First Look: Cervelo's First Mountain Bike is a Race-Bred Hardtail

Oct 4, 2022
by Mike Levy  
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Cervelo is better known in the curly bar world where they sponsor Wout van Aert and the rest of Team Jumbo-Visma, but today sees them release their first mountain bike, the ZHT-5 hardtail that they describe as, "Stiff, light, and ready to fight." In other words, the ZHT-5 is all about cross-country racing, and Cervelo says that the 907-gram frame (medium) is a "super stiff mountain bike design that propels you to the front without compromising weight or ride quality."

Cervelo is offering the ZHT-5 in two flavors; $9,000 USD gets you an XX1 AXS, a SID SL Ultimate, and a set of carbon fiber wheels from Reserve, while the $4,800 USD build comes with GX AXS, a SID SL Select, and aluminum wheels bolted to the same carbon frame.

ZHT-5 Details
• Intended use: Cross-country racing
• Travel: 100mm fork
• Frame material: Carbon fiber
• Head angle: 68.5-degrees
• Seat angle: 74-degrees
• Wheels: 29" only
• Sizes: SM, MD, LRG, XL
• Reach: 457mm (LRG)
• Weight: 907 grams (MD frame only)
• Price: $9,000, $4,800 USD
• More info: www.cervelo.com

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The top-of-the-line ZHT-5 comes with XX1 AXS, a SID SL Ultimate, and a set of carbon fiber wheels from Reserve for $9,000 USD.
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$4,800 USD gets you the same carbon frame but a GX AXS drivetrain, SID SL Select, and aluminum wheels.


Frame Details

Cervelo makes some very light road and gravel bikes, so it's not exactly a surprise to hear that a medium-sized ZHT-5 frame weighs just 907 grams. That's not the absolute lightest on the market, but it's not far off, and Cervelo told us that while it could be a little lighter, they also wanted the frame to feel stiff in an efficient kind of way.


Cervelo ZHT-5 hardtail by Gruber Images


The most polarizing detail will no doubt be the internal cable routing that enters through the headset top cap and makes for a sleek-looking frame. It likely makes maintenance a little more complicated as well but, aside from the top cap itself, there are no weird proprietary parts and it uses normal bearings that should be easy to source. Speaking of cables, neither of the two complete bikes come from Cervelo with a dropper post - this is a full-out cross-country bike, after all - but they were smart to include internal routing should a ZHT-5 owner want to add one down the road after they've been thrown out the front door a few times.

Other details worth mentioning include two bottle mount locations - a must-have for this type of bike - and a threaded bottom bracket that will never call for a hammer or press to work on.


Cervelo ZHT-5 hardtail by Gruber Images

Geometry

The ZHT-5 is designed around a 100mm-travel fork and a 68.5-degree head angle, which is probably more than a couple of degrees steeper than your brand-new trail bike but in line with other race-focused hardtails. If you could do with a bit more forgiveness, Cervelo did tell us earlier this year that you're able to run up to a 130mm fork that would also relax the steering a touch. All four sizes get a 74-degree seat angle and a 430mm rear-end, but the headtube does grow from just 89mm on the small to 121mm on the extra-large.

Reach numbers lean more towards conservative than long, with the large-sized frame coming in at 457mm. The 484mm extra-large is as big as it gets, and it starts at 409mm for the small frame.

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Author Info:
mikelevy avatar

Member since Oct 18, 2005
2,032 articles

262 Comments
  • 297 44
 Dull and uninspired.. it has been proven by now that there is no benefit in racing a sketchy dated XC geometry.. long and slack is not just for Enduro. Even a gravel bike is more exciting..
  • 15 8
 Totally agree!
  • 157 4
 People on the insta post are falling all over themselves to say how innovative it is for Cervelo to ignore the last ten years of mountain bike geometry progression
  • 101 16
 I rode my superlight hardtail on a rocky as f*ck trail expecting to be faster, and it was a full effort dog shit pull. Minutes behind. Sold it a day later.

XC racing is no longer a cyclocross race...as it should be.

I wouldn't spend more than $500 on a no-suspension carbon frame for off road beyond gravel. If I wanted to be slow as hell with a bike that is light, I would buy on Aliexpress.

Reduce, reuse, recycle. Reduce the production of dog-shit.
  • 4 1
 @HB208: Haha, that’s awesome!
  • 16 2
 @nateb: some guy compared it to Porsche releasing innovative SUVs
  • 12 5
 Looking at the geo I was thinking the bike was dirt jump inspired, very sinilar to my dj bike
  • 34 1
 I don't get it either. 68.5 degree head angle makes no one go faster up a smooth XC track, but man it'll slow you down on the descents. But, this is Cervelo, so I think their audience probably thinks that's aggressive.
  • 52 1
 It's basically just a flat bar gravel bike
  • 23 4
 @NorCalNomad: what a cyclocross bike really should be.
  • 19 1
 2018 called. It wants its geometry back.
  • 21 0
 @Augustus-G: I’d say you could go back to 2014-15.
  • 11 2
 It'd be a laugh turning up at a pump track with this, and wearing a Darth Vader style aero helmet and full Lycra. It'd probably be awesome!
  • 26 0
 Holy shit, look at how they are advertising to ride this bike:

www.instagram.com/p/CjTJTNYKZLI/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y
  • 26 0
 For that kind of money I'd expect it to have some kind of mechanical doping device built in?
  • 4 0
 @NorCalNomad: but for nine thousand dollars.
  • 38 1
 @HB208: Jesus. That penultimate photo, going down a rock slab with her chest on the sky high saddle. Terrifying.
  • 19 1
 @barp: sir, reject modernity. Embrace 2009 mountain biking before enduro bros ruined the sport
  • 9 0
 @NorCalNomad: No, flat bar gravel bikes have slacker HTAs
  • 6 1
 Entire trek procaliber a can be bought for a couple of grand entire supercalibers for 5 grand my love of mustard paint is not strong enough
  • 3 1
 It depends on your trail system really.
  • 2 0
 @HB208: That's outright dangerous what the hell
  • 128 11
 Except, the geometry is basically identical to what the top XC racers are running on the world cup currently, and try not to lose sight of the fact this is an xc race bike, not some downcountry bike. The races are won or lost in the climbs, and slack head angles don't lend themselves well to keeping the front wheel planted on steep climbs where you might need to quickly steer around a faltering opponent. Trek's top XC hardtail frames are basically the same head angle, so are those from Specialized, Cannondale, etc. Scott is actually a degree steeper for the Scale RC World Cup at 69.5 and it certainly hasn't held back its team riders from winning this year as Nino in particular took his TENTH Men's Elite World Championship title as well as the 2022 World Cup XC Olympic overall title. Perhaps what you failed to account for is that world cup riders are far better bike handlers than you, and aren't being penalized by what you think is outdated geometry.
  • 6 0
 Agree.....to me it looks like the 2017 Santa Cruz Highball
  • 24 1
 @deeeight:you are completely right when it comes to comparable bikes, however, I don't think Nino raced anything but the Spark this year and that has a 67ish head angle. That doesn't diminish your argument though, as even the full suspension (sorta) Trek Supercaliber(Jolanda's bike) has a 69 deg head tube angle and she has won an event or two with technical sections.
  • 3 0
 @HB208: The last pic says it all
  • 34 4
 @deeeight: dude thank you. All these bros talking long and slack geo being better for XC racing clearly haven’t done their homework.
  • 14 0
 @deeeight: When was the last time Schurter raced the Scale? He won the World Championship on the Spark which is his bike of choice most of the time.
  • 8 0
 @HB208: hold on tight, say a prayer, and lean way, way back LOL
  • 14 0
 @doublej-cville: 69 deg HTA with full suspension is not the same as a 68 degree hardtail. This bike will be over 70 deg hta when pointed down or taking hits.
  • 14 0
 @deeeight: yes, world cup XC riders have excellent bike skills. If their target audience for this bike is world cup riders, they won't be selling many. For mass consumers a 67.5 deg HTA makes more sense. Still will climb like a champ but offer some confidence on the downs.
  • 9 0
 I’d say this IS a gravel bike. Probably be pretty fun with drop bars and a dropper.
  • 1 0
 @HB208: Enduro and Gravel... what else ?
  • 4 7
 @deeeight: XC race bike head angles are getting more slack. Will likely end up around 65 degrees or so……where Nino is already.

This is a gravel/cross bike in mountain bike drag.
  • 1 0
 @headshot: must be kinda of inverse droper post hidden inside the post that ejects a needle trough the sadle gap... "substance" charged already for this price.. LOL
  • 3 0
 @HB208: I went on my first high-post mountain bike ride last night in maybe over a decade, (not by choice), it was TERRIBLE. The aesthetics of the bike speak to my old roadie self, but, the geometry (or promoting sketchy riding with a carbon seat post) does nothing for my mountain bike self. Slick paint though!
  • 3 1
 @plume: Roadies are loving this thing on Sir'velo's instagram not realizing how uninnovative this thing really is.
  • 4 0
 @deeeight: The Epic's HTA is 67.5*.
  • 10 1
 @deeeight: Except its not. Racers at the top level are on 120/120 bikes with a 67 degree HTA (see the Scott Spark). This bike is not competitive on modern XC shorttrack courses.

geometrygeeks.bike/bike/scott-spark-rc-2022

www.scott-sports.com/us/en/product/scott-spark-rc-world-cup-evo-axs-bike?article=286250008
  • 6 1
 @MDW83: Another article said they were limiting this to 300 units...so it really is targeted at top XC riders. Built specifically for the Jumbo-Visma team
  • 2 1
 @y0bailey: Same experience. I recently bought an Epic to see what I was missing compared to my Trance. Answer: not a damn thing. I had to be out of the saddle for most of the ride and the back end skipped over everything. Averaged 2 MPH slower and it wasn't even a particularly aggressive trail. The bike was more efficient going up hills if the hills were smooth, but otherwise worse at everything. It sketched me out on the downhills even with a 170mm dropper. I sold it after one ride.
  • 4 0
 @deeeight: I bet you can count on one hand the number of hardtails that were raced in the entire WC series this year. Almost no one used one...and, those who did, only ran HT one or two races.
  • 4 0
 This bike would do totally fine on my local XC races, where the courses haven't really changed in the time I have been racing (since 2015). If anything, the trails have gotten easier with all the bros making bypass lines around anything that has tech involved.

I made the switch to a modern FS XC frame (Intense Sniper), but I didn't go leaps and bounds faster than the Pivot Les I had before (69.5*). I had a higher level of fitness on the Cannondale F-Si before that so my results are hard to compare.

I still have the Les frame. I could build it back up and race it just fine. The Les probably would have been faster at one of my recent out of state races (High Cascades 100), but slower at another different out of state race (True Grit Epic), so I think it averages out.

I never ride my XC bike outside of competition anyway.
  • 2 0
 @deeeight: I agree that the angles and geometry is not so far from the competition XC hardtails, but you are missing one thing. When was the last time a hardtail won an XCO race? If the goal is to race the olympics, i bet they are doing it with this bike. This to me seems like a bike to just catch money from Cervelo road fans. Certainly not for XC competition
  • 6 1
 @smartyiak: The MBR review said:

"And if you’re wondering where the full-suspension half to the Jumbo Visma race quiver is, then if I told you that the HT in ZHT stood for HardTail then you might be able to deduce what bike I may have ridden the next day in Florence. You’ll have to be a little more patient for that one though."

This really seems like a very targeted bike (or line of bikes?) specifically developed for their partnership with some very elite XC racers. Different horses for different courses.
  • 1 0
 @Typhon: there was atheist one podium (not wins) on hardtails this year. David Velaro Serrano (?) and Mona ride their hardtails more than you'd expect. But agree, this is the exception to the rule.
  • 2 1
 @Typhon: xco is a tiny sliver of actual XC racing ya know.
  • 3 3
 @deeeight: i used to ride/race a scale with a "super steep" 69.5 hta, and it doesnt handle any better or worse than my modern geometry 67-68 degee hta fs. Funny how that works.
  • 5 0
 @HB208: HOLY BUCKETS!! who rides with a seat post like that? That looks dangerous. You may as well ride with your feet out back and your chest balanced on the seat. SUPERMAN style. So aero.
  • 2 0
 I find that the geometry is perfect like this.

What they did wrong is how they labelled the bike: this is a perfect “winter gravel bike”:

For muddy conditions, where 40mm wide tyres won’t do and you’re too slow in the mud to benefit from the aero gains of a drop bar.

I actually have an XC hardtail exactly for this
  • 3 0
 @doublej-cville: riding well with steep bikes?.. they must have a BMX background
  • 3 0
 @Typhon: XCO world champs (PFP) and European XCO champs (Pidcock) off the top of my head in the last couple months....
  • 6 0
 It looks like a Chinese catalog frame with Cervelo stickers
  • 1 3
 @Woellerpaul: Tom Pidcock won European champs on a Scale.
  • 2 0
 @lildavo87: This course is incredibly non-techy. Basically just a course they cut in a grass hillside.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TVLrRV6CKA&ab_channel=ProCyclingClips
  • 6 0
 @HB208: Who says everything has to be innovative? Why can't a company just release a bike with an intended purpose and for an intended market? Hundreds of millions have been spent on innovation in the mountain bike industry, no harm in learning from past learnings. No where on Cervelo's site do they claim to be innovating anything...they just tried to make a stiff, fast, hardtail targeted at a certain type of XC racing.

Something tells me that a bike made for Milan Vader's probably going to do alright.
  • 1 1
 @doublej-cville: im pretty sure Jolanda did better in the world cup standing on her 70 degree hta cross hardtail than on her trek too.
  • 2 2
 @rivercitycycles: That's because it literally is. Their bikes are all made in Asia.
  • 2 2
 @dadspeedmtb: That is absolutely false. Haha. Dude...the armchair experts here are insane.

My buddy works at Fox and was present in the carbon lab as these were being developed. Get your uneducated statements out of here.
  • 4 0
 @rockandride6: development and production are two very different things...
  • 2 0
 @rockandride6: Cervelo would claim they were producing these in the US if they were. Everything I have heard points to Factor or Giant producing Cervelo frames in Taiwan.
  • 3 1
 @HB208 and @rallyimprezive: The guy's statement was that the bike was a Chinese Catalog frame. (comment from rivercitycycles which dadspeedmtb was confirming, inaccurately). I'm very aware of the difference between production and development, and was stating that these are not generic Chinese catalog frames.

Given Cervelo is a PON company, I'd be exceedingly surprised if Giant manufactures their frames.
  • 1 0
 @dwbaillar: touché…. A factor I didn’t consider
  • 2 0
 @rockandride6: Exactly. Why wouldn't these just be made in the same factory that is making Santa Cruz frames?
  • 4 1
 @Clink1983: so you’re saying it’s the rider? Crazy talk, take that logic somewhere else./s
  • 4 1
 @doublej-cville: nino was winning more when he was riding his scale more. By pinkbike logic that must mean the new spark sucks.
  • 3 0
 @rockandride6: Please reread my comment! I stated it LOOKS LIKE not that it was. My statement was purely subjective without facts. It's my opinion, just like every other comment. There is nothing that stands out about this frame from a design standpoint which is why I made the comment.
  • 1 0
 @deeeight: not to mention the supercaliber comes stock with a 69° HTA….and here it is decorated in medals
  • 9 1
 @silverstanktions: Its not unusual for pure XC racers on a less than super technical descent to run carbon posts instead of droppers and to have to descend steep grades hanging off the back like that. Hell we ALL used to descend on our XC bikes like that, even when riding steep rock slabs on hardtails with 2 inches of fork travel that today's pinkbiker wouldn't go near without a 6 inch travel dual suspension with a dropper post.
  • 1 0
 @Typhon: Pauline Ferrand-Prévot this year win the WC with an hardtail..........
  • 4 0
 @nede: True PFP won 3 WC on a hardtail this year. But the BMC two stroke is actually a progressive modern XC hardtail with a 67deg HTA and steeper STA, and a longer reach.
  • 2 0
 @has1278: The bloke who designed came over from Santa Cruz (both companies owned by Pon). As an ex highball owner I too see a lot of it in this bike.
  • 1 2
 @Augustus-G: 2018? Try 2010! I actually have a 2007 Kona Hoss hard tail that's slacker and longer than that.
  • 4 0
 @HankBizzle: apples to cinder block comparison.
Kona’s description of The Hoss: “Kona's Hoss was developed for the Clydesdale class, those riders weighing over 200 pounds, and it's notoriously durable.”
But yah awesome that your old bike with nothing to do with xc racing is slacker, rad story.
  • 6 0
 @deeeight: reading the other comments I was worried I was the only one who raced XC . Steep head angles, no dropper, flat bar for the win!! and tights...almost forgot the tights
  • 1 0
 @rivercitycycles: I know what you were saying, I was referring to the guy who said "that's because it literally is"
  • 3 0
 @jugulator: 73 parralel will swing back round soon , dont worry
  • 1 0
 @Compositepro: That was the NORBA standard
  • 4 0
 @Typhon: The last time a hardtail won an XCO race was on August 28, 2022, when Pauline Ferrand-Prevot became world XCO champion. She rode a BMC Twostroke 01 hardtail. Head angle 67 degrees.
  • 1 0
 @deeeight: this is the best Pinkbike comment in history, thank you
  • 3 0
 @jugulator: On a trail ride yesterday I commented to a buddy "remember in 1990 (thirty two years ago for the math challenged) when we raced XC with 22 inch wide handlebars, skinny tires, stupid high gearing, and NO suspension... and we thought the 70.5/72.5 degree angles of our rocky mountains we bought in 1992 was slack" as he was using my spare fat bike to evaluate whether to buy one for himself. A fat bike which in spite of 3.6 inch width tires and hydraulic disc brakes was still lighter than his first Rocky Mountain Blizzard...which he still owns, and I still own my first Rocky Mountain Stratos.

Its funny now what is considered "narrow" for handlebar width, what is "steep" for geometry, tall for gearing, and harsh for suspension when you have thirty plus years of mountain bike experience, in a sport that's only forty years old for the vast majority of people. In this area...we have people with so poor of bike handling skills that they cannot do singletrack XC without cutting trees out of sections their handlebars are too wide to go thru. They just don't know how to LEAN a bike over at slow speeds to get the bars between trees too close for their 30" trail bike bars. Same people who build new trail lines because they don't know how to approach a fallen tree with a nice stone ramp built up to it and away from it, on a 5% slope where the tree is lying at an angle (not straight 90 degrees perpendicular across the trail line). The basic concept of slowing to turn into the ramp and then turn back in line with the trail once over it (rather than fail to lift their back tire over it with their crappy bunny hop ability, so sliding back tire along and off the slanted tree making them crash) was TOO difficult for them, so they built an entire trail bypass around this tiny tree (its literally SIX INCHES tall off the ground), and oh look...they routed it right over a field of broken glass (its a trail going thru a centuries old homestead that the government expropriated the land of decades ago to create parkland around Ottawa). There's another bypass in the same area to take the line AWAY from this very old tree that grew around a section of barbed wire fencing that has rusty wire sticking out. It was about SIX feet wide of existing trail where it passed the tree... but oh no...these strava time lads had to move the trail because they couldn't pass the tree at speed safely apparently.
  • 1 0
 @deeeight: Fellow Ottawa rider here, and while I won't slag peoples' riding abilities, it does seem to me that someone spent a lot of time this summer smoothing out or removing some of the better technical trails (Gatineau Park in particular). It's a bummer and won't help people improve their skills.
  • 78 3
 It does not look like a Session; it looks like an outdated Aliexpress frame with a very expensive sticker
  • 49 0
 “Hey Giant, you got any overstock that we can slap our logo on and talk about how rad 2013 geo is?”
  • 6 0
 100%. The rationale for this bike sounds like marketing twaddle. If they wanted to move the needle in the MTB space, they'd have designed a full-suspension, but that takes more investment. This looks like a $500 catalog frame that'll attract a rider unlikely to break it, and with a minimal long-term support burden if this expansion turns out to be folly. Change the stencil and you've got a Viathon.
  • 1 0
 Lots (and lots and lots) of talk about hta… could you angle set this bike or is that not possible with this internal cable entry?
  • 78 12
 Patiently waiting for hambini roasting
  • 34 9
 Hellooooooo Hambini fans!
  • 21 3
 @KankleGnar: the pen is working! whoops wrong spelling the penis working!
  • 2 0
 No one can Nor would want to buy the frame to send to him
  • 56 23
 God help anyone that thinks that guy is a useful source of knowledge
  • 41 14
 @notthatfast: 100% agreed. He’s a dumb person’s smart person.
  • 29 20
 @bogey: i smell a few butthurt cervelo employees
  • 2 0
 Not if it's a MTB.......
  • 6 6
 @p0rtal00: I smell a butthurt dumb person
  • 2 0
 @notthatfast: But Winspace is great lol
  • 2 7
flag p0rtal00 (Oct 5, 2022 at 14:29) (Below Threshold)
 @cmrn: Wow; the originality, I am both flabbergasted and amazed. Saying that a three year old could have come up with a better and funnier response
  • 6 2
 @p0rtal00: I thought it was pretty funny Smile
  • 52 0
 Cervelo exec #1, "whats the optimal MTB HTA?"
Cervelo exec #2, "stupid question - 69"
Cervelo exec #1, "give this man a raise"
  • 1 11
flag Nerra (Oct 4, 2022 at 21:03) (Below Threshold)
 Underrated comment.
  • 44 1
 Will this take a double crown?
  • 27 0
 Yep, a circa '99 dual crown cannondale lefty. Matches the geo perfectly.
  • 6 0
 Yep. Strictly limited to Super Monsters only though.
  • 11 0
 It's compatible with the Girvin elastomer fork!
  • 11 0
 I'm just hoping my Rapha cycling cap will fit under my full face.
  • 1 0
 @rallyimprezive: Girvin forx 4 lyfe boiiiii
  • 1 0
 @rallyimprezive: the girvin vector is one of the coolest forks of all time. I also has a sweet spot for the early Manitou answer forks.
  • 38 1
 Beautiful Sír Vélo! I shall have my dómestique acquire one for me.
  • 7 0
 r/ peletonmemes spotted
  • 10 0
 @neoides: possibly from r/BicyclingCirclejerk
  • 12 0
 Only the p**rs ride such cheap Sír Vëløś. Not even a 5 figure price tag. My hygienist will like it though, she might even share it with my wife's boyfriend!
  • 30 0
 The XX1 AXS build is about the price I expected when I saw the headline. Then I saw the GX AXS build and thought that is an incredible value! Then I realized that the last 2 1/2 years has really messed with my head! When in the world did a mid-level spec hardtail become an incredible value at $4800.
  • 25 1
 Seeing as how most XC racers are riding full suspension in nearly all World Cup courses now, we should not be surprised they included a photo of a rider pushing the bike into the tech/feed zone with (I’m guessing) a rear flat
  • 26 0
 Is XX1, carbon wheels and Sid Ultimate worth almost double the price? Is there something else I'm missing?
  • 27 3
 PON product, from a road brand famous for how fragile their frames used to be. Dentists will line up to get them to shred gnArkansas.
  • 8 0
 @wyorider: when you gotta go full send down the 1 min blue flow line, you need a bike with a full-enduro 69° head angle for maximum shred factor
  • 7 0
 Not worth it.

Upgrade to Charger Race Day damper for $250. Wheels and XX1 are less than $4k.
  • 2 0
 Not to mention doesn’t have a dropper…
  • 2 0
 @anaughtymouse: yep-“shredding” those tables, without getting off the ground.
  • 21 1
 The only thing that surprises me is that it is not a Highball with the Cervelo name on it.
  • 5 0
 I was surprised as well, I saw the title of the post and was expecting 11 or 12k
  • 17 0
 Asking for a friend, but if you got it strider size, could you get it below a pound?
  • 12 3
 Whom ever set up the GX AXS version above needs a smacking. Bar roll that doesn't match the saddle-bar delta and a saddle that is nose up (that must be fun when climbing!).
At least the hot patches line up with the valves! (always finish on a positive).
  • 14 1
 Another Week, Another Santa Cruz
  • 14 2
 Lol. $9k and not even a dropper post. I guess this is what the market will bear. If they sell one.
  • 3 2
 The new preferred Dentist ride.....
  • 12 0
 Where do those cables go?

Oh no...

But they aren't selling this to mountain bikers anyways
  • 6 0
 Im not sure its a good things that pinkers arent complaining about headset cable routing
  • 2 0
 @mtb-jon: Agreed, but I think this thing is so obviously aimed at the leg-shaver crowd that it's not even on the radar.

I mean, how many of us are thinking "I'd be all over this if it wasn't for that ridiculous cable routing"? And how many of the target audience are thinking "that cable routing is going to interfere with me performing my own maintenance"?
  • 12 0
 Anyone know which Jumbo-Visma rider is planning to race XC?
  • 13 0
 Milan Vader
  • 25 4
 Roglic needs a new challenge, he's planning a glorious '23 XC world cup season of crashing into people and then putting out a press release blaming them for it
  • 12 0
 @jlm0976: is he related to darth?
  • 7 0
 @TannerValhouli: It’s possible, he is Dutch…
  • 8 0
 Could be interesting to see Mariane Vos or WVA doing some kind of XC/Marathon racing.
  • 5 0
 @harriieee: Roglič has the legs but he cant ride a bike for sh*t! He is the one who needs a mtb for sure!
  • 1 0
 @brubou: Marathon yes. XCO probably not......
  • 1 0
 @harriieee: underrated comment right there
  • 1 0
 I wonder if the jumbo-juice will help on XC track as well or at least negate the horrible geo
  • 11 0
 you guys see that massive Specialized price drop? oof
  • 1 0
 Wait what? Prices going down?
  • 11 3
 I do see some S-Works hardtails at the races, but a bike like this has become as niche as a full-on DH bike, which is funny because this is what a mountain bike *was* when I started riding them.
  • 12 2
 At least there is a racing discipline where full on DH bikes are needed to win. It's unclear what races could be won on this thing in 2023.
  • 13 1
 @jhoward: Leadville won on a hardtail this year.
  • 9 0
 @Snowytrail: that’s probably the only one, but Leadville is almost a gravel race
  • 5 0
 @HB208: I camped in Leadville earlier this year and was trying to ride some of the course. It took me a minute to figured out that it's not actually on any of the single track. Ended up riding some single track instead...
  • 3 0
 @jhoward: There are loads of non techy xc marathon races in europe where a hardtail would be fine eg Dolomiti Superbike, Grand Raid, Sella Ronda Hero etc.
  • 1 0
 Stick some dropdown bars on this bike and lol it's a gravel bike
  • 4 0
 @jhoward: PFP won XCO worlds on a hardtail
  • 2 0
 @delongdrew: You mean you didn't want to ride 100 miles of fire roads?
  • 1 0
 @davidccoleman:

That’s effectively what I said. Bruni won worlds on a DH bike.

Both are niche machines relative to what’s actually sold.

Does Trek or Specialized sell more than a hundred DH bikes per year?
  • 11 0
 "Race-bred"

At which races was it bred?
  • 14 8
 Sorry, I'm well past the carbon frame thing.
Especially when anyone can go onto aliexpress and find a knock-off of this (or ANY carbon frame) for $4-500.
And please don't tell me that Cervelo (or any other bike brand) has a 'higher standard' manufacturer. Nonsense.....enter Hambini Smile
  • 11 2
 Y'all know that Sepp Kuss could prob school you on some downhills on this bike
  • 9 0
 But he'd probably not enjoy it very much.
  • 9 1
 I don't think I've ever criticised any mountain bike brand on PB and I won't start now. That looks like an overpriced pile of rubbish Cervelo.
  • 6 0
 Gauging by the fact that all the Roadie sites picked this story up yesterday...before the MTB sites is telling of who their target market is.

It's the Cervelo fanboi with an N+1 fetish that this will appeal to. The $9k USD XX1 AXS build makes the $11K e-bikes look like good value. It's also VERY cheap vs. their top-spec Red AXS / DA DI2 bikes, so they need to keep that gap close. Otherwise, how could they justify a $15k road bike when this has all of the same components (electronic shifting, hydraulic discs, carbon everything), plus a suspension fork that has to cost more than a carbon fork? I honestly think this is the biggest factor in their $9k pricing decision.
  • 8 3
 Canyon Lux World Cup CFR Team, as used by well...their XC race team is $9700 CAD (about $7145 USD), full suspension, same head angle, steeper seat angle, 29er, XX1 AXS, Sid SL Ultimate, DT carbon wheelset.

Canyon Exceed CFR LTD hardtail, again used by the XC race team, $8150 CAD, hardtail, basically the same geometry as the Lux, same groupset, same fork, a DT One 60mm travel dropper, Reynolds carbon wheelset.

And Canyon makes a LOT of the spares available to order direct off their website, not to mention the bikes themselves..so why would I (or anyone) pay more for a Cervelo that isn't any better.
  • 6 0
 This bike isn't for pinkbike readers. PON has santa cruz for actual mtbers. It is off road light for roadies who want to do a bit more than gravel. It will be perfect for this.
  • 6 2
 Y'all, this is a 300-unit XC race bike (according to the MBR review from yesterday) built with Team Jumbo Visma for their XCO efforts. Something tells me that Cervelo cares a lot more what their target audience has to say than the gravity-oriented PB comment section.
  • 3 1
 Their target audience doesn't even race on bikes like this anymore outside of things like Leadville
  • 2 0
 @HB208: Well, the other article also mentioned:

"And if you’re wondering where the full-suspension half to the Jumbo Visma race quiver is, then if I told you that the HT in ZHT stood for HardTail then you might be able to deduce what bike I may have ridden the next day in Florence. You’ll have to be a little more patient for that one though."

This really seems like a very targeted bike (or line of bikes?) specifically developed for their partnership with some very elite XC racers. Different horses for different courses.
  • 1 0
 @rockandride6: makes sense, I guess. Rack up some high profile wins and release a more consumer friendly version later. Or maybe it's just an experiment with no future plans yet.
  • 2 0
 @rockandride6: Man, people are going to be so excited. I found a spy shot online: archive.trekbikes.com/us/en/2005/trek/topfuel110#/us/en/2005/trek/topfuel110/details
  • 5 0
 Is this an SC Highball? They are both owned by PON. Also…See above Jumbo-Visma
  • 3 0
 Rear seat stay different.
  • 7 5
 People act like this bike is unridable, it's not. I'm sure it's a solid bike for xc. It wasn't long ago that a 68 degree Honzo was considered slack. The main issue with this bike is that a bike this steep is no longer competitive racing at a high level, and trail hardtails are dialed enough that they make more sense for causal xc riding. Basically it's too expensive for general use xc riding, and too conservative for racing.
  • 12 0
 People are laughing at a super conservative $9000 hardtail from a roadie brand and the people calling it “progressive and amazing” on their insta
  • 5 0
 @HB208: Oh no it's definitely hilarious seeing the sir Velo circlejerk go. My point is that it's probably not BAD, just mid and way overpriced
  • 4 0
 @4thflowkage: It would have been better if they said "hey, our pro team needs a MTB and we need to sell it to the public because of UCI. We didn't have enough time to design a proper bike so Santa Cruz gave us their plans for a 2016 highball and we went with it."
  • 10 8
 68 degree head angle and 100 mm of travel are the correct numbers for XC. Sorry pinkbikers but your 66 degree or under and your over 120mm of travel bikes aren't faster and it's not proven. Most XC riders aren't doing pro courses to the point a full sus doesn't even make sense.
  • 7 0
 Around here our XC courses use the same trails as our eduro courses, except you get timed both directions. A full sus and 67 degree head angle absolutely make sense.
  • 3 6
 @Genewich: were as round here Enduro is a deep wood illegal activity. XC tracks are long flowing loops where anything less that optimum pedal efficiency will get you dropped.
  • 3 0
 @Genewich: I think thats the key, It's region dependent. This would be a good bike for the marathon xc races i've done in the southeast us (not pisgah, a bit less harsh. Chattanooga area).

We can gawk at the price and marketing, but I do agree with Herald, a bike like this still has it's place for plenty of folk. But there is not reason to spend to coin on this particular model.
  • 8 0
 @HardtailHerold: Bikes are naturally regionally dependent. A good "All Around" bike in Nebraska would suck in western Colorado, and it would probably be the same the other way around. I have given up on hard tails in western Colorado period as they beat the snot out of me, and are not faster uphill or downhill. I think what I have just said is not mind blowing or anything, but I don't think people are hating on this bike just because the geo is from 2014. I think what it boils down to is the marketing. Advertising this thing with a rider with a seat post in their chest (see above Instagram link) is sort of cringy. Also, the bike is not mind blowing, the lightest, and doesn't really have anything that makes it special, yet it is on the high end of premium pricing. If it had some kind of cool feature or it was "The lightest hardtail in the world" then sure. They are just riding on their brand name to sell overpriced bikes IMO.
  • 2 0
 @dmackyaheard: 100% agree. I'm on the West Coast, so the current long, low, slack works, to a certain degree. However, I've lived on the East as well and there are trails out there where long, low, slack is just a plain chore to ride.
  • 1 0
 @dmackyaheard: yeah, I think what happened here is I had a bad day and let a few comments about geo get to me. I'm not even defending this bike. I just like this type of geo because of where I live. I actually think that new lappierre CF is much nicer than this.
  • 5 0
 Oh look, Santa Cruz gave Cervelo the drawings to the 2017 Highball......way to progress Cervelo LOL.
  • 1 0
 Its Canadian we were riding way less 1993 wouldn't Wout Van aert be making cake on this wip XC championships next just like that Belgian waffle wins and all of CANADA the home sport advantage does what it Needs to pump iron and show these Euro geeks Timber and Flapjacks still got it. Now wonder why wolverine Rolly hides from you all in his den in Fernie
  • 8 4
 Can I buy one at walmart? Because if so I'm. I could do my grocery shopping and get a new bike at the same time.
  • 7 2
 Fooooohk ya XC!!! Twitchy rigs down blue trails is my heroin!
  • 5 0
 For that €£$ I expect a years free EPO included
  • 4 1
 Is it already a collectors thing? I was just thinking about to invest some money into something older, looking at the price and geo this should be just it.
  • 3 2
 Surprised to see so many people upset about this bike. Pretty sure that if you don't really want to ride this bike, you won't. It is not as much of an issue as back when nearly all mid/high-priced bikes were spec'd with SRAM NX.
  • 3 1
 My Sourdough rises to the top faster than this "race bread".

My Judy XC's through your inappropriate usage of "race bred" in the title.

What two race hard tails swapped hydraulic fluid to breed this stiff banana?
  • 2 1
 There are twice as many comments about this generic alibaba old stock hardtail than the Canfield press release (not that announcing paint is much more exciting) - the next time any pinkbiker says they're not interested in seeing XC on this site I'll laugh in their face Big Grin
  • 1 0
 Biggest failure!!

The specs need seat tube length(no seat tube length? omg), bb drop and bb height(provide both, because every vendor varies). Then all the stats over again paired with a 120mm sc and 130mm fork.

I need to know what length of dropper(even if short gravel dropper) i can get, how out of the way that bike can get with that seat dropped to kick everyone's ass on the down. you got to get the seat out of the way, anybody that's ridden a bmx bike vs enduro bike knows head tube angle put aside; drop that seat and charge, you just don't ride them the same. but a risen seat will just down right screw you even in XC.

Then i still need to calculate if this bike actually could have that sweet spot for head angle with a 120sc or 130mm fork and still destroys everyone on the up. 100mm is just handing numbing up or down and going to produce a steep HA, reduce the fatigue!

They are selling this thing for darn near 10k targeting the XC or ultra marathon and those riders want to know if it fits perfect and for what races. They are riding a freaking samurai sword of a bike and need ultra specs, not just its 900g.

I would then immediately throw this thing against the Yeti ARC or Stanton Sherpa ti depending on the race to make my decision. we can already see its a trying to be a photo copy of Specialized and Trek HTs.

I think the only exciting thing i read was it's 900g and has a threaded bottom bracket!! Please compare XC bikes critically as well as AM Enduro, Trail etc.
  • 1 0
 This bike is gonna be such a love or hate thing, either people want the older style and geo or they'll actively avoid it cuz all the other brands aren't making anything like it. I for one have a pretty similar bike and freaking love it in all its dated 27.2 non-boost glory. And yes, I also have a long low and slack mullet enduro bike. Contrast is king of the quiver.
  • 2 0
 Stay tuned - the all carbon unified pivot bike with cables through the headset and Cervelo's own Knock Block - a la S5 (many frame failures) is coming very soon
  • 4 0
 Yo he’s rippin’ up those berms in the wrong direction.
  • 6 3
 It doesn't have a head angle of 63 degrees or lower. The shuttle bro pink bikers won't like it.
  • 2 0
 I like it, how unfashionable of me, but I do ride a drop bar Cotic Cascade with 100mm forks so am considered a bit odd anyway.
  • 2 0
 I think it's pretty cool too but the price and marketing are where they deserve to get roasted.
  • 1 0
 I have an old 2013 Specialised Pro-Carve, this bike is not really a huge improvement. I have upgraded my bikes specs and cant see the value in this Cervelo.
  • 3 0
 So, how much for the build in the lead photo (XTR and Fox Factory 32)?
  • 6 0
 Bet that one is "team only" and not for sale in that spec or color.
  • 1 0
 Stretch it out and load it up with "features" (lots of links, hinges, compartments, etc)--- then put a motor on it and THAT will bring the acolades.
  • 2 0
 I guess they still don't make MTB frames?
  • 6 4
 goes to china carbon site, pays for the name to be painted on $$$$$$$$$$
  • 2 0
 Pon can do better.

I guess it’ll be an XC killer……in flatlandia.
  • 1 0
 I seem to recall Jonathan Page racing this bike in adidas kit. Maybe his frame was a bit more relaxed.
  • 3 0
 This is a commuter bike
  • 1 0
 A hybrid
  • 2 0
 Now that I think about it, this is the most boring bike I have ever seen.
  • 2 0
 Oh cool, it's one of those 'back in 1995' articles!
  • 1 0
 So people hate on this... But the epic HT has similar numbers and rips for an xc hardtail.
  • 6 5
 Seems like a pointless me too exercise.
  • 1 0
 Sepp Kuss returns to MTB racing?
  • 3 1
 Wüd not bang
  • 3 2
 Isn t there a website or 3 for bikes that go uphill better than downhill ?
  • 2 0
 More like Cervel-No!
  • 1 0
 Looks like Wout will be racing MTB next season?
  • 1 0
 Valkenburg.........you heard it here first.....
  • 1 0
 ezen az áron csináltatok 4-10 marino keményfarkut Big Grin Big Grin vicc
  • 2 0
 So misjudged!
  • 1 0
 when are we gonna Vingegaard slapping some berms?
  • 2 1
 Cool 1999 geo, dirt-roadies.
  • 2 0
 no 27.2 seatpost... dumb
  • 1 0
 Dude you’re going the wrong way!!!
  • 1 1
 Frame failures in 3...2...1...
  • 2 2
 And is as massively overpriced as their Road frames by the looks of it.
  • 2 2
 I guess we don't like hardtails?
  • 7 0
 Pinkers love hardtail. They just have to be from this decade. Or like a DMR Trailstar or something.
  • 3 5
 @mtb-jon: Oh...I get it. S-t-r-e-t-c-h i-t o-u-t so you call "all-mountain" into the new era. Heck let's be honest: We all want all the features, the problem is we also need assist to haul it up the hill so we can go down without feeling nothin'. Bike parks rule too. Let's fully update; to heck with stopping halfway with a worthless slacked out hardtail.
  • 2 0
 Just not this one.
  • 1 1
 This sounds like a CRACKING IDEA from Cervelo
  • 1 0
 bandwagon's full
  • 1 1
 I really want that new Cervelo! (said no one EVER Smile )
  • 1 1
 Looks like Santa Cruz
  • 1 2
 NO WAY ........
  • 1 3
 Just Kill it Bruh.
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