Zwift’s latest update includes a new bike frame from Cervelo, and it’s a special one. Say hello to the latest version of Cervelo’s flagship S5 line, in a limited “Lupine” colorway:
The Cervelo S5 has always been fast on Zwift – first the 2015 version, then the 2020. This latest iteration, released in mid-2025, has a unique one-piece cockpit, deeper fork blades, and other changes which, according to Cervelo, make it 124 grams lighter and 6.3 watts faster than the outgoing model.
(You may have seen this very bike recently winning the Giro d’Italia, in fact. With a little help from Jonas Vingegaard, of course. He rode a custom pink version into Rome on the final day, complete with Reserve 34/37 wheels, which Zwift also added to the game today.)
On Zwift, you’ll need to be updated to game version 1.116+ to see this bike in the Drop Shop. You’ll also need to be at level 40+ with 1,800,000 Drops to buy it. Yes: it’s currently the most expensive road bike in Zwift! Here’s how it’s described in the Drop Shop:
When the pace explodes and the sprint banners come into view, the Cervélo S5 comes alive. Built for pure aerodynamic speed, this race machine slices through the wind with aggressive tube shaping, deep integration, and WorldTour-proven handling. Whether you’re attacking off the front or chasing the fastest lap, the S5 is engineered to stay fast when every watt counts.
See our master list of all frames in Zwift >
It’s rated 3 stars for aero and 3 stars for weight, like the top road racing bikes on Zwift. But how does it actually perform? Since Zwift’s 4-star system isn’t the most granular performance metric, we ran this frame through our precise tests to measure performance in nerd-level detail. Let’s dive in!
Note: test results below are from a 75kg, 183cm rider holding 300W steady using Zwift’s stock 32mm Carbon wheelset on the un-upgraded version of the frame, unless otherwise noted.
Aero (Flat/Rolling) Performance
The new S5 delivers pack-leading aero performance, edging out all other frames in our tests. It doesn’t win by a huge margin, of course, but it’s always news when a new king arrives in the jungle!
The frame’s time puts it 63.5 seconds ahead of our baseline frame across an hour of riding, which means it’s half a second faster than the previous king, the Canyon Aeroad 2024.
Climb Performance
While the new S5 isn’t a standout climber, it improves significantly over previous S5 versions, trimming more than 8 seconds off the 2020 model’s time thanks to its lighter weight.
The frame’s climb test time puts it 39.8 seconds ahead of the baseline frame after an hour, which is ~18 seconds slower than the best climbers in game (frames like the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8, Specialized Aethos S-Works, and Cannondale SuperSix Evo LAB71).
Upgrading Your Cervelo S5
Like all frames in Zwift, the S5 can be upgraded in five stages. It uses the Distance, High-End upgrading scheme, giving it the following characteristics:
Performance At Each Upgrade Stage
This chart shows how many seconds this frame will save across 1 hour of riding compared to our stage 0 baseline frames (Zwift Carbon or TT). This is based on a 75kg rider, 183cm tall, at 300 watts, riding on tarmac.
Upgrade Stages (Distance, High-End)
- 200km: Aero Upgrade for 100k Drops
- 260km: Weight Upgrade for 200k Drops
- 320km: Drivetrain Upgrade for 350k Drops
- 380km: Aero Upgrade for 500k Drops
- 440km: Weight Upgrade for 750k Drops
Conclusions
The new Cervelo S5 earns a 100/100 aero rating in our ZIMetrics, meaning it’s the fastest road frame in Zwift, at least for now. While I wouldn’t recommend it for a race that includes any sort of climbing, its unique color and slippery nature will surely appeal to many Zwifts, particularly those who love Cervelo and those who love to race.
We’ll be adding this bike to the following posts soon:
- Zwift Shopping Guide: What To Buy from the Drop Shop at Each Level
- The Top 10 Road Bikes in Zwift
- Fastest Aero Bike Frames and Wheels at Each Zwift Level
- Zwift Speed Tests: Frame Ranking Charts
- Speed Tests: Concept Z1 (Tron) Bike vs Top Performers (Un-Upgraded and Fully Upgraded Versions)
- A Complete List of Zwift Bike Frames (added)
Questions or comments?
What do you think of Cervelo’s zippy new S5 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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