The Soloist. It’s a name from deep in our history, but immediately familiar to anyone with bike racing memories extending back to the early-2000s. It was the weapon of choice for top World Tour contenders on CSC and the Cervelo Test Team, and we’re bringing it back for a new generation. The new Soloist is designed for the week-in, week-out rider and racer who can only justify one high-performance bike. It balances light weight and aerodynamic advantages to deliver a bike that really is 'just right'. Soloist comes in a hair lighter than S5, but significantly more aerodynamic than R5, and borrows the threaded bottom bracket standard you find on the R5-CX. It’s a race bike that can accommodate mechanical and electronic shifting, can hammer out the training miles in all weather, and yet still has the chops to leap off the front at that decisive moment. That’s the Soloist.
Soloist sits right between S5 and R5 on the performance scale, while having a price tag that’s less World Tour, more Road Trip. It’s about 250g heavier than R5, and 250g lighter than S5. It’s 190g slower than S5, but 126g faster than R5. You get the idea. It’s the ‘just-right’ answer for the rider trying to find a smart, intentional compromise.
We took the handling geometry for the Soloist directly from R5. The R5 is beloved by pros and amateurs alike for its poise, stability, and precision when that killer climb turns into an even more killer descent. Soloist benefits from our decades of race bike geometry development, and comes out of the gate ready to go.
The cable routing is inside the frame for aerodynamics, but doesn't go through the stem. We developed our own system that threads the cables under the stem, but through the bearing cap. Whether your position changes or you loan the bike to a friend who uses a different stem length, you won't need to bleed the brakes to swap the stem.
The Soloist fits tires up to 34mm (measured), and wheels wide enough to support them.
The BBRighT-47 bottom bracket, which first appeared on the R5-CX, is ideal for those who log big miles but don't have a pro wrench checking the bike over every day. It makes BB swaps a breeze (convenient if you're burning through hand-me-down components) and extends the life of the frame.