The Cervelo R3 SL is based on the highly successful R3. The R3 SL is built to be the ultimate strength to weight ratio bicycle frame. In other words, it is likely both the lightest and strongest bicycle frame on the market today. The strength and performance of the R3SL has been verified on the Pro tour with two wins on the cobbles of Paris Roubaix and a 2008 Tour de France victory.

The R3 SL has many amazing attributes, but perhaps the most important is its incredible ride quality. The highly-engineered seat stays allow it to float over bumps and rough roads even with the R3 SL's super stiff bottom bracket. We like the Cervelo R3 and R3 SL so much, most of the employees of Excel own one. We find the R3 fabulous for the great riding here in Boulder, Colorado. Its light weight allows up to rocket up the canyons. Its strength makes high-speed descents very stable and solid while its ride quality effectively smoothes bumpy dirt roads.

Cervelo reduced the weight of the R3 SL by over 100 grams versus the R3 while slightly increasing stiffness at the same time. They accomplished this by using 90Msi ultra-high modulus carbon in the frame and optimizing the lay-up with over 300 pieces of carbon precisely placed. The strength of the frame is provided by the R3 SL's massive bottom bracket and large "Squoval" downtube and chain stays. The best bicycle engineers in the business have found there is no better shape the Squoval for optimizing strength to weight ratio. The R3 SL's unique ultra thin seatstays are fine-tuned for efficient power transfer, precise wheel tracking and to allow the perfect amount of compliance for comfort.

Features