Cervelo ZFS-5 120 XO cross country mountain bike review

Cervelo are known in the bike world as a no-compromise road, triathlon, cyclocross and gravel brand. As a premium bike manufacturer Cervelo don’t do entry level bikes, they excel at high performance bikes driven by refined design. If they came out with a slogan that ‘Life is a race’ it wouldn’t be a huge surprise – they chase outright performance with their designs, and they deliver. In the World Tour, they won all three grand tours in 2023 – which is pretty impressive. But as far as we are concerned, 2023 was exciting as they released their first full-suspension mountain bike the ZHS-5. The full-carbon, cross-country mountain bike arrived in the wake of the release of their hardtail mountain bike, the ZHT-5
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There have been examples of road-biased brands venturing off road in the past. But more recently we have seen deep levels of investment in these dirty forays. Wilier have a World Cup XCO team that has racked up a number of victories, and the new Pinarello Dogma XC hardtails and full-suspension bikes are doing quite well indeed under the likes of Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Tom Pidcock. Their designs are far better than seen from Pinarello in previous attempts. Ridley have another iteration of their XC bike out now, and Factor also have their Lando XC and FS, both of which I tested in 2022. And I know call a Factor Lando XC my own, with a bit of a custom build.

Making a full-suspension cross-country bike is a logical step for entrenched road brands. It’s a bike for their existing drop bar market, who may choose to venture off-road to tackle the Cape Epic, Swiss Epic, or even BC Bike Race or something more adventurous. But the recent crop of bikes from the aforementioned brands are not messing around, with truly capable and highly refined designs landing on the dirt.

Cervelo have a range of six bikes in the ZFS-5 line up, in both 100/100mm builds, and 120/115mm builds. The frame on each build is the same, but the parts spec are different, with the suspension changes impacting the geometry and handling. Pricing starts at $17000 for the top spec 100mm build with SRAM’s XX SL, dropping all the way to $7800 for the GX Eagle equipped 100mm version. The 120 XO AXS model I have on test sells for $12000, with XO Transmission, Fox Performance Elite suspension, an AXS Reverb dropper and lovely Reserve carbon wheels.

Cervelo state that the ZFS-5 is ‘progressive but racy’ being aimed at tackling hard XCO courses. I think the 120mm models like I have on test could be a perfect match for tackling some of Australia’s XC events and global stage races. But the proof would be in the ride.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

Resplendent in black, the Cervelo ZFS-5 120 XO AXS is one stealthy bike. The frame has slender tubes with neat internal routing, and a svelte alloy swing link for the shock. The matte black finish means you look past a lot of the detail, but the frame quality and build is impressive. Yes, it looks a lot like a Santa Cruz Blur, and they have the same parent company. The Blur TR as comparison is a little steeper with less bottom bracket drop and a lower head tube, along with an overall shorter wheelbase. It also has internal routing via ports behind the head tube and two carbon variants. Similar, yes – but different handling and options.

The frame itself uses a flexstay, with the post mount rear brake being a separate mount to allow the flex point to work, while also allowing the use of a 4-piston brake and potentially a 180mm rotor. XC riders deserve to stop, too. The chain stay has plenty of chain slap protection as well, that didn’t budge all test. There is clearance for the stock 2.4” tyres, and the bike can take upto a 38t chain ring, which is important for a bike designed for World Cup performance. There is a OneUp chain guide as well, a nice touch as dropped chains do not mix well with racing. Cervelo use a Universal Derailleur Hanger as you would expect, and of course there is no hanger with the stock XO Transmission group set. The frame uses a threaded bottom bracket, and there are mounts on the down tube and seat tube for water bottle cages – a perfect match for anyone tackling stage races and marathons, or getting the training hours in for XCO.

I’m not a huge fan of cables or hoses going through the headset. It is very neat, and while it is just one hose thanks to the AXS drivetrain and dropper, that brake hose still goes through the headset bearing. With the SRAM Level Silver Stealth levers there’s not much extra hose – but you’ll need some when it comes time for a new headset bearing and the hose must be cut and then reconnected with fresh hardwear – expect to lose

10-15mm each time you do this. It may not happen a lot in our dry(ish) environment, but this move by the bike industry puts increased service costs on the end user.

While $12000 is no small amount of money, you don’t always get the exact spec you want with race level bikes unless you get the top dog. And wheels are an area that often gets something ‘pretty good’. Not so on the Cervelo, with Reserve Carbon XC|28 wheels. They’re light at around 1450g, with a 28mm internal width rim laced to DT Swiss 350 hubs with 24 spokes each end. Wrapped in 60tpi Maxxis Rekon 2.4 3C tyres, it’s a wheel system that is ready to rock.

The Float DPS is the higher volume model, with a two position switch to firm it up, plus another option to tweak compression damping to three levels. There’s routing for a remote lock out shock, but only the 100mm builds have those. The fork is a Fox 34 SC in 120mm with a 44mm offset to match the 66.6 degree head angle.

With the clean AXS setup, the Race Face cockpit with low-rise 780mm carbon bar and short 60mm stem all falls into place well. The 780mm bar is a very comfortable width, but those going bar-to-bar may wish to trim it a little to suit. The Prologo saddle, svelte grips and long-ish 125mm AXS dropper are all brilliant finishing parts to a thoroughly specced bike.

The Float DPS is the higher volume model, with a two position switch to firm it up, plus another option to tweak compression damping to three levels. There’s routing for a remote lock out shock, but only the 100mm builds have those. The fork is a Fox 34 SC in 120mm with a 44mm offset to match the 66.6 degree head angle.

With the clean AXS setup, the Race Face cockpit with low-rise 780mm carbon bar and short 60mm stem all falls into place well. The 780mm bar is a very comfortable width, but those going bar-to-bar may wish to trim it a little to suit. The Prologo saddle, svelte grips and long-ish 125mm AXS dropper are all brilliant finishing parts to a thoroughly specced bike.

At 11.41kg our large test bike is pretty light, considering the AXS dropper isn’t a fly weight and the Maxxis Rekon tyres are pretty chonky. But it is a very capable build. With suspension set at 145psi in the rear and 78psi in the fork, I fitted my pedals and a couple of cages and hit the trails.

ON THE TRAIL

The Cervelo is hands down one of the quietest bikes I have ridden. While this was evident by the end of the test after many hours aboard the ZFS-5, even my first ride was impressive. Sure, an AXS drivetrain and dropper means there’s not many cable outers or hoses to rattle, but with such slick shifting from the Transmission group set, zero chain slap and just very neat finishing on the bike, it all adds up.

My first impressions on the bike were that it felt quite tall – I had dropped the stem below a spacer, but the riser bar still gives a higher position to my normal setup. More telling is the bottom bracket drop and head tube height, which are both more than my regular ride. Throw in a slightly shorter reach at 457mm on large and a 66.6 degree head angle on the 120mm models and your position on the ZFS-5 is very centered and planted. Many might expect an XC bike from a brand known for road bikes to be skittish and nervous – but initial handling had no signs of that. With a 75 degree seat tube angle it is easy to stay centered, and it is pleasing to see Cervelo implementing size specific chain stays to maintain balance across the four sizes. The large has 437mm stays, which are pretty middle-of-the-road in this class of bike.

I have ridden on 2.4” Maxxis tyres, wide carbon wheels and with a Fox 34 SC and DPS shock for much of the past few years, so these items are very familiar. However, the newest Float DPS shock has a bigger aircan which can allow lower pressure. With about 20% less than in my own DPS shock, the ride dynamic is noticeably plusher than on my Factor Lando XC – by all accounts a comparable bike being a 120/115mm travel bike from a road brand. The ride is so supple on trail chatter and small bumps that I stopped more than once to check whether I had too much sag, or a slow leak in the back tyre. While the shock tune may differ on the 100mm builds, on this model you end up with a bike that takes out so many small bumps that comfort is incredible, and so is traction.

While I haven’t been riding my best in a horribly humid and sticky Queensland summer, I still gave a few Prs a nudge on the Cervelo ZFS-5, and I think that is due to how well it feels planted to the ground for traction. But it is anything but a barge. Use the leverage of the wider bars, and the agility that the moderate reach provides and you have an agile bike that has plenty of pop when you load up the suspension. This bike comes alive when you switch out of passenger mode and opt to work the trail. While that is the remit of many short travel, aggressive trail bikes, it is not normally matched with the ability to ride efficiently and comfortably as well – which is a trait that any endurance athlete will find attractive for a bike that may be used for events with 4-6 hours in the saddle.

On the climbs, the centered position and 32t chain ring meant I felt like I could climb anything, being forward enough with ample gears thanks to the 10-52 Transmission cassette. I’d likely prefer a 34 or 36t chain ring, but that is a personal choice depending on terrain, fitness and event focus. The suspension does pedal very well, but I preferred to reach for the lock out when riding to the trail or on long, smoother climbs. On anything with some bumps, the suspension stayed open, with the opportunity for gobs more traction being far more appealing to getting rid of any movement. While I can see that the 100mm models have remote lock out, no dropper and therefore more of a race focus – I cannot ever see the 120/115mm being a trail bike. Instead, I see them as the modern choice for many endurance mountain bikers, with more travel at little weight penalty. So it is a shame that the 120 models don’t have remote lock out. Similarly, it is surprising to see the 100mm models without a dropper. Cervelo are backing a number of top Australian mountain bikers, and while most are on 100mm variants, some have 110mm forks, all have dropper posts and all use remote lock outs across their custom builds.

When descending, the Cervelo is highly impressive. The Float DPS really excels here, and so does that extra bit of bottom bracket drop, keeping the bike planted into corners when the pedals are weighted. Being so light it responds well to input, but at times I did find the front end started to feel vague – specifically in rockier corners or at higher speeds trying to chase friends with more talent. Being familiar with the bars, tyres and fork, I looked to the 24 spoke wheels and slender frame. Neither ever felt flexy, but at the points when chasing friends on downcountry bikes, something in the front end wasn’t feeling as tight as it should be. And that’s ok – this isn’t a trail bike, nor a downcountry bike. The Cervelo ZFS-5 120 XO is a cross-country super bike with a bit more travel and a very plus trail feel.

Our Take It should be no surprise that the Cervelo ZFS-5 is a high performance cross-country platform. While some may expect a mountain bike from a drop bar specialist to be twitchy and underdone, nothing could be further from the truth. If you are looking for a bike to take to Reef to Reef, or across to the Volcanic Epic, Cape Epic, Breck Epic – or anything epic – the Cervelo ZFS-5 can be that bike. The ZFS-5 120 XO AXS is a premium 120/115mm travel bike that brings high level design and production into one of the most exquisitely finished bikes I have ridden here at AMB. While my personal preferences may see a few subtle changes to the cockpit, tyres and gearing, the reality is this bike is ready to go from stock.

Much like other bikes such as the Orbea Oiz, Norco Revolver, Factor Lando XC and Pivot Mach 4 SL, the two travel variants are based on the one frame design with a different rear shock stroke and fork. So an investment in a ZFS-5 isn’t a restriction to one variant or another. That said, I think the 120 models would be a popular choice for many riders looking at a new top-spec cross-country bike. While this model is far from cheap at $12000, it does represent great value when compared with similarly specced bikes. Cervelo state that they wanted it to be racy and progressive, and ready for modern XCO courses. I think it caters for XCO racers at the World Cup – but more importantly, the Cervelo ZFS-5 is a stand out choice for those doing battle from club races through to global marathon and stage race events. The ZFS-5 would be a standout choice if a capable cross-country bike is in your sights.