Cervélo Áspero Review — Fast Gets Faster?

Cervélo doesn’t shy away from their heritage in pure racing. Every aspect of the brand screams all-out speed. Now in its second-generation, the 2024 Cervélo Áspero looks much like the outgoing model, but differs in a few key areas — notably tire clearance and overall versatility.

2024 Cervélo Áspero GRX RX820 Features:

• Updated design for added compliance
• Mildly-aerodynamic tube shapes
• Up to 45mm tire clearance
• Cervélo ST36 alloy stem with internal cable management
• Cervélo AB09 Carbon gravel bars
• Fulcrum Rapid Red 300 alloy wheelset
• Shimano GRX RX820 12-speed mechanical groupset
• WTB Vulpine 700x40c tires
• Includes top tube storage bag
• T47 BBRight bottom bracket
• UDH-compatible rear dropout
• Weight: 19.9 lbs. (56cm, as tested)
• MSRP: $4000

Initial setup and shakeout

The all-new Cervélo Áspero takes the previous model on an evolutionary update (visually, at least). Yes, it is an all-new frame shape and design, but only the astute eye will tell the difference from afar. It remains a race-focused gravel bike, so don’t expect extra mounts and such — just a top tube mount for the included top tube bag and an underside mount ahead of the bottom bracket. The downtube mount also encompasses built-in plastic frame protection for added peace of mind. Digging in further does reveal more key differences.

With the proper stem, the cables can now be fully-concealed. While that looks better, the standard stem with semi-internal cockpit routing is much more versatile — and notably cleaner than the routing on the original Áspero. This setup came in handy as I’ve been dealing with some lower-back issues and I was able to increase the stack without completely re-routing all the cables and brakes. It still it looks sleek and, above all, gives much more cockpit flexibility.

The Shimano GRX RX 820 build kit comes with Cervélo AB09 Carbon drop bars and house-branded seatpost. The bars offer a great shape for comfortable hand positions on the tops, drops and hoods. I’m a fan of standard 27.2 seatposts and collars and love seeing them here. It’s a simple, reliable solution that just plain works. However, the stock Cervélo carbon seatpost is a 25mm setback affair, which, even though a 100mm stem is spec’d on the 56cm frame, set me pretty far aft on the bike. I did swap out the included saddle for an Ergon model that offered more comfort and forward rail adjustment to get me situated. Outside of the saddle swap, I kept the cockpit as-is.

I really appreciated the direct computer mount that came with the bike. It can accommodate either Wahoo or Garmin units as well as GoPro or light mounts. Overall, I was impressed with all the extras that were included with the build, which are beyond what you typically see with other brands.

Let’s gravel already

With the season winding down, the new Áspero was set up just in time for the local gravel tracks, which consist of mixed road/gravel approaches and a variety of rough and smooth gravel with plenty of singletrack options thrown in for good measure. Out of the box, the Áspero came with tubes on those narrow WTB Vulpine 40 tires, so I thought I’d give it a go — knowing full well I’d go tubeless before the next ride. Not only do I not recommend riding with tubes on a gravel bike, I especially don’t recommend it with the included wheels and tires.  It made for a rough ride. A quick move to tubeless (which was easy) allowed for less air pressure and more comfort and traction, but I would continue searching for more comfort.

The first-gen Áspero was noted for being an ultra-stiff ride. Because of that, Cervélo dropped the seatstays and added more compliance up front to make for a smoother ride. Still, don’t expect a ton of comfort from this racy bike. I would spend much of my test period searching for approachable ways to make this bike more comfortable and capable. Certainly, I could have put the Zipp 353 NSW or Forge+Bond CR 45’s on it, but after shelling out $4000 for this build, I’m going to assume you’d want more affordable ways to add comfort. So, that’s the route I took.

Ultimately, I swapped out the Prologo saddle for an Ergon SR Road Comp and changed to the WTB Vulpine S 45c tires. Honestly, with 45mm tire clearance, I’d like to see Cervelo set this bike set up with wider rubber out of the box. The resulting ride was much better and allowed me to push the limits of this bike without losing my teeth. If you value road manners over gravel, sticking with 40c tires is great, but if you really want to see how the Áspero comes to life, get a wider set of tires — it’s definitely the most economical way to get the most out of the new Áspero.

Once maxed out, I really began to settle into this bike in a way that I didn’t think possible after that first ride. Now, I can transition from road to gravel and into singletrack with more confidence and comfort. As I did so, the liveliness of the Áspero came out. I felt myself pushing harder and getting into and out of more challenging terrain. The Fulcrum Rapid Red 300 wheels aren’t the fastest around, but they are definitely adequate for years of use until an upgrade is needed.

Handling is super-responsive and errs on the road side of things. Especially on singletrack, the bike darts through rough terrain with pinpoint precision. I can see the perfect line and the bike responds and nails it cleanly. Should sudden obstacles present themselves, the instant handling comes in clutch to steer through or around it. I love how the new Áspero handles and really appreciate it at the highest speeds on road and gravel. Subtle movements are rewarded and the whole bike remains planted at even the highest speeds on smooth terrain. And, the 2x drivetrain allows for fine-tuning my speed and cadence — especially on the road.

When it comes to long gravel climbs, the added heft does come into play. It’s definitely not the nimblest of climbers, but the 2x drivetrain has low enough gearing to make it up just about anything. Even with wider tires, climbing traction isn’t perfect and I find myself having to feather my weight balance just right on any standing sections.

Because of the responsive handling, rough descents can be a little tricky. The unforgiving ride comes out when the going gets rough and amplifies the stiffness of the drop bars. Yes, they are carbon, but compliance isn’t their strong suit. The shape is outstanding and they feel great until things get chunky.

Rounding things out, the Shimano GRX RX820 drivetrain has a lot to offer. Tops on that list is the crisp mechanical shifting that doesn’t require any batteries or special apps to get up and going. Braking used to be a strong-suit of Shimano’s GRX line, but both Campagnolo Ekar and SRAM Red AXS provide better lever feel, power, adjustability and modulation these days. Braking isn’t bad, just dated at this point. I prefer 1x for gravel bikes because of the simplicity, but with the adept road manners here, I’ll let the 2x GRX slide.

Fit: I’m 5’11” and 175 lbs, with normal proportions and a 30″ saddle height, riding the 56cm 2024 Aspero.

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