Cervélo Aspero Apex XPLR AXS 1x Gravel Bike
The Bilsland Verdict: "The Aspero is an all out, off road, drop bar racer that takes Cervelo's expertise in speed off of the tarmac and into the dirt. Take gravel events to a new level of seriously fast fun and be prepared to not just take part, but compete. Combined with Srams new Apex XLPR AXS groupset for sleek wireless shifting so you never miss a chance to up the pace"
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, Cervelo 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, they added in a bit more clearance for mud, too, taking what they 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.
Original: $5,634.72
-70%$5,634.72
$1,690.42
Description
The Bilsland Verdict: "The Aspero is an all out, off road, drop bar racer that takes Cervelo's expertise in speed off of the tarmac and into the dirt. Take gravel events to a new level of seriously fast fun and be prepared to not just take part, but compete. Combined with Srams new Apex XLPR AXS groupset for sleek wireless shifting so you never miss a chance to up the pace"
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, Cervelo 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, they added in a bit more clearance for mud, too, taking what they 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.
