Test of the Cervélo Caledonia-5

By accumulating comfort, stability and performance, the Cervélo Caledonia-5 responds to this new practice of cycling where pure and time-based performance is not the first priority. It remains nonetheless a proven racing bike., especially among the pros on the cobbled spring classics, but whose purpose remains above all versatility and durability. For fun and adventure.

By Pierre-Maxime Branche – Photos: 3bikes and Cervélo

The Cervélo Caledonia-5 is an endurance bike, but it retains sporty lines.

During the next Tour de France, whose grand start takes place in a week, Friday July 1st from Copenhagen in Denmark, you will have very few opportunities to see it. Certainly only one, Wednesday July 6th on the 5th stage, between Lille Métropole and Arenberg Porte du Hainaut. On this 153 km course with a flat profile, the organizers had the good idea of ​​slipping 11 cobbled sectors into the last 70 kilometers. It is there, on the routes borrowed from the Hell of the North, that the Caledonia-5 could demonstrate, under the battering rams of the Belgian Wout van Aert (to name only him), its reason for being and existing in the range of the Canadian manufacturer.

On the Roubaix ring, the Caledonia-5 took 2nd place last April.. Roubaix, and more generally the cobbled classics and Strade Bianche type events, are part of its favourite terrain. The rest of the season, the riders of Jumbo-Visma, the only World Tour team equipped by Cervélo, prefer the S5 for its aerodynamic properties or the R5 for the montagne.

The Caledonia is the model balanced, comfortable and durable of the range that allows the Canadian brand to respond to this new way of consuming cycling and to these new practitioners: guys who don't just think about competition, who like long distances, being able to take some dusty or even stony sections while having some sensations when they make the watts speak or when you have to go back quickly. If you are a sprinter with big thighs looking for signs, pass your turn; if you are a climber with tapered quadriceps aiming for the summits, also. The Caledonia-5 is not the ultimate weapon for aspiring sprinters or climbers..

Each one his own route, each one has his own path

He is not devoid of ambition(s), but he adapts to each person's way of riding. Pass the message to your neighbor ", would intone Uncle David. It's a bike for outings that start at the local café (like in Italy), then take to the cycle paths to get out of urban areas (like in Strasbourg), that crisscross unstable ribbon routes (like in the Esterel massif), take the little route which leads to the foot of the mountaintag(as in the Pyrenean hills before a Soulor, for example) and then return in one go via a rapid descent with breathtaking views (as in the Vanoise). This is how Cervélo designed this frame and this model: by trying to bring together the rigidity technologies of the S5, fit big tires on an R5 and lighten an Aspéro dedicated to gravel. Nothing smooth, nothing straight, quite a program! And its name is only the confirmation, since "Caledonia Road" refers to the name of the Toronto street by which Cervélo employees return from their weekly outing and indulge in an enthusiastic final sprint. An avenue whose road surface is deteriorated, dotted with holes and tricky cracks.

Endurance geometry

The Caledonia-5 is offered in a classic storage of six sizes, from 48 to 61. The geometry is geared towards endurance, but However, it retains sporty lines with aerodynamically shaped tubes., very worked, and with all different thicknesses. The diagonal tube is oversized as is the bottom bracket. The bases and the fork tubes are thick while the seat stays are thin and lowered. They connect quite low on the seat tube to fully play their role of filtering roughness and jolts.

The overall comfort of the frame is provided by careful and calculated work on the positioning and thickness of the carbon fibers according to strategic locations and needs in terms of contortion. And only. Cervélo did not want to add any superfluous technologies or accessories. – elastomer type – and has relied solely on its engineering know-how. This is the in-house catalogue of tube shapes, drawn from its long experience on route as in triathlon, which is the attribute of each of the Cervélo frames and, here, of the Caledonia-5. When we look at it more closely, we notice that no two tubes are alike. All benefit from a personalized design, like the top tube, flat on top and rounded below. The goal: to find the compromise between stability (with a lowered bottom bracket and an increased rear wheel axle-to-bottom bracket distance), comfort and performance, in that order. Other examples are 415mm chainstays, a 74mm BB drop and a 72° head tube angle (from sizes 54 to 61, 71,5° in 51 and 70,5° in 48). On the scale, the frame weighs 936 grams and the fork 370 grams.

Generalized integration and modernity

Around the frame, nothing protrudes, from the cockpit to the rear derailleur. The Caledonia-5, in this version test in Sram Rival eTap AXS, is totally Clean with full integration, including cables, sheaths and hoses for disc brakes in the driver's stationtage. For ease of maintenance and therefore comfort of use, it has a "D" shaped fork pivot with unique rings to access the hoses and cables if necessary. It is equipped with specific integrated spacers that mean you don't have to disconnect everything to adjust the height of the stem and make it easier to adapt the Stack to the "aggressive or relaxed" position (from 580 to 687 mm) depending on your fitness or the type of event.

The bolt-on front derailleur hanger is made of high-strength aluminum alloy and attaches to the frame with two countersunk screws. It is easy to replace if damaged, just like removing it completely for installing a single chainring system.

Tire passage accepts sections up to 34 mm (31 mm in the case of using mudguards, since the Caledonia has small hidden fasteners).

The Caledonia-5 (high-end carbon version compared to the Caledonia) is offered in five variations (Dura Ace from €10, Red eTap AXS from €999, Force eTap AXS from €10, Ultegra Di499 from €7 and Rival eTap AXS from €599, our test version) and two colors (black or oasis). A frame kit is present in the catalog at the entry price of €4.

On route

The Cervélo Caledonia-5 is very versatile. Although it is only used by pros for the cobbled classics, Paris-Roubaix in particular, it is a versatile model for amateur cyclists and triathletes, for riding all season long and in all conditions. Comfort is the primary objective, but it is nonetheless a racing bike with certain qualities on all terrains.

Visually, the geometry combines classicism and modernity. For example, it is completely different from the emblematic S5, which can be guessed, just by looking, as demanding in terms of rigidity and therefore ultimately physical form. In this, the Caledonia-5 is reassuring. This is also the first impression it leaves on the route : It is a tolerant framework that accepts difficult starts to the season, fluctuating forms or failures to bring you home without flinching. Basically, it inspires confidence and the comfort felt when riding pushes you to exceed your limits, whether on the number of kilometers, on the routes borrowed or on the profile of the outings. On this side, the bet is therefore successful for the Canadian brand since it designed this bike to respond to these new consumptions and practices of cycling where the pure courier is becoming increasingly rare in favor of the adventurer, on asphalt as on paths.

So we enjoyed it frame comfort, at medium and high speeds, on the flat as well as downhill, well helped by the wide 30 mm section Tubuless Rubino Pro which also bring a lot of confidence, especially on corner shots, and well-being on the route. Vibration filtration is effective on the back of the bike and very good on the front. We feel all the absorption work of the rear triangle and especially the seat stays on the portions of routes damaged. This “hits” slightly more on the front, with the grip of the profiled hanger, on its upper part in the shape of an airplane wing.

The Caledonia-5 is a balanced frame who responds to changes in rhythm… but at his own pace! Everything is fluid and smooth. He likes gradual acceleration rather than abrupt starts. We feel deliberately limited rigidity so as not to break the cyclist over time, but on the contrary to push him to go even further. We must remember the essence of this bike: the idea is to reach Roubaix. It is not to win at the top of the Stelvio or to win the first mass sprint on the Tour. This contained rigidity does not prevent you from putting in occasional intensity on the flat or on the climb because it keeps its promise of carbon frame designed with HM fibersIts weight of 935 g is not the lightest on the market, but it does not feel like a limit.

During our test, the real obstacle to the full expression of the Caledonia-5 was its running gear. With the DT Swiss E1800 32 Spline Tubeless Ready (aluminium) which are standard with the montage Sram Rival eTap AXS, it is difficult to push the frame to its limits, as is the case for example when restarting. Even when keeping a little speed, these wheels are not its first asset and this is verified on descents, when exiting hairpins. Once launched, and to the extent that we are not in the presence of a pure performance frame, the Caledonia-5 does the job, but this is more due to the qualities of the frame than to those of the wheels, which do not transmit all the energy used when pedaling. It's even more obvious on false flats and short hills when you have to use your watts. The bike lacks pep and responsiveness. It's a shame, but it's also what keeps the bill down to around €5. Not bad, considering how much bike prices have skyrocketed! A second pair of wheels, more aerodynamic and responsive, will be welcome if you want to push the performance side or be at the start of a granfondo with the idea of ​​playing the ranking.

Over the kilometers, the Cervélo Caledonia-5 leaves an impression of ease and maneuverability. In our test version, it is backed by the very pleasant Sram Rival eTap AXS groupset mentioned above. The American OEM's 12-speed wireless electronic transmission is beyond reproach, whether we are talking about gear changes or braking, both biting and silent.

To stick to the philosophy of the bike, the development range is extremely wide with a 48×35 double chainring in front and a 10-36 cassette in the back. In other words, you can face all the routes. The levers fit into the general comfort of the bike with a pleasant and wide grip.

The Caledonia-5 Rival eTap AXS loves long endurance or rhythmic sessions where he will prioritize your durability on the saddle. He demonstrates a comfort, An excellent stability on descents. The direction is responsive, frank and precise in the series of bends. It is easy to correct its trajectories. It is pleasant, reassuring and it makes you want to have fun in the bends, all the more so with this wide tire section. Due to its characteristics and equipment, it inevitably marks time on the climbs. A disadvantagetagand unless you want to take it easy, without hitting the engine. To energize it, you just need to opt for higher and more responsive wheels and reduce the tire section a little to give yourself a new range of expression. Finally, as it is mounted, you can also try it out, without fear, on "clean" gravel segments. From adventure to adventure.

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