Cervélo Rca
Welcome to the next generation of super-bike from the forward thinking engineers at Cervelo. The same team that changed our perspective on what a road bike frame could look like, ride like, and weigh, has just released their newest project. The 2013 Cervelo RCA is the latest road bike from Cervelo to come out of their futuristic carbon fiber research and development lab in California. Each frame that comes out of this state of the art facility is made by hand by the actual engineers that have designed and tested the bikes.
Cervelo was able to learn quite a bit about testing the boundaries and tolerances of road bike design during the creation and production of the R5ca, their first California project frameset. Delivering a road bike frame that is incredibly stiff where you need it to be, handles confidently on all road surfaces both up and down hills, offers an inspiring level of comfort, all while being lighter than any other road bike frame available was a success, and now improved upon with the creation of the new 2013 RCA.
The new RCA from Cervelo has taken lessons learned from the R5ca, and greatly improved upon it. One of the most noticeable changes seen on the new RCA is the integration of aerodynamic tubing. Cervelo is known for their excellence in aerodynamic design, integrating aerodynamic features into this road bike frame brings it to a level far beyond their previous top end bicycle. The new tubing on the RCA saves an average of 7.4 watts over the current R-Series frame, and up to 10.2 watts on an average road bike frame.
In addition to the aerodynamic features found on the RCA, there are also a few incredible updates. There is a new fork found on the RCA, which is incredibly lightweight, and offers supreme confidence and handling in the front end. The geometry has been updated as well, which will help fit an extremely wide range of cyclists, both pro-tour racer or weekend enthusiast. Another addition to the new RCA frame is a power-meter magnet built into the frame for use with any current crank based power-meter system.
Freshbikes testers have been incredibly impressed by ride characteristics of the new Cervelo RCA. This is a hyper-light top of range road bike that delivers on all fronts. Incredibly stylish, extreme top end performance, inspiring comfort, and an exclusive limited production that is sure to make everyone in your circle of friends jealous.
Features
Squoval 3
Squoval 3 frame shape reduces aero drag by a whopping 74 grams (equivalent to 7.4 Watts) compared to second generation Squoval frames.
Integran/Powermetal Nanovate
Integran/PowerMetal Nanovate™ adds a strong, light coating on the fork steerer. Which increases fork steerer tube safety without adding weight.
Integrated Power Meter Magnet
A strong neodymium magnet is laid in between the carbon fibre plies of the frame’s down tube near the bottom bracket, positioned at the perfect radius from the crank axis to be sensed by popular crank-based power meters.
Weight & Stiffness
Cervelo has taken the lightest and made it even lighter while maintaining the optimal stiffness of the R5ca. Their ComfortPly™ technology actually removes unneeded fibres to reduce weight and vibration and improve ride quality.
Pricing & Availability
| Model | Color | Price | Size | |
Cervelo Rca
| Size | Seat Tube | Top Tube | Effective Tob Tube | Stack | Reach | Head Tube | Head Tube Angle | Seat Tube Angle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 | 48 | 51.6 | 51.6 | 50.5 | 36.0 | 10.8 | 70.5 | 73.0 |
| 51 | 51 | 53.1 | 53.1 | 53.0 | 36.9 | 12.8 | 72.2 | 73.0 |
| 54 | 54 | 54.8 | 54.8 | 55.5 | 37.8 | 14.8 | 73.1 | 73.0 |
| 56 | 56 | 56.4 | 56.4 | 58.0 | 38.7 | 17.3 | 73.5 | 73.0 |
| 58 | 58 | 58.1 | 58.1 | 60.5 | 39.6 | 19.9 | 73.5 | 73.0 |
| 61 | 61 | 59.7 | 59.7 | 63.0 | 40.5 | 22.5 | 73.5 | 73.0 |
Specifications
| Frame | Rca |
| Fork | Cervelo FK33 with Integran/PowerMetal NanovateTM coated steerer |
| Headset | FSA IS3 Tapered - 8.7mm TC Carbon |
| Bottom Bracket | Rotor Ceramic PressFit BB |