In 2019, Áspero took the gravel world by storm, heralding a “new era of speed in gravel.” Fun, but flat out. The new Áspero remains true to its original brief, but with some improvements: a threaded BB shell, neater cable routing, and a UDH-compatible derailleur hanger for those who want to use SRAM’s Transmission drivetrains. And it’s more aero, of course. In the case of Áspero, aerodynamic performance is less about pure speed as a result of drag reduction, and more about conservation of energy. After a big day in a headwind, the three watts saved over the previous Aspero might add up to one less energy gel your stomach has to digest—WORTH IT.
In addition to the drag reduction, we also dropped the seat stays to give a bit more compliance out back, and reduced front-end stiffness slightly to make the last hours of a long race less painful. Between those dropped seat stays, we added in a bit more clearance for mud, too, taking what we learned from R5-CX (and the Unbound mudfest in 2023). It’s a lot of seemingly small improvements, but they add up to a lot. The result is a bike that feels a lot like the original Áspero, but is faster, more comfortable, and more versatile.
Aspero uses the asymmetrical T47a threaded bottom bracket we pioneered on R5-CX. It’s a simple, rider-serviceable interface that allows us to deliver the benefits of BBRight in a more user-friendly form.
We used SRAM’s Universal Derailleur Hanger (UDH) standard on the new Aspero. It’s ideal if you want to live your best ‘business in the front, party in the back’ life with one of SRAM’s Transmission drivetrains today, and ensures compatibility for future drivetrain developments.
Aspero shares the same bearing dimensions as R5, Soloist, R5-CX, and Caledonia, which means you can use any combination of bearing caps and stems. Want a super-racy, fully-internal look? Grab the ST31 and HB13 from R5.
FORK - Cervélo All-Carbon, Tapered Aspero Fork
HEADSET - FSA IS2 1-1/4 x 1-1/2
STEM - Cervélo ST36 Alloy, w Cable Management
HANDLEBAR - Cervélo AB09 Carbon, 31.8mm clamp, 16 degree flare
SEATPOST - SRAM Centerline Centerlock
SADDLE - Cervélo SP19 Carbon 27.2
SHIFTERS - SRAM Rival AXS, 12 speed
BRAKE CALIPERS - SRAM Rival
REAR DERAILLEUR - SRAM Rival XPLR AXS, 12 speed
CASSETTE - SRAM Rival XPLR, 10-44, 12 Speed
CHAIN - SRAM Rival, 12 speed
CRANKSET - SRAM Rival, 40T, DUB Wide
BOTTOM BRACKET - SRAM DUB Wide, T47 BBright
WHEELS - Front: Reserve 40, 25.5mm IW, Zipp 76, 24H, centerlock, tubeless compatible Rear: Reserve 44, 25mm IW, Zipp 176,12x142mm, XDR freehub, 24H, centerlock, tubeless compatible
THRU AXLES - Cervelo Aero Thru-Axles, 12x100/142
TIRES - WTB Vulpine TCS Light Fast Rolling Dual DNA 60tpi 700x40c