Cervelo Soloist Force AXS Bike

The Cervelo Soloist Force AXS Bike puts the same aero-focused Soloist frame under a SRAM Force AXS build, giving riders most of what the flagship Red AXS version offers at a lower price point. Cervelo built this generation of the Soloist for racers who aren't chasing pro-tour contracts — the ones getting a ride in before work, showing up for the Tuesday night group ride, or driving hours to make a Saturday start line. It's a road bike built around the idea that racing is something you make time for, not something you watch on television.

The frame carries the Soloist's aero engineering regardless of build. Cervelo reworked the head tube and fork legs to run deeper, and reshaped the bottom bracket junction to shield the rear wheel from airflow, cutting 8.6 watts of drag compared to the outgoing Soloist. Riders who use the included Cervelo WB003 aero bottles and cages pick up another 4.3 watts on top of that. Those gains show up most on long, sustained efforts — chasing back onto a group after a mechanical, holding a breakaway, or just covering more ground for the same output on a solo ride.

Where this build differs from the range-topping version is in the groupset and finishing kit. SRAM's Force AXS E1 delivers the same 12-speed electronic shifting logic as Red AXS, with hydraulic disc brakes, a 48/35 chainring pairing, and a 10-33 cassette, at a lower weight penalty than mechanical Force but a step below Red in overall heft. The crankset integrates a power meter as standard, so structured training data comes with the bike rather than as an upgrade. Reserve's 42TA front and 49TA rear carbon wheels roll on DT Swiss 350 hubs — a more affordable hub than the 240 series on the Red AXS build, but built from the same Turbulent Aero program that shapes these rims using real-world wind data rather than pure wind-tunnel numbers, aimed at stability in the crosswinds riders actually ride through.

The cockpit stays consistent with the rest of the Soloist range: a Cervelo HB18 one-piece carbon handlebar and stem for a cleaner, more aero front end than a traditional two-piece setup, paired with an SP27 carbon seatpost tuned to add some flex for comfort without sacrificing power transfer. A Fizik Arione R3 saddle and Vittoria Corsa N.EXT TLR tubeless tires in 700x29 finish the build, with integrated front and rear accessory mounts keeping computers and other add-ons off the aero lines.

At $8,500, the Soloist Force AXS Bike is the value entry point into Cervelo's most aero-focused road platform — the same frame, the same Reserve wheel design philosophy, and full SRAM AXS electronic shifting, without paying flagship prices for the top-tier hub and saddle spec. It's a bike for the rider who wants a dedicated race tool and is willing to trade a small amount of weight and hub refinement for real savings, without giving up any of the aero performance that defines the Soloist.