With the new Cervélo Caledonia, the once-Canadian company is trying to put its technology within the reach of more riders. Features from other bikes in the Cervélo’s lineup trickle into the new all-road bike. The bike is compelling, just like the top-end Caledonia-5, but is the price right?
The all-road Cervélo Caledonia evolves
Elements from other Cervélo bikes have made their way to the new Caledonia. The line seems to go from the Soloist, to the Áspero and finally to the Caledonia. Take the stem, the ST36. This component allows brake hoses to run not internally, but across its lower surface. The hoses then enter the head tube through a two-piece bearing cap. It’s a setup that lets you change the handlebar, or the stem itself, without having to redo hydraulic brake hoses or the shifting cables of a mechanical groupset. The handlebar is also from the Cervélo lineup: the alloy HB23. The D-shaped steering tube means the bike is compatible with other Cervélo parts, should you want to upgrade.
Another feature that’s migrated to the Caledonia is the T47A bottom bracket, also coming from the Soloist and Áspero. It’s threaded, making it easier to service and allowing it to keep creaks at bay.
As an all-road bike, the Caledonia is designed to mitigate road vibrations to keep you more comfortable on long rides. The damping is achieved through the carbon-fibre layup and frame shapes. Look at the low seatstays. They allow for more compliance up toward the saddle itself. The tire clearance also boots comfort, as well as traction. The frame and fork can now accommodate treads as wide as 36 mm, or 34 mm if you are running fenders.
Changes in geometry of the Cervélo Caledonia
You’ll notice those tire clearance figures for the Caledonia are the same as the Caledonia-5, Cervélo’s high-end all-road bike. The new second-tier bike also has the Caledonia-5 geometry figures. That means the new Caledonia has a slightly longer wheelbase than its predecessor, by roughly 1 mm across all sizes.
The handling characteristics of the Caledonia are the same as the Caledonia-5, which means the bike is stable, but still precise in turns and…
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