Cervelo Caledonia-5 Force AXS Bike

The Cervelo Caledonia-5 Force AXS Bike was built for what Cervelo calls "Big, Stupid Rides" — the ultra-distance efforts, the 300km days, the ambitious routes that live at the intersection of race pace and endurance. Introduced in 2020, the Caledonia platform was designed specifically for athletes who want long-distance, high-speed capability with fit and handling calibrated for comfort over hours, without giving up the race bike feel Cervelo builds every frame around. The Caledonia-5 is the UCI-approved, lifetime-warranted refinement of that platform, and the Force AXS build puts it in reach with a spec list that needs no apologies.

The carbon frame uses Cervelo's endurance geometry — a taller headtube and more upright position than the pure-aero R-series — but with the same fully internal cable routing and aero tube shaping that defines every Cervelo. The all-carbon fork is built to the same standard. Two notable frame details separate the Caledonia-5 from its predecessors: in-frame storage and split bearing caps. The in-frame storage hatch in the downtube holds a tube, a small multi-tool, and a CO2 canister. It opens with gloves on — flip the lock, pull the hatch — and disappears completely otherwise. The split bearing caps allow stack height adjustments for fit changes without bleeding the brakes. Both are refinements born from long-ride experience, and both make the bike meaningfully more useful on the rides it was designed for.

The drivetrain is SRAM Force AXS E1 throughout: wireless electronic shifting, 12-speed, with 48/35 chainrings and a 10-36T cassette that covers road climbs without unnecessary sacrifice at the top end. The crankset includes an integrated power meter — included in the build at this price, not a retrofit. Force AXS delivers the same precision shifting as RED AXS in real-world use, with marginally more weight. SRAM Force AXS hydraulic disc brakes on SRAM Paceline Centerlock rotors handle stopping duties. The bottom bracket is BBright — Cervelo's proprietary wide-shell interface designed to increase drivetrain stiffness by taking advantage of the frame's wider bottom bracket shell.

The wheelset is the standout spec on the Caledonia-5 Force AXS. Reserve 42|49TA carbon wheels — 42mm front, 49mm rear, asymmetric depth — run on DT Swiss 350 hubs and are built tubeless-compatible. The asymmetric depth is intentional: the shallower front handles crosswind stability at speed, the deeper rear captures aerodynamic advantage in the more stable rear position. Reserve developed these wheels using Cervelo's Turbulent Aero program, which models wheel performance using real-world wind data across the full range of yaw angles riders actually encounter — not idealized tunnel conditions. These wheels have been raced at Paris-Roubaix and the Giro d'Italia, and they come with a lifetime warranty backed by no-fault crash replacement. Tires are Vittoria Corsa N.EXT TLR G2.0 in 700x32 — graphene-compound, tubeless-ready, wide enough to meaningfully reduce rolling resistance and vibration damping on rough pavement without giving up speed on smooth roads.

Design Benefits

1. Race bike feel, endurance geometry: Cervelo's endurance fit positions riders for comfort over long durations, but the frame DNA — aero tube shapes, internal routing, UCI-approved construction, lifetime warranty — is race bike through and through. You get hours of comfort without giving up the handling precision Cervelo builds into every frame.
2. Reserve 42|49 asymmetric wheelset: Asymmetric rim depths (42mm front, 49mm rear) optimize crosswind handling and aerodynamic benefit in the positions where each matters most. Developed with Cervelo's Turbulent Aero real-world wind data program, raced at Paris-Roubaix and the Giro, and covered by a lifetime warranty with no-fault crash replacement.
3. Power meter included: The SRAM Force AXS E1 crankset integrates a power meter at no additional cost to the build. Training and racing with power data from day one, no aftermarket purchase required.
4. In-frame storage: The downtube hatch holds a tube, multi-tool, and CO2 — glove-accessible, completely concealed when closed. On a bike designed for long days away from support, this is a meaningful practical advantage over bikes that leave you managing a saddle bag.
5. Vittoria Corsa N.EXT 700x32 tubeless: A 30mm graphene race tire at tubeless-compatible width delivers lower rolling resistance, reduced puncture risk, and genuine vibration damping on rough roads — without the speed penalty of wider endurance rubber.
6. Split bearing caps for fit adjustments: Swapping stack height no longer requires a brake bleed. This makes mid-season fit changes or position experiments significantly less involved.

Final Take

The Cervelo Caledonia-5 Force AXS is built for riders who want a Cervelo race bike they can ride all day. The Reserve 42|49 wheels, the included power meter, the in-frame storage, and the 700x32 tubeless tires are all calibrated toward the same goal: covering long ground fast, without compromise. If the rides you're planning are measured in hours rather than laps, this is what Cervelo built for you.