Gravel bikes have fractured into two distinct camps over the past few years: adventure rigs built for hauling gear across continents and race machines stripped down for speed. The Cervelo Aspero plants its flag firmly in the second camp. This second-generation frame carries forward the aggressive road-derived geometry that made the original a benchmark for gravel racing while addressing the comfort complaints that emerged after thousands of miles of competition use. The carbon layup has been deliberately softened at the front end and through the seatstays, reducing the punishment that accumulates over long days on rough surfaces without sacrificing the bottom bracket stiffness that makes the Aspero respond when you stand on the pedals.

Frame architecture borrows heavily from Cervelo's road racing lineage. The reach and stack numbers read like an endurance road bike, and the 72-degree head tube angle on most sizes sits only a degree slacker than what you would find on a crit machine. Short 425mm chainstays keep the rear wheel tucked tight for snappy acceleration out of corners. The Trail Mixer flip-chip in the fork dropout lets you adjust trail by 5mm to maintain consistent handling whether you are running skinny road tires or maxed-out 42mm gravel rubber, though Cervelo no longer emphasizes 650b compatibility as it did with the original Aspero.

Practical updates include a T47a threaded bottom bracket that simplifies service and eliminates creak, plus a SRAM Universal Derailleur Hanger that future-proofs the frame for Transmission drivetrains. Internal cable routing runs through the ST36 stem system shared with the Soloist road bike, and the same headset interface means you can swap to fully integrated cockpit components from the R5 if clean aesthetics matter more than serviceability. Lowered seatstays increase vertical compliance while a prominent seat tube cutout adds mud clearance borrowed from the R5-CX cyclocross platform.... Read More