The engineers at Cervelo's Project California have been pushing frame design with advanced lay-ups, and new technologies. The Cervelo R5ca is what happens when you put all of that knowledge into one frame.

The Place
In 2008 Cervelo launched an ambitious engineering project in California to push the R&D envelope and this facility is where we prove our leadership in innovating faster, stiffer, lighter and stronger bikes. We incorporated sophisticated composites engineering knowledge and composites analysis tools used in Formula 1 and America's Cup yacht racing. The optimized 1 3/8" tapered steerer and BBright™ of the R-series, the Smartwall™ layup of the S-series, and the construction method of the P-Series all link back to Project California.

Project California is knowledge driven, not product driven. We lead the industry by creating new manufacturing techniques and improved design processes, including new bicycle-specific layup and ply analysis software. We finish this off with strength and stiffness tests at least 20% higher than industry standards.

As an engineering company that is dedicated to making the best bikes, we know that we get the greatest benefit when we bring technology inside the company. While other companies have subcontracted outsiders to develop their leading-edge bikes, Cervelo has developed the people and technologies internally. This focus on leadership means that every Cervelo is built to the same standards and receives many of the benefits of the advanced carbon fiber layup and technologies in our most advanced frames made in our Project California facility.

The R5ca is:
100 grams lighter than the nearest competitor, and 30% stiffer (Tour magazine, Nov. 2011), this bike sets a new benchmark in weight and stiffness. It showcases our Project California development process and the outcome of our reality-based test results. Lab tests are meaningless if they don't reflect real riding conditions: Cervelo's strain-gauge bike measures load and flex under real conditions, leading to new, more realistic testing. This test data led Project California to develop new layup design for the R5ca, as we knew exactly where we can reduce weight by taking away material where it's not needed, and reinforce the areas that give you the most stiffness and comfort.

• A stellar and more responsive ride with more feedback from the road, a sense of the pavement passing beneath the tires, and just enough damping to ride comfortably over long miles.
• A bike designed for the rider who wants to go uphill fast and rides at the pinnacle of performance.
• A 1st place victory at the 2012 Giro d'Italia.

The 2012 Cervelo 56cm R5CA Red Black Custom features: