Maybe I have unreasonable expectations, but here again I’m somewhat surprised to find that this $4,000 Cervélo Áspero comes with an aluminum seatpost and a 1760g Easton EA70 AX wheelset. Seeing as you can get these wheels for $200 and an aluminum seatpost for $25 without even looking that hard, it just seems like a lot to pay for a mishmash of parts and a carbon frame. Now, I will admit that the paint job on that bike is fantastic, so there’s definitely some value to be had there.
All that said, I don’t get what Cycling Tips problem is with a press-fit bottom bracket or “road-bike-like fit and feel”. OK, Cervélo doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to the creak-free BB, but it’s really hard to know how legit those complaints are. And since there are BBRight options for whatever crank you want, from several OEMs, it’s not even a single-sourcing issue. More importantly, what’s wrong with a gravel bike that is more like a road bike, than a mountain bike? In my book that’s a good thing. I can certainly understand why one might want a gravel bike that swung the other way, even though I don’t. That doesn’t make a con (or “Low” in CT speak), it just differentiates one product from another.
Cervelo offsets the Aspero’s front-end agility somewhat by pairing it with a longer effective top tube and shorter stem. This maintains the usual dimensions in terms of overall fit, but Cervelo contends that pushing the front wheel further out in front of you provides enough stability and confidence to keep the Aspero from crossing over into full-blown sketchiness when riding on loose ground. As compared to a 56 cm Specialized Roubaix endurance road bike, for example, the front wheel on the Aspero is nearly 20 mm further in front of the rider.
