Cervelo S3: Genius takes form
The Cervelo S3 represents the zenith of Cervelo engineering so far. It is the culmination of everything Cervelo currently knows about road racing bikes and aerodynamics. It also incorporates feedback from world-class riders at the highest ranks of bike racing in the professional peloton. In short, Cervelo's S3 is now the world's ultimate road racing machine.
When you're as good at doing something as Cervelo is at making bikes it's difficult to find ways in which you can improve. But like all over-achievers, the engineers at Cervelo are not content to rest on their laurels. In many facets the S3 is very similar to its cousin the Soloist Carbon. Actually, it is more akin to the Soloist Carbon's thoroughbred version, the SLC-SL. The Cervelo S3 boasts the same phenomenal low weight as the SLC-SL at roughly 990 grams for a size 56, but it also has a few tricks up its sleeve.
Instantly you'll notice the internal cable routing which now flows seemlessly into the top of the top tube, well hidden from the wind by the stem/steer tube. This feature has become very familiar on the best and most aero TT machines being used in the pro peloton, and its effectiveness has certainly not been missed by the brain-trust at Cervelo's engineering department.
Move your eyes straight down from the integrated routing on the top tube to a small portal on the down tube: here you'll find a small panel granting convenient access to the internal cable stops.
Moving towards the rear triangle your eyes will also immediately notice something familiar; namely, seat stays very, very similar to those found on the R3. While the seat stays have been reduced in stature, offering the S3 a more compliant ride than the SLC-SL, the chain stays have been wildly bolstered. The over-sized chain stays demonstrate that this bike is all-business, and clearly this was shown by Cancellara's impressive final kilometer performance when he rode his Olympic version S3 to a Bronze medal in Beijing's road race!
The Cervelo S3 will start arriving at Cadence the first of October, 2008. Cadence is now taking advance orders. First arrivals of the S3 will be available in the very limited Olympic scheme only (as shown in the images here). While we have not yet seen the final color scheme chosen by Cervelo for the standard S3, reports are that it will be black and similar in appearance to the 2008 SLC-SL. As with all new releases of Cervelo products, the demand will be outrageously high and the availability will be tight.