The Cervélo P5 arrives in Force

The “new” P5, which appeared in July 2024 and has already won several time trials, including the recent team time trial at the very latest Paris Nice, is now available in a new version. It was already available on the market in Shimano Ultegra Di2 and Dura-Ace versions, as well as Sram Red, and is now available in a new Sram Force version.

Source: press release

The P5 Sram Force has been available in stores since the beginning of April, in limited quantities with 180 units for all of Europe.

The P5 is a time trial machine. It is made for one thing: to help you go as fast as possible between point A and point B.

Cervélo started with 30 years of aerodynamic expertise and gathered feedback from elite triathletes and Tour de France champions to make it a faster, more adjustable, and more comfortable racing machine.

As built, the new P5 is about 5 watts faster than the old one. A large part of this gain comes from the wheels – there isn’t much additional optimization within UCI design limits. But Cervélo has freed up space in the fork and between the seatstays to accommodate a new generation of wider, faster wheels, such as the Reserve 77/88. Paired with a 29 mm tire, these wheels are not only more aerodynamic, but the larger volume tire also reduces rolling resistance.

The new one-piece front end (first seen on the S5) is simpler to assemble and adjust, and the height is now adjustable up to 40 mm, while the Basebar height decreases by 10 mm to minimize the frontal area. The new Risebar allows for tilt adjustment from 0 to 30 degrees, in 5-degree increments.

Simplicity and Adjustability

The new P5 frame is about one watt more aerodynamic than the previous model and can accommodate 34 mm tires. This means more room for the new Reserve 77/88 wheels and 29 mm Vittoria tires, saving approximately 4 watts compared to the previous Reserve/Vittoria setup, for a total saving of about 5 watts.

Speed

The new P5 armrests and pads are wider, taller, and thicker than before. Significantly more comfortable, they also greatly increase confidence. A larger support surface allows for better control, which means more time in the most aerodynamic position possible.

Comfort and Control

The new fastback seatpost design reduces vertical stiffness by approximately 22% (while maintaining the lateral stiffness necessary for power transfer).
The TT position is not the most comfortable (to say the least), but the new P5 will allow you to arrive fresher in T2.