Gravel is hot and here to stay, no doubt about that! Gravel is interpreted different by each individual. Some love endless straight roads of perfect gravel, while others don’t mind riding through dirt all day, while others bring there tarp absolutely everywere. The Cervélo Áspero is the first off-road bike from the company and is a race specific gravelbike. In the design for example, they did not take into account to attach many bags to the bicycle, it’s also very stiff, and reacts on everything. Does that means you can’t use the bike for a bikepacking trip? No, but there are better options.
I ride my bikes with a fair amount of drop, but that’s not for everyone. This bike is setup with Shimano GRX DI2, has been modified for one-handed operation by applying the Outbraker booster brake splitter and Free Lock mount, and rolls on 700C 9thwave Anath rims with DT Swiss hubs and 45 mm Pirelli Cinturato Gravel tires. 45 mm is bigger than prescribed, so in foul weather sometimes they rub a little, but I love them so much I take that for granted. When you fit 650b rims, you can go bigger, but I think 650b on an Áspero is like swearing in church and I can’t think up a reason why the Áspero is equipped with a clever system where you can affect the geometry a little to make it suitable for this wheelsize. It’s a gravel race monster! Not a mountainbike!
The Áspero is such a nice bike on-road as well as off-road. Don’t think it can replace a roadbike tough. All “big tire bikes” compromise on speed and cornering on tarmac.
All Cervélo bikes come with lifetime warranty for first owners on the frameset. That’s always a requirement for me. Because I’m the kind of gravelist that enjoys endless perfect gravel rather than dirt this bike really suits me.
Underneath the lower tube you find a big hard plastic shield that protects your frame for rock impact, while the top tube is prepared for a little bolt on top tube bag.
The one thing I really dislike about this bike I’m in love with is that the fork takes a reasonably amount of water when you wash it down. That means I always have to remove the top cap and turn the bike upside down to pour the water out…
Is it likely that I stick with Cervélo? Hell yes!
