I recently sold my race bike after a year of ownership, and never competing in a race (due to injuries, weather and COVID). When I bought a new bike I didn’t expect it to be faster and less than half the price. In this 2022 Cervelo Caledonia 105 review I’ll explain why a bike that wasn’t designed for racing is the perfect bike for racing and recreation.
It’s important to classify bikes to a type of rider. For the cyclist that likes to be comfortable and rides mixed terrain all day, the Cervelo Caledonia is not for you. This bike is also not for cyclists that want a bike to criterium race.
Who is this bike for? Its for the cyclists that wants to be competitive in their weekly group ride. It’s for the cyclist that prioritizes speed over comfort on long distances. Finally, its perfect for the cyclists that wants to race Gran Fondo, but recently sold his race bike.
Caledonia 105 vs Ultegra vs eTap AXS vs Ultegra Di2
There are four groupset options on the 2022 Cervelo Caledonia. The 105 comes with Shimano 105 components, and comes with a $3,200 price tag. Caledonia Ultegra comes with the mechanical (cable) shifting Ultegra groupset for $4,100. The price increase also gets you a wheel upgrade. The 105 and Ultegra models are the only mechanical groupsets offered for 2022.
Electronic shifting enthusiasts will be happy to know Caledonia comes with a SRAM or Shimano option for 2022. The SRAM Nation will love the Rival eTap AXS shifting and SRAM Rival brakes. The eTap AXS system works incredibly well, and the componentry is cross compatible with other AXS parts, including the MTB group, SRAM Eagle. Bikes with eTap AXS are $4,400.
2022 Cervelo Caledonia Ultegra Di2 owners get the electronic shifting version of Ultegra. It is insanely smooth and reliable under any shifting conditions. Shimano owners also get the benefit of longer battery life than SRAM, but at a small increase in weight when comparing similar groups. (E.g. Ultegra vs Force, Dura-Ace vs Red.). The Ultegra Di2 model costs $5,000.
2022 Cervelo Caledonia 105 Accessories and Upgrades
The only two parts on this bike that need an immediate upgrade are the stem and handlebars. If you ride smooth pavement, the aluminum stem and handlebars will be fine with some softer handlebar tape. If you ride any mixed terrain or rough pavement the stem and handlebars have to go.
I had a set of carbon ENVE handlebars in my parts bin, but ended up ordering a carbon matrix stem from Ritchey on Amazon. (Check Price on Amazon Here).
This bike defines intelligent design. The front derailleur can easily be removed when converting to a 1x drivetrain. This model, the 105, has Shimano 105 components that have proven to be reliable and accurate, albeit slightly louder than the Ultegra groupset I had on my Domane.
Cervelo Caledonia 105 Overall
Key features on this bike are tire clearance and the frame. You can put 35c gravel tires without clearance issues, but you can also put 26c slicks on when you want to go fast. We are in a time of do-it-all bikes exploding in popularity, and the Caledonia is the fastest bike in the do-it-all bunch.
To wrap things up, with a few small upgrades the Cervelo Caledonia 105 is the perfect bike for me. If I decide to get competitive in the future, I can upgrade to a lighter groupset, and carbon wheels. The lifetime warranty on the frame means this is a bike I can own for many years to come.
This bike is comfortable and fast. There are more comfortable bikes out there, but they won’t be as fast as the Cervelo Caledonia 105. If you prioritize speed over comfort, you will enjoy riding the Caledonia. Cyclists wanting a bike that is comfortable, and you’re willing to sacrifice performance to get it, should try a bike like the Domane or Checkpoint from Trek.
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The Caledonia is in serious consideration as my new bike. If I go this direction, I’ll change the 52/36 out for a compact 50/34 for better climbing ability while still maintaining decent road gearing.
You seem to emphasize this bike is not for riders seeking comfort, nor for those ridding mixed terrain. But a friend I know and more than a few online strangers seem to tout these very points as features of the Caledonia’s ride. Not challenging you, just a little unclear about your take on its comfort and mixed-terrain ridding aspects.
Sorry, it was not my intent to emphasize those points in the way you describe. The point I was trying to make is that there are better bikes for comfort and mixed terrain, not that the Caledonia is bad in those areas, per se. Comfort and ability to handle mixed terrain are touted features of the Caledonia because when compared to bikes in other genre the Caledonia does seem comfortable and able to handle more. However, specifically comparing this bike to bikes in the endurance space, it wouldn’t make my top three choices. I like the Caledonia because it gives you a blend of endurance, aero and race features. As an endurance bike alone (if that is what a cyclist is looking for) there are better options, in my opinion.
I just ordered one without reading these comments before the order. The bike is set to come in a few weeks and I am anxious to find an all around bike that can ride the paved roads well and handle a little bit of gravel/dirt very well and safely! Hopefully this is the correct bike and rides somewhat quickly and comfortably and looks great!