Souphorse’s Cervelo Aspero: Stock Is Not An Option
Words and photos by Billy Sinkford
Throwing the MADE Bicycle Show, most of my time is spent talking about and riding custom bikes. While not everyone needs a made-to-measure bicycle, nearly everyone can benefit from one. Having only ridden custom bikes for quite some time, when Cervelo got in touch to see if there was interest in checking out the new Aspero, I was intrigued. Time to see what “Big Bike” has been up to for the last few years. Initial conversations with Cervelo were positive. I promised to get weird with the bike, and Cervelo agreed to enjoy the ride. Clipless sandals were discussed and approved. A loose plan was hatched and the bike arrived a few days later.
I quickly fell in love with the frame and ride quality. Nearly all my bikes have been fabricated more on the comfort/all day end of the riding spectrum, the Aspero is certainly the opposite. Geometry is race-oriented, but slightly on the softer side of Sears from the previous edition of the bike. No fender or rack mounts, a machine meant to “haul ass, not cargo”. I found myself grabbing the Aspero more often than not for short, fast rides in the park above Portland. The hype is real, Cervelo’s Aspero is a ripper and now heavily in the rotation.
After riding the 56 stock for a month, the changes began. Subtle at first, then progressively more aggressive. The first domino to fall was easy enough. Upgrading the cassette from Rival AXS to Force dropped a few grams and provided a better shifting experience. Camp And Go Slow bar tape added a more visible shift, with tape remnants on the drive side chainstay for slap protection and additional zest.
On a recent trip to California, I swung by dear friend Falconer Cycles for a visit. Cameron Falconer is a master builder and a fabrication wizard. Cam created the world’s first Semi-Integrated Paul Component Boxcar Stem. Drilling and tapping the Boxcar to match the stock offering from Cervelo. Paul Approved.
Next stop/upgrade came courtesy of Tyler from Btchn’ Bikes in Chico. Tyler has recently been focusing his bicycle building efforts on contact points, building a variety of Titanium bars and seat posts. Tyler bent a special 20-degree Ti set back seatpost, and cranked it up to 11 with custom anodizing. Silca cages got the same makeover helping tie the project together.
We pulled the cranks and BB, swapping in a Chris King T47A Bottom Bracket. The latest addition came by way of Biciclista, the US distributor for Ingrid Components. Gone are the Rival cranks, replaced by Ingrid’s Pop crankset, which is lighter and far more handsome than the stock offering from SRAM.
Swapping wheels on this bike has been pleasant. The stock Reserve 40/44’s paired with Ultradynamico Rose 43? Rubber have been the most fun combo. The inner width on the Reserve wheels is bananas (27.4/27 respectively), pushing the supple rubber even further. Chris King ARD44’s running Ultra D 42? Cava rubber have been my daily drivers, with Midnight ceramic R45 hubs matching the “woodsmoke” frame perfectly. Date night shoes are Hunt Sub50 Limitless rolling 38 Cava rubber. Far and away the fastest combo, perfect for Portland’s weekly industry road ride.
The Frame and seat bag are Mission Workshop - very lightweight and pair perfectly with the size 56 frame. One of my favorite details is the addition of the Knog Scout Bike inside the Cervelo top tube bag. It sounds a loud alarm if the bike is moved when armed, and connects with Apple’s Find My network. Brilliant. All my builds gets a Dynaplug Racer mounted behind the seat tube bottle, and this one has additional flat protection care of the Covert handlebar tool, adding two more plugs at the fingertips.
Add one large Camp and Go Slow Decal on the downtube, this Cervelo is perfect for the time being. After MADE, I have plans to Spray Bike the frame, swap the hydro brakes for mechanical braking AXS paired with Paul Klampers and add an Eagle in the back for all the fun. Dream bikes don’t need to stay dreams. Making something unique is super satisfying, deepening the emotional connection with the bike. Dipping my toe into the production side of the industry has been fun. Gotta keep an eye on “Big Bike” - always creeping around in the shadows…
BIKE SPEC
FRAME 2024 Cervelo Aspero 56 Woodsmoke
WHEELS Chris King ARD44 Midnight Cernaic R45 Hubs / Reserve 40/44 w/Zipp Hubs
TIRES Ultradynamico
STEM Paul Component Boxcar (Semi-Integrated)
BARS Cervelo Carbon
TAPE Camp And Go Slow
CAGES Silca/Moots (Anodized by Btchn Bikes)
SHIFTERS Sram Rival AXS 12 Speed
REAR DERAILLEUR SRAM Rival XPLR 12 Speed
BRAKES SRAM Rival Hydro
CRANKS Ingrid Pop Large
BOTTOM BRACKET Chris King T47A
SEATPOST Btchn Bikes Titanium 20’ Setback
CASSETTE SRAM Force XPLR 10/44
SEALANT Orange Seal Endurance Formula
BAGS Mission Workshop
TRACKER Knog Scout Bike
The MADE Bicycle Show takes place on August 23-25th, tickets are available here. Over 200 builders and brands will descend on Portland, OR - bringing hundreds of handmade bikes, wheels, components, and accessories for all to drool over. Chris King, Ingrid, Reserve Wheels, Btchn Bikes, Paul Components, Hunt, and Ultradynamico will be in attendance showing parts utilized for this build. Come discover your deam bike, meet the builders and makers and engage with the cycling community as a whole. We look forward to seeing you at MADE.
