Name: Twain Mein
Location: Redwood City in the San Francisco Bay Area
Age: 58
Bike: Cervelo Soloist 2024
Groupset: SRAM Red AXS (second generation)
Wheels: Princeton Carbon Works 4550 (1490 grams, 19mm internal width) and HED Vanquish 4 (1510 grams, 21mm internal width)
Pedals: Look Keo Blade Carbon V4 (222 grams)
Saddle: ENVE x Selle Italia Boost with carbon rails (131 grams)
Other: ENVE SES AR Road In-Route handle bar and In-Route stem, Omni Racer water bottle cages (13 grams each), Aproto Bike 3-D printed headset adapter
Weight: 7216 grams (15 lbs 15oz) with Princeton Carbon Works wheels, 28mm tires and Campy rotors. 7451 grams (16lbs 8oz) with HED Vanquish 4 wheels, 32mm tires and SRAM rotors.
As a 3rd time Readers’ Rigs alumni first question is the obvious – Do you still have the last two beautiful machines that you had featured here?
Yes! And they continue to be upgraded. The Nishiki International now has inherited a SRAM Red 10-speed crankset with a power meter and LUN Hyperlight wheels; it weighs 17lbs, 10 ounces – more than 6lbs lighter than when new in 1986. The Cervelo S3 has also been upgraded to 11-speed SRAM Red with Etap electronic shifting and a Stages power meter. I also installed a longer 110mm 3T stem as well as less finicky EEbrakes. It now weighs a little more at 14lbs 4 oz.
Twain’s Cervélo S3 as when featured on Pez 7 years ago
Why another Cervélo?
I’m a huge fan of Cervélo bikes. I was originally smitten by the R3, a comfortable climbing machine that was ridden to multiple TDF stage wins, Carlos Sastre’s overall in 2008, and Paris Roubaix in 2006 and 2007. I bought an R3 frame in 2008 and tinkered with it constantly, eventually getting it down to sub 14 lbs. Cervelo had also introduced the industry’s first “aero” road bike, the Soloist, which Tyler Hamilton used to win 2003 Liege-Bastogne-Leige. Cervelo then updated the Soloist with the S3 model in 2010; it was the first aero bike that was also remarkably light weight; it combined aero tubing with the pencil-thin rear stays of the R3. I had to get one – and I bought the frame in 2011 for $3800 from my local bike shop–more on that later.
The S3 has been an incredible do-all bike. I have set most of my hill climb PRs on it and I am excited to ride it every time I go out. I used the S3 for nine years but finally upgraded to a more modern Parlee RZ7 with disc brakes and SRAM Red in 2022. The Parlee is remarkably fast and extremely comfortable though the disc brakes and aero-doodads make it a bit portly at around 17.5 lbs. Additionally, the first gen ETAP SRAM Red brake hoods are huge and throw off the “seat to hoods” vs “seat to drops” measurements. The bike felt great riding on the hoods but uncomfortable riding in the drops. In addition, the integrated stem, 35mm diameter handlebar, and proprietary parts make fiddling with the cockpit and adjusting the disc brakes too complicated for me. The bike was very good but not great.
I then noticed the new Cervelo Soloist. In the same spirit of the S3, it is both aero and light but now modernized with disc brakes. What I liked about it the most is that the hydraulic brake cables are run external of the fork and route out the stem top-cap. This means you can easily swap stem and bars and even trim the stem length without a trip to your bike mechanic.
I also think the Soloist represents a remarkable value. At an MSRP of $2700 for the frame (note, $1100 less than what I paid in 2011 for the S3!), it is half the MSRP price of the $5500 for the Cervelo R5 and S5 frames. It is also cool is Wout Van Aert used the Soloist to claim 4th place at Paris-Roubaix this year.
When did you buy it?
This past February I was going to meet a friend for coffee and I randomly walked in to Veloro Bicycles, the same bike shop where I had purchased my S3 frame back in 2011. Randomly, the owner, Gebhard, asked me if I wanted to work at the shop. I had been referring a lot of business to him from friends on my triathlon team and I have known him since 2006 when I bought a Scott Plasma from him. I took the job! It is a boutique shop that sells higher end brands including Bianchi, Time, Pinarello, Wilier, Colnago, Look, ENVE, and, of course, Cervelo. It is a super cool environment because all of our customers are excited about cycling and we get to help them enjoy the sport they (and we) are passionate about.
Once I started working there in February, I noticed a Cervelo Soloist frame in my size, a 56 with the beautiful “embers” paint job. The paint job is truly stunning – while it appears black from a distance, up close there is this remarkable array of multiple colors. Without telling my wife, I decided to buy it and to build it with full SRAM Red with an ENVE cockpit. I ordered the parts and built it mostly by myself, under Gebhard’s guidance and expertise. When the bike was complete, I explained to my wife that I was merely “demoing” it. She finally caught on but mercifully has let it go.
SRAM Red and a beautiful paint job on Twain’s ‘demo’ bike
What modifications/additions have you done? What components are you running?
Cervelo limits the top-end builds of the Soloist with SRAM Force or Shimano Ultegra Di-2. Meanwhile, Cervelo specs the R5 and S5 with SRAM Red and Shimano Dura Ace. Since I was building the bike from frame alone, I chose the latest SRAM Red groupset and ENVE bars/stem/saddle. The new SRAM brake hoods are amazing! They have a much lower profile than the previous version. The ENVE bars are extremely comfortable on the hoods and in the drops. I also needed a special steerer tube top cap to mate the ENVE stem to the steerer and found this amazing 3-D printed one from Apropto.
Some nice custom touches
I had been noticing Princeton Carbon Works wheels. I am very sensitive to cross winds but I’m also a triathlete who appreciates the benefits of deeper rim depth. The wavy rim profile that was claimed to offer cross-wind stability with aerodynamic benefit seemed intriguing. By coincidence, a customer came in to the shop wanting to sell his PCWs with White Industry hubs. I made an insanely low offer and, incredibly, he went for it. The wheels are absolutely amazing. They maintain speed well and are very good in crosswinds. At less than 1500 grams, they are remarkably light for a 50mm depth wheelset. The rims measure 19mm wide so I use 28mm wide Goodyear F1R tires with TPU tubes. I am not ready to go tubeless yet.
When I go on longer endurance rides I switch to HED Vanquish 4 wheels (21mm internal width) with 32mm wide Goodyear F1R tires. This set up is more comfortable. I also “modified” the HED hubs by adding more grease to the freewheel. The hub is virtually silent.
Perhaps blasphemy, I also installed Campy rotors despite having SRAM brakes. They are stunningly beautiful, 14 grams lighter than SRAM, and perform flawlessly.
The hollow drive side chain stay didn’t have enough sound deadening foam; it was really loud when shifting gears or slamming over bumps. I installed some additional sound deadening foam sections; those noises are now muted. The trick to the install is to cut the foam open, length-wise, place it around the cable, and then super glue the foam back together.
I also drilled out a US dollar 50-cent piece to use as a stem top-cap; for some reason I think that is incredibly unique and cool.
The chain is waxed with Ceramic Speed UFO chain lube. I was skeptical about the benefits of chain waxing but what I notice most is the ride is much quieter and requires less maintenace. On a related note, Ceramic Speed UFO drivetrain cleaner is amazing; the most impressive cleaner I’ve ever used. How it is non-toxic and biodegradable is beyond me.
Lastly I have “Flying Tiger” decals on the head tube. They have aero dimpling, like a golf ball, for more aero efficiency. Yes, I’m just kidding but I have these decals on all of my bikes.
How many miles do you ride a year?
I ride about 3000 miles/year and also swim and run a lot for triathlon. I try to keep my workouts efficient with a balance of intensity and recovery.
What do you love about this bike?
The amazing thing about this bike is it feels very similar to my old S3 but better. There is remarkable feedback between the feel of the front and rear end that is very balanced. My old S3 was very rigid, and while it provides a lot of feedback, it is fatiguing to ride. The new Soloist has a similar feeling of balance and feedback yet the ride quality is much better. Going over bumps or poor pavement isn’t jarring. To this end, I’m a conservative descender but I have achieved multiple PRs on descent segments with the Soloist.
Additionally, I really love that I can wrench on it myself, whether it be adjusting the disc brakes or the stem and handlebars.
I’ve been so impressed with this bike that I’ve convinced two team-mates to buy them as well; they are similarly impressed. Here is one of the stable-mates.
Twain sounds like a dangerous friend to have…
Is your favorite riding area still around the San Francisco Bay?
Absolutely. As I’ve gotten older, I have really come to appreciate the beauty of this area. I live in a hilly area that is very close to quiet and less trafficked roads. I’ve found that just getting out for a quick 10 mile ride can be meditative and exhilarating at the same time. I appreciate this area more and more.
Future upgrades?
I would like to upgrade the wheelset with the newer version of the Princeton Carbon Works 4550 called the Evolution. These rims are wider at 21mm than my current PCWs – the same as the HEDs. This should combine the plushness of the HEDs with the speed and cross wind stability of the PCWs. It’s outfitted with a variety of hubs. I have my eye on the wheelset with DT Swiss 180EXP hubs which weigh 1345 grams. That would result in a bike weight of 7071 grams/15.6lbs! That’s what I’ll keep my eye on.
If money was unlimited what would be your next bike?
This is a very interesting question. I don’t really have a burning desire. The Soloist is exactly what I want in a road bike. Practical, relatively affordable, aero, light weight, and a delight to ride.
Last words?
The Cervelo Soloist is a practical and relatively less expensive aero road bike that is easy to work on and truly exhilarating to ride. It is a phenomenal balance between aero and light weight as well as price. I rode it to first place in my age group at the Wildflower Sprint Triathlon in early May; I chose this road bike instead my triathlon bike because the course is extremely hilly.
Twain is smiling because he’s on his way to victory at the Wildflower triathlon or because he loves his bike? Possibly both!
Thanks to Twain for sharing his ride with us. Got a bike that you’re proud of- then why not show it off to fellow PEZ fans with a feature in Readers’ Rigs? Send us a Readers’ Rigs submission direct to alastair@pezcyclingnews.com and your bike could be featured in all its glory here on the pages of PEZ.
The post Readers’ Rigs: Cervélo Soloist 2024 appeared first on PezCycling News.
