Cervelo P5 Red AXS 1 Bike

The Cervelo P5 Red AXS 1 Bike is Cervelo's flagship time trial and triathlon bike, built for one job: covering the distance from point A to point B as quickly as possible. It is the bike Cervelo points to when it talks about the P5's role in Team Jumbo-Visma's Giro d'Italia and Tour de France wins in 2023, and it is just as comfortable on the Big Island as it is in a Grand Tour time trial.

A front end built around adjustability

The biggest change on the current P5 is the cockpit. The one-piece front end, first used on Cervelo's S5, is simpler to assemble and adjust than the multi-part setups it replaces. Stack can be raised by up to 40mm, while the basebar sits 10mm lower than before to reduce frontal area. The extensions now tilt from 0 to 30 degrees, and Cervelo says the riser gives you more adjustment range than the previous design.

That matters because a fast tri position is one you can hold. A rider who is still building flexibility, or who is working toward a more aggressive position over a season, can change the setup in small steps without replacing parts. The P5 also now comes in a size 61, which gives taller riders a better starting point for their fit. Cervelo's online sizing calculator takes your pad stack, pad reach and saddle height and shows which frame sizes and riser settings will work for you.

Room for modern wheels and tires

Cervelo designed this generation around the idea that the frame should get faster as wheel and tire technology improves. The frame and fork have clearance for a tire up to 34mm wide when it is paired with wide wheels, which Cervelo says improves aerodynamics and reduces rolling resistance. This build ships with Reserve 77 front and 88 rear TA carbon wheels on DT Swiss 180 hubs, wrapped in tubeless-compatible Vittoria Corsa Pro 29mm tires. Those deep rims are the sort of setup you want on a flat or rolling course where aero gains add up over a long effort.

SRAM Red AXS in a 1x configuration

The drivetrain is SRAM Red AXS with a single 50-tooth chainring up front and a 10-33 12-speed cassette in the back. The crankset has a built-in power meter, so you can pace by watts without adding anything. The bar-end Blip controllers keep shifting within reach whether you are on the basebar or down on the extensions, and the wireless setup means no shift cables to route through a cockpit that is already tightly packaged. Braking comes from SRAM Red aero hydraulic disc calipers with Paceline X rotors. A 1x setup gives up some gear range compared with a double, so look at the courses you race and the 10-33 cassette before you commit to this build.

Built for the full triathlon

Cervelo notes that half the battle in a triathlon is taking in enough calories to run well off the bike, and the P5 is equipped accordingly. This build includes an aero water bottle with cage, a rear hydration mount, stem storage, and a Smartpak top tube storage bag, along with a LEAP shift set for the extensions. Pedals are not included, so you can fit the pedal system you already use. A Fizik Transiro Aeris saddle and a carbon SP23 seatpost round out the contact points.

The P5 is the right choice for a rider who races against the clock, whether that is a long-course triathlete or a time trial specialist, and who wants a bike with the adjustment range to dial in a position and the clearance to keep improving the setup with newer wheels.