Cervélo updates Áspero gravel bike to be "faster, more comfortable, and more versatile" - we've ridden it and here's what we think so far

TL;DR - here's what you need to know

• Cervélo boasts a 3-watt drag reduction at 48km/h (30mph)

• Frame redesigned (including dropped seatstays) for greater comfort

• Front-end stiffness reduced slightly for comfort

• Switch to a T47 threaded bottom bracket

• Neater cable routing than previously

• UDH-compatible rear derailleur hanger

Cervélo launched the original Áspero in 2019 as a bike designed for gravel racing or generally covering mixed terrain at speed. Whereas some gravel bikes chase versatility or prowess across technical terrain, the Áspero was unashamedly performance-orientated. Cervélo then introduced the Áspero-5 a couple of years later; a lighter version with internal cable routing and a larger price tag. 

> Cervélo launches Áspero-5 for even more speed off-road

Cervélo has increased the clearance on the new Áspero but if you want an upright geometry and a zillion mounts to help when you head off on an overnight adventure, look away now. Cervélo's strap line for the Áspero has always been 'haul ass, not cargo', and that still sums up the approach here.

What else has Cervélo changed?

First, the seatstays are dropped a little further than previously. In other words, they join the seat tube a bit further down. Why? It's a comfort thing. Like many other brands, Cervélo reckons it can provide more rear-end compliance in this way. It has also slimmed the profile of the down tube, again for greater compliance.

> Best gravel bikes 2024 — adventure-ready rides for leaving the tarmac behind 

While we're on the subject, the seat tube shaping is new too. It was cutaway around the leading edge of the rear wheel previously, but now the cutaway extends all the way up to the seatstay junction. 

Cervélo says that it has reduced front-end stiffness "to make the last hours of a long race less painful" while increasing stiffness at the bottom bracket, although not to the level of the Áspero 5.

In terms of geometry, Cervélo has tweaked things. The chainstays are slightly longer than previously (up from 420mm to 425mm) for greater tyre clearance, but the important fit measurements of stack and reach are unchanged across all six sizes.

Standover heights have been reduced. On the 56cm bike that we have in for review, it is down from 788mm to 757mm (measured 5cm in front of the bottom bracket). That's a fair old chunk. As well as giving you more room if you need to get your feet down in a hurry, this means that there's a greater amount of seatpost (27.2mm diameter) extending out of the frame than previously for a given saddle height. The result, Cervélo says, is more flex and comfort.

The fact that the Áspero is designed for speed is reflected in the geometry. The head tube on the 56cm model in for review is a short 159mm while the effective top tube is 575mm, which is pretty long for a bike of this size. The distance to the handlebar is reined in a little by a shortish (but not exactly stumpy) 90mm stem. 

The stack on this size is 580mm while the reach is 397mm, giving a stack/reach of 1.46. That suggests an aggressive setup, and that's exactly what you get.

Why run a long top tube and a short stem, as opposed to a shorter top tube and a longer stem? Cervélo prefers to offer reduced toe overlap with the front wheel. Plus, like several other big brands, it's after the more stable handling that a shorter stem provides over technical terrain.

If you want to shift from 700C to 650B wheels, you still have a two-position chip in the Trailmixer fork dropout to alter the trail. The idea is that you flip the chip to keep the handling consistent (various other brands have their own systems that aim to do the same thing). The rearward position increases trail for increased stability and, Cervélo says, is best suited to smaller wheels.

Cervélo has switched from its own BBRight bottom bracket to the asymmetrical T47a BB that it already uses on its R5-CX cyclocross bike.

"It's a simple, rider-serviceable interface that allows us to deliver the benefits of BBRight in a more user-friendly form," says Cervélo.

It also says that the oversized BB shell increases surface area leading to improved structural stiffness, and there's no drive-side interference with power meters.

Previously, the Áspero's cables (if it had any) and hoses ran partially externally, but everything is much more hidden away now. I mean, you can find them if you really look, but they're inconspicuous. The hoses go underneath the handlebar, a bolt-on clip holds them to the underside of the stem, and they go into the frame via the headset cover. They run down a D-shaped fork steerer and eventually emerge next to their respective callipers. 

The hoses don't run through any headset spacers you have fitted. This makes for relatively easy front-end height adjustment. You wouldn't need to redo your brake hoses to take a spacer out, for example. The hoses sit in a channel on the underside of the handlebar rather than running inside it, so switching to a different bar width would be pretty straightforward too. 

"Áspero shares the same bearing dimensions as R5, Soloist, R5-CX, and Caledonia, which means you can use any combination of bearing caps and stems," says Cervélo. "Want a super-racy, fully-internal look? Grab the ST31 and HB13 from R5."

These components would lower the front end by 7mm, although they're compatible only with electronic groupsets - whereas the Áspero itself is compatible, and available, with mechanical shifting too.

One other change is that Cervélo has switched to a Universal Derailleur Hanger out back, although it seems to have mixed thoughts on the subject.

"SRAM made everyone want to step on their derailleurs when they introduced the Transmission mountain bike drivetrains in 2023," Cervélo says. "It seems unnecessary, no matter who made your derailleur, but Áspero uses the Universal Derailleur Hanger (UDH) standard in case you want to try."

Okay, tell us how you really feel. Cervélo has also dropped both chainstays for increased chainring clearance. You can now fit a 46t single chainring.

Several features carry over from the original Áspero. As well as the flip chip trail adjusting fork mentioned above, the bike is compatible with dropper seat posts and comes with a bento box on the top tube and three water bottle mounts. You also get a built-in down tube protector - a rubbery shield designed to protect the carbon frame from pinging stones.

How does the Áspero compare with the Áspero-5

As mentioned up top, Cervélo introduced the Áspero-5 back in 2021, so how does the updated Áspero compare? 

"Áspero-5 is for the all-out racer that prioritises weight," says Cervélo. "It is a stiff handling off-road bike".

The Áspero-5 is stiffer at both the bottom bracket and the head tube. It's a touch lighter too. Cervélo says that the Áspero-5's frame weighs 990g while the fork is 458g. The new Áspero's frame is a claimed 1,141g and the fork is 452g. 

Cervélo Áspero builds

The new Cervélo Áspero is available in six different builds:

Cervélo Áspero Rival XPLR AXS 1

Groupset SRAM Rival XPLR AXS

Wheels Reserve 40/44

Price £5,200

Cervélo Áspero GRX RX820

Groupset Shimano GRX RX820

Wheels Fulcrum Rapid Red 300

Price £4,400

Cervélo Áspero XPLR AXS 1

Groupset SRAM Apex XPLR AXS 1

Wheels Fulcrum Rapid Red 300

Price £4,200

Cervélo Áspero Apex XPLR 1

Groupset SRAM Apex XPLR 1

Wheels Alexrims Boondocks 7D

Price £3,100

Cervélo Áspero GRX RX610

Groupset Shimano GRX RX610 (2x)

Wheels Alexrims Boondocks 7D

Price £3,100

Cervélo Áspero GRX RX610 1

Groupset Shimano GRX RX610 1 (1x)

Wheels Alexrims Boondocks 7D

Price £3,000

All models come with Smartpak 400A Top Tube Storage - a little container that bolts in place just behind the stem, and WTB Vulpine TCS (Tubeless Compatible System) 700 x 40mm tyres. Cervélo says that the maximum tyre clearance is 46mm.

Early impressions

We've had the Cervélo Áspero XPLR AXS 1 - the £4,200 model - for a couple of weeks now; not long enough for a complete test, but sufficient time to have formed some early impressions.

I've had the chance to ride this bike four or five times so far, mostly blasts of an hour and something each, with one of about three hours. That longer one was out from my place, around the Imber Perimeter Path on Salisbury Plain, and home again. I've ridden gravel, chalk, dirt tracks and a bit of tarmac.

The first thing to say is that this is a bike that likes to go fast. The whole setup is designed for racing or, at least, getting a shift on. You don't have to be constantly pinning it but dawdling isn't really the Áspero's thing. That's mostly down to the frame geometry which, as I mentioned above, puts you into quite a low and stretched ride position. It's an aggressive setup. If you're coming from a road bike and want to hang on to the fit and feel, you're going to get on well with this bike.

Get down on the drops and the Áspero flies on gravel and other hardpack surfaces. I've been getting along with the Cervélo AB09 Carbon handlebar really well. It strikes a good balance between stiffness and vibration damping and the flared drops mean it measures 50cm wide at the ends, so you get plenty of control when you tuck down and turn up the power. 

Coming in at 8.77kg on the road.cc Scales of Truth, the Áspero is pretty lightweight for a bike with a fourth-tier (SRAM Apex XPLR AXS 1) groupset. It changes pace and sprints eagerly, and it's lively on the hills. With a 40-tooth chainset matched to an 11-44-tooth cassette, it has managed to get up everything I've stuck in its way without too much drama - even the super-steep muddy track through the woods that I save for special occasions.

The limiting factor on that kind of stuff is the depth of the tread from the 40mm WTB Vulpine TCS tyres. It does dig into soft earth, but it's not very deep. These tyres are designed for gravel and that's definitely where they're at their best.

Comfort isn't something I've especially thought about on my rides so far, and that's usually a good sign. You usually notice comfort when it's lacking.

I'm not sure how much difference Cervélo's new seatstay design makes but the sloping top tube means you're likely to have loads of seatpost extending out of the frame to smooth over lumps, bumps, and rough surfaces.

The tyres are set up tubeless on the Fulcrum Rapid Red 300 wheels, so you can run them at low pressures without worrying about pinch flats, and the deep top sections of the Cervélo AB09 Carbon handlebar distribute pressure when you're riding with your hands up there.

So far, then, impressions have been positive. Just bear in mind, though, that Cervélo hasn't tried to create a do-it-all, jack-of-all-trades gravel bike here. The Áspero is designed for fast blasts and racing, not for hauling big loads on an adventure, but what it lacks in versatility it makes up for in all-out speed. 

We'll be back with a full review on road.cc soon.