Zwift’s latest update includes a new gravel frame from Cervelo, the Aspero 5. Released last summer IRL, this is an unapologetically aero gravel bike which Cervelo claims is “37 Watts faster than its predecessor, and 34 Watts faster than the nearest competitor.”
On Zwift, you’ll need to be updated to game version 1.111+ to see this bike in the Drop Shop. You’ll also need to be at level 35+ with 1,250,000 Drops to buy it (the most expensive gravel bike on Zwift). Here’s how it’s described in the Drop Shop:
“Faster than the rest. The Aspero-5 blends aero shaping with razor-clean handling, making high-tempo gravel feel smooth and controlled. It accelerates with intent and tracks like it’s on rails, the kind of bike that dares you to push a bigger gear.”
See our master list of all frames in Zwift >
It’s rated 3 stars for aero and 3 stars for weight – the only gravel bike on Zwift with such a high aero rating! We expected it to perform well at high speeds, but since Zwift’s 4-star system isn’t the most granular of performance measurements, we ran this frame through our precise tests to measure performance at nerd-level detail. Let’s dive in!
Note: test results below are from a 75kg, 183cm rider holding 300W steady using Zwift’s stock gravel wheelset on the un-upgraded version of the frame.
Aero (Flat/Rolling) Performance
The Cervelo Aspero 5 certainly lives up to its billing as “the most aerodynamic gravel bike ever created.” It beats every other gravel bike in Zwift (including the other 4 fast frames added in March/April 2026), edging out the previous leader, the Cannondale SuperX LAB71, by 1.2 seconds across an hour of flat riding.
It also beats the old Cervelo Aspero, which used to be the fastest gravel bike on Zwift, by 4 seconds.
For comparison, the stock Zwift Gravel frame loses 145.4 seconds to our baseline Zwift Carbon frame across an hour of flat tarmac, while the (former) fastest gravel bike, the Cannondale SuperX LAB71, loses 112.4 seconds. The Aspero 5 only loses 111.2 seconds.
Climb Performance
Right now, Cervelo’s Aspero 5 isn’t a very strong climber on Zwift. But be sure to read about the * below for more info on how these results will be changing!
Currently, the Aspero 5 turns in essentially the same climb test time as the old Aspero. That means it loses 20.7 seconds across an hour of riding to the top climber, Cannondale’s SuperX LAB71.
The stock Zwift Gravel frame loses 161.8 seconds to our baseline Zwift Carbon frame across an hour of Alpe du Zwift climbing, while the new Aspero 5 loses 139.4 seconds, and the Cannondale SuperX LAB71 loses 118.7 seconds.
Jungle Performance
Of course, nobody really cares about how well a gravel frame performs on pavement, which is where we do our aero and climb testing (above). While those flat and climb tests help us tease out a frame’s aerodynamic capabilities and weight, when it comes to gravel bikes, people really want to know how fast they are on Zwift’s virtual dirt!
In that regard, the Cervelo Aspero 5 turns in the strongest performance of any gravel frame on Zwift, edging out the closest competition by around half a second* across an hour of Jungle Circuit riding.
About the * (Pending Weight Loss)
You’ll see we marked the test results above with an asterisk. Here’s why: Zwift tells us they will be reducing the weight of the Aspero 5 just a bit in the next release (version 1.112, scheduled for April 21).
So while the Aspero 5 is already a strong performer, it will be even faster after the next game update! The change won’t make the Aspero 5 the strongest climber in the Drop Shop, but will help it perform a bit better in the hills, while giving it a bigger edge in aero performance.
We’ll publish an updated version of this post once we’ve tested the updated frame.
Upgrading Your Cervelo Aspero 5
Like all frames in Zwift, Cervelo’s Aspero 5 can be upgraded in five stages. It’s currently set up as a mid-tier distance bike in terms of upgrade stages, but this is a misconfiguration on Zwift’s end which will be modified in the next game release, along with the bike’s weight. For now, though, the bike’s upgrade stages are as follows:
- Ride 160km, pay 50,000 Drops for an aero upgrade
- Ride 200km, pay 100,000 Drops for a weight reduction
- Ride 240km, pay 150,000 Drops for a drivetrain efficiency improvement
- Ride 280km, pay 200,000 Drops for an aero upgrade
- Ride 320km, pay 250,000 Drops for a 5% Drops boost
Any upgrade stages you reach and purchase will remain even after Zwift updates this bike’s upgrade scheme, so you’ve got two weeks to upgrade it as quickly as you can!
You can expect a fully-upgraded Aspero 5 to be approximately 28 seconds faster on a flat hour and 36 seconds faster on an hour-long climb vs a “stock” (un-upgraded) Aspero 5.
Conclusions
When it comes to fast dirt on Zwift (think flat roads or even the Jungle Circuit), Cervelo’s Aspero 5 beats every gravel bike in Zwift, just edging out the other fast frames added in March/April 2026. And while it’s not the best frame for pure climbing, it’s going to get a bit lighter in two weeks, making it the best choice for most gravel races, if you’re looking purely at performance.
My opinion: it’s fast, but it’s also a pity the bike doesn’t have a cooler colorway in Zwift. While Cervelo has never been known for particularly eye-catching paint jobs, something a bit more blingy would have been welcome. Maybe someday Zwift will let us buy a cool Aspero 5 paint job in the Drop Shop.
We’ll be adding this bike to the following posts soon:
- Speed Tests: Gravel, MTB, and Road Frames on Zwift Dirt
- Zwift Shopping Guide: What To Buy from the Drop Shop at Each Level
Questions or comments?
What do you think of Cervelo’s new Aspero 5 in Zwift? Share below…
Important note: this post contains speed test results for Zwift frames or wheels. These results may change over time, and a bike's performance relative to others may also change. We don't always revise posts when performance rankings change, but we do keep current, master versions of our speed test results which are always available. See the frame charts, wheel charts, and Tron vs Top Performers for current performance data.
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