RyanH wrote:Hi nismosr, awesome bike. Can you post a review of this compared to the C59? I'd prefer to pick up an older model S5 if it compares favorably rather than spend more for the 2015+ model since mine will be used almost solely for racing. I know some complained about HT stiffness and descending, but coming from a Titanium bike and only weighing 70kg, I don't know how much of a factor that is for me.
I had one before. Switched to a Cervelo S3, then to a Supersix Evo.
At the time I weighed about 73kg, and was riding on a 54cm frame. Honestly, I never felt the frontend lacking in stiffness. Maybe I don't wrestle my bike enough to feel it, but never felt it was an issue.
Descending wasn't bad, except if you had to brake suddenly. Out of the bikes that I have had, never had the problem before, but I had the rear wheel of the S5 just ever so slightly get off the ground and make me aware of keeping my weight lower and more over the rear wheel.
From what I saw in the reviews, the complaints of head tube stiffness were often bikes that were 56cm or larger. It could be a matter of frame size in terms of noticeable lack of stiffness. As I said, never had the problem.
Personally, I liked the high head tube, since I can't go very low without being tense in the upper body, and subsequently feel like breathing isn't as free as it could be.
Wonderful bike, and I set a bunch of personal records on the kind of 2-3km @3-6% climbs that are in my hoods. On the flats... such a rocket. There might not be much of a difference in terms of gained watts between the S5 and the S3, but in a way, I preferred the non-compromise nature of the S5, even if the S3 was more of an all-rounder (and better looking).
