Cervelo S3 Disc Road Frameset for Sale, Reviews, Deals and Guides

There's a simple reason why you are seeing more and more aero road bikes on the market these days. Aerodynamics are critical to engineering a fast bike since aero drag accounts for as much as 90 percent of the overall resistance affecting a rider. Less drag equals more speed and you'd be surprised how much of a difference it makes, even at lower speeds and on shallow climbs. So if you're looking for an advantage in the breakaways, in sprints, and while throwing down at your local crit, we'd wholeheartedly recommend an aero rig if you are new bike shopping. The S3 Disc Road Frameset from Cervelo offers an aero road chassis, helping you go faster with fewer watts, while also providing the ideal balance of stiffness and compliance and the ability to slow you down in any weather condition.

Cervelo honed the S3's aerodynamics after spending countless hours in the wind tunnel testing and refining designs. This particular disc model features full internal cable routing thanks to a new bar and stem that hides the brake and shift housing from the wind for improved aerodynamics. Additionally, the new frame profiles work together to reduce drag so you simply go faster. Cervelo calls this True Aero which combines these specific tube shapes, sizes, and design features to improve aerodynamic flow across the bike.

The most aero bike available is meaningless if it’s a wet noodle though, so thankfully Cervelo worked hard to increase the stiffness at the bottom bracket shell ensuring efficient power transfer and that every watt goes straight to the rear wheel. Just like every other Cervelo, the S3 uses its BBright shell which takes advantage of oversized frame tubes that are stiffer and lighter. With the BBright system, larger sized tubes are used at the seat tube, down tube, and non-driveside chainstay. The benefit is an increase in stiffness and pedaling efficiency while achieving a lighter weight frame that's compatible with all major bottom bracket standards. Stiffness doesn't just end there and Cervelo beefed up the head tube junction that conspires with its geometry for more confidence inspiring handling with impressive stability and precision when cornering and descending at speed.

Cervelo's mastery of carbon layups and construction techniques also allow it to reduce the frame's weight while making it stiffer. It uses advanced engineering software like Finite Element Analysis (FEA) that allows it to better understand exactly how each layer of carbon fiber is working and if it's being used properly. Its carbon expertise prescribes a specific frame layup by placing hundreds of individually cut plies of carbon in a mold in a certain order and orientation. By precisely cutting these plies, the frame is able to be made lighter while still achieving the desired strength and reliability.

And because different areas of the frame experience different loads while climbing, sprinting, and descending, to better cope with these forces, Cervelo creates different layups by placing the fibers at different angles in specific areas for the desired metrics. In addition to reducing weight, maximizing strength and stiffness, it's also instrumental in how comfortable the bike is to ride and it's backed up with extensive in-house testing and real-world experience.

A fast ride is a smooth one and it's important to keep vibrations at bay if you plan on going fast for long periods of time. Excessive road noise transmitted to the rider has proven responsible for premature fatigue and since Cervelo uses specific frame lay-ups and tube shapes that help soak up road vibrations, it helps reduce fatigue on those long days in the saddle.

Lastly, the S3 Disc is 102 grams or the equivalent of 13 Watts faster than the current rim version of the S3 completely dispelling the myth that disc brake bikes are less aero than rim versions, while also coming in 68 grams lighter, again smashing another disc brake rumor.