Cervelo or Parlee and Headset Spacers

Seth is interested in Cervelo frames, the RS the R3 and also the Z4 from Parlee. These are all great frames so we don't mind having a good look at them and giving him our thoughts. He also wants to know how headset spacers affect the frames handling and geometry

Question: Are there merits to the new Cervelo RS, does adding spacers to a headset detune the geometry of a racing frame? I am debating between the Cervelo RS, R3 and the Parlee Z4.

Hi Seth,

You have a good eye for a top frame and we like the offerings from Cervelo, the R3 is a very strong and hardwearing frame that was originally designed and built for the CSC Team to win the Classic race, Paris-Roubaix. As Cervelo say "the R3 is bulletproof" this is shown by their riders Fabian Cancellara and Stuart O'Grady winning the hardest of races back to back, the R3 was the lightest bike ridden by the heaviest rider in Paris-Roubaix. The R3 is also light and perfect for up hill and long Grand Fondo rides, basically it suits many different terrains, its super light and comfortable and stiff.

R3 to RS Comparison

The RS is a slightly up dated version of the R3, it has the same handling properties, the same seat stay set up with their deflection mode, multi shaped tube design and lots of carbon at the bottom bracket and head tube areas, they are both astoundingly stiff and light and both have Kevlar to strengthen important stress areas. So what's the difference? The main difference between the two frames is the longer head tube lengths, Cervelo claim that the handling philosophy is the same as their other bikes, but the longer head tubes available are for those riders who prefer a higher handle bar position. Also the Extra Small has been redesigned so as to eliminate toe overlap with the front wheel. So it's a geometry thing in the end.

The Z4 is a slightly cheaper version of the Z3, but only just. It has all the strength and lightness of its predecessor and its good looks. It is made by tube and lug system of jointing, the carbon layers are wrapped around the butted joints then the frame is cured. The frame weighs in at less than 1 kilogram and has comfort and stiffness by the ton.

The Cervelo is our choice based on the history of use; the CSC Team has worked closely with Cervelo to come up with some of the best carbon frames on the market. The Parlee is cheaper, but it doesn't have the same frame size variations as the Cervelo RS and R3, take a good look at the geometry of all and then you can decide which suits your body size, either the RS with its longer top tube and higher handle bars set up or the more standard R3.

The head spacers will not change the geometry and handling of the frame, but it will move your weight further back on the bike as you will be sitting more upright, this can change how the bike feels when cornering and descending, but being comfortable is more important. Does this all help, Seth?

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