the R5ca is definitely lighter. the r3, r5 are much improved, despite the weight (blasphemy, i know). according to cervelo's own presentations on their website, they previously underestimated the stress/strain put on certain parts of the bike, especially the top tube. maybe now they will allow people to rest their thigh on the top tube at traffic lights!
my coworker just had his first real ride on his new r5 (w/ 2011 super record) and he came back ecstatic. previously on a 2010 tarmac pro.
even on weight weenies, sometimes a few extra grams pays off.
otoh, the other guys are definitely catching (caught?) up.

-Greg

My 51cm R3-SL weighed 852 grams and my 51cm R5 weighs 823 grams, both are with collar and hanger.

Guys. I don't even own a Cervelo but I do know there's more pure "frame" in a 2011 R series than a 2010 R series. For instance, due to their geometry changes in the R sereis for 2011 the headtube alone is just shy of 2cm more on a 2011 58cm versus a 2010 58. The new wider bottom bracket also contributes a bit. Point is, there's more going on between the two model years than just reducing or adding weight to frames with exactly the same dimensions and geometry. In that respect, you are comparing apples to oranges. Maybe you are all right because of this. Just thinking out loud.

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My Special Colnago EPQ

have a white 2008 r3 it weighs 931 gr with hanger and fittings cups

So the new R5 weighs more than a R3-SL?

I don't the" improvements" what was wrong with the R3-SL?

Nothing was "wrong" with the R3-SL, but as quoted above, geometry changes were made (presumably to make the R5 appeal to a wider consumer base with a taller headtube) and the bike was made stiffer, ie wider bottom bracket and such.

On average, it does look like the R5 weighs in pretty close to the R3-SL, but is a significantly stiffer bike that rides better according to almost all accounts.

Blasphemy b/c we're on WW, but "improvements" don't always = weight reduction. Especially in this case, where the bike's performance is improved but weight remains relatively static.

If you want light, the R5CA fits the bill.

I have a 08 R3-SL it is plenty stiff and I don't need a taller head tube (this is a performance bike not the RS).

Just weighed by gf's 51cm 2011 R3 and it was 894 with hanger and bottle cage bolts, but no seat collar
Red and black paint job

I had a 2008 R3 SL also, which I absolutely loved. A true race bike. It got mashed in a crash and I bought a R5 to replace. The head tube on my 51cm R5 is only 8mm longer than the SL head tube. With no spacers it still makes a very,very sporty set up. Otherwise the R5 is massively stiffer up front and noticeably stiffer in the crank/BB area. The handling, especially during descent, is much more secure but it still retains the old sporty feel that the old R3 has. The R5 doesn't quite have that fabulous R3 SL twitchy feel but I guess even most pros would prefer the R5 with the added stability and markedly stiffer front end.

2010 R3SL size 51 w/ rd hanger. no cable guide and seatclamp.


weight

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you cant buy fitness, but you can buy advantage.

2011 size 56 with seat post clamp, bottle cage bolts and rd hanger.


2010 size 58 with headset, seat post clamp, bottle cage bolts and rd hanger.

so the 2011 one is lighter by whatever that small section of bubble wrap weighs

No, the 2011 is lighter as a frame.
2011 pictured has minimal paint... or at the very least, far less paint than the 2010 version.
2010 version has plenty of paint.
Estimate for a size 56 that a full paint job is ~100g to ~120g, thereabouts.
The 2011 is at least 100g lighter in weight compared to the 2010... which makes sense, considering the BB is now full carbon, not an aluminum insert.

The weight of the bubble wrap is really negligible. It's probably 1g or so, perhaps 3g tops. In frame weights, that is rather moot.

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Exp001

Probably stating the obvious, but the 2011 is fully painted black, not like the 2006-2007 frames which were clear coated carbon with decals. The amount of paint must be considerably less than the 2010 white (due to the amount of white needed to cover) but its still fully painted.

The real difference in weight between the '10 and '11 is the fork





Both forks are uncut and includes the lower ring of the headset. The 2011 fork is 340g uncut without the headset part.

Ah! I thought it wasn't black but just carbon. Sorry!

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Exp001