Cervelo P5 Sneak Peek/Test Ride.

I was impressed.

Firstly, it is an entirely new fit methodology, and one that makes sense. Instead of positioning the cockpit with headset spacers there are engineered fit solutions. One of the most significant technological advances from Cervelo has nothing to do with the bike itself, but rather, how the bike is fitted and adapted to the rider. For instance, I dialed the bike in to my exact stack and reach for triathlon in less than 10 minutes using no spacers or extra stems. Simple. Brilliant.

The brakes take Cervelo from zero to hero. They aren't the best aero bike brakes, they are the best road brakes. Period. The Magura hydraulics feel fantastic, deliver great modulation and can stop on a dime. If you ever rode the brakes on the P4, which were very poor, this is an incredible shift. Cervelo totally went outside the box here. Literally and figuratively. The new hydraulic brakes are maintenance free, extremely light, modulate well and stop with eye-popping power. Nice.

Ride quality: Good to very good. Hard to tell with these wheels on it. Stiffness is there, it climbs and steers. Nice and stable in aero. Rear end feels good. This bike has Di2 so shifting is laser guided.

There is so much here to talk about. I've been writing two articles related to the bike for different media outlets for 3 weeks. Super interesting. It's the kind of story that only comes around every 3-4 years.

Honestly, the P4 wasn't a great bike. The P3 is an icon it is so good and same with the P2. The P5 is poised to be another bike that will change peoples' expectations for a bike. No more excuses for bad braking and difficult flight case packing or difficult fitting. It one-ups the new Treks and Specialized bikes which were previously much better than the Cervelo P4. In many ways, Cervelo caught- and passed- the other brands after falling well behind with the P4.

In fairness the P4 was out first and still stacks up well against the competitors.

As a P4 owner, I'll say that I too, originally had trouble with getting the rear brake adjusted.  Very minor adjustment (basically, a washer) allowed it to get the correct clearance and stopping power.

That said, getting in there and actually working on the thing is a hassle.  I'm curious if the P5 has made it more accessible / adjustable.

How so?

With P5 there is effectively zero brake maintenance. None. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Even for flight casing. You set the brakes up, they adjust with a barrel adjuster, work with all width wheels including new wider wheels like HED and Zipp Firecrest. The hydraulic system is sealed and stays sealed. It's impressive.

The issues with P4 flight casing were more issues with the central issue to P4: Rear brake. While P4 rode great and is very aerodynamic is wasn't as "fit-able" as P5 and the rear brake was difficult to adjust and work on. It took practice and only those with proficiency were truly good at it.

I'd say P4 broke a lot of ground in terms of component integration and aerodynamics. It wasn't an easy bike to own for the rank n' file, non-bike mechanic triathlete. At least, it wasn't as easy to adminster at the P5 is.

Of course it wasn't. Yet, according to your first look:

You know, I have no idea when they will be available. Some representations have been made but I can't speak to how dynamic those may be.

Your local Cervelo dealer is likely your best resource for that information.

I got to play with one a little bit last month at the regional endurance expo. I was there when they were setting up the Cervelo booth, and I had met our rep before, so I got to see him unpack and set up the bike. I'm a good Cervelo customer, I have a P2 and R3.

The bike is beautiful and clearly was the hit of the show. I think they are going to have trouble keeping up with demand. Hopefully their acquisition by Pon will allow them to pay their suppliers and provide better business infrastructure, allowing them to focus on engineering and building bikes.

Coincidentally Its got the Polish national flag colors on it, love it. My home country!!! 

Dang, laser guided shifting, she looks fast enough just sitting still.

 This is motivation to train/bike harder.

Wonder/Hoping she'll fit me just right.

One little booger of the shifting on P5:

P5 uses a new hydraulic brake system co-designed by Magura and Cervelo. It is quite impressive. The levers are excellent: Excellent feel, even a designed-in aerodynamic component to the brake lever.

But you can't use asecond Di2 shifter on the base bars with the Magura/Cervelo hydraulic brake. So you can't have shifters on your base bars and on your aero extensions simultaneously. That's an advantage to Di2 and that capability doesn't exist on P5.

Yet.

Pretty good day for Cervelo at IM Melbourne:

Woman: Caroline Steffan #1 on a P4, Rachel Joyce #2 on a P5

Men: Frederik Van Lierde #3 on a P5, Dave Dellow #5 on a P5

Shame they couldn't get Steffan set up on the P5 in time.

Pretty good day for Cervelo:

Woman: Caroline Steffan #1 on a P4, Rachel Joyce #2 on a P5