]

Why do Cervelo say this is bike for people who aren’t world tour fit yet give it the same stack/reach as the S5? Doesn’t make sense..

[@nicktham1244]

How tjis compared to Canyon Ultimate?

[@derekwalsh4583]

what is the assembled length ?

[@Bonboy2012]

Wow you’re really gonna make me google how much it costs?

[@jms493]

$2700 USD

[@Bonboy2012]

@@jms493 yea $2700 for the frame-set. The cheapest complete bike is the 105 model for $3400.

[@user-cx2bk6pm2f]

This is a goddam winner! Brillianrt design choices made throughout! Compatible with electronic and mechanical? Fantastic!! Maybe the only bike in the world that does this.

[@azk_182]

How about trek emonda, domane, previous look 795 blade, same idea

[@a.mueller5188]

Definitely not the only one. My Radon Vaillant supports this as well and frankly, most recent road bikes with mechanical groupsets can also be used with electronic groupsets.

[@user-cx2bk6pm2f]

I had no idea! As much as I love electronic, I appreciate having the option for mechanical!

[@a.mueller5188]

@@user-cx2bk6pm2f 100% agreed. As much as I love eTap, having the option to switch to mechanical if I am after the simplicity or the weight savings is huge. Kind of sad to see many frames going electronic only without the bold design choices to legitimise it though.

[@user-cx2bk6pm2f]

@@a.mueller5188 I hear ya. In 5 or 10 years will mechanical even be around? I think it's possible and maybe that's ok. But for now, I still like mechanical 😀👍

[@biscottigelato8574]

Only if you can find the white Alpenglow color in stock...

[@brittle1]

it was good enough to take 2nd place at this year's Paris-Roubaix Edit: alright he took 3rd place, point still stands. Good enough for a podium how about that 😭

[@stephenchu1115]

3rd place. Two Canyons beat WVA because he flatted his Vittoria Corsa Control tubeless tire when he attacked on one of the last cobbled sections. The two Canyons had the same tires as WVA but likely different tire pressures and widths. But that info is not available. Team JV seemed to have a lot of flats that day. The Canyon guys didn't. So likely tire pressure and width. Team JV didn't do it right.

[@HoldenDoesBikeStuff]

I’m surprised more breakaway artists, don’t use these bikes more often. Not specifically soloists, but the soloist style of light and aero, but not dedicated to either.

[@rcg9573]

A rider took 2nd place, not a frameset dummy. 🙂

[@user-cx2bk6pm2f]

So many bikes come standard with Selle Itlalia saddles, Cervelo and Canyon, likely other brands as well? Im heartened to see makers pushing such quality equipment; the SLR Boost may be the finest saddle ever made.

[@ynie1]

YES! I found them through Cade media, and switched all my bikes to them.

[@HoldenDoesBikeStuff]

I never gave them a shot, but it’s more comfortable than my S-works power saddle!!

[@rcg9573]

LOL

[@FooFahFoeFum]

Do 30 mm clincher tires exist. Larger than 28 and smaller than 32.

[@stevekelly6544]

Yes- 30mm width is available in most major tire brands -

[@nicktham1244]

Agree before i watch it

[@theniceoyster]

I got this few months ago and it’s the best bike!! 😭

[@rcg9573]

LOL

[@Millicente]

So with all the praise for the sl7 which is better

[@kevingregoire1042]

I feel like mechanical fans are treated like rim brakes fans, but both don’t share the same dogmatism on improvements, durability, braking to stay alive, and wheels improvements ??? Or maybe posh riders who know nothing about using a simple twisty tool want to buy credibility threw trash talk over the budget home mechanics who can fix the kids and granny bikes, and don’t want to charge or monitor another device’s battery or cell, like lights, sensors, shifters, derailleurs, cardiometers, gps computer, cellphone, power meters (the price of a bike) and all the five dongle fest to charge electronic s. Not everyone has a batcave a dream garage, or a dedicated place of cult in a mansion for their bike and

[@thejakwob]

Super useful review! Thank you, even if it is an ad, who cares, you’re helping people out by trying the bikes for us before we buy them.

[@TheRainmanBachelor]

These crashes and whacko pileups, etc in the pro tours are happening bc of extreme positions/marginal gains. Atmo. So this looks awesome.

[@Immortal__]

£3.5k for 105 groupset... ye.. no.

[@matthewlewis2072]

"Its"

[@nationsnumber1chump]

Is it faster than a Giant Propel?

[@DerekGreen123]

You can't expect them to compare it to other brands, when they are filming an advertisement 🤷

[@joseluisgarciahernandez656]

Depende de tus piernas

[@ynie1]

Honestly, the fastest bike is which ever bike you can put out the most power while holding an aero position. Remember, the VAST majority of the aero drag comes from the rider.

[@rcg9573]

Bikes are not faster, riders are dummy. 🙂

[@rams.11]

The only terrible thing about this bike is that my poor student ass can't afford it

[@azk_182]

Too much advertisement

[@socopower]

Should be called cervelo boring…

[@johnhirka654]

Just bought an sworks venge from 2015 with dura ace di2 that is 14.8 lbs and would rip this apart riders being equal Save money and buy ten times the bike for 1/3 the price

[@RyonBeachner]

eh, I’d take a new soloist over an old venge. It’s more comfortable, not meaningfully different in terms of aero, and I’d rather have disc than rim brakes. Also, to get an older venge down to 15lbs, you’re running some shallow wheels that don’t really fit the bikes purpose.

[@ynie1]

Nice! I got that bike when it first came out. For the most part, I loved riding it since it was stupidly fast. That being said, I definitely ran into a few issues mostly from the OSBB bottom bracket and the proprietary crankset. If you can handle the rough ride, it's a fantastic bike. Unfortunately, the roads in my area are a bit too rough, and my back/hands just aren't up for the ride.

[@johnhirka654]

@@RyonBeachner roval clx 40 It’s actually 15lb clean New pedals slightly heavier

[@johnhirka654]

@@ynie1 never found it too harsh Run 25 without issue I kind of like the feedback But I hear ya Just kinda tired of these identical frames being cranked out and frankly they’re unresponsive and slow feeling Hated my sl6 tarmac disc Found it a slug in comparison

[@johnhirka654]

@@RyonBeachner also not saying the soloist is in any way a “bad” bike - after all it’s all about the feeling you get opening your garage :-) just that the bikes of the early and mid 2000’s had a certain quality and character that they lack severely today YMMV

[@chrisstrider]

The original was made famous by Tyler Hamilton his broken collarbone and ground teeth

[@ynie1]

What bike these days doesn't have at least a dozen World Tour riders with broken collar bones attached to them (looking at you Wilier).

[@Ryezn5057]

Someone link me an aliexpress clone 😂

[@cbb3062]

Unfortunately its super heavy for the price should have been much lighter.

[@dainiusvysniauskas2049]

Define super heavy, lmao. The frameset weights roughly 100 grams more than S-Works SL7 that costs twice as much

[@jms493]

If cervelo made it lighter than the r5…nobody would buy the r5. It’s built to fill a slot in their product line.

[@cbb3062]

@jms493 I thought it was heavier than the r5 the r5 online was 8kg on the dot and the solsit was 8.3kg but mabey it was do to different components

[@chrisstrider]

….just like me😅

[@cbb3062]

@dainiusvysniauskas2049 umm the full build I found was like 8.3kg so idk if the components on that build heavy

[@mohamadjamil3164]

I did not like this frame. My eyes are for the s5

[@darrinschwarz7446]

That saddle sucks.

[@ynie1]

If you have narrower hips, it's great! I have the saddles on both my road and gravel bikes.

[@johntrussell7228]

That thumbnail photo is probably the worst I've ever seen. Almost didn't click on this video because it's so bad.

[@hymen0callis]

I only clicked to see whether someone would point out the wrongly placed apostrophe.